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The 6 Most Common Workplace Injuries in 2021

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Workplace injuries happen, and when they do, they can be a traumatic experience. They can affect workers both physically and mentally, requiring time off work and rehabilitation to return to full health. Workplace injury victims may experience anxiety during this time, especially if they are the breadwinners of their families. However, what many workers don’t realize is that they may be eligible for compensation.

workplace injury doctor treating

So, what are the most common workplace injuries in 2021?  Let’s take a moment to have a closer look:

  1. Strains and Lifting Injuries 

Strains and other injuries associated with lifting are among the most common workplace injuries, even in 2021, and they can affect workers of any age and in any job role. This type of injury is often due to poor handling practices. If workers bend, twist, or lift when moving heavy objects, they may sustain injuries to their back, legs, neck, or knees, which can limit their ability to work.

  1. Construction Site Injury

There are many dangers present on construction sites, and workers may sustain serious injuries when working in this environment. Accidents such as falling, tripping, and slipping are common on construction sites, and the chances of receiving an injury in the form of open wounds are much higher when workers are using machinery and tools.

  1. Fractures

A bone fracture can prevent a person from working for many months. A fracture may happen when a person falls, trips, or slips. Fractures may also be sustained if a worker has a limb crushed by machinery.

  1. Injury in the Office

Not every injury happens in a workshop or on a construction site. Injuries such as lifting, pulling, twisting, and straining can be sustained in the office when workers are moving objects. Repetitive strain injuries occur when a worker performs the same action repeatedly. In addition, falling or slipping on stairs inside the office can lead to fractures, bruising, and other physical damage.

  1. Psychological Strain

Psychological trauma can be every bit as debilitating as physical injury.  Bullying, intimidation, or continual harassment in the workplace can lead to anxiety and emotional instability. These factors can also lead a worker to take time off work to recover.  

  1. Tissue Injury

Injuries involving tendons, muscles, and soft tissues are very common in the workplace. Again, these injuries are often the result of repetitive actions or incorrect manual goods handling practices.  

How Can We Prevent Injury in the Workplace?

discussion about workplace injury at lawyer

Many workplace injuries can be avoided by training staff to observe proper workplace safety and correct goods handling practices. It is the responsibility of the employer to provide a workplace environment that is as safe as possible for all staff members.  

How Do I Claim Compensation?

If you have been injured at work, you may be eligible for compensation. Compensation may cover things such as:

  • Medical Expenses
  • Loss of Income
  • Rehabilitation Services
  • Legal Costs

If you think you may be eligible for a compensation claim, there are a few steps you’ll need to follow.

  1. Seek Medical Attention

You need to visit your doctor immediately after the incident in order to get the proper treatment, even if you think the injury is the only minor. Sometimes, the injury may worsen over time, so it’s important to get medical advice and give your doctor all the details of the accident that led to your injury. They will then be able to give you a certificate that will help with your compensation claim.

  1. Inform Your Employer About Your Injury

You’ll want to report the incident to your employer immediately, and no later than 30 days after the event. They should have a register you can fill in, but if they don’t, you can provide them written details about your injury. Be sure to keep a copy of the correspondence for your own records.

  1. Submit A Workers’ Compensation Claim Form

Your employer should be able to provide you with a workers’ compensation form when you report your industry. Your doctor can also provide you with this if your employer doesn’t. Be sure to fill out this form in a timely manner and include any attachments that may support your claim.

Do I Need a Compensation Lawyer?

In many cases, you may be able to complete your workers’ compensation claim on your own, alongside your employer and doctor. There may, however, be times where your claim is more complex and you could benefit from the assistance of a compensation lawyer. 

Some cases where you might want to consider consulting a compensation lawyer include:

  • When it’s unclear whether or not your injuries are work-related.
  • If you require extensive medical treatment.
  • If you need to take long periods of time off work.
  • If the injury has resulted in permanent disability.

Being injured in the workplace can be a taxing experience, so it’s worth knowing how to avoid being involved in an incident, and how to respond if you are. If you have any doubts about your safety at work, talk to your employer or union about how they can make the workplace as comfortable and safe as possible.

8 eCommerce Trends for Online Retail You Need to Adopt

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The ecommerce industry is rapidly changing. Consumer behavior is evolving, and the goalpost to delight customers keeps shifting.

This is why it is important to stay on top of trends and adapt so that you can be ahead of the competition.

Here are 8 ecommerce trends for online retailers that you should know about –

#1. Use print on demand model

While print on demand has been around for a while, it still bears repeating. A print on demand model allows you to scale rapidly with little overhead. And since you pretty much create new designs on the fly to capture memes, viral trends, or sayings, customers like this option as well.

There are several platforms that allow you to do this and also provide detailed information on adoption. For instance, you can check out the etsy print on demand business explained article to learn why it works and how you can adapt to it seamlessly.


#2. Optimize for mobile

website should be optimized for mobile

In 2018, mobile eCommerce turnover made 50% of total U.S. ecommerce revenue. This suggests that not only do customers want mobile-first websites, but they are also shopping on mobile. Apps are great if you are a well-known brand but if not, invest in a mobile-first website.

This is also good for your search rankings. Google ranks websites better that are optimized for mobile. So, if your traffic is largely driven by search engine optimization, a mobile version is key.

#3. Include more methods for payment

With more ways of digital payment, you should start accommodating more than just a credit card. Using QR Codes, cryptocurrency, online wallets, and more can be a great way of improving abandoned cart rates.

#4. Start using chatbots

People want instant answers, but the cost of hiring 24×7 sales and support teams can quickly add up for smaller businesses. Chatbots are a far more cost-effective means to augment support.

Chatbots can increase engagement, offer product recommendations, answer frequently asked questions, help raise complaints or even ask for refunds.

There are several chatbot-building software platforms that allow you to get started for free so that you can experience the solution before you make an investment.

#5. Start personalizing your messaging

Personalized messages increase conversions and influence revenue. A study by BCG found that retailers experience a whopping 25% increase in revenue by including advanced personalization capabilities.

Your website, emails, physical products (if applicable) should be personalized to make the buyer journey relevant and useful.

#6. Leverage AI to learn more about buyers

Without audience research, you cannot create a definitive marketing strategy. Even if you have audience personas that you think are buying from you, you may not have insights into the exact triggers that cause someone to make a purchase.

You could invest in customer research, but a smarter way of doing this is to use artificial intelligence. AI collects a ton of data, including how visitors navigate your website, what kind of products they purchase, and you can leverage all of that to upsell, create better customer experiences and offer better support.

#7. Include video in your marketing

Videos drive the messaging home. People absorb content in a video far better than text. So if you haven’t started including videos, you should create a video strategy.

A good example of how videos can drive customers is the Dollar Shave Club. When they first started, they created a video ad that went viral because it was funny and relatable. That led to instant brand recognition, and they were able to acquire customers rapidly following that.

#8. Use AR on your website

One of the drawbacks of ecommerce businesses is that you cannot try a product before you buy it. With augmented reality, this is no longer a problem. Several ecommerce websites create AR versions of their products so that customers can try it on or see what it looks like in their space. The latest smartphones also have the native capability to display AR experiences which have fastened the adoption of AR for ecommerce.

IKEA’s Place app uses AR to help potential customers visualize how the IKEA product will look in their homes. Amazon had also tried this with a digital catalog for Christmas where children could use AR to see what the toy would look like at scale.

To sum up

Despite the adoption of different technology, the core strategy is to provide a better customer experience. Customers are willing to pay more for a better experience. Millennials also stop purchasing from brands that don’t care about the shopping journey.

Some other trends that you can adopt are to make a move to sustainable packaging and be transparent about the data you collect. Sustainability and privacy are some of the main reasons why buyers prefer one brand over the other.

Finally, make sure that your website is set up to load fast and provides value to your customer.

4 Ways To Manage Your B2B Challenges in 2021

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B2B is short for business-to-business, and it entails one business doing transactions with other businesses. Unlike B2Cs (business-to-consumers), people do not talk about B2Bs as often. However, B2B relationships are what sustain and balance the workflow of businesses. Are you yet to grasp fully what B2B means? Here is a practical example of what B2B transactions are like.

B2B Transactions, An Example

For instance, you are an accountant who also sells accounting software. Banks, other financial institutions, and other businesses will need your help in balancing their monthly and annual accounting records. This means they may approach you for your service. If they don’t reach out to you first, you can send a business proposal detailing what your business does and how you can help them. Then, when your business and their business seal a contract, you do the work and get the money.

As much as B2B transactions seem easy on the surface, many challenges happen in the process. Here are some of them.

Making Your Business Stand Out Online

In the past, you had to take a bus trip or a flight to where you could sell your business services to another business. Those days faded in as digitization started taking over. These days, all you need to do is set up a website and social media pages for your business. Next, you reach out to targeted businesses through emails and DMs. Simple as that, right? That’s one of the mistakes many businesses make that turn out to be a challenge to them.

Unfortunately, you’re not the only business that wants to take advantage of digitization. There are so many competitors out there that it is easier for your business’s voice to drown in them than stand out. How then do you get those high-profile businesses to notice your business services?

The first thing you should do is talk to yourself about patience. Remember the saying that its people did not build Rome in a day? Yes, you will need a lot of patience as you begin the work of letting your business stand out on the Internet. Next, you have to learn how to create SEO content for your business website. Content with a good SEO score will help your business site rank on Google’s front page.

This front page is where businesses (and everyone else) searching for services check. Your content should contain relevant and helpful information with a call-to-action that urges the reader to patronize your services. The best thing about creating good SEO content is that you can be reaping rewards years after. Of course, you have to keep making updates to your posts as competitors will be competing.

Telling Your Brand’s Story

This is another challenge that faces most businesses on the Internet. They think it is enough to type out what services the business offers and leave it at that. When they don’t get their expected result, they become frustrated, thus harming their businesses. As a business looking for other businesses to patronize you, resist the urge to leave narrow what you do to only your mission and vision statement.

As a brand, you must tell your story in its authentic voice. Put yourself in the shoes of your targeted business, for instance. Why should they patronize you? What have you said that will make them connect with your brand? Do you know what an emotional appeal is, and have you applied it? If you’re unsure of the answers to these questions, try and conduct a survey. This survey should ask people to tell you what they think about your business website. Thus, you can easily identify your mistakes and know what to do to fix them.

Telling your brand story does not mean you should write words and leave them at that. Instead, see storytelling as being a tour guide to a visitor in a new country. Take them on an interesting journey, identify problems and show them why your services can solve them. Learn how to persuade because the end goal for you is to sell your service. Indeed, nothing beats storytelling in an authentic voice.

Controlling Your Business’s Cash Flow

Lastly, businesses face the challenge of controlling their cash flow. Basically, the ideal thing is to deliver a job and then get money for your services, right? Well, what happens when a business you’ve worked for delays in paying? Or when your employee is not remitting the cash for services rendered? These can hinder and even destroy your business cash flow. So, what do you do? Use Upflow, an AR Management & Automation Software. They will help you to manage your business cash flow by creating automated payment reminders, among others. Thus, there will be no business cash flow issues.

Conclusion

With the information in this article, you can now identify your business challenges and resolve them with automated tools like Upflow. The years of manual and handwritten inventory of business dealings are far behind.

Best 5 Tips to Improve Your Business IT Capabilities

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Every business desires growth. In today’s world, walking the growth path usually entails harnessing the right technology and increasing your digital capabilities.

However, this is much easier said than done. As a growth-focused company, you want to be able to improve on your existing infrastructure and provide space for advancement in terms of your technological output. With that in mind, here are some tips that could help you out in the long run:

Never Fly In Blind

As explained earlier, the world is going digital and enjoying the benefits of different technological concepts. With that in mind, it’s relatively easy for you to want to do the same thing and follow the bandwagon.

The problem with this is that you run the risk of just implementing IT services without understanding what you need them for. When you know that you need effective IT services to run your business, you need to recognize what IT can do for you and the business areas where you will need it to serve. 

Commit and Work on Implementation

As explained, one of the first things you will need to do to optimize your IT capabilities is to understand and agree on the benefits that your company will get from going digital.

Now that you know this, the ideal next step will be for you to work on implementation. Check out the different options available to you, the services that can apply to you in the market, and the various areas where your organization could stand to benefit. 

You will also need to understand what it will take to commit to a full-scale IT implementation. Look into the time taken to implement this overhaul, the cost of training your staff to be fully compliant, the work you will need to do to optimize your returns, and much more.

At the same time, try to recognize and understand the risks associated with possible failure and the steps you could take to mitigate these risks in the long run. For instance, strengthening your marketing department with the right IT tools could also put more pressure on your sales and customer service departments. So, look into how to mitigate this and deliver sustainable growth across the board.

Identify the Right Tools and Invest in Them

This step is a no-brainer, but it needs to be said anyways. When you’re working on IT optimization, remember that different tools are available for achieving the same goal. It is your job to understand why one tool is better than another and work on incorporating it directly into your service.

When you think of words like “digital” and “IT,” you consider technology. You have new tools and revolutions available that can change the landscape of your business for the better. By considering the available options, you can make better decisions and work towards proper implementation.

To get the best tools, you will need to think of two things – your workers and the end customer. You want tools that will be as easy as possible for your customers to understand and allow you to meet your customers’ needs effectively.

First things first, the digital age allows you to connect with your customers. By implementing the right programs and systems, you can build and strengthen your relationship with the people who make up your target market, thus getting a view into your customers’ experience and expectations.

The right tools will also provide data on your customers’ behaviors and trends, With this information, you can shift your operations and target them even more. As long as your workers can make use of these tools and get the right ways to meet customers’ needs, you have the go-ahead to implement them into your operations.

Always Seek Expert Opinions

Remember that IT can be critical to your company’s operations in the long run. Given Its pivotal nature, you need to get things right. There is little to no space for errors, and you need to be on top of your game.

If you find that implementing a new IT infrastructure isn’t so easy, you could simply call some expert consultants to help you out. Several companies focus on effective IT consulting to allow businesses to transform their operation and get the most out of what they already have. Firms like Peru Consulting provide effective IT infrastructure implementation, ensuring that you can easily get off on the right foot and maintain your growth.

One of the best things about consulting firms is that they understand your needs and are willing to help you out. Instead of going through the trial and error phase, they come in and help to onboard your employees safely and speedily. You will find that hiring consultants will be a massive boost to your company’s expansion efforts.

Use Your People

The digital revolution focuses on people just as much as it does on effective technology. Within your company and with your consumers, you have a wealth of knowledge to harness and capitalize on.

When a company commits to improving digital technology, it also commits to changing its work culture. Today, we have seen what can happen through increased collaboration and a thirst for knowledge. New ideas spring up every day, and you need to understand how best to collaborate and learn about these ideas to drive growth.

Thanks to collaboration, the divisions between departments are being cut, and employees are finding ideas more readily available. By regularly testing these ideas and other products, you can foster a learning culture in your company.

You could also capitalize on your customers to see what they like about the products and solutions that you bring out from time to time. Several technology tools help you get feedback from a small niche of your market before fully launching. This can help ensure that the solutions you produce can drive maximum impact and can improve your sales.

9 Perks And Benefits Of Being A Medical Coder

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The healthcare industry is a vast sector with high demand for workers; one of which is medical coders. An individual who wants to work in the healthcare industry but prefers to stay out of the emergency and operating rooms can work as a medical coder.

For the uninitiated, a medical coder’s main task is to provide data to medical billers. Billing companies would then file a claim for reimbursement by healthcare insurance companies. The coder does this by assigning universally accepted numeric codes for a patient’s every transaction with a medical care service provider.

medical coder

These transactions may include checkups or consultations, visits, laboratory tests, and medical equipment use such as CT scan, X-ray, and the likes. A coder is likewise tasked to translate the diagnosis and treatment via numeric codes.

If you’re considering a career in the healthcare industry but don’t want to expose yourself to potential health risks, medical coding may be for you. Discover the benefits of being a medical coder in this article.

The Advantages of Being a Medical Coder

Medical coders and billers typically work closely together. In smaller business settings, an individual may be asked to perform these tasks. In bigger companies, the tasks of handling a high volume of medical claims and other related transactions must be done by a medical coder and a medical biller separately.   

medical coder

1. Be a Part of a Stable Industry

The healthcare sector is one of the most stable and fastest-growing industries in the world. Overall, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that healthcare jobs will continue to grow steeply, as most countries continue to have an aging population. As the elderly population increases, so are the need for medical services. As a result, the BLS predicts healthcare jobs to grow at an average of 18% by 2026.   

2. Medical Coders are Highly in Demand

Medical coders form a part of the sub-sector called medical records and health information technicians. This sector, the BLS further cites, is set to grow by 13% by 2026, which exceeds the average occupational growth rate across all industries, estimated at around 7%.

In times of pandemic, an increased need for medical workers, including medical coders is unquestionable. Medical facilities have been grappling with unusually high cases of illnesses. In parallel to this, medical claims and reimbursements should be fast-tracked. 

3. You Can Earn a Competitive Pay

Like any other job, the salary range for medical coders varies. Education, training and certificates received, location or place of work, type of employer, job functions, and experience all contribute to specific salaries of coders.     

BLS further cites that health information technicians, medical coders included, earned anywhere from $27,820 to $71,150 as of the 2017 survey.

As mentioned, medical coders who have experience and have ample training may earn higher than their other counterparts. Some employers also offer higher salaries to medical coders, who may be hired by medical facilities, educational institutions, healthcare insurance companies, law firms, and government agencies.   

4. You Have a Variety of Options

To start your career as a medical coder, you can take a course in a community college or technical school, as well as other institutions that offer this type of curriculum. It takes about two years to earn a post-secondary certificate or an associate’s degree and start earning as a medical coder. An advanced degree will increase your chances of getting a better-paying job, so taking a bachelor’s degree related to the job will help.

If you don’t have time for in-person classes, you can enroll in an online class for convenience. Taking an online course lets you learn at your own pace, right in the comfort of your own home.

5. There are Chances for Career Advancement

Your earning potential will increase for every year of experience that you earned. As already mentioned, your two-year associate’s degree already allows you to practice medical coding while you continue your education to get a four-year bachelor’s degree.

You can also take another route and take laddered certifications for medical coders, as some companies require specialized skills. In addition, as you become a seasoned medical coder, you may be considered for higher management positions in medical auditing, compliance, documentation, among others.     

6. You Can Work Flexible Hours

If you want to work in the medical industry but have other obligations, you can choose to become a medical coder and work according to your schedule. This, however, depends on the type of employer that you have.

Part-time and full-time positions are being offered by several employers. Some agencies and institutions may require you to report for work within the required schedule, while some may allow you to work at your own convenience. For example, if you can’t commit to a 40-hour work per week, you may take a 4-hour per workday stint. In some instances, the hiring company may agree that you fulfill an 8-hour workday based on your convenient schedule.       

7. You Can Work from Home

While medical coders may be required to report for work in most cases, some companies allow work from home setups out of necessity. Because the internal workforce can’t fully address the need for skilled workers, other companies have sought to find talents elsewhere. Hence, medical coding from home has become a better-accepted working arrangement for most employers. 

You can therefore start earning as a medical coder with the required skills and experience, as well as a working computer and an internet connection. 

8. You Can Work in Less Stressful Environments

Working from home as a medical coder allows you to control your own work environment. Without worrying about your colleague, you can turn the music to full volume while working, if that’s what you prefer. If your eyes hurt, rest your eyes take a quick nap on the couch.

An ideal working spot can fulfill an employee’s specific needs in order to work comfortably and more productively. A flexible working arrangement at home can also dramatically reduce the fears and stresses of worrying about getting infected with the coronavirus. 

9. You’ll Become More Productive

Because you’ll get rid of lengthy commutes and non-work-related yet time-consuming activities, you’ll have more time to spend working on tasks that need to be done. 

In a survey on remote workers, communications company Connect Solutions discovered that about 30% of those who participated said they can do more in less time. The same survey also cited that up to 77% work from home employees noticed increased productivity, as compared to working in an office.

The Bottom Line

Apart from skills and experience, a medical coder should be able to code accurately. An error-free data is critical in facilitating medical payments and reimbursements. To do this, a coder should be able to perform the duties well by creating an ideal working environment. Whether the coder needs to report in-office or work from home, the keys to productivity include being comfortable and flexible.

Things to Consider When Buying Promotional Products for Your Company

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There are many different ways to market a venture and get more traction when it comes to brand awareness, leads, and sales. After a very tough year due to the global pandemic, entrepreneurs in most industries are looking for ways to recover and get ahead again.

One way to cement your name in your sector is to utilize promotional products. Branded items don’t have to cost too much but can have excellent results. Here are some things to consider as you research and buy gear for your business in 2021.

Work Out Your Budget

Work out how much you can afford and want to spend on your purchase of promo items. Set yourself a budget before you start investigating options so that you don’t waste time looking at products that aren’t feasible from a financial perspective. Having a budget from the start also makes it less likely that you’ll get so excited by an option that you order it in bulk when it’s actually too expensive.

Get Clear on Your Goals

Determine, early on, what your specific goals are when buying promotional products. In turn, you’ll become targeted in your search for suitable goods. What kind of impression do you want the items you give consumers to have, and what do you hope the marketing avenue will achieve for your business?

For instance, do you hope to acquire more leads and brand awareness, or are you looking to highlight a new campaign or product or service offering? Perhaps you want to thank your current customers or suppliers or recognize and reward valued team members? There are many different goals possible, so work out what’s important to you. Then you can search for products with the best chance of making these outcomes possible.

Know Who You’re Buying For and What You Want Gifts to Represent

Know exactly who you’re buying for when you research goods. Understand the type of person or organization you plan to gift items to, and who these people are, what’s important to them, how they live and work, what might be memorable to them, etc. Consider tastes, family status, hobbies, lifestyle, location, age, stage of life, and more. Promotional products have more impact and deliver a better return on investment when properly targeted to specific recipients.

It also pays to research if your competitors give out promo gear and, if so, what kinds of things and to whom. You want to try to stand out from the crowd and avoid investing money into goods that are too similar in type, look, or style to items consumers receive from other businesses. As you research potential products, also consider what your organization does particularly well that other companies don’t, and how this is of value to your clientele. Try to find promo items that relate to this in some way.

Plus, keep your venture’s mission, values, and company culture in mind when choosing goods. For instance, if you run your business in a way that focuses on sustainability, you’ll want the promo things you buy to be similarly earth-friendly. Or, if your brand revolves around offering unique products made in small batches that people don’t find elsewhere, steer clear of promotional gear that’s run of the mill and generic.

Keep Lead Time and Distribution Factors in Mind

Buying items is just one part of achieving success from promotional gear. You also need to be able to distribute it effectively, at the right times. As such, as you investigate options, keep lead time and distribution factors top of mind. If, for instance, you plan to exhibit at a trade show or have a booth at a conference in a couple of months, check that the goods on your shortlist will be available and shipped to you or the event venue in plenty of time. It helps to use suppliers you’ve dealt with before or those with good reviews for delivering when they say they will. Also, speed up processes by utilizing helpful procurement tech tools to make prompt payments. Inventory management systems also help with tracking and managing the bulk items you buy.

Note, too, that if you plan to ship promotional goods to recipients, this may get costly. As such, look for lighter, more compact items that won’t create such hefty postage bills. You’ll also want to choose products that can be easily and nicely packaged, so they arrive at their destinations still looking good.

It can cost thousands of dollars to secure quality promotional goods and deliver them to the people on whom you want to make a positive impression. Be smart and strategic about your choices, and look for ways to get the best return on investment.

6 Proven Strategies to Increase Sales

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As a business owner, you want to build your brand and let more people know about your products or services. You do all these things to make sales in the end. After all, this is what will keep your company going and growing. Investing in sales analytics tools is one thing to consider to help increase your sales. This software can guide you in generating leads, determining which of them should be prioritized, and the best approach on how to convert them into actual clients. Here are other proven strategies on how to improve your sales.

Ensure your Products and Services are top-quality

The products or services that you offer must be high-quality to get return customers. Satisfied clients will keep coming back to you, and they will also spread the word about your business. Recommendations from those who tried your products or services are still the best forms of advertisement. It applies both to the word of mouth and online reviews or comments. People are more likely to try something when they hear positive feedback about it.

Focus on Existing Clients too

Some companies focus too much on getting new clients. It’s not a bad thing, but you should also not forget about your existing clients. Since they tried your products or services before, they are more likely to do business with you again, especially if they were happy with their experience. Reach out to them and offer discounts or exclusive deals as a way of thanking them for being loyal clients. This will strengthen your relationship, and they will keep using your company.

Understand your Clients

Listen to what your clients want. Get to know more about your target market, their interests, and buying habits, so you can tailor your marketing approach, and improve what you offer based on their needs. Some ways to do this are through surveys and reading the comments that they leave about your business.

Offer the best Customer Service

Excellent customer service can help encourage customers to buy your products or use your service. It will create a positive experience, so they will be more likely to go to you for their needs. Make your website informative, so they can check the information they need anytime. Offer various methods on how they can contact you for convenience. Some of them are chat, phone, email, and online forms.

Know your Competitors

Get to know about the companies that are in the same industry. Doing so will help you determine their strengths and weaknesses. You can get inspiration from their strengths and adopt them with your practices. You could also learn from their weaknesses, and find ways on how to convert them into strengths to benefit your business.

Create Effective Marketing Campaigns

Getting the word out there about your company and effectively enticing customers to try your products and services is vital to increase your sales. No matter how exceptional your products or services are, if people don’t know about it, it wouldn’t generate profit. Remember these tips and apply them in your business operation to successfully increase your sales. Never compromise the quality of your products and services so clients will stay with you.

5 Tips for Improving the Efficiency of Your Business

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As a result of the current economic downturn, many businesses are struggling to increase profits or maintain growth. If you’re a business owner, you may therefore be looking for other non-traditional streams of revenue to add to your company. Reducing wasteful spending and optimising your company’s efficiency is one effective way of doing this, since doing so requires no extra growth on your part. And even if your company is not struggling, it is never a bad idea to increase the efficiency of a business. This is because inefficiencies in a company can substantially reduce profit margins. Businesses can also develop sub-standard reputations, if delays, occur too often. Here are a few quick ways you can help your business run more smoothly.

Incorporate Digital Tools Where Possible

Enterprise software tools serving all sectors of business are developing at a rapid rate. Already, daily tasks like managing employee pay, conducting market research, and sending sales e-mails can be done effortlessly and effectively through automation software. With the development of more emerging technologies like AI and machine learning, the capabilities of software tools are constantly expanding, as well. Purchasing a license for most popular enterprise software platforms is substantially less expensive than hiring someone. As such, to optimise your efficiency, you should try to incorporate useful software tools where possible. Automating tasks will not only reduce your overheads in terms of payroll, but can also save you and your colleagues time on a daily basis. Tasks like analysing website traffic could have been highly time-consuming in the past, but now can be accomplished instantly with very little oversight.

However, you should be careful about making your company overly reliant on software. In particular, over-using automated emails as part of your customer service management can cause more frustration in your customers than satisfaction.  Software tools aren’t infallible either, so it is probably worthwhile to review the technology you do use regularly to ensure that they are fulfilling tasks properly.

Optimise Your Supply Chain

If a large part of your company involves the transportation of goods nationally or internationally, it is likely you can increase the efficiency of your company by optimising your supply chain. Given the amount of stages often involved in the delivery of packages today, there are plenty of opportunities for spillages or unnecessary delays to occur. This is particularly true for long-term sea freight operations, where cargo is often left unattended for months on end. Long planning and manufacturing cycles, poor planning accuracy, and inflexibility are all additional factors which can further reduce the efficacy of your supply chain. Poor planning in particular can be damaging if you’re a small business. This is because it means you may have to use several partially loaded vehicles instead of one fully-loaded one.

If logistics forms a core part of your operation, the above factors can lead to serious dents in your overall profits. Supply executives can often ignore any potential issues with your supply chain because the direct effects often aren’t obvious. That is why you or a 3rd party may consider conducting an independent analysis of your supply chain, to identify any specific problems with it. Fortunately, today there are plenty of 3rd party logistics providers as well as automated platforms which are designed to make transportation as efficient as possible. You could also think about investing in custom packaging for the delivery of fragile goods, to avoid any unnecessary breakages.

Motivate Your Employees

One of the major barriers to an efficient business is employee productivity. This is directly related to how motivated they are in working for your company. Unmotivated workers will not be invested in the quality of their work or how it reflects on the business at large. As such, they can frequently produce sub-standard work, miss deadlines, and work at an unnecessarily slow pace. They may also leave unexpectedly, resulting in delays due to the need to hire and train replacement staff. Finally, they can also impact the mood of a workplace environment, thus leading to other unmotivated employees.

The first step in improving productivity is therefore finding a way to boost employee motivation. There is not one guaranteed way to do this, but a good place to start is your own attitude. Employees tend to acclimate to the environment they are working in, so if you make a point of acting professionally, it is likely they will pick up on this. Delegating responsibilities will also make employees feel that they are trusted and part of the company. Otherwise, you could consider implementing monetary or physical reward schemes to further motivate your employees. However, be aware that, in areas like sales, this could promote unethical business practices.

Avoid Unnecessary Meetings

Meetings are another thing which you can likely reduce and optimise to make your use of time as efficient as possible. All too often, meetings are held when emails could suffice, or the overall outcome of a meeting is too vague. Fortunately, this can be fixed fairly straightforwardly. You should first clearly determine the purpose of the meeting prior to calling it. Doing so will allow you to identify whether the meeting is actually needed or not. If it is just a reminder or an update about something, it is likely this information can be disseminated in a less formal manner. Secondly, you should make clear to everyone the actionable points of the meeting prior to its ending. That way, everyone will know specifically what to do afterwards.

Reduce Your Electricity Bills

The quickest way to cut costs in a business with premises is to reduce your electricity usage. This is also a sensible place to cut costs since doing so in this area won’t adversely affect your capability of making profits. You can start doing this easily, by turning off all computers and electronic applications when not in use. From there, you can also switch to energy-saving lighting and replace any outdated and inefficient equipment. LED lighting, in particular, has a very low energy cost, relative to the light it emits.

5 Ways to Impress Potential Customers before you even meet them

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When it comes to customer service, we all know how to impress our customers when we are face-to-face. However, in the age of COVID-19 and technology, how can we impress people without physical interaction?

Here are 5 ways you can impress potential customers before you have even met them.

Offer efficient online customer service

Before visiting you in person, potential customers might read through online reviews or try to ask questions themselves through your online customer services. With this in mind, it will impress potential clients if you can offer quick and efficient online customer service.

You should keep in mind that unified communications are fantastic for enhancing your communications services. Unified communications bring communication tools together into a single app. This benefits employee as it allows for greater operational flexibility, boosting customer satisfaction rates in turn.

Take advantage of your reviews

Speaking of online reviews, it can be upsetting when you get bad ones, but this doesn’t have to be the case. While positive reviews can naturally impress potential customers, you can still use negative ones to your advantage.

Instead of getting downtrodden about bad feedback, turn it into constructive criticism, allowing you to implement changes which improve satisfaction for later customers.

Offer a free trial

A free trial is a great way to tempt potential customers to try out the product or service you offer. Free trials will grab people’s attention and allow you to collect that all-important feedback mentioned above.

The length of the free trial is down to your professional opinion and best judgement, as it can range vastly even within a single industry. For example, the longest free trial for paid music streaming services is four months, whereas the industry average is only one month.

Show your dedication to your customers

Having a base of dedicated and loyal customers is a great way to impress potential customers before you have even met them. How do you do that? You show that you are dedicated and loyal to them, too. After all, the trust has to go both ways.

Send your current clients and customers loyalty gestures, such as a gift for every so-many purchases, or even a birthday or Christmas card once a year.

Be active on social media

Your presence on social media can make or break how you are perceived by potential clients.  The best example of this in the modern era has to be Aldi’s Twitter game during their caterpillar cake legal battle against M&S.

The hilarity of said Tweets has made many people empathise with Aldi and take their side in the battle of the caterpillar cakes. On the other hand, M&S have struggled to retaliate on social media, which has caused their reputation to take a hit.

Final thoughts

Overall, the best way to impress potential customers before you meet them is to treat your current customers right! Offering efficient online customer service, being active on social media, showing that you are open to taking on criticism, and actually making changes will garner you a fantastic reputation.

7 Remote Work Tools That Improve Team Collaboration

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The global pandemic only hastened what was already an emerging trend—more companies allowing their employees to work from home. Only sales and marketing people used to be allowed to do their work wherever and whenever they wanted. Other teams and departments had to stay within plain sight of their supervisors; otherwise, they won’t be considered doing paid work for the company.

But, with the ubiquity of email, chat, online platforms, and other remote work collaboration tools, more and more companies are realizing that almost everything can be done remotely. And, with smartphones, workers can now work mobile, thanks to some apps that, for instance, offer a work number to your mobile phone, just like what Open Phone provides.

Remote Work Tools That Improve Team Collaboration

Work Assignment Platform

The first work tool that you need in order to improve remote team collaboration is a work assignment platform. Basically, this is your common platform where your employees and teams can monitor which tasks were farmed out and assigned to them. They should be able to access the list of tasks assigned to them, with all the details they need to monitor and do their tasks effectively. It doesn’t have to be a CRM, although this is what remote teams of insurance companies use.

All employees should have access to this common platform so they’d have a common reference about the specific tasks assigned to each member and each team. But, you can change the levels of access that each employee or each team is given based on their needs. They should have all the functionalities and access they need to complete and monitor their tasks, as well as submit their final outputs.

File Sharing Platforms

Another tool that remote work teams can use to enhance their collaboration is a file sharing platform. Different industries may have to perform different tasks, but one thing common to all of them is that they’ll be handling company files. These files can be documents, spreadsheets, presentations, portable documents, videos, and audio recordings, among many others.

If multiple employees and teams have to work on the same files, then one of the things they’ll need is a file sharing platform. The type of file sharing platform that you choose for your remote work team should be able to permit access to every employee who needs access to specific files.

At the same time, the platform should save a common copy of the file, such that updates or changes made would be reflected on only one file—the common file. This would prevent anyone from making changes, which won’t be in the copy handled by other employees working on the same file.

Team Messaging Tools

Remote work teams need to have constant communication, allowing them to interact with each and everyone with whom they need to speak, without needlessly disrupting or interrupting the work of other team members who aren’t needed for the specific conversation.

Video Conferencing

Sometimes, some members of your team would need to talk online. There are just some things that can’t be said over emails or can’t be discussed through chat without causing confusion.

One example of an issue or topic that can’t be discussed in an email is when two or more employees have to compare the contents of multiple documents, videos, or presentations. If their inputs are needed, this kind of task can’t be done effectively through emails alone. When a team decision has to be made over a work task, they should do video conferencing.

An example of a topic or task that can’t be discussed through a group chat is when the inputs of multiple employees or teams are required on a certain topic, file, document, or presentation. If they just exchange their views through chat, misunderstandings may arise, especially when participants don’t properly reference which messages they’re responding to with their own messages.

One-On-One Meetings

There are also times when team leaders or supervisors have to speak one-on-one with individual employees or team members. If you’re using paid team conferencing apps, several teams might be requesting to use them at any given time. They should be given priority in the use of team conferencing apps over a one-on-one meeting. In these instances, however, you’d still need to have another tool or a separate app for team leaders to speak with employees individually.

Cloud Storage

Another tool needed to improve remote work collaboration is cloud storage. The cloud storage isn’t the same as the file sharing platform.

The file sharing platform is where the files being worked on by individual employees and teams can be accessed and worked on real time. But, you still need a database or storage for where you can save all the final copies of files, as well as the important drafts, research outputs, presentations that have already been delivered, reports that have been submitted, and memos that have been circulated.

In a non-remote work setup, the file sharing platform is equivalent to the actual files being moved from one worker to the next one, who needs to work, edit, or update the files. The cloud storage would be the steel file cabinets that you see around. Inside them are the files that are no longer being worked on.

Daily To-Do List

Your employees and teams are always busy monitoring what needs to be done and completing their assignments. But they, also need a regular reminder of the tasks that need to be done for the day.

There are apps and platforms that provide a common venue for employees and teams to look at the list of things that have to be done for the day. If you’ll go for email, you’ll have to send each one of them an update every time a task has been ticked off. What you really need is a common platform that can be viewed by everyone and updated by the persons in charge.

In The Same Room

There are numerous work collaboration tools in the market that can significantly improve remote collaboration. Some of them are proprietary, but there are those that are for open use. You’ll have to find work collaboration tools that will bridge the distance between your workers, and make them feel like they can still tap the other guy and ask quick questions, or do quick meetings and huddles, like they’re still in the same room.