THE ESSENTIAL TECH TOOLS FOR A STARTING AN ONLINE BUSINESS AS AN ENTREPRENEUR

Modern startups run on digital tools. From communicating with customers, collaborating internally or protecting their assets, entrepreneurs should know that there’s a digital platform or service for everything.

The truth is, those that don’t embrace technology risk being left behind, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to stay afloat, entrepreneurs must start off strong with some of the following digital tools. Embracing digital tools now means you’ll find further opportunities for integration, growth and success down the road.

Email marketing

Email newsletters are one of the most popular and effective digital marketing tools out there. Use a platform like MailChimp or Constant Contact to easily design, send and review the results of your newsletters. You can drill down and examine who opened your emails, what links they clicked on, and who might be most interested in a follow-up message or offer.

Social media management

Not only do you need a website for your startup, but a presence on all major social media channels is also highly recommended. That means posting, engaging with other users, responding to customer questions and feedback, and otherwise being active to show your commitment to the platform(s).Rather than spending all day and night checking your Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages, use a management tool like Hootsuite to monitor feeds, schedule posts, interact and engage, and view analytics—all from one single dashboard.

File storage and access

All of your important documents, from your project files to your articles of incorporation, should be stored “off-site,” in the cloud. Get Google Drive or Dropbox storage to safeguard your backups, as well as grant access to users from any location and make updates to important files on the fly.

Virtual private network

Cyber attacks targeting small businesses are on the rise, which means you should take precautions to safeguard your startup from phishers, hackers and other cybercriminals. A VPN allows users to create a secure network connection even when you’re using a public network—such as the public WiFi networks at coffee shops. NordVPN is a popular option for its military-grade protections and thousands of available servers.

If you expect to conduct work from public spaces or collect sensitive data from clients, a VPN is an affordable way to protect you, your employees and your business.

Video conferencing software

Need to correspond with a remote team, or have a productive meeting with clients, prospective employees or consultants? A video conferencing solution that allows multiple parties to join and collaborate is a must. You can try free options like Join.me, but consider that they may max out at around 10 participants, so you can upgrade to a paid service for more attendees.

Website builder

Having a website is no longer optional for any business—it’s as important as the front door of a brick-and-mortar store. A website says that you’re a legitimate company, and you can use your site to impart news, information and alternative communication channels to your customers.

If you’re not tech-savvy, however, you don’t have to settle. Use a website builder like SquareSpace to create a clean, mobile-optimized site that you can build out to include a store, or promote via integrated marketing tools.

Website performance monitoring

No matter how you build your website, you’ll want to know how people are using it (or not using it) so you can adjust and influence them to make different decisions. Try a tool like Chartbeat or Google Analytics to track your visitors and see if they’re “bouncing” (immediately leaving), what pages they’re clicking into and other data you can mine to increase performance.

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How to start an advertising agency

The world has become a three-legged pot boiling over the furious heat of competition. There's a business here, there, everywhere and this can make it challenging to start your own. However, there is no business which does not advertise it's products/services; so you can start an advertising agency and do it for them!

Here are a few steps on how to set up an advertising agency:

1. Ask yourself what you want to achieve through this business

Usually, when thinking of starting a business, it is a great idea to take a deep breath, close your eyes and envision the results you want from this business. Do you seek to be a business tycoon, to have something of your own or to have quick bucks to spend? Answering this will help you determine whether you're going to establish and run a big advertising agency or do it part time. This will give you the drive you need to be successful because the bigger you want, the harder you have to work.

2. Consider educating yourself in this business

Business is not a piece of meat you can just dive into; it needs preparation. You will have to season, cook and plate it before you dive into it. So when you want to start an advertising business you will have to consider preparing for it. You can do courses on advertising so that you get a better understanding of the business. This is a corner stone you can really make use of in building your business.

3. Keep your eyes on the advertising field

If you want to keep learning more on advertising then you need to have vulture eyes which spot a carcass from high up in the sky. It simply means keep yourself up to date with whatever is going on in the advertising field. This is a chance to see what competitors are planning and a chance to know any changes taking place.

4. Draw your business plan

Starting a business, generally, without a layout of the business can later become a chunk you can't digest. So make sure you break down your business into smaller and well outlined sections. This will make it easier for you to keep up or even present to potential investors.

5. Get capital

An advertising agency can be lenient in drying your pocket; meaning you might not require a lot of capital to start it since it's usually run online. However, when you want to have offices and employees on the go then you might have to consider looking for investor funding in exchange for equity stake. If this is not an option then you can also bid farewell to your savings and establish your business.

6. Put together a portfolio

A portfolio is a record of all you have achieved in the advertising industry. A portfolio rich in achievements can be a powerful fragrance which attracts clients , especially big companies. If you don't have anything yet to put up in the portfolio then don't worry; you can get yourself a job at an advertising company and get started with building your portfolio. You can as well attend conferences on advertising and put that up in your portfolio as well.

7. Build a website

Creating a website is like putting a mark of existance on the business world and it shows you're ready to take it on. A website is necessary as your business operates online. Also consider being your first client by advertising your advertising agency.

This way, you're ready to start business.You can even expand your business to America viaStart Global Just click here to check

The Advantages Of Expanding Your Global Footprint Through The Internet

We all know that more people are utilizing the web when it comes to making a decision on choosing which products and services to buy.

Simply having a website won’t cut it anymore. There are many options to choose from in terms of which platform will be the most lucrative for your business. Below is a list on the best practices your business needs to enact for it to grow your brand online.

Expanding global footprint

A website is the most effective tool to get more customers and create a market for the products worldwide. Furthermore you need to increase your online presence because it allows customers to buy online or join a conversation and showcases. Your personality can do wonders for increased profits and brand recognition.

Social Networking Channels

If you want to truly see your business thrive you’ll need to invest in creating a social media presence, but you don’t need to limit yourself to one platform, rather than click through disparate search results your client can find links to your twitter and instagram handles or facebook page all in the same place

Accelerated mobile pages (AMP)

In the Digital Age, people don’t appreciate web pages that take plenty of time to load. Websites with slow loading speed are destined to fail. Therefore, if you are planning to make a difference through web development, make sure your digital assets run smooth and fast across all devices which increases traffic to your services, .

Enriching customer experience, satisfaction

Customer satisfaction is vital for any business house. Through a website, it can always collect data on customer insight, feedback, reviews, and problems, and address the issues accordingly. A FAQ page can help direct customers to their own solutions.

Machine learning (ML) is helpful

Machine learning is ushering in a new era of web development where smart phones, desktops and other digital devices don’t require additional programming to complete various tasks anymore. Only 71% of small businesses nationwide have invested in digital promotion–meaning that you have a solid chance of setting yourself apart from the pack by developing a website.

Online Business vs Traditional Methods: Consider Migrating To The New Normal Methods Of Doing Business

Every business wants to make a lasting impact. To do better than competitors are doing. To be the best company in its particular industry and influence the choice of a client when they are looking for a particular product or service. The purpose of this article is to educate you on what constitutes both, web based and traditional methods of doing business and which one of these methods is ideal for your existing or potential business.

Traditional methods are based on the physical aspects of the business. If the business is highly product oriented, then the client will have to travel to its location to get a glimpse of the products on offer. If the business is based on service then it will highly depend on face to face interactions between the client and the service provider. For example Bank enquiry services. Marketing through physical mediums such as TV, radio, road shows, newspaper adverts, banners, posters and fliers, amongst others is a characteristic of traditional methods.

Many businesses, especially in developing countries such as Zimbabwe have thrived over the past decades through solely relying on traditional methods of doing business. Their energy focused majorly on their products and services improvement and success on the ground. Web based methods of Marketing and doing business have been, either, under utilized or neglected altogether.

Web based methods are based largely on the internet of things. Product awareness is done in a quick and easy way through the internet to reach a broader spectrum of potential customers. Web based marketing, also known as online marketing, is highly digitalised. All product promotions and new product awareness are advertised through the internet using methods such as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM) to reach the actual clients looking for the service.

SEM and SEO can be utilized in most web based applications such as websites and social media applications to reach more and more potential customers.

Now that you have had an idea of what Web based and Traditional methods are about, the question now would be, which one of these methods is the better option? I will provide the upside and downside of each method.

Advantages of Traditional methods

● Higher levels of face to face interaction with the customer than Web based methods, which in turn leads to higher customer satisfaction.

● Bigger chances of repeat business and referrals from satisfied customers which will result in more customers.

● Higher prioritisation on optimising product quality based on the interaction and feedback from repeat customers.

While Traditional methods can be effective, there are also drawbacks associated with it such as high costs of rental space or infrastructure. Setting up posters, TV adverts and other physical means of advertising are also very expensive and do not guarantee immediate awareness.

Advantages of Web based methods

● You have the ability to target the exact customers who are looking for your particular product and filter out the rest.

● No need for physical infrastructure which means that it is way cheaper than traditional methods. All you need is a domain name and Web hosting if you are creating a website or just a free Social media account.

● You can measure the success of your marketing efforts using analytics.

The downside of Web based methods is that, now the internet of things is becoming more and more sophisticated because all businesses are going online. There's so much more fierce competition on the internet now and due to the fact that more people are now aware of shopping on the internet, local companies are having to compete with much more established international companies.

In conclusion, the business efforts of a company should encompass both the traditional offline and the trending online methods. These however should be used simultaneously where relevant. However, the Marketing efforts should be more inclined towards online Marketing efforts to reach a bigger market. Research and development should however be the main focus to beat competition and gain prestige amongst clients.

Author: Tanaka Matsvai

Ways Of Pushing Your Brand Forward

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:

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

How To Keep Your Seasonal Business Operating Even If It's Off Season

A number of small businesses are seasonal businesses. Most suffer when it is not their season and some may even die. This is because a lot if businesses have no clues on how to survive offseason. Thus below are a few strategies in which a business can learn how to make the best of your best season so that when offseason knocks you off the ground you can bounce right back up.

As a business you need to be creative. Creativity may help you stay afloat in the offseason. You have to look for innovative ideas to attract customers to your business during offseason. For example if you run a coffee shop in a winter tourism location, organize offering summer drinks on promotion during summer. Also offer services such as hiring you coffee shop for book clup gatherings and book publishing events in the offseason. Attract as many customers as you can. This will keep your business going in the offseason.

Offering discounts to locals is also another way to keep your seqsonal business operating in the offseason. Working with the community/locals may be able to create offseason demand. Offer promotions to them and you may be surprised as to how they may support your business. If it was a summer bootcamp during the winter you can offer indoor activities to families in the locality. Your business may not suffer much damage offseason.

Understand and manage offseason expenses. Managing your cashflow and expenses is important for business but this is especially important for seasonal businesses. Once you understand the offseason expenses then you can look for ways to minimize them. The founder of Conserva Irrigation Russ Jundt once saud, "Every dollar that leaves yur bank account is money that can help you better weather the offseason". You should look for ways in which you can expand your sales during slow periods. Having a budget and sticking to it throughout the year is another way to survive offseason.

Just because it's offseason businesses should plan and strategize. Using the offseason to improve your business and accomplish tasks is another way to operate in offseason. Businesses can use this given time to train their employees and improve their ideas on taking the business to another level. Jundt also stated that the offseason period can be used to study what worked and what did not work. A business can realise what they should start doing differently as a result of last season's performance, what to stop doing and also what they can continye doing and also what to perfect. A business can even set goals for next season and also targets.

Seek out opportunities with businesses that have longer seasons. " A business has to determine if it is worth keeping money tied up in gear and supplies that sit around until the following season, "Grant Toffer said. A business has the end of its's peak season to see if anything can be sold off. This helps the business as it may gain money by selling supplies that would just have to sit around not working, waiting for their right season to come around.

A complete shutdown is also a way to save your business in offseason. For otger businesses it is cost effective to close down than to continue opedating. Tourism based businesses find themeselves running at a loss even by turning to locals for business thus they resort to complete shutdown even this may be risky. However shutting down creates time to plan and strategise for the next busy season as i stated before.

How To Establish A Seasonal Business, Seasonal Businesses Examples ,Running Costs And Risks

Seasonal businesses are just like other businesses. They face the same challenges that other businesses face on their journey of being brought to life. Ideas of businesses can be seasonal. Just because your products aren't on demand all year round and customers do not buy your services throughout the year does not necessarily mean your business idea is not important. It is. The essay seeks to show how one can make and manage their seasonal business.

As a seasonal business you must be sure there is enough demand for your products or services. Make it a point that you know your market. Knowing your market can guarantee you the sufficient income during your peak season which is of great importance. One can carry out a simple market search if they lack the knowledge of their target market. Asking potential clients what they would buy and what prices they would prefer can help you set up your business. Knowing your competition and setting yourself apart is very important.

Seasonal businesses must work at promoting themselves. Let people know you exist, oftenly remind customers that you're there. You have to leave enough time for your publicity. Marketing your business can have an effect. Good marketing strategies can help your business make a statement. You must also commit enough time and money to marketing and using all channels that you can get your hands on and bring you enough sales.

Another key thing to make your seasonal business is to never run out of cash. Managing the cash flow can be a challenge for seasonal businesses because they receive most of their income in a set period. Avoid the temptation of overspending when cash is plenty.

It's very hard to be in business and not have to spend. Seasonal businesses dispute over whether they should close down or stay open on slow seasons. Adjusting your business hours or days that you are open vs closed can benefit your business. All this can be solved by when you have reviewed past yearly income statements and when you know for sure when and how to make these moves. If you also want your business to run at optimal profitability you will have to cut back on the number of workers on the slow periods. This may decrease the money spent during offseason.

Whatever the business, it is vital to know the risks. Seasonal businesses have the same risks as running any other business. The first risk when owning and operating a seasonal business is financial risks. Since you may operate 1-3 months a yearyou need to make a year's worth in that period. Whether you work with another business you will need to be aware of the financial risks and implications of losing or not earning money for the remainder of the year. It takes a lot of planning not to go through such a risk.

Seasonal businesses tend to have more competition as they rely on every sale made when they're open. This makes it as important to get ahead of your competitors and gain power over them. Competition is fierce when you are selling the same things with your competitors thus it is important to have an upper hand.

Advertising and Marketing are critical factors of seasonal businesses as it affects your place in the competition. It is worth everything especially when you are in business. Be as creative as you can be with your marketing strategies. Advertise all year round not just when you are open. About three months before opening be serious about your marketing methods and make them as effective to gain you more leverage over your competitors.

Important Core Values That Every Entrepreneur Must Pocess

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.

Take Risks

Successful entrepreneurs know that sometimes it’s important to take risks. Playing it safe almost never leads to success as a business owner. It’s not about taking just any risk, though. Understanding calculated risks that are more likely to pay off is an important part of being an entrepreneur. You need to be risk averse for you to succeed.

Know How to Network

Knowing how to network is an important part of entrepreneurship. Sometimes who you know is an important part of success. Being able to connect with others and recognize partnership opportunities can take you a long way as a business owner. Try to find out where to go for network opportunities make it a point to learn how to be effective.

Passion

Finally, successful entrepreneurs are passionate. They feel deeply about their product or service or mission. Passion is what will help you find motivation when you are discouraged and it will drive your forward. If you find yourself losing your passion that might be the clue that it’s time to move on to something else. There are many serial entrepreneurs that create successful businesses, sell them, and then create something else.

How To Sniff New Markets For Your Business As Entrepreneur

For a business to keep sales from going down over time, the best thing is to sniff out other target markets. You are not stopped from even going international with your products. Doing a market reserach on existing and potential clients can help set your product or service development and how you can make it known to everyone.

Inorder to sniff out new markets you should first of all define the problem that your business solves and your goals. Defining what you are all about as a business as well as your goals is the best way to start. This can be done by using a simple Lean Plan and you can download the template for free. This will give your target market a way of knowing who you arez what you are about, and to know what your business is aimed at.

Define the market you want to sell to

As a business you'll need to consider the creation of your buyer personas for customers in the new market. You also need to make sure that you have looked into the competitors in that same market you are going for, the demand rate of your product or service, the stumbilng blocks you may encounter and how to conquer them, and the market growth rate. Be well versed with all these details. Investing in a market researcher is way better than doing an inhouse research. Professionals would know what to look for, whom to aks and what questions to ask.

When trying to sniff for new markets it is essential to have a mode of entry. You can either build, in such a case you can bring in an entirely new product or service for this target market. It is a very high risk but you will get to be in total control. Another way is to buy, this is where you can acquire an existing business in the market. It is way faster than any other entry and you will immediately know how the market works but it can be very expensive. The last but not least way of entry is to partner, you can work with an agent/distributor in your target market or even team up with another business. This poses less risk and can be a good way to know the market better even tjough you will have less control.

Working out if you have enough resources is also crucial in this endeavour. This includes staff, inventory, capital, technology, etc. If you do not have the resources you need to expand to new markets then surely you can not do anything. You might need to raise more money, hire new people or increase the production of your product to support you expansion. As a business you need to make sure you look into all this. Also think about the overall impact the expansion may have on your business, are you ready for this expansion as a business? Make sure all these questions have favourable answers before expanding.

Once you have decided that you are ready, the development of a solid entry plan should be in place. Make sure your plan is targeted to the market you are moving into. The pricing of your products or services in the new market, your markwting strategies should be well drafted down. Another thing to do is to train your team. Introduce them and prepare them for your target market. Get them up to speed, work together to develop new ways to interact with your target market that will set you apart from your competitors.

14 Online Business Ideas For All Entrepreneurs

Have you noticed that everything is going online?

Online education, online buying, online church services, online graduation, everything. Since everything is going online, if you are not taking advantage of this amazing opportunity to make an extra income then you are missing out.

The way we work has changed forever. The COVID-19 pandemic has made people think about how they can future proof their income.

Having a 8am to 6pm job to support you and your family might not be enough. Adding another income stream (side hustle) is a must to cushion yourself against future negative economic events.

Starting a new business online requires much less risk than investing your dollars into a brick-and-mortar storefront or downtown office. Because your business is based online, you can reach more potential customers, work from virtually anywhere and make money online without large overheads. With some basic website and communication skills along with a little maintenance know-how, almost anyone can launch a business online and get it up and running in only days. Think you’re ready to become the next big entrepreneur online?

Anyone can start an online business in few days. or may be minutes depending on your skills .

Are you ready to become the next big entrepreneur online?

Here are some great online money making ideas.

1. Online Employee Recruitment and Selection

Human Resources Consultants who helps business clients to find the best potential employees, can start an online recruiting service that finds and contacts potential candidates.

2. Get Paid to Write

If you possess strong language and writing and analytical skills, you can offer your writing services to students as freelance writer. Due to intense competition in the freelancing industry, you need to have a unique area expertise.

3. Online Bookkeeping

If you are well knowledgeable in Bookkeeping you can offer your services to clients who might need bookkeeping services.As with education, technology allows many bookkeeping services to be performed online. If you are an accountant or bookkeeper who wants the freedom and autonomy of running your own business, you can take advantage of modern technology to start your own online bookkeeping service, taking on other companies as clients.

4. Consultant Services

You can write CVs, job application letters and cover letters for clients that are looking for jobs.If you are knowledgeable and passionate about a specific topic (business, social media, marketing, human resources, leadership, communication, etc.), starting a consultant business can be a lucrative option. You can start your consulting business on your own, then grow your business and hire other consultants over time.

5. Proofreading services

You can start an online business as a proofreader for various clients which includes students, businesses, authors, etc.

6. Online Counselling Services

If you a psychologist or a therapist who want to help clients with a variety of different issues, you can start online counselling services communicate with clients.

7. E-learning

If you are a teacher or an expert in a certain field, you can start an online business by offering online classes for your clients.

The demand for online education has opened up a wide possibility for entrepreneurs to start their own ventures. Since this is an online business idea, you can choose any subject

you are knowledgeable about and teach a course regardless of your location. If you don't have advanced knowledge in any particular subject, you can always consider teaching English as a foreign language online to students overseas.

8. WeB Hosting Providing

If you have a few dollars to spend you can become a web hosting provider ,it only takes a few clicks and you are all set ,all the Info you will need about creating plans and marketing your business it is provided freely by your services providers. Companies to consider when buying their reseller packages are:

BlueHost

HostUpon

FastWebHost

Liquid Web

9 .Buy and Sell Domains

Many people buy and sell domain names to earn money online since it takes very little time or investment. You can purchase a domain at its registration price or even much cheaper and then resell it for a profit. But, it always pays to do your homework first on websites like Afternic.com, domainlore.uk, Sedo.co.uk, or other domain auction websites in order to get a good idea of what’s popular in terms of domain names. An ideal way to find really good names is to check out terminated lists that offer many expired names and have made their way back into the pool for people to buy. A good site for this is expireddomains.net where you can put in your desired keyword that you want in your domain name and a long list of domain options will appear.

10. Become An Influencer

Influencers have taken the marketing industry by storm in the last two decades. Before the dawn of social media, the concept was unheard of. Back then, the only person brands could get to endorse their products were big- name celebrities. But today, influencers and social media stars are celebrities in their own right!

An Influencer is a person who connects with an audience and inspires them to try products or services. The term came to be around the late 2000s when YouTube became a huge hit. Personalities started to amass millions of followers, and companies began to notice. Before long, YouTubers and Instagram stars were raking in millions of dollars. They’re a go-to for many companies because of the intimate and direct connections they have with followers.

Why Become an Influencer?

Influencers have a bit of a reputation for being vapid. But in reality, they are cunning business people. No matter the niche, influencers have the unique opportunity to make money just from being themselves. It’s a lucrative and enticing business opportunity!

At its core, social media influencing is all about marketing. You must market yourself to attract an audience before you get brand deals to market products. It’s like a crash course in the world of advertising. Many influencers have a successful career doing the same thing for years. Others transition to other business ventures. Either way, that experience in marketing can prove to be very useful!

Another big perk of becoming an influencer is that you have complete control over your job. Brands may have their own advertising guidelines you have to follow. But other than that, you’re free to set your path. Choose your business fees and market products that you believe in

11.App Development

If you are knowledgeable and experienced in technology, you may want to consider a career in app development. Smartphones have become an everyday accessory for many people all over the globe, which has increased demand for mobile apps. Similarly, virtual reality software has become popular in recent years, so there is also a demand for VR app development.

12.Drop Shipping

Not all companies that sell goods store them onsite. In dropshipping, people who run e-commerce sites go to a third party to fulfill all orders. The third party is likely a wholesale retailer or other entity that runs a warehouse and shipping operation. The minimal inventory and tools needed for dropshipping make it an especially great startup idea if you're worried about overhead and physical space. Good place for finding products for dropshipping are AliExpress & Banggood these two have good products at low prices and plenty products are available

13.Digital Marketing

The importance of the internet grows with every passing day, making it harder all the time for businesses to cut through the clutter and properly market themselves. Digital marketing services are always in demand, and many small and midsize companies would rather outsource it than establish a costly in-house team. If you've got chops in SEO, content marketing,

pay-per-click, web development or social media management, you could have a business opportunity that allows you the freedom to work from home. Digital marketing is an important part of a brand, so it's critical for you to respond to developments in your clients' marketing strategies. Social media management entails watching for comments and messages around the clock, not just scheduling posts in a "set-it-and-forget-it" mindset. If you enjoy strategizing and implementing plans meticulously, digital marketing could be the right business for you. You may also consider becoming an affiliate marketer, which is another form of digital marketing.

14.Graphic Designing

Corporations, small businesses and sole proprietors all need eye-catching promotional materials, but not nearly everybody has an eye for what looks good. If you've got an artistic streak and know how to organize content into a visually pleasing format, you can start a graphic design business to provide flyers, digital ads, posters and other engaging visual materials.

Graphic design also has the benefit of requiring few physical tools beyond a laptop and a desk.

What would be a good small business to start?

If you're concerned about maximizing your profit while minimizing your workload, a good small business to start might be any of the ones that most frequently prove successful. However, if you're more interested in incorporating your passions into your work while earning enough money to live, a good small business to start is any that fulfills you, requires you to use your skills and offers you a good work-life balance.

These are not the only online businesses that are profitable because internet is an overflowing money making opportunity for the wise.

Ask you yourself this question “Can one of these online money making options work for me?”

I believe there is something for everyone. Once you venture into any of the business ideas, you'll come across a niche for you to tape into.

Hope you found this post helpful. Don’t forget to share this post with your friends. All the best!

FBI NEGOTIATING TACTICS YOU SHOULD BE USING TO GET WHAT YOU WANT AS AN ENTREPRENEUR

 

FBI agents face some of the most intense and consequential negotiation situations on the planet. This makes them gurus when it comes to knowing how to direct conversations and to get what they want. Most of their tactics apply perfectly to the business world and can help you drive sales, partnerships, and growth. So, let’s look at some of the most important things you can do to make people feel like they own the idea/situation even while you’re the one in the driver’s seat.

The mirror principle

People are designed to respond to what other people are doing. You smile, it triggers someone else to smile. You yell, it triggers someone else to yell. Scientists know we’ve got mirror neurons in our brains that make this response happen, and they think it’s meant to help us navigate situations and connect socially, to ensure a higher likelihood of being accepted into the larger group.

Related: FBI Hostage Negotiation Tactics You Can Use Every Day

With all this going on, emotions drive a lot of our behavior. You can never really eliminate them when you’re working with a customer, person on your team, or anybody else. But what you can do is try to apply the mirror principle in different ways to show that you understand the other person, diffuse tensions, and influence how they’re feeling in a positive way. Negotiators call this “tactical empathy.”

3 methods to help you get what you want and need for your company

1. Pick your tone

FBI negotiator Chris Voss asserts that there are three main “voices” you can pick to get people to relax and trust you.

  Late-night DJ voice: calm and slow, voice deflects downward, used selectively to make a point

  Positive and playful: easygoing, relaxed; smile while talking

  Direct/assertive: signals dominance

For the most part, the positive and playful voice can be your go-to. But the idea to remember is that your tone conveys just as much as the actual words you say. If you’re in control of it, then thanks to mirroring, you can make the other person feel like there’s no reason to worry, complain, or be upset.

Body language connects to tone because it sends nonverbal cues to the person you’re dealing with. So try to be consistent between what you physically do and what you’re saying. If you’re going for a playful tone, then your body has to be relaxed, too. And when you’re trying to read the other person, look for things like crossed arms, leaning away, etc. If what a customer signals with their body is different than what they say, then you know there’s something under the surface that could stop the deal and that you have to dig a little deeper to diffuse.

2. Repeat

This strategy is as simple as it gets -- just repeat the last few words the other person said. For example, if your customer says, “I like Product X, but the price is too high,” then you say “Price is too high?” Rephasing like this creates a feeling of familiarity between you and the other person. It usually gets the other person to cough up a little more information without you asking directly for it, too. They might answer “Yeah, I never pay more than $30 for one of these” or “I mean, the quality’s great, but I’m really on a budget now.” All that information becomes gold you can use to understand their pain points, needs, and wants. You can use it as leverage or sweeten the deal for them.

Another way to approach repeating is just to start your response with “I’m sorry…” For example, you could say, “I’m sorry your budget is tight at the moment.” The point here is to help them feel heard and acknowledge what they feel or are going through. Once you’ve done that, you can ask them what you can do to make things better or how you and the customer can solve their problem together.

3. Use labels

Labels describe your customer in some way. For example, if your customer is hyper-focused on cost, then a negative label could be “they hate high prices,” while a positive label could be “they love finding value.”

Either way, take that label and stick “It sounds/looks like…” in front of it. This validates how they’re feeling so you can build a bond. But it also gives them a chance to clarify your perception of them and their situation. If you get the label right, then you can figure out an action to attach to it. For instance, if they love value, then you might say, “It sounds like you love value, so what I can do is throw in/so I want to make sure you know about…” Or something along these lines.

Related: 8 Negotiating Tactics Every Successful Entrepreneur Has Mastered

Negotiate better -- starting now

FBI negotiators are masters when it comes to taking the stress out of tough situations and getting people to agree. The mirroring idea is at the heart of what they do, and they always keep empathy and emotion in mind. Fortunately, their advice easily transfers to the office. Use their key methods of tone, repeating, and labeling starting today to create foundational rapport for long-term success.

source:entrepreneur.com

Leading Entreprenur's Website Build Guide (WordPress)

A website is one of the modern Entreprenurial tools that every Leading Entreprenur needs. A website can be used as portfolio or for offering Your services remotely and for Blogging.

There are endless uses for a website to an entrepreneur not matter what you require to use your website for,your website must be responsive ,user friendly and easy to navigate.

There are endless beautiful websites all over web and The one which are shown above are examples depending in your niche as Entreprenur .

Creating Your Website

Depending on Your skills the task can be taken in multiple different ways. You can build up one using HTML,CSS and JavaScript or building one using PHP or any other programming language or you can just Build one using a website builder or you can use a CMS .

This article is About using a CMS called Wordpress and you don't need to know anything about coding .But as Entrepreneurs you must stay equipped with a bit knowledge of web development, it is always helpful when building any website or managing or maintaining it .

Websites like w3schools.com offer free and paid web development education.

ADVANTAGES OF WORDPRESS

Very User friendly

Word press is simple and user friendly , perfect for any site , from the most powerful to the least even social networks, Adding Content is so easy Just like creating an word document.

WordPress is like windows for the Web ,you can expand your site functionality with free or plugins to handle just about any site you can imagine,from amazing small business pages to social networking sites. With plugins you'll be able to add pop-ups,contact forms,shopping carts , Affiliate marketing and so on....

It's Completely Free

WordPress doesn't cost you anything to use it and it is absolutely free,but you will need web hosting. There's a huge community supporting WordPress's development by designING themes, plugins and making sure the CMS stays up to date .With so many people using the platform, it is easy to find QUICK help when you need it.

In addition, WordPress has lots of free resources both available on Youtube and in various support forums (You can learn more about WordPress on www.wordpress.org).

WordPress Websites Are Responsive

The website you build will instantly be responsive, looking great on every mobile device, smartphone or tablet . No need to hustle around with codes to make it responsive .

Building A WordPress Website

Choosing Domain Name and Hosting

The first thing to do to start building a website is to get a Domain name and Hosting. A domain name Is a web address. e.g www.google.com .A domain is made up of the name of the website(In www.google.com, google is the name of the site ) and an extension e.g .com ,.net ,.org , ............. Domain names are bought at sites like namecheap.com ,bluehost.com ,Go daddy . etc or any other web hosting provider

Hosting

Hosting is a service that connects your site to the internet, hosting allows individuals and organizations to make their website accessible via the World Wide Web. Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server owned or leased for use by clients, as well as providing Internet connectivity, typically in a data center. Hosting is where your site's files are stored and where your CMS is going to be installed.

WordPress platform itself is absolutely free, but a domain name and hosting will cost you money,on a average domain name per year cost $3-18 per year, Basic hosting can be bought from as low as $1.99 per month. There are many Hosting and Domain companies available like HostUpon, BlueHost, Hostgator, Cloudways, FastWebHost, Web hostingPad and so on ...., You can choose any service provider which suits your needs and gives you value for your money. e.g www.hostupon.com gives you a free domain for life ,free SSL certificate( which is important for security reasons) and unlimited storage and bandwidth, 99.999% uptime and 365/24/7 technical support, all this for only $2.95 . You can choose the Above listed Hosting providers for they are well established companies that are appropriate for beginners and For Professionals as well

Choosing Right Domain

Choosing a domain name is similar to choosing a company name - it requires a lot of thought and consideration. Your domain name is your identity on the web; you want to make sure you choose a name that not only fits your business, but is also easy to find and promote and also being SEO friendly

Make It Simple and Easy

Finding a domain name that's easy to type and simple is critical to online success.If you're making a website for your business, your domain name should match your company name, For example if you are a tyre replacement company you can choose Tyrerepair.com or tyrereplacement.com, If you're planning to set up a website for yourself, then YourName.com or if you’re a well established company , yourcompanyname.com can be a great option.

Make It Memorable & Catchy

There are millions of registered domain names, so having a domain that's catchy and memorable is essential.Try using keywords that describe your business and the services you offer

Appropriate Extension

Extensions are suffixes, such as .com or .net, at the end of web addresses. These can have specific uses, so make sure to choose one that works for your business. The .com domain extension is far and away the most popular then .org

If you bought a domain from any domain seller who is not your host you can update your nameservers to match those of your web hosting provider. It's very easy, just read your host's FAQ or Contact the Customer Support.

SETTING UP A WORDPRESS SITE

After you've bought your domain name and set up your hosting, it's time to get your website up and running. The first thing you'll need to do is the installation of WordPress on your domain

Installing wordpress

There are two possible ways to install WordPress but here we are going to focus on one-click installation

One-Click Installation

Almost every reliable and well-established hosting company has integrated 1-click installation for WordPress, which makes getting going very easy.

If you signed up with Bluehost or Hostgator or HostUpon or any of the above mentioned hosting companies , you should find your '1-click installation' in your account control panel.

Here are the steps you should follow (should be similar/same on all the major web hosting companies):

Log in to your hosting account.

Go to your control panel.

Look for the "WordPress" icon.

Choose the domain where you want to install your website.

Click the "Install Now" button and you should get access to your NEW WordPress website.

Bluehost Control Panel Page.

CHOOSING THEME FOR THE SITE

After successfull installation of WordPress to your domain, you'll see a very basic clean site.

default wordpress

To change the default basic design of the site to a professionally designed site, we need the a theme - a design template that tells WordPress how your website should look. In wordpress there are thousands of awesome, professionally designed themes you can choose from and customize for a site by yourself.

How to find the theme you like

1. Log into your WordPress dashboard

To log into the wordpress dashboard type in: http://yoursite.com/wp-admin (replace 'yoursite' with your domain).

This is what the WordPress dashboard looks like

‘

2. Accessing Free Theme

Once you're in the dashboard, you've got access to over 1500 free themes! Just look along the side bar for 'Appearance' and then click 'Themes'. Installing a theme is very easy and self-explanatory.

This is Wordpress Theme Page

default wordpress

You can search for specific keywords and/or use filters to find themes that suit your style. Finding the perfect theme can take a while, but it's worth it.You should also look for themes that are 'responsive', as this means they will look good on any mobile device. If you want something more professional or elegant than what you find here, there's a HUGE library of paid professional themes to pick from at varying costs.

3.Installing New Theme

After you have found a theme you like, installing it is as simple as clicking 'Install' followed by 'Activate',Changing themes won't delete your previous posts, pages and content. You can change themes as often as you want without having to worry about losing what you've created.

Adding Contents and New Pages

With your theme installed, you're ready to start creating content.

Adding and Editing Pages

Want to add a Home page, or an About Me page

1. Look along the sidebar in the WordPress Dashboard for Pages -> Add New.

2. Once you've clicked, you'll find a screen that looks a lot like what you've maybe seen in Microsoft Word. Add text, images and more to build the page you want, then save it when you're done.

Adding Pages to Menus

To add your new page to the navigation bar Menu

1. After creating the page, Save any changes you've made to the page by clicking Update

2. Click Appearance -> Menus in the sidebar of the WordPress Dashboard

3. Find the page you created and add it to the list by clicking the checkbox next to it and then 'Add to Menu'.

Adding and Editing Posts

If you have a blog on your website, Posts will be where you turn to next. You can use different categories to group similar posts, If you want to add a blog to your website, you can use different categories and posts. Let's say you want to create a category named 'Blog'. To do so, simply add it to your menu and start making posts.

Customization

These are the various customization you can do in your Wordpress site

Changing Site Title & Tagline

The Page titles explain to searchers what your website is about, and they're also a big part of how search engines determine your rankings, so you want to be sure they've got the keywords you want to target the users. You should use a unique title on every page of your site.

Taglines are added at the end of titles across every page.

In order to change the title and tagline on your website, go to 'Settings -> General' and fill the desired title and tagline in the form

default wordpress

Setting Up Static Front Page

A static page is a page that doesn't change. Unlike a blog, where the first new article will show up at the top every time, a 'static' page will show the same content every time someone visits the site.

1. Go to 'Settings -> Reading', Choose a static page that you have created. Front Page' denotes your home page, 'Posts page' is the front page of your blog .

2.If you don't choose a static page on your own, WordPress will take your latest posts and start showing them on your homepage.

default wordpress

Editing sidebar

Most WordPress themes have a sidebar on the right side in some cases it's on the left, If you want to get rid of the sidebar or edit out items you do not need like Categories, Meta and Archives, which are usually pointless, here is the procedure

1. Go to 'Appearance -> Widgets' in the WordPress Dashboard.

2. From the widgets menu, you can use drag n drop to add different boxes to your sidebar, or remove the items you don't want.

Wordpress Plugin

What is Plugin ?

Plugins are extensions that are built to expand WordPress capabilities, adding features and functions to your site that don't come built-in. They're shortcuts to getting your site to do what you want to, without having to build the feature from scratch or do any coding.

You can use plugins to do everything from adding photo galleries and submission forms to optimizing your website and creating an online store.

How to Install Plugin

‘Default WordPress Plugin installation page'

To install plugins, go to 'Plugins -> Add New' and simply start searching, there are over 25,000 different FREE plugins, so you've got a LOT to choose from.

Installation is easy once you find a plugin you like, just click "Install" and "Activate it".

This covers all about how to build Fully Functional Wordpress Site as an Legendary Entrepreneur.