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A virtual address is a solution that suits a number of businesses from different industries. It suits the kind of business that don’t have mail handling facilities at their premises or perhaps their business premises are also their home address. It may suit people who travel abroad a lot and aren’t around to check mail or it may simply be that the business doesn’t have the budget for a receptionist or administration assistant. This is where the virtual address service comes in.

What is a virtual address?

A virtual office service is available in several different variations to suit all types of businesses and all points in the business life-cycle. The range of facilities available means that businesses can take as much or as little as they need - from the start up entrepreneur working from the dining room table to the international company juggling dozens of bases in different locations.

The virtual services

The first part of the service is called a virtual mail room. This can includes a number of different services depending on your needs including mail sorting and scanning to email to storage of mail until personal pick-up or bulk forwarding to another address. This includes cheque depositing and a mail forwarding service as well as options such as cloud based accounting services.The second level of service is termed as a virtual office and includes general services such as phone answering as well as company mail handling. Your chosen level of mail-room services can be added on or you can simply have all of your mail forwarded as required. Our Virtual Office services also includes physical services such as the use of a smart, state of the art, unbranded conference room and an office area for physical meetings when you need to do business in person. By using this service, you get to use a prestigious London address for those important meetings.

UK Postbox services

Our virtual mail-room service is a comprehensive service that makes use of the top online mail management service available, called UK Postbox. This service is operated around the world and offers private and confidential mail handling services, much in the way of a PO Box but with several additional benefits.With a normal PO Box, you need an address and the box needs to be within your sorting area. But the UK Postbox service has no such restrictions so you can be based anywhere in the UK. It can receive and action important personal and business documents that will be scanned and sent to you as you choose. Other options include having documents stored on the secure server that you can then print or just view online.Finally, as the service is privately owned, it can offer complete privacy for customers. There are no requirements to release information under the Data Protection Act to give customers an added level of security to that offered by simple PO Boxes.

Extra services

There are also additional services that can be added to the package or taken in their own right if they suit the needs of the business.Private mailboxes are an ideal solution for small businesses and for people that travel a lot due to the nature of their work. They allow the receiving and safe storage of mail and ensure that there is no risk of mail being lost or damaged while no-one is around to collect or deal with it.The virtual address service can also be used for two legal purposes – as a registered office address and as a director’s service address. By using a registered office address service, the business can use a single London address on all of its correspondence, with the added prestige that comes with owning your own central London business address. It is also a practical measure if you work from home or don’t have a permanent business address yet, allowing the business to be registered in one location, regardless where it operates.The director’s service address works in a similar way. Any company directors need to register certain details with Companies House and this includes their address. As it is a matter of public record, some people don’t want to use their home address and have this disclosed to the general public, so instead use a service address for the public record. This service is for that purpose and allows the London address to be used on all official matters. It also helps to keep business cold-callers from arriving uninvited at your door at all times of the day or night.

Benefits of virtual office services

There are other reasons why a business would choose to use one or a number of virtual office services.Top of the list, especially for the mail handling services, is that there either isn’t someone available to deal with mail at the business premises on a daily basis, or the business address is also a home address. Managing mail can take time and also space which some businesses don’t have. Or they may not be in the position to employ someone to do the task and this can result in a haphazard approach to mail handling where important paperwork may be easily missed.Privacy and security are two big issues for businesses and one way to help with both is to withhold the business address from public record, especially if these are private residential addresses. Using virtual office services allows you to do this as well as to be certain that paperwork and deliveries are handled in a secure manner before being forwarded to your chosen address.There is also a great first impression that comes when a business has an address in London, regardless of where they are actually based. This can add prestige to the company and this can help to quickly establish new companies who have recently formed and want to be taken seriously by their new clients.Finally, if the business is based abroad but trades in the UK, virtual office services can offer a London address for those UK customers to correspond with that guarantees the handling of mail in a timely manner and can even handle incoming phone calls from UK based customers.

There are any number of reasons why the life of a company has to come to an end ranging from insolvency through to having served its purpose and no longer being required. Whatever the reason, there are a series of processes to follow to close or dissolve a limited company.

Reasons for closing a company

The reason that you are choosing to close the company is part of the process as to how you can dissolve it. Therefore, understanding the reason will help any agents you use in the process understand what method needs to be used to close down your company.

If the company is solvent

If a company is financially secure and can pay its bills, it is termed as solvent. This means if you want to, you can apply for the company to be struck off the Register of Companies held at Companies House. Alternatively, you can start a member’s voluntary liquidation. These are the cheapest two ways to close down a company.

Striking off the public register

To have a company struck off the register, it must first comply with a number of requirements. These include:

• It has traded or sold any stock in the previous three months
• There have been no changes of company name in the last three months
• There is no threat of liquidation
• There are no agreements in place with creditors such as a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA)

Next you must apply to legally close down the company. To do this, you must announce your plans to anyone involved as well as to HMRC. Any employees must be treated according to current employment laws and any business assets and accounts must be handled correctly. People to be informed include members or shareholders, creditors, employees, managers of any employee pension fund and any directors not already having signed the application.You are also obliged to send your final accounts to HMRC and a Company Tax Return form but this doesn’t need to be filed with Companies House. All documents must be retained for 7 years after the business is closed.To strike off the business, you complete the form DS01 with Companies House. This must be signed by the majority of the company directors and all assets should have been dealt with before the form is completed. There is a charge of £10 to do this and you will receive confirmation that the process is complete, usually two months after notice is filed.

If the company is insolvent

If a company is in financial difficulty and cannot pay its bills, it is termed as insolvent and this where the company owns money to its creditors, whose interests come before those of shareholders or directors. In this case, you need to use the creditors’ voluntary liquidation process or the company may be forced into undertaking compulsory liquidation.To have a creditors voluntary liquidation of the company, a shareholders meeting is required and 75% of them (by value) must agree to pass a winding-up order. After this, the company must appoint an authorised insolvency practitioner as a liquidator to deal with all company assets. The liquidator will sell the business and send a copy of the resolution to Companies House within 15 days and advertise in The Gazette (The Official Public Record).

If the company has no director

If the company finds itself in the position where it has no director, say if the sole registered director has died, then the company may be struck off if they don’t appoint a new director to take their place. To do this, shareholders need to agree to appoint a new director and vote on it. If the sole director has died and there are no company shareholders, the executor of the estate can appoint someone to be the director, as long as this is catered for in the articles.

Dormant company

An option to think about when you first form a company is to create a dormant company. This is a company that isn’t actively trading at the present time. You can also make your company dormant if the company has stopped trading and is no longer carrying out any business activities or receiving any income. In this situation, although you will not be actively trading, the company will still be registered with Companies House and annual accounts and confirmation statements will still be required to be submitted on an annual basis. A company can remain dormant indefinitely if you wish.

Restoring a dissolved or struck off company

Once a company has been dissolved or struck off, this doesn’t have to mean that this is the absolute end for the company. You can restore a dissolved or struck off company as long the right paperwork is completed to do this. You can use a service to restore a dissolved or struck off company to undertake this process on your behalf and this will ensure it is done correctly. It usually taking around 4 to 6 weeks to complete. The process will include fees if there are any court proceedings to undertake as part of the process.

While it is a pretty straightforward process for a UK resident to open a business bank account here, it can be a little more complicated for a non-UK resident. Although it is not a legal requirement for you to have a separate UK bank account for your business, it will be wise for you to do so from a practical point of view.Without a business account for your limited company, it will be very difficult for you to manage your finances and sort your business accounting records from your personal ones. It will also be much more difficult for you to obtain business financing for your company as you may not be taken very seriously without a proper business account. A business will have much more credibility in the eyes of financial institutions if they are seen to be running professionally with a dedicated business bank account.As a non-UK resident you may be eligible for a business bank account from some of the major UK banks: Barclays International or Lloyds Bank for example. The second option you could try is to open a bank account overseas by legalising your company formation documents.

Verification

It is routine for banks to perform credit checks on all applicants wishing to open a business bank account. This is done to verify the applicants suitability. Checks will include providing them with photographic ID and proof of a UK address, both of which must be submitted in person at the bank you are applying to. With Lloyds Bank, you may be allowed to open an account for your business if at least one of the account signatories resides in the UK. With Barclays International, it may be possible for you to open an account if you can provide an initial security deposit along with your application.If you are yet to incorporate your business, then you may be able to take advantage of our Barclays Business Banking service available to our registered clients. Please contact us for more information.Here are some details for the requirements to open a business bank account in the UK:

Lloyds Bank

An account with Lloyds would be suitable for a limited company with at least one UK-resident signatory. Applications can be made online or by telephone. The UK based director will be asked to present photographic ID and proof-of-address documentation in person at a Lloyds bank branch. Overseas company owners and account signatories must send copies of their photographic ID and proof-of-address documents to the same Lloyds branch. The documents will have to be legally certified before presentation by a banking official, notary, solicitor or government body.Remember to take copies of your paperwork. Do not post your original documents just in case they get lost in transit. Get your copies legalised and post those instead.

HSBC Business Banking

An HSBC account may be suitable for UK registered limited companies with all non-UK resident shareholders and directors. To meet with the requirements of the bank, the shareholders of the company must travel to the UK to meet with an HSBC representative at a HSBC bank branch.

Barclays International

Barclays offer accounts that are suitable for companies with no UK-resident directors or shareholders. To apply you must go through Barclays International that is based in the Isle of Man. Usually, you will be asked for a security deposit of £10,000 for the first month after account activation. Your account will be classes as being offshore. However, your account will be based in London and you will be able to access the same facilities as any other type of bank account, such as credit cards, debit cards, cheque books, online banking and telephone banking.

Your Local Bank

Check to see if your local bank has a presence in London. If this is the case then if you go through them you may be able to get an account opened at their UK branch.

An International Bank with a Branch close to you

An international bank will likely have a branch in operation in the UK. Check with them to see about setting up an account with their UK branch.

Online Merchant Accounts

There are companies who offer merchant account facilities and a type of basic banking and even MasterCard, but they are not registered banks so banking regulations do not apply to them. Some examples are Paypal.com, Skrill.com, and Cashflows.com. They also charge much higher fees than regular banks, so you may find banks to be more cost-effective in the long run.If you have a registered company in the UK, but you want to open a business bank account in your country of residence, you can obtain an Apostille for your Certificate of Incorporation and the Memorandum and Articles of Association. These corporate certificates will be required by overseas banks and authorities as evidence of the legal existence of your UK company.It is quite straightforward to get your documents legalised by a Notary by going to a qualified lawyer specialising in Notarial Practice. They will sign your company documents and liaise with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London to obtain the Apostille Certificates. You can also apply online through the Legislation Office.

Google is the number one search engine across the world and is the search engine of choice for everyone from big businesses assessing their competition, students for conducting research, to millions of people who use it for shopping and entertainment purposes.It is almost like second nature for most people to open a browser and conduct a Google search, but are you actually making the best possible use of Google? How do you know that you are searching effectively for what you are looking for and getting the best results?We have put together a few helpful tips to make the most of your Google searches:

1: Check out the tabs in Google search.

Whenever you conduct a search in Google for something, the first screen that appears with your results will usually be displayed on the Web tab. However, if you look at the top of your search results page you will see a number of different tabs that run horizontally across the page. These tabs are usually named Web, Image, News, and More. Many people pay no attention to these alternative tab options and will only ever look at the results on the first page that comes up.You can use the different tabs to help you define what sort of results you need. Often you may find much more targeted results in a different tab to the default 'Web' tab that you have displayed automatically. For example, if you are wanting to catch up with all the latest industry news in your business sector, you may be better off entering your keywords to search and then clicking the 'News' tab. This tab will display all the latest press-releases and relevant media results for your chosen keywords.

2: Search using quotation marks

Google will always produce search results containing the keywords you choose, but you can take some of the guesswork out of the search by using phrases and keywords enclosed in quotation marks in your Google search. This helps to narrow down your search results to deliver a much more relevant selection. For example, if you were looking to buy someone a gift of a silver locket and chain for an upcoming birthday, then actually typing in “silver locket and chain” into your Google search will bring up results that contain those exact words in that order rather than a mixture of results using those words in any order.

3: Exclude unwanted words with a hyphen

You may want to do a quick Google search but the keyword you want may have an ambiguous meaning. For example, you want to look up some information on Cheddar, but you are more interested in the Somerset Town rather than the variety of cheese. To prevent your search results becoming overloaded with cheese references, use a hyphen to discount any cheese related results. You can do this by typing Cheddar -cheese into your Google search bar. This will effectively remove any cheese related links and provide you with information about the town only.

4: Get site specific results by using a colon

Sometimes you may want to catch up with news and articles about someone from once specific website or news source. Rather than having to wade your way through results from many other sources, you can narrow down your results to display only those from a particular website.Lets say for example that you typed in the following keywords: David Cameron site:BBC.comThe results that Google will provide will be content written about David Cameron, but only that published on the BBC website. This can be a great time-saver.

5: Discover sites that link to another

OK this is one that is quite an obscure trick, but nevertheless could be useful to find out who citing articles from other sites. So lets say you read Cosmopolitan magazine and wondered what other sites linked to it. You would type, link:cosmopolitan.com to find out which other websites were linking in with it. The URL you choose to add could be practicality anything, but the more specific it is, the less results you are likely to turn up.

6: Make use of the asterisk wild-card

The asterisk wild-card may not be very well known by many but is one of the most useful tricks on the list. Using asterisks (*) in your search terms will make Google leave placeholders that could be filled automatically later on. This can be a very handy way of discovering missing song lyrics, famous film lines or poetry quotations that you cannot remember too well. If you were to type in, we * fight them on the beaches, we shall fight * streets, it may look like complete nonsense, but Google will know that the asterisks can mean any word, so will look for phrases that closely contain these words and provide the results you will need. This quote is indeed the famous speech given by Churchill during WWII, but how many of us can remember it exactly word for word?

7: Similar site search

This is a useful site for businesses who want to keep up with their competition and see who is running a similar site to their own. It can also be used by anyone for entertainment purposes. For example if you are a fan of a band or an actor but were getting a little bored of the regular fan sites you visit, you can search for similar sites to find new places to go and get your information. Also great for shopping around and looking for a bargain on sale through a different site.Type in, related:eBay.com to come up with alternative sites other than eBay to browse through, or related:bradpittweb.com to find an alternative Brad Pitt fan club site.

8: Google mathematics

Did you know that you can use Google to do your maths homework for you? Either ask for basic maths solutions such as 8 * 5 + 5. The answer returned will be 45. You will also get a link to a calculator too if you need one.

9: Multiple word search

Due to the flexible nature of Google, you can search with a combination of words at once to get the results you want. Searching by single keywords may prove fruitless as the number of results given could be vast. By narrowing down your search using multiple words you will be more likely to find what you are looking for much quicker. Use complete questions or phrases such as 'how to prepare for a job interview' rather than simply typing in 'job interview'. This will give you more targeted results.

10: Search using numbers

This is a handy tip for those working in finance or who work with numbers and statistics on a daily basis. Basically you will use two dots and a number to discover what you want. So for example: Who won Wimbledon ..1973. This will tell Google to find results for that year only and no other years results should be included.

11: KISS

KISS is the acronym for Keep It Simple, Stupid. Google is great for searching out a lot of different information, but you don't have to be too specific to find the results you need. So if you wanted to find a local shoe shop, rather than type in something like: find me shoe shops in and around Birmingham city centre, you can simply type in: shoe shops nearby. Google will know your location and will deliver a list of shoe shops in your area with distances, web links, directions and map locations.

12: Add gradual keywords

If at first Google doesn't give you the exact results you want, then you can add more search terms to help narrow down your results further. So if you added: Job interview, but want more specific answers, then add in 'Job interview suit' for more targeted results.

13: Think like a website

When conducting your search, use words that websites would use. Most people use keywords that are the same as used for every day speech, but websites are not exactly human, so by using language that is more professional you stand a better chance of getting the results you want. So instead of typing 'I have toothache', try to use 'tooth pain relief'.

14: Use your main keywords

Google search works better by using your main important keywords to generate results. If you search with too many words, or use words that are a bit ambiguous, then the results can vary widely. Remember to cut the clutter when creating your search term to make it easier for Google to find the results you need.

15: Use Google shortcuts

Let's say you wanted to find out what the weather forecast is for the next 24 hours. Instead of doing a Google search for the Met Office, the clicking through to the weather map, then drilling down to the regional forecast and then selecting the 3 day forecast and scrolling through the information found on there, why not simply type in to Google search 'Weather' followed by your post code, so 'Weather SW1'. This will give you an instant weather forecast for your area.

16: Don't worry about your spelling

Google has evolved well over the years and can interpret simple grammar errors or when someone has a case of the 'fat fingers'. As long as the search term is pretty close to want you want, Google will work out what you mean and provide results that match.

17: Be descriptive

Don't be afraid to use descriptive words in your search term. The way Google interprets keywords is quite clever. Many things can be described in different ways, so be specific but also be descriptive. If you Google 'fork' you will get everything from cutlery to system calls and a copy of a repository! Do you mean a fork to eat with, a tuning fork, a river fork or a fork in the road?

18: Locating files

Google was always useful for finding specific files or file types, but this is often overlooked by people today. If you are wanting to download a specific PowerPoint presentation or PDF file that you remember looking at, you simply have to type in your search phrase followed by 'filetype:pdf' so for example: eat fat and grow slim filetype:pdf. Very useful for study purposes and also for business presentations too.

19: Currency conversion

Google also supply a very handy currency conversion calculator that is up to date with the current monetary values. It makes it easy to check the conversion rates between two different currencies, and also for when you are making overseas purchases and want to know how much the item will cost in Pound sterling. You can also convert miles to kilometres for when you are planning a journey.

20: Keep track of your packages

Many of the major delivery services such as UPS and DPD are now using track and trace to keep tabs on your deliveries. You can put your tracking number into the Google search bar and you will see the latest information about where your package is and when out for delivery, your expected time of delivery.

Conclusion:

Google is a very powerful search engine that is often underutilised by most people. By incorporating some of these handy tips and tricks into your search efforts you may well find better results or find what you are looking for much quicker without spending too much time scrolling around.

A business plan is an important piece of information, so you should take care to make sure your create one that will form a solid foundation for you to build your business upon. Simply put, it is a written document that accurately describes your business, outlines your business objectives, what strategies you plan to use for operation and marketing, and projections for your sales and financial forecasts.

How will a business plan help me?

You may have the perfect business idea in your mind, but actually writing out your business plan will help you to clarify your business ideas and help you to think about them in fine detail. Laying out your business plan can often show up potential weak spots or problems that you may not have considered, but will also allow you to set about solving them before they ever become an issue.Everyone that sets up a business will have goals to achieve. Your business plan will enable you to set your business goals, whether they be short-term ones that can be easily reached within a few short weeks or months, or longer-term goals for where you see your business in five or ten years time.You can also use your business plan as your guide as you grow your business and measure your actual progress against your set goals and milestones within your plan.Many businesses will look to secure financing from banks to help them start up or expand their business. You will need a sound business plan in place if you want to gain a business loan from a bank or seek investment from other financial bodies.Having a well thought out business plan can also help to establish your reputation as a serious business. It can help to build trust in customers and clients, convince suppliers that you are genuine, and also help potential new employees to believe in you and feel secure in their employment.

How much time does a business plan cover?

Your business plan will set out your strategy and plan of action. Most typical business plans initially cover the first one to three years, but sometimes this can be longer depending on the rate of growth you want to achieve.Putting your plan into writing will help you focus on each goal or idea and prioritise the most important ones to achieve first. Once you have sorted out your priorities and shelved any objectives that can be brought in at a later time, you can end up saving yourself a lot of precious time.What you originally thought may take three years to implement may actually take less than two to achieve once you have sorted out your most important objectives. Your business plan will act as your benchmark for your business performance. It can help to keep you on track to achieve your goals and prevent you wasting time on other actions that may not be as crucial right at that time.

Tailoring your business plan to suit others

As well as setting out your own business goals and objectives, your business plan may be needed to sell the idea of your business to others, such as investors, shareholders and bank managers. In this case you should base your plan on detailed financial information where possible. Investors may not be too interested in the minutiae of your operational and marketing strategies, so you can tailor your plan to suit their interests and needs.When applying for financial backing, try to keep the plan short. Use our checklist to make your business plan more appealing to investors:

• Keep the plan short
• Focus on what the investor needs to know
• Cut out any waffle or details that are not of their concern
• Check your spelling and grammar
• Overly detailed business plans are often quickly shelved

You might want to include:

• CVs of key personnel
• Detailed financial forecasts, projections and assumptions
• Market research data
• Product literature or technical specifications

Presentation is key

When presenting your business plan to others, the overall presentation is very important. Make sure it looks professional or else you may not be taken seriously. Put a cover on your plan and include an easy to read contents page at the front complete with page and section numbering.It would also be wise to start your business plan off with an executive summary as a nice introduction and overview for the reader. People will often make assumptions and judgements based on the summary you provide. This will basically summarise the key points of your plan to make it easier for your readers to understand. You should treat your business plan as an important and professional document, even when it is only ever going to be for internal use only.Put yourself in your readers shoes. Look at your business plan from your target reader's point of view. Does it make sense to you? Would it convince you to invest into it if you were approached for financing with this plan? Review and amend your plan until you are completely happy with it.

How to write your business plan

Going into detail about how to write your business plan and what to include in it would take up a lot of your reading time here, so instead we would like to recommend that you take a look at the Princes Trust website where you will find plenty of free tips on how to write your perfect business plan as well as free business plan templates that you can download and use in Word or PDF format. You will also find free downloadable business tables in Excel that you can use for your financial projections.

Setting up your company and business banking

When you have your business plan in place and are ready to make your new business official, you should take a look at our Company Formations service. Establishing a business can be a complicated process that involves a lot of paperwork and reporting to the correct authorities. Should you be unsure about any aspect of setting up your own company or even make a mistake with your registration, you could experience a whole range of problems later down the line.This is where we at Capital Office can help you. We have decades of experience in these areas and offer a fully comprehensive professional company formation service. No matter if you are looking at setting up as a Limited Company, a Limited Liability Partnership, or a company that is Limited by Guarantee, we have the right package for you. We can help and guide you through every step of your company formation process and ensure your new company is properly and expertly founded.

Barclays Fast Track Banking

You will want to set up a separate business bank account for your company and we can help you with this too. We provide all clients with Barclays fast track banking. We know how important it is to keep on top of your finances, and that is why Capital Office have teamed up with the UK's leading Bank and Accountancy Practice. Capital Office can help you get a Business Bank Account through Barclays, this is a fast track scheme which is available through us.

There are many startups investors should be looking at in 2016. On both sides of the Atlantic there are a number of startups to watch. Investors should consider the following big players when they are thinking about where to put their money over the next twelve months.Have you heard of any of these startups before?

CityFALCON

Based in the UK, CityFALCON is a fintech startup that has received awards and acknowledgements from a host of different organizations. These include the Ministry of Ontario, UBS, and Standard Bank. The goal of this company is to democratise the process of gaining access to the latest financial news.They’re seeking to disrupt the investment industry through helping people to avoid the high subscription fees. CityFALCON has made the same investment news free to retail investors. It hopes to offer their widgets and API to businesses as its main way of generating revenue.

Inverse

Established in the Bay Area, Inverse is a media company that covers the latest news. The difference is it does it from a millennial male point of view. It has already formed partnerships with Crosslink Capital and Rothenberg Ventures in an attempt to ditch the reporting policies of current news outlets.

Mobcrush

The Mobcrush organisation is a mobile live game streaming platform. It also provides a community where mobile gamers can get in touch with each other. It has already managed to raise $15 million in its attempts at gaining some traction. The hope is that it will be able to take full advantage of the live streaming revolution.

Product Hunt

There are many ways companies can lose a customer. The idea behind Product Hunt is to present a ranking of the best new products in each industry. Venture capitalists are already using this tool in order to find out more about the best new startups in specific niches.It already has a lot of investors, including Greylock Partners and SV Angel.

Patreon

Patreon is another company that has managed to raise huge amounts in funding. Patreon allows content creators to promote themselves and reach out to their fans. It’s geared towards YouTubers, authors, writers, photographers, and a variety of other artists.There are already over 2,000 people with full profiles on this site. The whole idea is to help people keep up with the latest trends in social following. This is a specialist social media platform.

Whichit

Whichit is a startup that provides a way for businesses to make their content more interactive. Customer engagement has always been a major topic of discussion and now this aggregation platform is making it easy. They provide content like visual polls to make things easier.

Onfido

Onfido is a startup specialising in background checks. It works with some of the biggest companies in the UK to make it easier for people to verify the authenticity of the self-employed. For example, a company could easily verify that a cleaner on a jobs platform is genuine.

HeySuccess

HeySuccess is another startup taking advantage of smart computing. They’re in the business of helping students and graduates find positions abroad. It’s also going to serve as a way for companies to find the best international talent to fill their positions.It brings together thousands of international student platforms.

Zeek

Zeek helps people to get rid of their unwanted gift cards. With an estimated 47% of UK citizens receiving more than one gift card every year a huge portion of this credit goes unused. Zeek provides a marketplace where people can get rid of their unwanted gift cards through cashing them in or exchanging them.

Kazooloo

Kazooloo is a startup that takes advantage of the rise in virtual reality technology. Strictly speaking, this is about taking advantage of augmented reality, but it’s a major step forward in the world of entertainment. Young people can enjoy playing games with the Kazooloo system and experience something they’ve never come across before.

Conclusion – Startups to Watch

These startups to watch represent major disruptions for multiple industries. It’s an exciting time for investors who want to see the future of investing in these organizations themselves. Which of these startups do you think is going to hit it big in the next twelve months?

Much of the world was confused with the announcement of Microsoft’s acquisition of LinkedIn. Many had difficulty understanding why Microsoft would want this company and why LinkedIn wanted to sell. LinkedIn was at a standstill in its business growth/strategy. In order for the brand to move forward, it needed a fresh perspective, which is something that Microsoft can offer. It is a great opportunity for marketers, as you will learn from the information below.

Better Networking Capabilities

Microsoft was rather interested in the fact that LinkedIn had over 433 billion business-driven users, with at least 2 billion of those users having paid memberships. The tools available to those with paid memberships are far more advanced than what free users have available. The availability of these tools allows marketers to network more, build a name for themselves, and make new connections to further their careers.

Increased Skill Learning Potential

LinkedIn has the ability to help users increase their skill sets. This means that marketers can use new tools, new methods, and new approaches to making those cold email campaigns work. Some of the published content on LinkedIn is helpful for marketers as they learn how to use the platform to make sales and market to the right audiences.

Social Media Exposure

LinkedIn is considered a social media website. Given that it is a social media networking site; marketers have the ability to help increase advertising potential to a more diverse audience. Connections can be made, messages can be exchanged, and meetings can be set all from this platform. The ability to use a single platform for communications, promotion, and having social media presence is invaluable to some marketers.

Larger Customer Base Potential

Customers have the ability to leave commentary in the form of a review on LinkedIn content. Your marketing department will have access to a larger customer base by being present on LinkedIn, and with that comes the requirement to market to the multiple demographic groups within that customer base. It is best to develop an online presence, build a reputation, and work on building relationships with your customer base to learn what marketing approaches are going to work best for that specific platform.

Improved Technology Platform

Microsoft plans to improve the technological aids available to LinkedIn users to progress the platform. LinkedIn was at a standstill, it was stuck – new technology and software tools will help grow the membership at LinkedIn and will help marketers keep better records from new connections, campaign performance, and learn what tools will help them in their everyday life.

Better Business Structure

From viewing some of the content and business descriptions of successful industry leaders, marketers can learn how to develop a better business structure. Marketers can also learn the importance of marketing in a way that fits a business’ structure. It makes for more successful marketers because the marketer needs to learn how a business creates a budget, how it determines what it will pay for a product/service, and what types of brands/products it wants to be associated with.LinkedIn offers businesses the opportunity to create a detailed business profile within the platform. This outlines the brand’s goals, preferences, and direction. Marketers should be able to read between the lines to determine whether to proceed with client gaining or work on obtaining a different client.

Recruiting Marketing Team Members

Marketers will often post a resume, along with previous job skills online. When a major corporation is looking for someone new in their marketing department, LinkedIn is one of the places that they look. It is important to make sure that your contact information is up-to-date and that you highlight any special skills. When you are looking to be recruited, consider offering a sample pitch on your LinkedIn profile so that potential employers can see that your pitch is optimized for the web, has substance and includes a good teaser.

Final Say

With the increased potential for creating stronger, bigger networks, marketers stand the chance to make a name for themselves. Marketers also have the means available to access larger vendor/client pools to further their careers. It is important for marketers in all avenues of the industry to embrace the acquisition of LinkedIn as a step in a forward direction with advanced technology, better sales tools, and an easier way of communicating with clients.

Your customers are what helps a business survive. When customers spend money, your business can keep its doors open for another day. It is important to listen to the feedback given by customers to make improvements to slow down the frequency of customers buying from the competition.

Poor Customer Service

Poor customer service is at the top of the list when it comes to customer retention. When customers feel like a number or as “just as sale”, it does not make them want to continue to do business with your brand. Customers should be made to feel important and their questions should never be a bother to any of your employees.

Not Trending

Is your business following the current business trends? If not, your customers may be discontent with your brand. Consumers like brands that can change and evolve with advanced technology, buying trends, and consumer needs. Consumers are more attracted to brands that stay up-to-date on industry and society trends. The use of advanced technology will help your business become up-to-date and able to compete by being trendy.

Defective Products

Repeated reports of defective products makes customers leave and seek a substitute with a competitor. It is important to fully test products for safety, function, and practicality prior to releasing them for sale. When consumers see multiple product recalls from one company, their impression of the company suffers.

Poor Website Performance

When a website is slow, freezes, or does not have a properly working search function it drives traffic away. If a consumer cannot easily find what he or she is looking for, frustration sets in and additional options are sought. Ensure that your brand’s website is mobile-friendly, optimized, and organized.

Poor Brand Reputation

All it takes is one bad review being posted to start an ambush of negativity for a brand. The negative reputation can be difficult to overcome, but persistence pays off. Begin interacting with your audience, posting reviews, and reacting professionally to negativity to bring customers back.

Inconsistencies

Inconsistencies in content display, and even shipping, confuses customers. A recent trend is the demand for same day delivery, businesses not offering this option are losing customers. Society has become impatient. With advanced technology and logistics options, society expects brands to be consistent with the rest of the industry. Consumers also expect brands to deliver consistent content on a regular basis for communications purposes.

Toxic Employees

Employees that are not focused on their jobs are easily detectable by customers. When customers see employees checking cell phones, chatting in corners or are seemingly distracted, it is a big turn off. Not only does it reduce productivity, it tells customers that employees do not care about their employer or the customer.In some cases, a toxic employee may be bringing their personal issues to work, which sabotages the productivity of the entire staff.

Pricey Products

If the products manufactured by your brand are too expensive for the target audience, customers will seek out more cost effective items. It is difficult to regain customers when your prices drive them away. It is important to be competitive while still making a profit, but this cannot be at the expense of losing your customer base.

Behind Technology

Customers want to work with brands that are up-to-date on technology and features. It tells the audience that the company pays attention to society’s evolution and technology. Advanced technology enhances consumer experiences and increases brand efficiency.

Boring Marketing

If your brand’s marketing attempts are not performing, your consumer base either is bored or is unable to connect with the product. This big marketing issue needs to be fixed immediately. When marketing campaigns fail to capture the intended audience, customers will go to a competitor that has marketing campaigns that do grab their attention. To reel in new customers or keep those on the fence around, consider a few promotions.

Final Thoughts

If you make a few changes to your business strategy and standard practices, your customers will stay loyal for a longer period. With that being said, consumer experience should be a priority for your business. The customer may not always be right, but their words should act as insight regarding their unique experience with your business.

In order for a business to remain relevant in today’s world, it has to be up-to-date with trends. It also has to be in-tune with technology. Brands that use the latest technology to improve customer experiences are dominating their respective industries. To become a driving force in your specific industry, it may be time to make some upgrades to your business’ methods, tools, and strategies.

Use Video Marketing

Video marketing is trending in 2016. It is important to learn the tricks to creating a compelling video-marketing campaign that displays the brand’s ability to adapt to change. When creating video advertisements, make sure to only include text that is relevant. Society wants to watch and listen rather than read. Show examples of how a product or service works while explaining simply why a consumer or business needs the product/service. Simple is the best approach with video marketing.

Telecommuting Employees

Telecommuting (virtual) employees are ideal for growing businesses. Not only are virtual offices and virtual employees becoming more popular, it is a better way to keep overhead costs down for businesses. Employees that have the ability to work remotely are more productive, have better work ethics, and are more relaxed. They also have less sick days and require less vacation time than traditional employees. Going virtual is trending in 2016 as more businesses see the advantages of a virtual workforce and the need to cut spending on traditional office spaces.

Mobile-Friendly Websites

In 2016, much of the world has gone mobile. This means that your business needs to be able to go with them. More people are accessing the Internet from wireless devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptop computers. Google has also made changes to its policies requiring businesses to be mobile-friendly.Your mobile users should be able to access the same features as your web-users. When consumers have to go to a computer to place an order rather than right from their mobile device, it is seen as an inconvenience.

Increased Demand for Faster Service

Consumers do not like to wait for ordered items to arrive in the mail or via parcel delivery. More are demanding same-day service for goods, services, and consultations. If your business has multiple locations, it may be a great marketing strategy to advertise same-day delivery for local customers. This will increase your client base and allow for the business to expand to more areas around the world with the same business model, operations, and delivery practices.Those that are not local should be offered the option of overnight delivery, at their cost for shipping. Companies have to be able to cater to customer demand in order to have longevity in their industries.

Upgrade Computer Networks

Upgraded computer networks using an individual business server, cloud networks and integrated applications, makes working easier for your employees. Advanced technology is designed to make performing tasks, staying productive, and reaching co-workers with questions easier. It is important to include a central location for employee chatter for employees to decompress, joke a bit, and take some of their work-related stress off.Consider implementing the use of tablets, mobile inventory counters and mobile conferencing technology, to keep all employees on the same page. Outdated technology tends to fail over time, and this can result in a huge loss of company data. It is vital that you stay up-to-date with technology.

Use Digital Tools

Digital tools help keep all of your employees on the same page. Tools like Dropbox, Slack, Trello and Evernote, are ideal for keeping files in a specific location while allowing access to them by all employees. Some of these tools can be used with additional integrated apps to create time lines, have productivity reminders, and deadline reminders. Anything that helps employees stay on-track, upbeat and happy at work, is a good addition to your digital tools. The tools should be available to all employees so that none are working at a disadvantage.

Final Word

Working to get your company up-to-date may cost a bit up-front but will be worth it. It will also provide a better overall experience for your customers. The increased revenues from happy customers that continually come back, gives you more to re-invest into the company for further technological improvements to your everyday operations.

A virtual office space is beneficial for small businesses and solely online companies. Business owners do not have the worries of paying for building repairs, dealing with building malfunctions, or paying for the cost of a company location. Instead, employees have a centralized location to refer to while working from anywhere in the world. Productivity increases when employees have the option to work remotely either regularly or from time-to-time.

Low Company Overhead

When there is not a need for a physical office location, you can cut a lot of overhead costs out by going virtual. You will not have to worry about paying for utilities, cleaning services, or renting office space. The lower overhead means that you can put that money right back into your business or work on the next phase of growth.

Lower Business Start-Up Costs

There are dozens of costs associated with setting up a new business. That comes with finding and securing a building, creating office space for administrative purposes, and paying for proper licensing fees. Physical locations also require equipment, furnishings, and sanitary restroom spaces. There are building codes to adhere to and they often come with hefty maintenance bills. Avoiding all of this when you are just starting your small business is less of a financial burden right from the start.

Physical Location Information

A virtual office does have a physical address and real phone number. It is provided as a means for mail delivery, global mail forwarding, and access to a receptionist. If you have a board of directors or high-profile positions, the personal information of the directors can be kept private as well. Their data would show as the company location for security purposes.

Happier Employees

Employees that can work from any location and have access to a virtual office set-up are happier. Their work is of higher-quality and their productivity remains high. Since employees have the option to design their personal workspace and access virtual offices, they are more likely to stay on-schedule, complete more work, and stay with an employer for a longer period of time.

Advantages for Internet-Based Businesses

Internet-based businesses do not need a physical office location for its employees. It may be a good idea to create a hybrid business model situation here as a small group of executives could work together in one space. If you require a physical meeting space for a conference or potential industry-changing meeting, you can use office space that is available through the entity that you set up your virtual office with. Most have meeting spaces available for client use in their packages along with the ability to provide materials to use during presentations as well.

Potential for a Hybrid Business Model

In some business situations, having a small workforce in one dedicated space is necessary for operations purposes. The rest of the employees can be virtual employees, working from any location in the world. Integrate a cloud networking system and communications tools for your workforce to communicate with. The workforce should also have a dedicated means of contacting superiors and department leads.

Higher Attendance Rates

When you create a virtual office network for your business, you have a higher attendance rate and less employees calling in sick or requesting time off. As employees can work from anywhere, their work can also go anywhere. If an employee is under the weather but still able to perform their job duties, having the ability to do so from the comfort of their bed or home office will allow them to still complete your expected tasks for the day without affecting their work performance.

Global Telecommunications

With the increased technology of the Internet, you can have a workforce that is located anywhere. The use of VoIP services, video conferencing technology and cloud networks helps a virtual office work as a traditional office would. Teleworkers are able to work on flexible schedules in any time zone and adapt their working times accordingly.

Final Word

Consider if the benefits of a virtual office are ideal for your small business. As a start-up, it can cut down some of your immediate spending and allow the business to build and become successful. A virtual office location is convenient and allows for safe communications between employees and customers.