Tips & Advice

With advances in technology, it is becoming increasingly easy to launch an online business from home.You can configure your own website, sell and even receive payments directly from your site. These are the foundations that will help you create your internet business.

Types of companies on the Internet

Almost anything can be sold through the Internet. Many different online businesses from home provide services to other businesses with variables like web design tools or even accounting.A service-based business allows you to get started quickly, without having to invest in inventory. If your goal is to sell items, there are easy ways to do it without having your own shipping department. Companies – like Amazon and Commission Junction allow you to advertise your products on your site. They will only ask for a commission for what they sell. Other websites – like eBay and Etsy – allow you to create a virtual store and handle payments in your name.

Types of Income

Your online business can get different types of income, depending on its purpose. If you sell your services, you can charge clients by the hour or by the service. For example, you can announce a basic web design package for £ 99 or you can charge £ 25 per hour for work on a design. If you sell products, your income will come from the purchase price or, in the case of affiliated companies, commissions. The fees are usually calculated based on a percentage of the selling price of the article.There are several ways to get paid with your online business. Large companies create a payment gateway on their own sites and recorded with major credit card companies to receive payments online. Small businesses often use a service like PayPal or Intuit , to process payments. These facilitators payment charge a percentage of the operation of their services.

Advantages and disadvantages

The biggest advantage of operating an online business is flexibility. You can operate from your home at your convenience, without having to rent an office. It also lets you run the business from your laptop anywhere in the world where there is internet access.If you're not naturally self-disciplined or organized, be weary – running an online business takes dangers. It's easy to put off work late and lose focus on the creation of the company. The success of online businesses is to formalize work schedules and objectives to ensure that the business grow profitably.

Initial Costs

The amount of money you need to start your online business depends on the type of business. All online businesses need some kind of presence on the Internet. This requires that you configure a domain name and a website. Several providers, like Blogger and Weebly, allow you to create a site for free. This is a good option when you're starting. As your business grows, you may need the services of a web designer or programmer to expand your site. You may have to upgrade your computer or office equipment if you have not support or functional. At a minimum, you'll need a fixed computer or laptop with internet connection and a printer to print invoices and other documents.

Base

An online business can be easy to install and can also be profitable. Like any other business, an online business should focus on the basics of dealing with customers and sales in order to succeed.

Start A Business From Home

The big question is: Is it possible to create a profitable business from home with little investment of time and money? The idea of ​​developing a business from home is based on the need to find a source of extra income, possibly in the future can become your main source of income.A profitable business is one where profits exceed 60%, 80% or even 100% or more the value of the investment.So for a business to have the ability to provide a significant source of income, also you require considerable investment. The following steps are to be able to develop profitable business ideas from home that do not require much investment at first.

Identify your reasons

Answer why you want to start your own business is the first thing you should do. Want to be your own boss? Do you want to earn extra money? you not want to depend on schedules? Be careful, for example with your own business you will not have only one boss but every one of your customers will be one of your bosses. And on time, you could end up working more than necessary.

Analyse your personality

Do you have the qualities to own a business? Unfortunately not all have it, luck is however, that these characteristics can be learned. Ask yourself the following questions: Do you have what it takes to be a leader of a business? Do you like making decisions? Do you like racing? Do you have the power of self-discipline?

Acknowledge your skills

It is ideal to start an activity that you like or you highlight and which have some experience in. You will be the one who does the work, and what better to bet on an activity in which you function well and safely, or in which you want to invest time and money to learn.

Define a clear concept

Declare a unique business concept. That is, a business must have spirit, have something unique that makes it what it is. When making a business from home, despite being smaller, the same idea applies. You must define a concept of your business. It is also essential to explain what the business is dedicated. For example, say that there is a company called Artec. What sounds like the name? It could be a business education, technical services or items of art, right? That is, to do business at home, explains below the name of your business what he does. This applies, for example through a slogan.

Assess the business idea

Write on paper brainstorm of those activities that you can perform and which you can consider in your local market or online, depending on the activity. Tantea if your business idea is feasible. Describe the product or service you're selling, if you have competition or not. Analyse your market, assess the needs and desires of your potential consumers. Set the price of your product or service.

Calculate investment

With every activity you wrote do the following: Investment value of materials or costs and the percentage of profitability. For example, investment for the creation or implementation of a product where X is £ 10 and is sold at £ 18, so the yield is 80%. Select only those that have a return equal to or greater than 50% to start working on those profitable businesses from home.

Before making plans

The best advice for starting a business from home, the idea is to plan, strategies, costs, layout, location and prices, before acting hastily and having to slapping of drowning as they are presenting problems. What name you will use, what legal form you will use or bring it to carry your business personally. What licenses and permits you need. How you can protect your business from theft, or fraud you'll protect your business idea, since you may need to register a trademark.This is costly in terms of money, resources and time. Therefore, it is always better to have a business plan, which will indicate whether the business is attractive, if your business is profitable, and what strategies need to take to develop a successful business.

Naturally, you put blood, sweat, and tears into running your business, but equal effort is needed when selling. Potential buyers do not come to your business just because you’ve put up a “For Sale” sign. If you plan on selling your business, be proactive by building a business plan that allows for both start-ups and existing businesses. Keep track of your finances, be objective, and act accordingly.

Follow these 10 steps to sell your business and provide a happy return

Have a clear reason to sell your business

If you've spent years building your business, earned millions of pounds, and want to enjoy your retirement, you're probably in a good position to sell. However, if you're in debt, running out of cash, or simply bored with your business, selling is not your only option. It is recommended that business owners also consider the following: to franchise, develop a society, merge with a similar company to go public, or to obtain a partial retirement.

Know your value

The valuation of your business is a difficult but necessary task when you decide to sell. There is no single formula to accurately determine the value of your business. However, do not judge the fairness of the appraisal based on what you think your business is worth. The value is based on criteria that can be quantified, not on personal calculation of the owner. To obtain an unbiased value, ask a third party specialist to make an evaluation.

Start with time

Selling a business takes several months, and that is if everything is in order. A great deal of planning will be involved in the process. Financial documents, such as a balance sheet and income statements, profitability, open lines of credit, and even personal problems affect both the viability of the sale and the price that the organisation will achieve in the market.

Consider hiring an agent

Some owners are reluctant to hire professional agents to facilitate the sale because they want to save 10% of these individual’s transaction fees. What they do not take into account is that the sales agents may add between 10% and 12% to the sale price. While small companies may be sold directly, some brokers have contacts with buyers that could accelerate the sale of your business or can develop a strategy to negotiate the deal. These agents are usually paid once the sale concludes.

Oversee the entire process

Meet the market. Even if you have an agent, it is important to know the recent sale prices of comparable companies. It controls whether your industry or the economy are about to fall or grow. The growth potential is key to potential buyers, who are interested in investing in an emerging market. Once you have a list of qualified buyers, you have to interview with each of them. Your interaction with potential customers will determine if your company sells.

Put your finances in order

You must have at least the last two years of your audited or reviewed financial statements and tax returns for review by the buyer. Update any pending issues with the lenders as if you hide problems or alter projections, this could affect the confidence of potential buyers. A murky financial picture of your business could ruin the agreement. Learn to set a fair price and keep an objective position at all times.

Respect confidentiality

Determine how your customers are affected. If you think you can lose many customers, you may not want to make the sale public, as it could negatively affect the transaction and the relationship with your team. You have to place the sale of your business in the market with strict confidentiality. If you are looking for a direct sale, advertise in local newspapers, business magazines, and guides to creatively market and focus on a defined group of potential customers.

Tailor your business plan

In this case, the business plan will be "your story," where you'll include the finances of your business, sales, industry projections, recent improvements, new opportunities, and other important aspects of your business. Have you had employees for 10 years? That is a useful sales tool.

Remain in business while preparing the sale

There is no reason to lower the blinds on your business without having secured financing. Take the opportunity to add value to the business. If you have rusty equipment, change it. Sell assets that do not generate income. Do what you need to increase the financial attractiveness of your assets. Selling your business can be an incentive to push harder in the last moments of the operation, which could increase sales, profits, and the selling price.

Transition plans

Many owners are focused on selling and neglect the process of transition that will happen after the deal. Some buyers insist that the former owner remain there for some time to participate in the ownership and management transition.

The use of virtual offices has been very popular for more than a decade now.Office rentals of this type have been invaluable, especially for entrepreneurs and SMEs who decide to start a business.Here are some tips when renting offices like this:

Location

Choose a virtual office that is located in a populated area easily accessible to your customers, partners and employees.Look for a building that is attractive, as this will boost its corporate image. Check the quality of the training rooms and boardrooms. Do not be swayed by images of websites; check the condition of the company offices.

Space

It is important that you evaluate specific areas of the rental company offices and choose professional space that will impress partners, customers, suppliers, and prospects. Generally, companies will offer offices for rent, as well as a few hours of meeting rooms and training rooms per week.

Availability

If the firm has rented virtual offices to other businesses, you probably do not have the use of training rooms or meeting rooms. If this is unavoidable, you can opt for a satellite assembly that can be used for meetings.

Ability to Publicise

Another thing to consider when renting an office is the right to use the e-mail. You want to be able to announce the address on your web site and promotional materials. Ask about the fees the firm charges for this. Some companies renting virtual offices also offer the use of a tax direction.One of the most important tips for renting office of this kind is to verify if your company logo can be placed in the lobby or waiting room, as this will be an important element to highlight its corporate image. You may have to pay an additional fee for this item.

Amenities

One of the basic things you should consider when renting virtual offices is if you are offered parking spaces for your customers or suppliers. Ask about the use of community office equipment (fax, photocopier, wireless Internet, scanner) and basic office supplies. Check whether the boardrooms and training rooms come with video equipment and furniture.Check the rates to rent offices via the Internet. Today, there are rental companies renting furnished offices and virtual offices that offer high quality and are easily accessible through internet rates.

Virtual Offices Indispensable Tips

When you do not have the economic infrastructure to start your business, you should not delay the launch of your company. Look for a better option in virtual offices.The office rent is an excellent choice when opening a business because of its indispensable class facilities, personalized attention, and services included at a low cost.The high cost offices pay in rent has impeded growth and the opening of new businesses and SME companies. The opening of new property markets has developed and promoted the use of new concepts that reduce the economic cost. These properties are virtual offices.It is estimated that a large percentage of new entrepreneurs have promoted and increased their return on investment income from virtual offices. In the case of the United States and Europe, virtual offices for new businesses or companies are not a new concept.According to experts, it is believed that entrepreneurs spend 50% or more to rent offices equipped and furnished. Traditional buildings are old-fashioned, especially if what you want is success and ROI.One of the main reasons why a SME does not survive the first year of life is operating expenses. Conditioning or adapting a rental office building represents indiscriminate spending to increase corporate business image.Did you know that? Through virtual offices, you get an equipped and furnished business centre at a low cost compared to traditional offices. Providing a business address in London without actually renting office space will provide an excellent corporate image on the web, personalised attention to its customers, and will focus the budget.Through the rental of virtual offices, entrepreneurs can improve their economic situation and increasing job vacancies in certain sectors.Virtual offices get other optional benefits or services that are not included in your monthly rent. Some of the extra services offered by virtual offices are:

• Receiving phone calls
• Correspondence management
• Broadband Internet
• Maintenance service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
• Rent per hour boardroom

The UK has a lot of competition in every type of industry. Keeping it in mind, it`s very important to make sure that your company stands out from the copycats and corporate wannabes. But how can you achieve this? The most important thing about brand recognition is content. What are you producing which no one else is? Perhaps you are offering excellent industry insights via company blog, or amazing original graphics and images on the website. Such content draws customers like bees to honey. You have to simultaneously think about how the content which you are creating is protected. After all, what can stop the competitors form copy pasting your content on their website? In this battle of defending your content, the ultimate weapon is copyright protection. But what is copyright protection? And, how it works?

What is copyright protection?

We will cover the basics first. The UK Government says that, copyright is a type of intellectual property protection which automatically applies to the original and creative work from the moment of its creation by a collective or any individual.Unlike trademarks, designs and patents, there is no specific requirement to register or apply for copyright protection. It should also be noted that there is no need of marking original work with copyright symbol in order to protect it. This is because protection in the form of Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 is already available.Having said that, you may find it worthwhile to register the work, in case you have suspicion that someone may try to use your work or claim to it to be their content. As long as you are able to give irrefutable evidence of you being the lawful owner, infringement claims can be easy to resolve resulting in better protection for you work.Any work which has copyright protection should not be performed, distributed, copied or used by anyone other than the owner. Doing so will have legal repercussions. The protection also makes sure that the works are not adapted or replicated – nor are they put on internet without explicit permission of the creator.

What does copyright protect?

Following different types of works are protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988:

• Original literary works – these include song lyrics, manuscripts, articles and manuals.
• Original non-literary works – these include computer software, computer programs, and web content and data bases.
• Works of Art - like design and architecture, photographs, paintings, diagrams, illustrations, logos, cartography and technical drawings.
• Music and sound recordings.
• Dramatic works like dance and plays.
• Television and film recordings.
• Cable programs and Broadcasts.
• Typography of any published literary, musical and dramatic work.

Even if one of your works fit snugly in one of the mentioned categories, it is important to point out that several exemption rules which relate to copyright protection exist.

What are the items exempt from copyright protection?

UK Government issued comprehensive new guidelines which outlined the situations in which it is ok to use someone else`s work. These guidelines were issued in October 2014. According to the lawmakers, the following are usually considered to be exempt from copyright protection:

• Personal copies with purpose of private use: Modernization of copyright act has resulted in allowing the people to make some private copies of different media which they had bought. Copies may be made for different purposes like keeping a backup or format shifting. This means that consumers have the right to transfer their personal CDs into the mp3 player, and copyright law will not be violated.
• Quotation: Law provides freedom for people to quote other peoples work. But it has to look reasonable and fair. Also full attribution should be given. Such replication will not break the law.
• Private Study and Research: It is allowed for individuals to copy films, broadcasts and sound recording for research without getting the permission from holder of copyright.
• Data-mining and Text: Changes in copyright law have resulted in individuals being enabled to copy items for purpose of analysis on computer. The exemption is only applicable for non-commercial purposes.
• Caricature, pastiche or parody: A limited and reasonable use of creative work is allowed for entertainment purposes. A good example can be, use of several lines from a song in its parody sketch. It will not violate the copyright law.
• Training or education: Teachers can use content by displaying or copying, for the purposes of education.
• Preservation and Archiving: Recently law was changed in order to make it easy for the libraries, museums and archives to preserve collections. They can copy all the creative works which they have in their collection, with the goal of preserving it for future.
• Accessible formats for disabled individuals: Many changes have been made in order to provide access to disabled individuals. They are allowed making one copy of the copyright works for personal use by a disabled person. It is also allowed for charities to make copies for disabled people.
• Public administration: It is permitted for the public bodies to share online some third party materials which have copyright protection. The most common item will usually be information which is sent by a business for purposes of maintaining a public register.

You can read the UK Government`s complete briefing on exemptions related to copyright, in order to be sure regarding use of your work under mentioned circumstances.

How long does copyright protection last?

There is a different duration of protection for different types of work. It also depends on the date of creation of work.

• Artistic works: Artistic, literary, musical and dramatic works enjoy protection of 70 years after death of creator or author.
• Sound recordings: They are protected for 50 years after creation.
• Broadcasts: They have a protection of 50 years after the first broadcast.
• Films: Movies and films have a protection of 70 years after the last death of the author of screenplay, author of dialogue, composer of music made for the film or the principal director.
• Typographical arrangements: Such content has a protection of 25 years after the initial publication

Is copyright protected worldwide?

Different countries have different types of copyright laws. However, a minimum level of protection exists as a result international conventions like the Berne convention. The owners of intellectual property in any of the countries which are party to Bern Convention enjoy the same protection and rights which are agreed in the convention. The owners also enjoy the protection offered by the laws of the individual countries.

How can I stop people from using my work?

You, yourself are responsible for defending the copyright infringement of your materials. You can take some steps, if you believe that someone is using your work without your permission. First, thing you should do is to check if the person or organization who is using your content has the license to do so, or if they have applied for the license. You can check this on the official license register of the Government. It contains all the creative works which are orphaned, meaning their owners could not be identified. It often happens that people apply for the license, if they want to use a protected work, but they are unable to find the copyright holder.In case there is an application for your work:

• You can seek to have the application stopped.
• You can claim to get license fee which was paid.

If the work is not on register, you should contact the individual who is using the content and tell him that the work is your property. You can tell them to stop the use, or provide them with written permission for the use of work. You can take legal action in case they don`t stop using your work despite your disapproval.

Can I license or sell my copyright?

Being owner of the copyright, you are entitled to license the use of your work. You also have the right to sell or transfer the copyright to anyone else. You will be required to register the work with some licensing body before being able to license it to allow someone else using it.The licensing body will be collecting the royalties on your behalf and you will be able to control how the work is used. In case you want to sell or transfer your copyright, you should make a document which will serve as evidence of the transfer or sale.

Can I copyright a company name?

No, unfortunately names cannot be copyright protected. However, you may be able to copyright a design or an artistic logo which has your companies name on it. The ideal way to protect the name of your business is to get it incorporated as a limited company with the Companies House. It will prevent people from registering a company with that name. You may also protect your companies name by getting it registered as trademark.

Many people do not give importance to this simple piece of card, thinking that it doesn't pay much attention to detail or lacks impact to be useful - wrong! So, what key points should a business card have on it to be effective and original?Here are 10 key points that should help with this:

1. Watch the design.

Before anything, get a pen and paper and broadly design your card. Record the information you want; include the colours of the letters and the background and if you should put any image (company logo for example) on the card.

2. Size matters.

What do we mean? It is important that it is not too large nor too small, and it must fit into your card case or in your wallet. Normally the standard format is 9 × 5 cm.

3. Take the duplex!

We always recommend that you use the duplex. Normally we tend to always see both sides when you get a card and it just looks ugly and unfinished when the other side is plain white. It is a perfect opportunity to add your own personal logo or image.

4. It's time to design your card on your computer.

When you sit at the computer to design your card, it is very important that you have to the first draft at hand (point No. 1), just so you do not forget any important data. It is also important that you consider the size of the images you want to place, because then the card may not be seen well. Have you thought about putting it in the background?

5. One of the common questions is what information is put onto the card.

The information must be clear (not too many letters together) and with the necessary information (no beating around the bush). I would state your profession and nothing more. If your case is that you work for another company, also specify this.

6. Contact. Don`t feel like you have to include your phone number.

Because today, with WhatsApp this can become very chaotic ... In this case, if anyone wants to contact you, they can make it through email. It depends on the type of business you run and the intake of customers you receive. In any case, if the person is trustworthy, you can always write down the phone number by hand in a card space.It is therefore essential that your email appears on the card and also your web page where they will find more information about you. If you're going to give this card to a lot of random leads, it`s recommended you do not put your phone number on. If, however, you will present your card to people you know and businesses, then add your phone number to your card.What about an adress? If your business provides local services you need an adress for people to find you. If you provide business services and image is important to you, you might benefit from a London address providing prestige and professionalism for your business

7. What social networks?

It is important that you also state that you are present in social networks. You don`t need to put every single one down that you are present on, but for example, it`s recommended that you put Facebook and Twitter on, and also if you have Instagram, because it lets your clients see that you are a modern person, who likes creative photography.

8. QR Code?

It is important that you also display the QR code for quick access to your website or section of the website of the company to which you appear. How to generate a QR code? It is very simple. It can all be done by copying a link to the web and in a few seconds you`ll have an image that you must put in a corner of your card.

9. Logo?

If in your case, you own a personal logo, it is important to appear on your card. It is the first graphic image that your customers remember you by, so you have a perfect opportunity to add your personal brand.

10. Take advantage of offers!

There are many programs and websites that will help you design your own card. Note the print quality and type of paper, as you want something durable. Search and compare will lead you to finding good deals.For more business ideas and news, check out our Virtual Office Business Blog today and especially the tips and advice section.

Meetings can be a powerful weapon for SMEs, but also a huge waste of time. A well-organised meeting agenda can be vital for any company; the key here is to be clear about the agenda of business meetings, the reason for each one, the people who will attend and the maximum time that can be devoted to each. Once this information is analysed, it is easier to create a meeting that has far more worth than one simply thrown together in a rush.Seen this way, the task may seem daunting, but fortunately today there are many tools to help you manage your schedule of business meetings and to fix an appointment with employees or customers. These are the ones we have selected:

Tools to set up meetings

Doodle

Its main function is to organise the calendar of meetings, but can also be used for other events. With Doodle, you can know the availability of the people they want to meet up with and so find the date that suits everyone. Once you have it clear when you want to be at the meeting, you can send the link by email or through the interface to other participants.Doodle works as a shared online platform and is known for being a very intuitive calendar. If you do not have time to learn to drive a more powerful calendar and do not have big needs, this is your tool.

GoToMeeting

One of the tools that is most renowned and most used. It is a paid software which not only allows you to manage a calendar of events, but also makes presentations to large groups and even creates online polls and surveys. It has several versions which also include the possibility of interactive training sessions.GoToMeeting is a good choice for those conducting online meetings and conferences through the network on a regular basis. Besides organising the meeting agenda, you can setup meetings through the platform.

Google Calendar

With improved Google Apps, Google Calendar also comes to mobiles and tablets. The advantage of Google Calendar is that it integrates with your Gmail and, of course, is free. The tool provides a personal dashboard that allows you to create appointments, set reminders and even share with other team members. Plus, you can synchronise with Google Hangouts to video conference with up to 10 people.

TimePal

TimePal is useful for setting events with partners from different time zones. It also allows you to set the duration of the meeting, so that it will tell you if you are exceeding the schedule.TimePal functions as a board that matches the schedule of each region, to see the hours that match the rest of the group. Like most applications, there is a limited free version, or if you pay, then you get no ads and more features.

TimeBridge

As with Google Calendar, TimeBridge can be used to organise meetings or personal events. TimeBridge's meeting management service can either be operated with large groups or one-on-one meetings and cover different time zones too. It can be integrated with Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar and Apple iCal. and also includes phone and Web conferencing opportunities.

WhenisGood

WhenisGood is a basic, online tool that will generate a link to a survey and send this to other participants with different proposed dates. Once respond by all, you can access the results and choose the date that received the most votes.

Meetomatic

Meetomatic is another free service online, where you just have to choose possible dates and send them via email or social networks. With the responses of all participants in, you can easily establish which date generated the greater consensus.

UberConference

A very useful tool to find out who's who in a meeting. UberConference can query data collected from other people and initiates a simple, visual, and free to use conference call. It allows you to quickly set up and join free conference calls without the use of PINS.

Attendium

Attendium is a tool that automates the lists of invitees to a meeting, which is useful for mass events, but perhaps not for use with meetings where there are a limited number of participants.If you liked our business blog post, you can find more helpful tips in our productivity section.

Every organisation needs a leader and each leader has their own style of management. What defines leadership? We all have in mind the qualities and skills needed to be a leader and are almost always rigged to a particular style of exercise that encompasses leadership. Among the most repeated include communication skills to convey confidence, determination, commitment, proximity, passion or responsibility.

Negative leadership styles

Ultimately, each leader has to find their own style a - the key in any case goes through to find a style that works best for you. However, the five that follow are generally those that do not succeed.

Micromanagement

It is easy to fall into micromanagement, a style that is characterised by absolute control of what happens in your work environment. It is something to be avoided because it means extra pressure for the employee, a cut in their autonomy, is against empowerment and a very inefficient method of facing major tasks.The problem with micromanagement is that it is not always easy to distinguish the line between what is active and helpful support and what is not. However, there are other signs that will help you realise whether or not you're a micromanager:

• You have difficulty delegating tasks, even in people who you consider competent
• You indulge in additional projects and agree to perform tasks that cannot be developed
• Lose time correcting small mistakes and lose the overview of the project
• You are on your employees backs and want to know what they do at all times

If you see yourself reflected in these attitudes, not sporadically, but overall, maybe you should review your management style.

The absolutist

A leader is responsible for setting the course of the ship and the direction to be taken by the team, but should also be open to proposals from the pack. A common mistake is to fall into a kind of absolutism, in which the vision and direction are Law.Authority is required in the company because it creates respect in the workplace, but it should never come at the expense of silencing the rest of the employees. The leader will always have the last word, but it should address the proposals of the group to make them see that their opinion matters and make them feel part of the company, increasing their productivity.In any case, it is impossible for one person to control everything that happens in the company. In this sense, there is nothing worse than making a decision on an issue that is unknown.

The softest

On the opposite side we find leaders that are too lax, that do not establish rules or supervision. They may struggle in making sure that everyone works in the same direction and that the company communicates the goals accordingly. Without this direction, a team can have great ideas, but nothing on which to align, consolidate and unify them under one criterion.Flexibility is important in the business, but everything has its limits.

The "I can do it all"

In this case we find a variant of micromanagement, only aggravated also because the leader will want to take care of all tasks. One of the first things you should do is learn to delegate leaders.The advantages of not doing everything on your own are obvious: you release workload to the team and you make sure that everything is done as you intended. However, if you want to go further, you will also let others take responsibility to grow as a team. Remember, the more you work with other people, the further you`ll grow in these environments.

The rigidity

Consistency in itself is positive, but taken so far can be very harmful for the company and for your development as a leader. One of the most common mistakes is often to draw a mental picture of the way forward and stick to it no matter what, through thick and thin, regardless of your surroundings. This is a recipe for disaster.A good leader must be able to understand that their management style must adapt to new situations and environments.You can read more on our business blog for more helpful articles, if you found this a good read you can read more in our "tips and advice" section.

It was in the summer of 2014 when the Internet users around the world suddenly realised that their data online were not immune to risks. Risque photos of Rihanna, Kate Upton, Selena Gomez, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Watson, Kirsten Dunst and other celebrities, began to circulate through the network completely unopposed. Taking advantage of a hole in the security system of Apple passwords, the hackers had gained access to private files stored in the Cupertino company iCloud service, to seize and disseminate such images on the Internet.It was not the first time. In 2011 Scarlett Johansson was thrust in the worldwide media about selfies that had been done in her bathroom. It was by no means the only case. Just a month and a half later the same thing happened again: More stolen public photos emerged from the "cloud" of celebrities. In total sixty were affected, according to the list published by Daily Dot.The fact is that this has cast doubt on the safety of the service from Apple, although there were those who insinuated it was all a publicity stunt. Either way, we now know for sure that if we decide to have the cloud, we have to take security measures to prevent our sensitive data (bank account number, private email, phone numbers etc.) ending up in the hands of digital criminals.But is it possible to protect a hack? Before this is answered, we have to take a step back, because it can be dangerous to take things for granted. When a file is put on the net, there are certain issues that must be considered. A huge number of people use the cloud to store their files - in 2012, 86% of companies used it, according to a study by VB News - and had access to them at any time, without overloading their hard disk.This is an amazing system, especially if we consider that the cloud services usually provide sufficient protection. Whenever you deliver a document or a photo to iCloud, to the Drive or Dropbox, however, we must note that we are raising our data to a server, i.e. a computer. Unfortunately, security systems are not insurmountable, and the criminals are always on the lookout, prepared to take advantage of minor faults.How to protect yourself, then? Is it possible to prevent the risk of someone else taking your documents? The obligatory premise is that nobody and nothing can be absolutely sure if you surf the net, although we can do something to minimise risks. Here are some simple rules that let you gain a level of digital security.

Encrypt your files

Rule number one - cloud security: Always protect your data using complex passwords, as these are difficult to guess. If your data storage service offers authentication options, use it; if it has two-factor authentication, even better. If you have available locally encryption, please use it.

If you do not want to share it ... do not put it up!

Rule number two - ask yourself before you save a file to the cloud: If it was a paper document, would you give it to a stranger, or in an envelope? If the answer is "no", you know what you have to do with the pin of the bank account, for example. Be extra vigilant about what you are releasing into the cloud, just in case and if it is too sensitive, then perhaps it isn`t the best idea sharing it.

Always close your session

The third and last part relates to your behaviour when you turn off the computer. It is not enough to close the browser, because the session can remain open for the next user to view. You have to log out using the "Exit", "close" or "logout" buttons, especially if used on a shared computer, and in this specific case, it is better to clear the cache and chronology too.

Several startups and new companies are likely to attain an industry plateau fairly early within their lifecycles. They may have gathered sufficient new customers to build a moderate victory, but can still experience difficulties breaking from their comfort zone. To be able to break that bubble and reveal your organisation to prospective buyers or clients, you will have to take drastic actions.Below are five basic techniques to enable you to boost prospective client interactions and thereby making your company's sales grow:

1. Initiate a brand new marketing tool

Perhaps your client base is starting to stagnate? This implies your advertising tool is broken. Therefore, you need to fix it. To do that, you need to first sit down and think seriously regarding your prospective buyers you are aiming to market to and the exact location you are most likely to contact them. This may require a little bit of market study.Assess your industry competitors, and come up with a summary of how they are promoting their products. How do the ways their fundamental message vary from that of your business? After the assessment, then you will need to consider the way you could possibly develop upon the advertising approaches they are utilising along with the approach you happen to be following.To start, listed below are a few ideas that may introduce your business to a potential client:Organise a unique event: In fact, this happens to be a smart way of bringing several people together in an amicable and casual environment. Provide them with some refreshments, chat with them on what you want to offer and the reason why they really have to consider what you offer.Give bonuses: Offer a gift, discount or voucher to individuals who share your social media articles. To this, you can start a small free gift competition to generate some in-store and online buzz.For any new or existing marketing strategy ideas you are implementing, you should bear it in your mind how they might influence your present client base. Once you start an important transition, be sure that your new technique keeps important elements of the ideology that began gaining clients for you.

2. Provide a brand new product or service

Not only will launching a new product widen the attraction of your company, it will also bring about new product sales as well as more cash in your wallet. Nevertheless, how precisely will you create amazing ideas for the new products? The brainstorming procedure amounts to a couple of strategies:

• Study the competition: What plan do specialists in your industry possess for the future? Exactly where is the industry moving? Study the various items that other businesses are launching and consider the way you could also build and enhance upon those concepts.
• Research product critiques: Study the customer's reviews of your present products. Is there any recurring requests or complaints that may be taken on board? If you are able to consider a new product that occupies spaces in the present market, it is advisable to have an internal client foundation from the time of launching.
• Google it: Irrespective of the type of industry you are working in, you must read bloggers who devote considerable time and effort for analysing the market as well as everything regarding it. Read their experience, and put their thoughts into consideration.

Once you have discovered a space in the marketplace, then the time is right to start creating. Provided you are promoting your new offers in the proper place, you need to be able to increase your customer base significantly.

3. Strengthen your online presence

Several distinct social media sites are available that focus on an array of customers, with only some things in common. Regardless of your choice, you will need to develop a solid digital profile to expand your business, in fact the ideal location to accomplish that is with social media.Primarily, the base articles your organisation needs to be publishing on each website should be similar. You need not put up inane things for the purpose of appearing active. Rather, you should publish information and news regarding your products, business and upcoming events. Having said that, the manner you share this kind of information will significantly differ on every platform. For instance, Twitter restricts its customers to merely 140 characters per published piece ; consequently, you must connect your target audience into clicking into your articles by making use of one or two phrases. The ultimate war weapon in improving customer service(s) is social media. Therefore, use it correctly.

4 . Develop an excellent website

While building your website, there are many important elements you should definitely incorporate to make it have a compelling look to prospective and existing customers. A few of these are:Response to questions : Perhaps you would like to convert the casual website user into a devoted customer? You must start by visualising precisely who that individual really is by including things they need . Most of all, exactly what do they really want to know? Your site is the ideal destination to respond to questions, which may be discouraging customers from purchasing for the first time.Good copywriting : With regards to the web, website content is the master. Thus, your site will go totally undetected by the public until you are producing appealing content on your site . Internet users are unpredictable, and simple spelling errors or an absence of voice is sufficient to push them far away from your site. Scrutinise the copy you are putting on the internet, and make sure to create an impact.Use fundamental SEO : Search Engine Optimization ( SEO ) is always a changing industry ; in spite of this, available are hundreds of methods you can utilise to ensure your site is always atop search engine results pages. Consider keyword phrases, metadata and also endeavour to develop natural backlinks between several other like-minded websites .

5 . Seek referrals

New customers will probably try out an item if it is suggested by an associate . Whenever real customers discuss your company, prospective customers are going to be attentive; hence, among the easiest approaches to get new clients is simply by tallying up constructive reviews.In this contemporary age of social media and SEO, word-of-mouth continues to be the strongest advertising tool available .There are some crucial techniques you need to apply so as to begin getting constructive recommendations for your company :Do not stop asking : The fundamental reason why the majority of small enterprises are unable to get customer recommendations is painfully simple : they fail to ask . The perfect time to demand a recommendation is towards the completion of a deal, when outstanding service was delivered and your company remains positively attached to the client.Ensure it is simple : Even the major devoted customers will never dedicate hours of their valuable time in order to advertise your company. Should you need them to give a good positive review, you will need to make it simple. For instance, include direct backlinks to a few of the evaluation setups on which you are available and incorporate a short, proactive approach. Even though you might appear on numerous review websites, never submit above more than a few backlinks. You don`t wish to bombard or pressurise clients.Remind customers: Make sure to maintain clients of both the present and past, and do not be afraid to put a casual recommendation reminder into the discussion. In any case, for the fact that you have asked them for a referral in the past does not mean they will never want to. A number of of your customers are have busy lives, and it may most likely would have escaped their minds.

The instant your company begins trading, you are supposed to have learnt ways to be a professional juggler. Between landing huge sales and promoting your products, there are possibilities that you are going to forget to post the odd invoice or maintain updated invoices with details. Nevertheless, should you let several items slip under the carpet; you are likely to get your company in trouble. And this is the reason why you would need to think hard about record-keeping techniques.Fortunately, there are lots of techniques that you can put into practice to make record-keeping a rather fast and easy exercise. Listed below are three among the several requirements to assist you in getting started:

Understand the law

If you cannot create specific constitutional records, you may end up paying a £3,000 fine.Few records may be worth keeping as they give insights into the techniques wherein your business is functioning; conversely, there are several other records that your company will be officially required to record and also report to the HMRC routinely.Consequently, wherever relevant, you are officially required to update and keep up adequate records of the following:

• Your company`s register of members, stakeholders or guarantors;
• Your company`s record of directors with their regular home addresses;
• Your company`s record of secretaries;
• All service contracts of directors;
• A register of penalty charges and instruments that brought about the charges;
• Minutes of every shareholders and shareholders` company board meetings;
• Copies of every resolutions and conclusions that are made at these meetings;
• A record of all directors` insurances;
• A record of the company shares` sales

Additional records you need to keep have to do mainly with your company`s effectiveness, which you need to report to HMRC in your yearly tax return. To realise this correctly, you need to really know what amount of cash is coming in and out of your company, and the ideal place to discover the movement of these funds will be by way of company invoices.Invoices are utilised to track your income and consequently, they are necessary in estimating your financial well-being. When operating a business, it is an authorised necessity to be certain that you are keeping every invoice for at least six years. Similarly, company directors and sole traders should hold on to their invoice records for a minimum of five years and ten (10) months. Maybe you are in a partnership or self-employed? These records must be kept for at least five years.Although that may seem to be a long time to keep track of paperwork, in as much as you stick to a set of organisational settings, it is very easy to guarantee your invoices are satisfactorily handled. The secret relies on making use of a no-nonsense, sequential filing system. It is essential that you accurately number and date each invoice and likewise keep them in two different files, one for invoices not yet paid and the other for paid invoices. When you pay an incoming invoice, record the date and method of payment and move it into the proper file. Receipts must be handled in a similar fashion.When in doubt, get in touch with HMRC and seek advice. Besides, if you are unable to produce certain constitutional records, you could end up paying a fine of £3,000. You could even be penalised more should the records of your company show inaccuracies. Concealed and deliberate inaccuracies may end up costing you a penalty loss of up to 100% of the possible tax revenues through your non-disclosure.

Get the apps

HMRC creates a directory of safe and reasonable record-keeping apps, as well as simpler income tax apps.Nowadays, apps are available for almost everything – including company record-keeping. The majority of these apps can be downloaded free and some are easier to navigate than others. As you are technically not expected to keep a hard copy of receipts or invoices, you are perfectly advised to go paperless.In fact, doing this might even assist in reducing some of your printing and storage costs. To assist you get started; below are five among the most easy-to-use business record-keeping apps that are currently on the market:MyBizTracker: The creators of QuickBooks specifically developed MyBizTracker so as to provide small business owners with a fast, on-the-go snapshot view of their corporate financials.This app permits you to record income and expenses in real time and likewise also lets you snap photos of your receipts so that you have got multiple records of every trade. MyBizTracker costs nothing to download for every Apple gadgets.FreeAgent: another record keeping apps that boosts the same photo features just like MyBizTracker is the FreeAgent. However, FreeAgent is unique in that it is able to calculate a fairly accurate snapshot of your company`s tax liability at any given moment. FreeAgent is free to download for all Apple devices.Sage Record Keeper: Sage Record Keeper, created by Sage is one of the global most popular suppliers of enterprise resource planning. It provides business owners with an absolute accounting solution for daily use. The app has a number of advanced features and one among the most desirable aspects of Record Keeper is its ability to process Construction Industry Scheme reductions.Forbes Receipt Keeper: If you are an Android user, Forbes Pcs offer a sterling accounting product in its Forbes Invoice Keeper app. The Forbes Receipt Keeper have several of the same functions as the other applications listed; having said that, it enjoys a collaboration with the cloud service Dropbox that enables you to instantly back up every of your accounts.ZipZipBooks: ZipZipBooks is an Android app developed specifically for businesses operating in the construction or property sectors. That is because ZipZipBooks specialises in filing Construction Industry Scheme receipts that are not appropriate for several accounting apps.It is worth saying that not every record-keeping application is HMRC-approved. There are actually strict rules in place regarding cash basis and less complicated expenditures, thus it`s usually worth evaluating various recording specifications before investing time and energy into a record-keeping app.

Keep personal finances separate

It is not unlawful to make use of your personal bank account for business – however it`s absolutely more challenging.Several small entrepreneurs often treat their company's bank account like a personal income pool – but that`s the first step down a long and winding road to financial self-destruction.From the moment you form a brand new company, your company operations turn out to be their own separate entity in the sight of the law. This implies that your company need to have its personal bank account so as not to confuse its earnings with your personal finances.Furthermore, even if you are building a limited company, opening a separate account for it makes sense so as to separate business bank account due to the fact cheques issued out to a limited company usually cannot be paid into a personal bank account..Having said that, it is not against the regulations to make use of your personal bank account to operate a UK business. Though it results in a more challenging accounting circumstance, HMRC provides a bit of guidance on the kind of records you may be required to maintain in case you decide to go this route.

These records include things like:

• Bank and building society statements
• Retain duplicates of every bank statement and
• Passbook for every account containing cash from your business.

Personal drawings: In case you fail to have a different business bank account, you will have to maintain a comprehensive analysis of every bank statement outlining which cash withdrawals were business-related as well as personal.Source of funds: You are expected to record any private money introduced into the business and from where it came from – regardless of whether it was gifted from a friend or relative.