Sunday 22 November 2020

Get Up and Move!, What Are You Waiting For

One of the easiest things to do in the world is to procrastinate. The fact that we have always had the option of doing something tomorrow make us feel comfortable. However, if what if we didn’t have that tomorrow? What if all the time that we had was today what would you do then?

It is a scary but interesting thought the fact that all the time that you have 24 hours to make and impact. But even so, we know that you would be able to come with one excuse or the other. Like age for instance, some would say that am too young to make a difference. But age is not an excuse for you to not do great things, neither is finance or lack of ideas.  

We are sure that you think that we pulling your leg, but hold on just one second and read about how these entrepreneurs reached their goals.

Age is Not an Excuse

Being too young did not stop entrepreneurs like Elon Musk who taught himself programming at the age of 10 and now owns Telsa and Space X.

Mark Cuban, one of the main Shark investors of the ANB reality show Shark tank ventured into business when he was just 12 years old.

Richard Branson chairman of the Virgin Group started his first business at 11 with his friend. Like we said, age is not an excuse when it comes to being an entrepreneur.

Finances, Not an Excuse as Well…

What other excuse do you have? Let’s see finances? That’s not an excuses as well.

We know, things are tough, and its hard to get funding. But who said that you need funding to start a business? Why can’t you simply make the funds yourself? Entrepreneurs have been hypnotised to think you always need to ask for money. But news flash, you don’t need to ask money, you simply need to make it.

Warren Buffet one of the greatest entrepreneurs of all time made his funds to start his business by selling chewing gum. Yes, you read that right, he sold chewing gum. He literally bought a pack of chewing gum and started selling them, door to door.  

Daymond John, scraped the pain of pencils and repainted and customised them for a fee. While we have David Danesher who got the money for his start up business through playing poker. Further solidifying our point that finances are not supposed to be hindrance to an entrepreneur  who knows that they want to and who they want to become.

Lack of Ideas???

So far, we have covered to of the most common excuses that most entrepreneurs use when it comes to getting up and starting their business. Then there are those people who say things like everything has been done, so what can I do?

To be honest, everything has been done, we know that you cannot reinvent the wheel, but you can make a different wheel.

Case in point we have several smartphones, all of which literally do the same thing, they call, text and go online. But we still have new brands of phones coming out every single day.

Another example, the main social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Whatsapp, TikTok, LinkedIn and SnapChat. Literally all do the same things but differently. But, well we still have them all and they still have millions of users with the numbers growing everyday.

That being said, you have no excuse to not start your business today. By today we mean right now. If you want to achieve something that you have never had you need to do something that you have never done before. That being said, set your pride aside and get up and move!

 

 

How to Stay Relevant While Blogging About Technology


Blogging about technology is easy since we are living in a technological world. However, as easy as it may be, just because you are blogging about technology does not mean everyone else will stop blogging about technology as well. As such, you need to find a way that will ensure that you remain relevant. Such that even if the future comes knocking your way, you know that you and your tech blog are future-proof.

How To Ensure That Your Blog Is Future Proof

1. Know Your Topic

For starters, you need to know your topic, and to many, this may seem to be relatively easy. However, you will find that may blog writers don’t do much research on the topics that they write about, they simply use skeletal information which will then lead to your blog having shallow information.

Such that if you are using Google as your search engine they will easily kick you to curve and you never see the light of day on their search engine result page. You need to make sure that when you chose a certain aspect about technology to write about you know it inside out. Such that the more that you write, the more that your work will be acknowledged.

This will then prove you an authority and an expert in the field. Which then mean that readers trust you. And if readers trust you, Google trusts you as well. Meaning that even on your bad days, you know that your blog is still able to stand strong due to the reputation that you would have built.

2. Long-form posts perform better

When you write your blog, you need to make sure that you add content, but at the same time, you need to make sure that the content that you add is relevant as well.  While many believe that people don’t like content, this has actually been proven to be false.

According to Hubspot, blogs within the range of 1750 to 2000 words are shared more than blogs that are within the 250 to 500 words. However as much as you will be adding content, you need to mind the styling and the presentation of your work.

The reason why people get bored with reading too much content is that there will be no styling on the page as such it looks boring.

You need to make your blog worthy of the reader's attention, such that even if they browse through your work, your headers will make them want to stop and dig out more.  Make your sentences short, use easy language and short paragraphs, that tricks into thinking that your work isn’t that long. Therefore, it will get more shares, and the more that it is shared, you will be able to stay relevant even in the future.

3. Know Your SEO

Lastly, in order to make sure that your blog is future proof, you need to know your SEO, Search Engine Optimization. SEO is what will make your blog and what will keep your ranking if you are using Google as your search engine that is.

When you write you need to take note of the various things that Google uses to rank blogs. When you write, you need to know that you write for Google and Google is there for the people, therefore your work needs to have a balance between the two.

You can use tools like Neil Patel to help with the ranking of technology blog as it comes with keywords as well as other strategies to make sure that you blog is future proof.

How to run an online magazine

Have you ever dreamed of a sharing valuable content around topics you love? All the laughter and treasured moments frozen in words and pictures? You can make it happen, through running an online magazine around your unique and fond topics. Digital magazines can deliver the same value as a print magazine can do, plus added convenience and interactiveness.

In this digital era, almost everyone who owns an electronic device is looking for tidbits of everything, fun and valuable. It can be like a digital circus or parade, compressed into pictures and powerful words to evoke the desired emotion, regardless of the time of day. You can learn more on how to get started, by following the veterans of the digital content such as  Michael Bloomberg, Bertie Forbes, and Fortune Magazine.

As an individual just starting, you need to arm yourself with the right information, including key insights and the necessary skills. After all, writing should be considered a form of conversation with a distant person. Context is key, and the better you are at understanding your audience, the more relevant you can become, as you share your story. Only going for what makes their blood tick. Be prepared to fail, and learn from your mistakes. Like any start-up, the risk of failure is high at first, but through iteration of the business model and plan, the road eventually gets flat.

Your goal and purpose for the magazine

Just like any other content creator and media platform, you need to set your vision, mission and actionable goals for your magazine. Know your niche from the beginning, whether it's going to be Sports, Fashion, Pop-culture, or Business and Finance? Examples of the magazines include flash magazines, pdf magazines, flip book, native apps, HTML5, etc. It is also important to know the different types of online magazines that suits your budget, know the demands of running each type of it and most importantly know the best suited for you.

Before you start writing content or hiring writers, decide what subjects your magazine will talk about , (including the taboo topics) and editorial policy. Make sure the policy is firmly observed to create a professional environment when working with writers whether inhouse of freelancers. In the end, every published work must earn its place by merit and considered relevant by the target audience and potential subscribers.

One of the means to improve your publication is to offer high-quality content that builds on itself over time. At the outset of any big project, it's important to start with the goal in mind. Establishing an online magazine is no different. Magazines can have many different purposes, and recognizing yours will affect the platform you choose, the layout and design options you decide upon, your editorial formula, and more.

The advantages of having an online magazine compared to print magazine

Before we go into the risks and software and all information there is to know about running an online magazine, let us look at the advantages first. Let's put aside the type of online magazines

available just as an online magazine is different from a print magazine which means that you are already saved from the printing expenses. Almost everyone who owns an electric device can access it with obvious the right marketing. An online magazine allows you to reach both computer and mobile users with an equally immersive reading experience, and you won't be accountable to anyone else's terms and conditions. Another thing is that an online magazine can come with a software design that allows them to turn into pdf files so that anyone can read them freely. When starting an online magazine, it is crucially important to know that you can publish your content from anywhere, as long as you know the digital publishing solution that matches your resources and objectives and have a bit of business understanding.

Tools needed to run an online magazine

Before you invest in your online magazine, take note of assessing your magazine needs. An adequate research is essential to help you understand the scope of the project and/or operations. The starting point is in asking trusted informants for recommendations on areas like niche, trends etc., conducting project trials, whether in the form of A/B Tests with different niches or in your intended niche can help you in a big way. Lastly, you need to read reviews of the magazines in your target niche and if you have published feature stories, feedback from the readers' suggestions can help to stir your efforts in the right direction.

· Computers

 Just like any online platform, there is a need for high-performing computers and smart devices. This will help you with seamless integration of the platforms and easy access by your times whether remote or onsite. Think of it in terms of editing, the bigger the software, the more resources will be demanded from your computers, and if the machines are outdated or poorly perform, they can freeze or even crush. Think of the situation in terms of costs operational costs!

A good tablet computer ,a laptop, a smartphone , good DSLR camera and NAS( network attached storage ) are must have electronic  equipment in your online adventures but however you possibly start with a smartphone and PC  only

List of were to Find Electronic Devices

Walmart
Bestbuy
Lenovo
Dell
woot
Aliexpress
Newegg
Adorama

· Software

An online magazine requires investment in good and reliable software. This gives you the power to control the quality of the work you are publishing, from aesthetics to readability and project tracking and other uses like pic editing.
You can found Good Multimedia Software And Apps on:

Autodesk

There are software for checking plagiarism, lest you end up facing a heavy lawsuit because of plagiarism among other technical issues of the field. You can do lots of work with a small team of without compromising on time to market or quality of the product. The benefits are innumerable.

· Email and digital marketing tools

Since an online magazine leverages on the internet, unfortunately, your content can easily get lost in a single click. Hence the need for creating a strong digital presence across channels. The goal is to keep the audience engaged, subscribed and looking forward to the next publication. You can manage the audience by using email listings and social media for marketing your work. The audience should be kept in the state of expectation for your next release. Let your news and updates be everywhere your audience spends its time on. Build and manage your audiences and wherepossible, tailor your offering to them.

Tools like Mail Chimp and

Risk Management

Just like any other business, an online magazine requires risk taking. You need to equip yourself with the right knowledge and tools to help you manage your business well. Just like any other business there are things you need to avoid when running an online magazine such as :

· Insufficient capitalization and an insignificant plan

When venturing into an online magazine, one requires to be strategic in thinking. You will require a concrete plan and solid capital of what you are embarking into. Capital is an essential tool when you start a business, and the crucial thing to do is to have it in it's adequate. Your plan needs to be solid and you need to invest in a lot of things. Avoid going into business with less capital than intended for it  will only lead to failure of your business. Your investments corresponds to your success or failure therefore solid planning is crucial. Make plans for the future and have an insight of what you will accomplish before you start.

· Impoverished market research and undermining competition

Do not make the mistake of basing your research on secondary data. The internet and google can be misleading when it comes to decision making and market survey. Oftentimes, there is a greater disparity between the "Internet data" and the reality. Always keep in mind that your business idea is not new. Probably lots of people have tried and failed along the way, so your job is to unearth the issues and build your strategy based on your SWOT analysis. Competitor research needs to be balanced you're your organizational vision. Not every move made by your competition is meant to be imitated, at times you need to stay true to your core values in order to win. At start, invest in independent researchers and have an analytical team to help you draw insights from the data, otherwise it will amount to nothing but wasted resources.

· Not Investing in Marketing

Know the right strategy to market and sale your product. Not every magazine needs advertising in the traditional media, and for B2C. Some niches are strongly based on industry practices and trades which will eliminate certain channels. Advertising has been over-emphasized to the point that it is increasing the cash burn rate for start-ups.  Have a solid strategy then act. Take advantage of the media and websites (personal or affiliates) and ensure that your magazine is accumulating to more subscribers. Build strong networks to help you reach target markets. In the end, it is the right strategy that win, and those business that are operating with agility.

How to hire and manage Writers

After determining the frequency of your publishing of content, understand how you will hire writers. Some work with freelancers while others have an inhouse team. Each decision has its own merits and demerits.

There is a need for having a criterion on how you will hire writers, what the key indicators to consider in your team? If it's a weekly publication, who will be providing for your magazine? The skillset required in the writers is a crucial factor.

You might choose to write your own articles, but it is advisable to hire a team of seasoned writers who are considered subject experts to bring a spark to your content. Freelancers deliver better in this regard, however, hiring an inhouse team can help you to maintain a consistent voice and quality across the articles. The only cause for concern is lack of "Wow" factor when your team stick to the old norm with little effort in creative drive.

According to Forbes Magazine, Adrian Fisher the writer of the post  advised entrepreneurs looking to launch an online magazine recommended avoiding freelancers for a magazine since it can be challenging to guarantee the quality of the content or their experience in the subject. Therefore, as an entrepreneur, you will need to choose what works best for you. In the end, you are searching for the magical touch, which keeps the audience glued to your content.

While you can occasionally ask for guest contributions for your articles and content, remember that contributed content is worth as much as you are willing to pay for it. This can help you measure the value in each content submitted. There are some established writers who have built legions of followers over the years, such that if they contribute to your articles, you can tap into their audiences gaining wider readership. However, there is a cost attached to it. In the end, you should do your homework, possibly a cost benefit analysis.

How to monetize the site

As you are starting your online magazine, always think of the business side of it. This means having a proper revenue model for the magazine so that it can be self-sustaining, and profitable. Identify a few potential sources of funding as early as possible. Decide is you are going to push costs to the audience in the form of subscriptions or you will push it to businesses seek advertising space. Either way, you need to have a solid strategy on how you are going to pull it off.

You can should have different options for monetizing your magazine. This can be in the form of display advertising, banner ads, etc.
In Terms of monetization you should check out google AdSense and Yllix .Its very easy to create an account with them just click Yllix or AdSense to check out for yourself.

Have an " advertise with us " section. This will help you get more clients and people who would like to advertise with you to your advantage. According to Lucidpress; "..If you become a trusted source for quality content that's providing a unique perspective, you have a good chance of gaining a loyal following of subscribers..." In this field, content is King!

 You can check out the best web hosting sites for your magazine here

Besides All the that security of your site , content and data matter so it necessary to find a place you can safely backup your data and content with loosing it incase of any accidental data wipe. ==> Cloudways can help

And also to purchase a license from McAfee or Norton in the case of getting trust from customers when purchasing or leaving their details or data on your website.

In conclusion, like any business, it gets better the more you invest time, human capital and money in nurturing it. The returns will be exponential.

Friday 20 November 2020

How To Run A Clothing Business (Detailed)

Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence in society.”So, if you’re starting or running a new clothing business, you want to stand out in the market.While experiencing huge growth can be hard to break into. I’ve compiled a list of strategies for growing your clothing business and bringing in more money, drawing on case studies from successful clothing companies who have pulled away from the pack and experienced huge success. You don’t need a big budget, or even a big platform, to make your mark. You just need to get your designs in front of the right people and, you can use the power of marketing to do just that. There are several ways to boost your clothing business the traditional way which includes having modeling shows whereby you invite your target market and present your designs. Another way is to print hard copy magazines, fliers or put your designs on weekly newspapers.

One of the easiest ways to brand a fashion business online is by creating a website. With a visually stunning website with stable webhosting, you can convey your business’ message in the online world and hook customers to your offline products!

Are you looking for someone to build you a professional website or online store for your fashion-related business? We can help you. Please, contact us on Fb.com/rocwoodpalmHST

Having a website is crucial for a fashion brand because…

…It Gives a Voice to Your Brand

Create a website – make sure you have clear images of your collection, contact details, a biography and background of the label.

 Hi-Res images. Have them ready and available for press to download from your website or an online image bank such as PR Shots.

 Contact bloggers. STUDY the blogs you’re about to contact first. ONLY contact them if your collection is relevant to them.

Send items to bloggers- Influencers and bloggers are the best people to advertise your products.

.
 

 

Social media allows you to promote your fashion brand, improve customer service, divert traffic to your website, and improve sales. But a lot of times, we don’t see companies using various social media channels to their fullest potential. If you’ve been using social media but have only seen a drain on labor cost or can’t accurately attribute revenue to specific channels or marketing campaigns, then it’s time to recalibrate your efforts. Don’t get stuck doing social media for the sake of doing social media. A social media presence needs to be strategic and intentional. You need to know which platforms are right for your business and industry, and how best to reach your target customers on those platforms.

For instance, when it comes to apparel brand engagement, Instagram is king

Furthermore, emarketer found that apparel and accessory online sales are the fastest growing e-commerce product. If you want to speak directly to a customer these days, you must have a strong online presence. With a website you can do that.

…It Opens Up More Selling Opportunities

Having a website will open up many more doors for you online. For example, your fashion brand could get a mention on sites like VoucherBin, which would directly help drive up sales and add more value to your business.

Not to mention the social media frenzy you’d be able to create. Twitter and Facebook accounts alone aren’t enough, as a website offers more opportunities to show your products and talent.

…It Gives You a 24/7 Runway

With a website you’re not just showcasing your fashion on fashion shows that take place once a year and where your brand might have 5 minutes of runway time, you are constantly out there.

Morden Webhosting Poviders allows you to pick a CMS platform where you can add images, video and text, creating an online runway for customers to fall in love with your work. You can have your own constant show to attract customers!

…It Saves You Money

In fact, it isn’t only the benefit of talking to more customers a website you’ll gain; you’ll also save a lot of mon

 

Webhosting doesn’t cost a lot of money, it leads to own space on the web and it allows you reach a wider audience than traditional marketing methods. It can also cut down the need for finding a middleman, i.e. a retailer, which cuts off a slice from your cake.

By getting your site featured on voucher sites such as VoucherBin, you can drive traffic directly to your website where you make the sales. You get to keep more money from the hard work that you do!

…It Helps You Stay Relevant

Fashion is more about relevance than any other industry. Unfortunately, the real world has often trouble keeping up with the latest trends.

Online, this isn’t a problem, especially if you choose your contacts carefully! You can follow the trends, tweak your website and your fashion catalogue, and make sure your fashion and your website are always one step ahead of others.

And if you are looking for help setting up your website, you can contact us @rocwoodpalmHST on Facebook or sent an email to rocwoodpalm@gmail.com for more details.

 

WEB DEVELOPMENT# WEB DESIGN# WEBSITE FOR BUSINESS# FASHION

The Importance of migrating your business to the web, especially at a time like this

At one or multiple points in the race of time we dream of who we want to become and success is always part of the equation.

However life is always in it's unpredictable form and we all need an achievement we can proudly look at , even in our final moments.

If this achievement is your business then here are a few advantages of shifting it to the web.

 

The world is fast changing into a modern fusion of "tech and self" (technology and us) and in this transition don't get left in the night but ride along into daybreak. So get your gear and confidence on, shift your business to the web and enjoy the great opportunity of attracting international customers.

Yes that's right! It's a chance to have a bigger vision for your business and a chance to expand it into a legacy. More growth plus more money ofcourse.

 

With business on a web it's easier to advertise products but not just that. The cost of the advertisement is way cheaper! This means less administrative costs ,more money to save and a flourishing business.

 

The web offers an enormous door into the land of better business and less work. With all technological advancements, most of the population is making use of the web and this means easy access to customers for your business and easy access to products/ services for them . It's a win-win.

 

Be it formally or casually, relationships are a part of who we are as the whole of humanity. So shifting your business to the web is a great shot at forming strong relationships with multiple customers. It's easier to keep in touch and get feedback or to even constantly remind them of the products/services you offer. This kind of customer support is a healthy lifetime meal for your business and a poisonous potion for your competitors. So when it comes to your customers, don't just strike their fancy but their hearts as well, using the web.

 

It's a tragedy and heart-aching situation that covid-19 is increasing the weight on our shoulders but our dreams have to keep blooming and we have to survive. So a business on the web is covid proof. There's less physical affiliation and more heart to soul relations between customers and suppliers over the web.

 

So shifting your business to the web is one of the best decisions you will ever make if you're serious about who you have always dreamt to be in the business world. Have you been doing it wrong? It's time to make up for it.

HOW A BLOG CAN BE USED TO GENERATE INCOME DIRECTLY/ INDIRECTLY

A blog is a regularly updated website or web page administered by one individual or small group written in an informal style or conversation style. A blog is easy to set up because bloggers can use the internet web servers available. Blogging can generate income by deploying some of the ideas stated below:

 

1. FEATURED ADS

Bloggers can generate income from proceeds from ads. Ads are internet advertising content appearing on most frequent visited sites. Bloggers who frequently post and keep people trolling the internet for their content can benefit from companies wanting a platform to market. Such firms can pay ad fees which allow their advertising contents to feature on the blog their by generating income for the blogger.

 

2. ONLINE TUTORING

Bloggers can use their websites to conduct online tutoring services. Blogging can be done in a conversational style making it ideal for interactions with potential clients. Although content posted can be available to public access, bloggers can retain the good material by posting a glimpse of information that keeps potential clients interested. In this way, a blogger can earn income from those whom would have fallen in love with this topics or posts.

 

3. JOURNALISM

Most journalist nowadays own website where they post news and current updates. For investigative journalists whom operate to unearth scandals and secrets, blogging can be one option to rely on. Once a journalist earns people`s trust, it becomes easier to post information and for people to quickly fall in love with it. Journalists can gain attention and sponsoring from people interested in unearthing such scandals thus providing a platform to earn money.

 

4. ONLINE MARKETING

A blog can be used to market goods or services and thus connect customers with suppliers. People are more attracted by a blog that is updated regularly and one that centres on topics that affect our daily lives. A blogger who’s able to do this can also connect clients with suppliers and thus make an income. People can scroll the internet when they are looking for something because they have understood that it is a core centre of business. Such people can be attracted by bloggers who are able to satisfy their quest for goods and services. This is also cheap because a blog can be operated by a small group of people or one individual in some circumstances. This is cost effective as compared to running a website that requires different Information Technology (IT) to operate efficiently.

 

5. ONLINE SELLING

The twenty first century has proved that literally everything can be sold on the internet. The major thing separating incomes of suppliers is how best are you able to attract customers and satisfy their needs and wants. Customers scroll the web daily looking for convenient ways of getting utility and value for money goods or services. A blogger should be innovative, intelligent and ever dynamic to suit people`s wants and desires. Therefore, blogging should be customised in the best interest of potential clients and this can generate income for the blogger.

 

In conclusion, a blog is a website that easy to use and administer. Bloggers should utilise their sites in the best methods available in order to generate income for their pockets.

BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR

An entrepreneur is a person who combines all the factors of production with a view to earn profit. Other than combining factors of production, there are necessary skills that guarantees one`s success in the entrepreneurship journey. The key necessary skills of factors are:

 

1. INTERGRITY AND RESPONSIBILITY

 

Integrity means being straightforward while responsibility entails that one has to own up for their actions and conduct work as prescribed. A person wishing to be entrepreneur should possess these key attributes. Integrity is a standard requirement that can lure customers to the business. Potential customers are willing to conduct business with individuals whom are straightforward in their dealings. For example, customers want to place their money on an organisation in which they can get value for money product or service. An individual who`s straightforward in his/her dealings will also ensure that they conduct business on which they can fulfil the stated obligations. This also indicates how responsible one can be.

 

2. INNOVATORS

Business of today has become dynamic in that continuous improvement is a necessary tool that guarantees business survival. Entrepreneurs should capitalise on providing new business ideas and introducing new products. Good entrepreneurs lacking an innovative mind-set should opt to employ innovators in their organisation. Failure to do so will leave the organisation operating solely in their own backward strategies while competitors adapt new and current changes. A notable innovator is Elon Musk who founded SpaceX, an aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company in 2002. Elon Musk joined Tesla Motors an electric vehicle manufacturer, founded OpenAl in 2015, a non-profit research company and in 2016 he co-founded Neuralink, a neurotechnology company focused on developing brain-computer interfaces. Other than this, he founded X.com, an online bank that later merged with Confirnity in 2002 which had launched PayPal.

 

3. IDENTIFY A NICHE

A niche is a business gap existing in an industry. Good entrepreneurs should identify a niche existing in an industry and capitalise on it. This has been the reason why organisations continue to diversify into different industries. For example, Econet Wireless led by Strive Masiwa (Zimbabwean born entrepreneur) venturing into insurance, life assurance, banks. Another notable example relates to Tinashe Mutarisi (owner and Managing Director of Nash Paints) who currently has an online television channel supporting aspiring musicians locally. The television channel has gained momentum because artist performing on that stage have lived up to their billing. Innovation allows the firm to widen its revenue sources and improve its profits.

 

4. COMMITMENT & DETERMINATION

Most entrepreneurs live to the testimony that starting a business is easier said than done. Although most people tend to understate problems and overstate their achievements, the journey to be a successful entrepreneur requires commitment and determination. Entrepreneurs are not quitters or they do not give up despite facing challenges in this journey. Entrepreneurship requires willingness to stay focused on the desired goal regardless of the difficulties faced on the way.

 

5. LEADERSHIP

Leadership refers to the ability to govern and lead people to the desired vision. Entrepreneurs are self-starters but being the owner of the idea doesn`t really translate that they are able to carry the organisation to that goal. Good entrepreneurs hire competent individuals who are trained academically to pursue such goals. A business owner should be a leader, providing guidance and keeping people in line with the intended goal. No one can be omnificent and team-work is a necessary requirement that guarantees continuous business survival.

Some say entrepreneurs are self-taught. The reason behind this sentiment lies in the above key factors that one has to possess in order to be a successful entrepreneur.

Benefits of a family business over a non-family one

Business ideas may be pouring out of your head flawlessly but good business people step out of this soothing comfort and think ahead. We are all ticking time bombs, one day we will live our final second and depart from this world, who then will run the business? This question will help you decide whether your business should be family owned or non-family owned. Here are a few advantages of a family owned business:

1. Commitment

When thinking ahead it’s not just about the final hour but also the multitude of hours you still have to run the business. Having family members to be part of the business can make the journey easier and exciting. Family members are much more driven to make the business work more than non-family members because it’s never just a business but a family legacy they seek to establish. The kind of commitment they have is rare and it’s the perfect fertiliser for your business to grow.

 

2. The business vision is long term

Allow me to describe family members in a business as eagles soaring high above the fluffy clouds with eyes which pierce straight into the heart of the sea and see fish to devour. In simple terms, family members see beyond obstacles found in business and they are more focused on developing the business even if it takes years (eyes on the prize). On the other hand non-family members usually have short term goals for quick profits; neither will they see ahead nor feel comfortable making a few sacrifices for a reward years later.

 

3. Trust and genuineness

For any business owned by family, it’s easier to turn to a member and ask for help in a very important decision making. This is because you’re not just asking a business partner but someone you share a strand of blood with or someone you know very well. This kind of trust is very healthy for a business because it promotes transparency. Imagine what it would be like if everyone was working towards their own hidden agendas without anyone knowing. The whole business would quickly become a dark circle of secrets and things could easily go south. A family business promotes some genuineness because as family members you won’t be compelled to pretend when it comes to the person you are or what you do. There’s so much freedom ‘to be yourself’ and this promotes brilliant business ideas.

 

4. Stability of the business

Many businesses crumble to dust when that power hunger comes into play. Having a family business can spare you the headaches because power goes down from person to person depending on their position in the family. This kind of stable leadership promotes stability in a business. For non-family businesses it’s very possible to have power struggles. The members will become a hungry pack of wolves fighting for a piece of meat and this divides the business.

Flexibility in running the business

Not everything always goes according to plan, so when there are sudden changes to be made in a family business then the changes are quickly implemented. Family members carry a strong passion for the business so they are willing to carry extra duties without a problem when the need arises and this maintains a flawless business. When you give non-family members that kind of a burden; then you just cooked yourself a terrible stew and so you can look forward to disharmony in the business.

Overall, a family business gives you a chance to do something great for your family.

 

 

Ways of pushing a business Ahead

No matter the kind of business you are operating, there is always that unexplainable urge to have it high in the sky like a scintillating rainbow so that everyone can see and marvel at it. However I can imagine how much your face loses colour and turns pale when you have no idea how to push your brand so let me help you with a few ideas:

1. Build your social media profiles

The greatest way to push your brand is getting in touch with the ones you want to push it to. Considering how social media is literally infested with people it’s a great place to start. When building your profile don’t be ignorant about the kind of attention you want. If you want people to flock in and support then post something worth supporting but of course here and there you can post a little something to keep a friendly mood and avoid tension. Put in all the effort you have and even that you don’t have ,and create a professional and organised profile which will absorb people like a vacuum and don’t forget about LinkedIn too where most entrepreneurs are grazing and waiting to see you!

 

2. Network

Sometimes each one of us has a very small ladder and in order to make it over the wall we have to join the ladders. That’s the trick which will sky rocket your business and even give you the big breakthrough you were looking for. Go and sniff around and hunt for people to network with, especially great influencers in your kind of business. You can find them online, at conferences, in market, wherever but don’t waste the opportunity to introduce your business to them. If you get their support then you just won the support of multitudes because if they mention you or you mention their support for your business then you just gave your business some weight and earned it some attention.

 

3. Engage with influencers online and never stop learning

One of the most important ways of stepping up your game is seeing how the big guys play it. So find yourself a chance to follow the influencers in your industry through twitter or other platforms and engage in their chats or discussions. Once in a while they will hand you a golden egg, a valuable piece of information on how they made it. Learn from their success and their failures as well and this way you can actually facelift your own business and push the brand.

 

4. Create activities and start a weekly email newsletter

When operating a social media platform you really don’t want to keep posting long and dry content, give your followers something juicy and fun to be involved in. You can create some little contests with a lucrative prize or even post some articles on real stuff going on in communities or even post some inspirational quotes. The ideas are limitless just choose one which sits well with your business. This way your followers will stay engaged because you will be giving them something to feed their anticipations. Launching an email newsletter is a great way of staying in touch with your followers and customers. They won’t forget your business because you won’t be giving them a chance to do that anyway.

 

5. Invest in professional photography

Finally, the first way to convince someone to support is through their eyes. If they like what they see you’re good to go so take time to invest in professional photography. This way your brand will get famous.

Way of Making Money With A Blog

Is your pocket getting thin and malnutritious? Then rejoice because there are many ways to kill a cat and so are there many ways to get money. A blog, as simple as it may sound, is a jackpot you can use to pull money from different angles. So here are a fews ways of generating income through a blog:

 

1. Be a blogger

One of the easiest ways of getting money through a blog is being a blogger. You also get a chance to communicate with people of various opinions and this can ultimately make you more knowledgeable. There's no feeling which surpasses the feeling of the gratification you get when you influence amazing changes in someone's life. As a blogger you get the chance to experience this feeling whenever you write something uplifting on your blog. This is income on its own, however, you can do a few classes or exercises on your blog which subcribers can pay to participate in and you get income.

 

2. Sell PDFs or Audio versions of your blog

When blogging, you're not limited to doing things on the blog but you can take the blog offline. This does not mean destroy your blog but it means you can take the blog to the people who have a hard time reaching your blog online. You can do this by selling PDFs of your blog. This way you generate income and fame for your blog. If more people get interested then kudos! That's more income for you. Selling audio versions of your blog can also get you money considering that some people are lazy readers or too busy to read but can listen. Audios can also help expand your brand as they make it possible for the blind to be part of the blog experience.

 

3. Be a marketer or sell products

Having a blog means having loads of attention from the people who follow you. This is a huge advantage and you can use this opportunity to market for different companies and get paid. You can write your blog the way you always do and at the end you can paste a small advert and the link to the respective company. This way you become a fisher of men and earn. If you have a side hustle eg selling products then you can sell them on your blog and get customers. If you don't, you can sell products for other companies and get paid.

 

4. Rent A Blog  and offer content writing services to the tenants

An interesting and indirect way of getting money from a blog can be writing content for a blogger. A person can own a blog and have a lot of things to share with the subscribers but he/she might not know how to deliver the words to them. Now if you know that you juggle words very well then this is an opportunity to be a content writer and get paid. You become the medium between the heart of the blogger and the heart of the subscribers.

5. Build blogs and sell them

It's also very easy to earn money from a blog without much involvement in it. You can do this by building blogs and selling them. This is a smart way of helping those who can't establish blogs but are being grilled with the passion to be a blogger and you also feed your pocket.

 

Now you know that money rains from different points, good luck with finding your own collection point.

Be Your Own Boss

Entrepreneurship  is the activity of setting up a business,  taking on financial risks in the hope of making profit. It comes with characteristics such as passion, flexibility, basic money management skills and taking risks, among many others. It also comes with having patience. Owning you own business gives you freedom and empowerment. Benefits of being a successful entrepreneur are the joy of watching your business grow,  getting to realize you own creative vision and also you get to have long lasting realtionships with customers. It is a great way of living as compared to working for somebody.

To be a successful entrepreneur you need to challenge yourself. No one other than yourself is going to push you to do better or more. Challenging yourself with bigger tasks will help you when you encounter more challenges. You have to be ready for anything and everything. For example when you start lifting 20 kg weights at the gym. At first it is difficult but then the more you lift them and start building the strength to lift they become easier and easier. As an entrepreneur you should always be looking for the next challenge.

Passion goes a long way. You have to love what you do because you are going to have to put in more hours and work for your business to grow. If you do not love what you do then surely the more work you put in will end up frustrating you. Passion should drive you inorder to be successful. That burning passion will make the amount of workload you will have to put in not seem like a great sacrifice.

Fear is an enemy of success. Fear is a negative tool which stops action. With fear no one can ever be successful. Entrepreneurs should learn to reduce or conquer fear. You should learn to override it because fear leads to poor decisions. You should be able to act quickly when you realise a mistake. When an opportunity presents itself to you,  you should be able to act on it fast without fear.  Fear leads to an unsuccessful entrepreneur as it forces you to ignore other opportunities that come your way.

South African entrepreneur Elon Musk is one person to look upto. He is the founder of Tesla Motors and SpaceX which launched a landmark commercial spacecraft in 2012. He became a multimillionaire in his 20s. Before he became successful Musk was a child whom at 10 his parents divorced. He began to develop an interest in computers. At 12 he sold his first game called Blastar. He had a rough childhood,  he was bullied until he learnt how to defend himself. He serves as testimony that with passion and hardwork you can be your own boss. You can get more information on him on www.biography.com^elon musk.

Other notable entrepreneurs are Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey. Bill is the wealthiest man in the world. Oprah is the most influential woman in the world. Oprah was teased at school, she was from a poor family but all that changed when she decided to climb the ladder of success. You can read more on these entrepreneurs on https:// www.inc.com an article by Larry Kim, CEO of MOBILEMONKEY.

These entrepreneurs serve as  a testimony that if you work hard enough,are passionate, hungry enough,  nothing and no one will stop you from achieving your goals. Thus to all entreprenuers,  no matter how hard the road to success may be, adopt to it, work extra hard  and never lose face of the price ahead of you. Chase your own dream, be your own boss.

It doesn't hurt to start a Blog at least  or starting a web hosting reselling business here

How To Boost Fashion business using traditional business methods And morden ones

How To Boost Fashion business using traditional business methods

The fashion industry is one of the most interesting industries in the world. Peoplw love to look presentable thus they look to follow the new fashion trends. As much as it is interesting it is a challenge too. The competition is high. Setting up marketing strategies to the forever changing fashion is quite tricky but not impossible. We are going to tackle ways in which a fashionpreneur can overcome these challnges and strive  in the business.

Setting up a website for your business is a good strategy. To kickstart your  website you should have a target market aswell as a brand name. This will help in setting up a website for your fashion business. Failure to cone up with these two is a failure to set up the website. This is so in the sense that a target market  and a brand name will help you to also set up samples of what you have in store. Showing your clothing in an attractive manner will help boost your sales. All these are the benefits of having a website. Academies like fashionpreneur help you find a good manufacturer, and also find the right producer and teach you on how to collaborate with them. Visit them at: thefashionpreneuracademy.com

Marketing plays a vital role in the business. Social Media marketing is also a strategy that a fashionpreneur can use to gain more customers. It is one of the most cost effective ways of marketing. This type of marketing hqs great benefits such as improved brand loyalty. This can help a fashionpreneur engage with customers  and create a band with them. Another advantage is that there is increased conversion rates,  this helps increase the business's visibility. Thus it is good for a fashionpreneur to use social media platforms for advertising.

Running a business is work. It needs commitment, motivation,  drive and hard work. As a fashionpreneur you can use bootstrapping to boost your business. This is so in the sense that it will allow you not to waste money but save. Only using money gained from and by the business is a safe way for any business to grow. This helps you to have a disciplined business at the end of the day. It is easy and wise for a fashionpreneur to boostsrap when starting a business.

A fashionpreneur can turn to webhosting. The webmarket is a good strategy to boost business. A company  like Fastwebhost is one of the cheapest webhosting companies. Fastwebhost provides a 99, 9 percent uptime guarantee. The company's data centre are equiped with features such as 24/7 monitoring,  fire detection systems,  redundant power,  reliable and secure hosting services. They provide a free Cpanel and fast servers. They also offer 24/7 customer support. They also offer a free malware scanner because to them your safety comes first. Their services start from as little as $2, 79. Take a visit there and see it for yourself here

Online Marketing is a good way to go as a fashionpreneur. Everyone  is looking at sites and webs for affordable clothes. It is best to turn to Online marketing as a way to boost your business.

Traditional marketing strategies such as newspapers,  magazines and posters are also a way of boosting your business. It might seem old fashioned but we have people who love these newspapers and magazines. These will help boost the business. This is so in the sense that if the adverts are advertised in those magazines and newspapers the business might get customers. Some say these strategies are out of fashion but they are not because a certain percentage of people still look upto and use these strategies and they work for them.

Thursday 19 November 2020

How to run a business with limited resources


The biggest challenge faced by any entrepreneur on the early stages of business development is how to build a successful business with limited resources. Overcoming this challenge can mean the difference between building a successful company and allowing your dream to die. And, while money may be the force that drives success for you and your business, money alone is no guarantee of success. To be successful, you also need drive, motivation, commitment and hard work. I have put together strategies to help you figure out how you can utilize scarce resources to achieve your company goals.

Bootstrapping

Basically, bootstrapping is using your own money or the money you earn from customers and putting it right back into the business. In effect, your business grows and expands in both scale and in expenses only at a rate that is supported by its own income. This will help in the maximizing of revenue and reduction in expenses for the business. Bootstrapping also allows for discipline  in a small firm by eliminating the unnecessary use of money accrued from the business on insignificant things.

Be resourceful

Being resourceful takes more than cognitive skill. It takes the ability to process information emotionally as well as intellectually. Resourcefulness is a mindset, and is especially relevant when the goals you have set are difficult to achieve or you cannot envision a clear path to get to where you desire to go. With a resourcefulness mindset you are driven to find a way. An attitude of resourcefulness inspires out-of-the-box thinking, the generation of new ideas, and the ability to visualize all the possible ways to achieve what you desire. A great way to optimize your resourcefulness is by learning new skills thereby limiting the expenses that leak by hiring expensive professionals.

Build Strategic Partnerships

Running a business on limited resources like a tight budget can be a strenuous process for an upcoming entrepreneur, especially if you are doing it single handedly. An easy and efficient way to ease the burden would be to negotiate  strategic
Partnership with another business to create value for each other through sharing expenses and improving sales.
For instance, a graphical arts company can team up with a web design company and provide free or reduced-price services to each other that will benefit both companies. Other forms of quid pro quo sharing of resources can also extend to such things as sharing office or warehouse space with another company.

Learn from your mistakes

Limited resources can be seen as a blessing in disguise for an entrepreneur. It is rare for a company with limited resources to make uninformed decisions or to make the same mistake twice as a lot will be at stake. To make an impact with limited resources for your business, you have to develop your analytical skills that can help you figure out which decisions you must take to maximize returns and reduce expenses.
Limited resources can self-limit the potential damage that you can do to your business by pursuing the wrong idea, the wrong product, or wrong market.

Running a business should never be a stressful journey for an aspiring entrepreneur. Less resources should challenge you to beat the odds and make a lasting impact in the world of business. The term “limited resources” in itself is a word designed to limit your mind to think that it will not pass a certain limit. Many companies were built from the ground up, and anyone can do it. You will be surprised what your mind can achieve .

WHY ACCOUNTING IS IMPORTANT FOR A SMALL BUSINESS ?

Building a business is just like building a house; if some important elements are forgotten or excluded later on the house might start cracking or peeling off. One of the most important building materials for your small business is accounting. It is very easy to neglect it and just go with the flow as long as you are getting profit but you should be concerned. After establishing the business it could come down crumbling to the floor and this will shutter you and your efforts. Here are reasons why accounting is very important and necessary for your small business:

Recording of transactions

The most important role of accounting is to record business transactions. It would be more than a fatal error to have transactions and fail to record them and then try to remember what happened when you need the information. Recording transactions helps you to keep track of the cash flow so that you won’t run dry. When a customer needs some information on a transaction that took place then you will be in a good position to impress your customer and save yourself some embarrassment.

Determination of performance

When a car is purchased it is crucial to monitor the performance. Over time it can start having weird sounds or engine problems and any other problem can be easily identified and fixed. This is the exact same thing with your business. It is important to compare your current business performance with the past performance. This will help you assess if your business has changed for better or for worse. This will also help you in fishing out some problems and you can fix them before they damage your business. Determining the trend in your business performance helps you to predict future performance under different circumstances and you will be able to make necessary adjustments in time.

Making of decisions

There is no business which does not go through important decision making and it can be heart wrenching when you are not sure if you are going to make the right decision or not.

Accounting saves you from these hot headaches by giving you an overview of how your business is operating. Accounting records determine whether your business is healthy or is struggling with malnutrition. This way you will be able to make decisions which will help your business to continue running efficiently and effectively. Examples of decisions can be decisions on price of product/service, resources needed or decisions on whether a loan is needed.

Control of the business

Accounting helps you maintain control of the business. Some hyenas can be found in your business waiting to grab a chunk of meat when you are not aware. Accounting helps you identify if there are some ambiguous transactions taking place. This protects you from losses you can get from fraud, theft or errors by customers or even employees.

Preparation of business records
Accounting helps you compile business records which can be very useful.

These business records highlight your business and help you when you are seeking investments. With financial records in place there is no need for your blood pressure to shoot when there is an audit for accounting keeps you prepared. Accounting is like a soothing scent which bankers find attractive; so good financial records make it easier for you to get a loan when you need one.

Determination of financial status

No matter how smooth your business is flowing there is always a need to know where you stand. Accounting helps you determine your financial status and this will help you understand whether you are in a good place or not. This financial status helps you keep track of your assets and liabilities. It helps you manage your profits and losses. It reveals to you whether you have over-expenditure or not. Overall; financial status helps you estimate how long your business is going to run for and you can make necessary adjustments.

Budgeting and planning

One of the most common business errors is wasting money. Money can be flooding into the business and if you keep draining little amounts at a time you will one day wake up with a dry huge hole where there used to be a sea. Accounting helps you manage how profits are being used. It also helps in making necessary budgets which restrain unnecessary expenditure without suffocating the business. This also helps you in allocating resources efficiently and planning ahead so that you do not rush into a destiny you are not prepared for.

Legal requirements

Lastly; the law requires financial information to be shared with stakeholders so accounting helps you do that. It also helps you share financial records with tax authorities for any tax deductions.

How To Increase Your Brand Awareness

"How can one increase his / her business brand's popularity"

There are many ways to build, create, and establish brand awareness, but here are a few you can start with today.

Guest blog for other sites

It’s important for brands to run their own blogs and build owned audiences, but they can only drive so much mileage from these assets. This is where guest blogging comes in. This is the process of writing and pitching blog posts for another publication.

Make a list of the guest-post accepting sites that your brand is a good fit for. Check each site’s blog content, comments’ sections, and social channels to better understand who their audiences are and how they engage with the content. You’ll want to make sure that you can provide content that fits into their offerings, while also offering a fresh take.

Brainstorm ideas for blog posts. This can include your unique and helpful insights. Make sure they haven’t been covered on the sites you reach out to. Email each site with your pitches according to their submission guidelines. You may even write an entire post and let editors know it’s ready to go. Use these ideas to gain access to an entirely new audience and let the publication you guest blog on benefit from free content from a new industry voice.

Create shareable infographics

One of the most shareable content formats out there is the infographic. They’re visually engaging, easy to consume, and more fun to read than a regular article. Remember that the brain processes visuals a lot faster than plain text and a large percentage with visuals get more engagement. Shares are crucial for reaching new audiences on social media. They ensure that your content gets seen by people beyond your follower base


Improve your SEO with user-intent related keywords

Search engine optimization (SEO) may seem intimidating, but it’s simple to implement and it’s vital to a brand’s exposure online. It involves getting your content seen by search engines like Google and placed on search results pages. Here is how you can use keywords to improve your SEO today:

Research keywords in your industry or content categories. These are the words that your target audiences are searching to find companies like yours. When optimizing for brand awareness, you need to include  informational keywords. These are keywords that match searches of people beginning their buyer journey and looking to learn more about which products are out there. Use tools like SEMrush and Moz Keyword Researcher to find the most important keywords in your industry and among your competitors.

Build content around these keywords.

Incorporate your keywords into the headline, body, and image titles of your post–he more mentions, the easier it is for Google to pick up your post. Red flag: Don’t over stuff your posts with keywords, because Google will penalize you for this so there must be a fine balance!

Start a Referral Program

One way to achieve brand awareness through the coveted word-of-mouth marketing is to help your loyal customers be your best advocates. A referral program not only increases your reach and the amount of people who know your name, but awareness from people close to you who you trust.

Many companies offer referral programs, and one example is activewear company Alala who offers their customers 20% off of a purchase when they refer a friend who also receives 20% off. For consumers and their friends, it’s a win-win. For Alala, it’s a way to mobilize their brand evangelists to spread awareness and earn new customers, too.  

Essential Tech Tools For Starting An Online Business as an Entrepreneur

Before you start a journey, you need to make sure that you have everything that you need to make sure that you make it to where you are going. The same is true when you are starting an online business. You need to have the right tools, the right apparatus to make sure that you are able to make it to where you are going. Because if you don’t have the right tools, you will constantly need to stop along the way by so doing, delaying your success.

Therefore, for starting an online business as an entrepreneur there are some things, or rather some tools that you cannot do without. These are tools that will ensure that you are able to get where you are going without facing too many hiccups along the way.

Online Business Tech Tools- The Essentials

There are many tools that you will think that you need when you are an online entrepreneur, but in actual fact, you will find that you only want them and they are not essential. That is why when we talk about essential tools, we mean stools that you cannot do without. Tools that when you don’t have them, you are headed for disaster, and these are those tools.

Cloud Storage

Cloud storage means that you have all your data backed up on the cloud where no one can reach it. This means that no matter what happens, you are always able to get that data back. Imagine what would happen if there was a power surge and everything blew up, all your hard work, lost in just a few minutes, without any backups, without any evidence left to show how far you have come. That is why you always need to have a backup on the cloud such that no matter what happens, you are always able to pick yourself up and continue from where you left off.

Email Marketing Mailer

Having an effective email marketing will eliminate some of the most annoying things that come with emails like bulk emails, mass emails, emails that self-destruct, read receipts to mention but a few. Don’t get us wrong, we long our email, as they are very convenient, but you need to make sure that you an emailer that will take up all those tasks and make sure that is done with just one to clicks of a button. Or since it’s the smartphone era, one or two swipes to the left or o the right.
Social Media Presence
Statistics show that 51% of the global population present on social media.

That means as an online entrepreneur that is where you need to be as well. And not just on social media, but you need to be able to generate traffic to your pages and make sure that you people who are following you and care about what you are doing there. By so doing, you will be able to grow your online business in no time.

Web Analytics

Since you want to operate online, you will need to make sure that you are able to manage your business online as well. You will need to be able to see how many people you are reaching out to and how you are getting to them as well. Working online, you use various keyword and marketing measures, therefore web analytics shows you what is working and which words you are using that are reaching out to everyone else. That way you are able to polish on the good, and change the strategies that are not working to new ones.

Business Owner's Elements

To be a successful business owner there are some basic elements one should possess in order to excel, take a step back and evaluate whether or not you have the following characteristics,  also remember: if you don’t have these traits now, you can develop them down the road to improve your chances of success.

Self-Motivation

When you want to succeed, you need to be able to push yourself. You aren’t answerable to anyone else as an entrepreneur, and that sometimes means that it’s hard to get moving without anyone to make you. You need to be dedicated to your plan and keep moving forward — even if you aren’t receiving an immediate paycheck.

Curiosity

The best business skill has always been a healthy curiosity. This will lead you to look into what your competitors are doing, and it will also allow you to utilize new technologies to the best of your ability to streamline your business and even reach out to new customers. When the only limit you have is what you can imagine and apply, just about anything is possible.

Understand What You Offer
Flexibility

To a certain degree, you need to be flexible, willing to change as needed. Stay on top of your industry and be ready to adopt changes in processes and product as they are needed, you also need flexibility in your thinking. This is an essential part of problem-solving.

Basic Money Management Skills and Knowledge

We often think of successful entrepreneurs as “big picture” people who don’t worry so much about managing the day to day. And it’s true that you might have an accountant or other team members to help you manage the business.

However, if you want to be successful, you should still have basic money management skills and knowledge so that you know where you stand inoder to run your business on sound principles.


Tuesday 17 November 2020

The Advantages Of Using Different Media To Market Your Business

Media is a way of message delivery to the targeted population. Media like Broadcasting, Print, social media and internet are instruments used to send a message to the targeted population. The main task of media planners is to carefully select the most convenient channel to reach their targeted population.

Print media (magazines, newspapers)
 Offers more flexibility and options

It enables you to target to your audience and it also allows you to choose preferred section of the newspaper or magazine your audience are most likely to read and It also gives you the flexibility to choose when to share your content for example in the Monday paper.

- Drives action

People usually take some form of action after viewing a newspaper adverts. For example, people who views an advertisement from a grocery store are more likely to buy the advertised product

Broadcast media (TV, Radio)

 It uses sound, image, to achieve the empathy of the targeted audience.  It allows for active demonstration of product.

- It allows you to create your advertisement in a more unique way in a bid to attract your
targeted population.

- It delivers your content to a large number of people across the country. Through the radio, the content can also reach the rural areas.
Social media (Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram etc.)

Brand Recognition

Sharing content through social media increases brand recognition. Regular posting of your content on social media platforms allows you to interact with your audience often.

Brand Loyalty

Sharing content on social media creates an open service platform where customers can express their views and feelings about services and products offered. By interacting with your audience, they will be more impressed with your customer care services and appreciate the product more.

-Conversion Rates

The more the content is visible on social media platforms the more the conversations on your websites from your targeted audience

Cheap

It is cheap. With Wi-Fi or data connection and computers, or a smartphone, you can minimize your marketing costs.
Internet media

Cost Efficient

Online advertising is more affordable compared with other traditional adverting methods.

- Targeted : Online advertising gives much more control for example, Websites such as Google can tell you who to target, based on search history.

Feedback

It can help you contact with your audience via many other different media platforms for example on Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, etc.

HOW SMARTPHONES HAVE CHANGED THE WORLD

HOW SMARTPHONES HAVE CHANGED THE WORLD

We need food, water and air to survive but with this world evolving at lightning speed; we might as well need smartphones to survive. Smartphones have invaded the world with a bang and the world is being fused with this technology to better human lives and day to day activities. Even though smartphones can be the knight in shining armour in this world; this knight can get his sword wrongly used causing damage. Here are a few points on how smartphones have changed the world positively and negatively

1. Increased connection and communication

Smartphones have rocketed into our space equipped with various ways of communicating. This has helped bridge the awful gap among loved ones who are miles away from each other .The gap has not only been bridged but nearly filled at a low cost through use of social applications which make it easier to text.  Smartphones have also added some remarkable flavour to the quality of communication. We are not limited to calls and texts alone because now we can constantly remember our loved ones’ faces through video calls. Smartphones do not only aid loved ones but make it easier for strangers to become friends. This way; the whole world is being closely woven into a basket of relationships among humanity and there is an exchange of cultures and beliefs which is making people know each other better.

2. Improved quality of education

Smartphones have greatly impacted the quality of education and the quality of delivery of education. This has resulted in the world having a greater proportion of educated youth and adults. This is because information is always a few clicks away and so educational stuff can be poured out to an individual whether they are at home, at school or anywhere with internet connection. Smartphones also give a chance to old people to learn without suffering discrimination because of their age. This as a whole increases the proportion of the educated population. Smartphones also allow a teacher-student interaction even when they are far away from each other e.g in these covid-19 times. This can be done through applications like ZOOM which allow tutoring lessons to be done. So with smartphones, school is everywhere

3. Diverse entertainment

Entertainment has been a cave where we constantly hide ourselves from the brutal stresses and pressures of the world. With smartphones coming into play; this cave has been renovated into a luxurious lake house. This simply means that smartphones have upgraded access to entertainment ranging from candy crush to Netflix. Entertainment greatly relaxes the human minds and it is like a breeze to their steaming lives. So, generally, smartphones have given people a chance to lead happy and exciting lives and they have given people an opportunity to break free from the constant pressures of this world.

4. Capturing of moments

In all human lives there is always a moment in time which means everything to you. Given a chance you would rush back into the corners of history and relive those moments. Smartphones have come with the ability for such moments to be captured and stored. Anytime, anyplace you can quickly look into your smartphone and see images and videos of those great moments you had. Smartphones help you to vividly remember those moments. So whether they are wedding bells or farewells; smartphones will capture the moments for you.

5. Improved self esteem

Besides the self-esteem you get from just owning a smartphone there are other ways in which a smartphone can help you boost your self-esteem. A smartphone exposes you to the outside world from the inside. This means you can easily see what others are going through from the comfort of your home. This is an opportunity to see people who might have the same problems as you and how they deal with them. Smartphones also expose you to motivational and inspirational stories which will help you break out of your shell and build your self-esteem. At the end of the day smartphones can play an important role in making you a better person who is confident and comfortable with whom he/she is.

6. Decreased social interactions (physical world)

As much as smartphones are helpful to humanity they can be destructive in an indirect way. Smartphones allow you to constantly check on friends and family who are far and interact with new people, however, too much time spent on the phone means less time with the loved ones who are actually beside us. This ultimately breaks close relationships while attempting to build new ones. Many ‘family times’ have been turned into rush hours because everyone will be itching to go and get their smartphones so that they check what is going on. Smartphones make people really comfortable to interact using a smartphone and not in real life. This gives rise to people who are highly anti-social in the real world and highly interactive on the online world. Smartphones also create a chance for people to have fake identities. People will become who they want to be on phones but be different in reality and this increases the chances of fake relationships being formed.

7. Increased dependence

As human beings we nest inside us an amazing ability to adapt. With increased usage of smartphones; we are gradually becoming dependent on smartphones to survive. We are slowly becoming lazy bones and flesh who do nothing without thinking of how to do it with smartphones and we constantly have our eyes glued on the screen. This can cause an unhealthy lifestyle and shorter lifespan as a result. We now depend on smartphones to think for us and this has been shown to reduce our memory for smartphones are now our external memory. People are becoming less knowledgeable as they depend on smartphones to tell them what to do and not try to think for themselves. So people are becoming symbiotic with smartphones and with time they might be unable to live without them.

8. Increased crime

As much as smartphones can have a bowl full of advantages, it can be a chance for some people to indulge in malicious activities. With increased use of smartphones there is an increase in fraud, identity theft etc. and this can result in stress and increased insecurities as people are unsure if they will be the next target. This results in a fearful and insecure population.

HOW SMARTPHONES CAN BE USED FOR BUSINESS

Smartphones, one of the smartest devices, can be a smart choice for your business. Equipped with various functions; a smartphone can bring delicious uses which you can implement in your business for growth and easier management or work. Here are a few uses of smartphones in business.

1. For marketing

One of the most important aspects of business is marketing. If you look forward to a successful business then your marketing must be spot on. This can be a quite straining process but using a smartphone can be a great relief. Smartphones make it easy for you to add an attractive shade to your business through use of various applications in creating logos and online posters. Smartphone also help you show off your business to the world by just a few swipes and clicks on the screen.

-For instantly finding customers and keeping in touch with them

For it to be a great business you must have customers. Finding customers can be like looking for a coin in a desert, very frustrating. With the introduction of smartphones it is made much easier because you are exposed to the entire world through the internet and social media. With great advertising skill and a smartphone you can be a customer magnet in no time. A smartphone also helps you keep in touch with your customers and makes it easier for you to get customer feedback.

2. For creating and maintaining websites and social media handles

You need a website for you to effectively market your business. With a smartphone you can create and manage a website without sweat. The most interesting part is that you are not limited to a certain location; you can access the website from any place and at any time as long as there is internet connection. It is also easier to create and manage social media handles and this is effective for a successful business.

3. Acts as an archive

If you spontaneously get an idea for your business there’s no need to get a pen and paper to jot it down, you can use your smartphone as a notebook and type the idea before your memory plays games with you. You can also use your smartphone calendar to note down important dates for your business and get reminders when the dates arrive.

4.For business presentations

When you are wearing your neat suit to a business meeting you don’t need a heavy laptop bag drooping at your shoulder. So you can prepare a slideshow and put it in your phone so that you can use it as a remote to control the slideshow on a projector or big screen from a few neat swipes on your phone as you make a few sophisticated steps in the meeting room.

5. For networking with other businesses

As a business you are not only on the hunt for customers but also business partners and/or investors.  A smartphone makes it easier for you to connect with other businesses and network with them to form a fruitful business web. When you go for business conferences; a smartphone can help you take note of key points discussed at the conference and you can use it to take a few contacts which you might need for your business. A smartphone can also be useful in capturing the moment at the conference with other business people; especially when it’s your first conference.

6. For business transactions

One of the easiest but most needed uses of a smartphone is in conducting business transactions. When business pressure is on; you really don’t want to keep rushing in and out of the bank. That will waste your time for doing more important things and it drains your energy. The smartphone saves you from the hassle. With a smartphone you can conduct multiple transactions in a short space of time from home, office or anywhere you are; even when it is lunchtime.

7. For constantly checking on competitors

When you want to remain at the top of the game in business then you have to be a spy. You can use a smartphone to be constantly alert of the changes and upgrades your competitors will be making through their websites or social media handles. This will help you make sure they don’t overtake you. At times your competitors will be going through rough patches and this will be a chance for you to push your way to the spotlight.

8. For staying up to date with business news

As a business you do not operate in isolation from the world so you will need to regularly stay up to date with what is happening around you. With a smartphone you can easily get updates of the news and some changes in the business industries. This way you will know if there are changes you will need to make so that you do not lag behind or suffer loss.

-For sourcing out business opportunities

If you want some profit and fame for your business then you must learn to sniff around for opportunities. The smartphone is your sniffer dog. Through the internet or social media gossips you can stumble upon an opportunity which can be a breakthrough for your business

So a smartphone creates multiple possibilities for you as a person or as a businessman so that life is much easier and juicier. With a smartphone, you get connected to the world and you will be successful only if you use it wisely otherwise it can play a part in destroying you.