Author: Pamela Swift

Categories
Finance & Capital

4 Best Funding Options for Fledgling Startups

Besides getting customers, the biggest concern for startup owners is often financing. New businesses are strapped for cash and often don’t have the credit or track record needed to be interesting to financiers. They are also those who are the most likely to suffer from cash flow issues early on. However, there are some realistic funding options that most startup owners should consider. Here are some of the best funding options for fledgling startups.

Non-Bank Lenders

Non-bank lenders are often one of the best and only options for a new business to get financing. What differentiates these lenders is that they will usually be ready to look beyond your business’s credit to award loans. Services like AdvancePoint Capital, for instance, prefer to take a more holistic view of your business and its health. They might be more important to your cash reserves, or your bank statements, for instance. These are a good option if you don’t have credit and want to start building it.

Giving Away Equity

This is also an option that you could consider. Giving away part of the ownership in your company can not only get you some financing but some expertise as well. As a matter of fact, you ideally want to give equity to someone who’s going to be a strategic asset to your company as well.

Bootstrapping

Bootstrapping is about using the assets that you already have on hand to finance your startup. This could be anything from retirement accounts to home equity, or savings. You might also use low-interest credit cards. The good thing about this is that using a low-interest card could allow you to improve your credit and make financing easier for you later down the road.

If you’re going to go down that route, first make sure that you have the credit to qualify. Then, find cards with benefits for your business, like cash back or travel rewards if you have to travel a lot.

Grants and Contests

These are two of the most untapped sources of capital for small businesses, and it’s a shame. There are tons of government grants that you could qualify for if you simply took the time to look. For instance, some might offer money to businesses run by members of certain groups, like veterans for instance. Some will be awarded to people coming from impoverished neighborhoods, women, or from different ethnic groups.

You also have contests that are often geared towards fostering entrepreneurship. While you may never be able to get on “Shark Tank”, there are more and more municipalities that are holding their very own versions to help local business owners. You could check for competitions in your area as these will usually be much less competitive and give you a chance to connect with financiers even if you don’t end up winning. 

Conclusion

All of these options should be considered if you’re a startup owner looking for financing. Keeping your options open will give you more chances of getting the financing you so desperately need.

Categories
Operations

Advantages of AV Control Systems to Small Business

Having AV control systems and equipment in your business space demonstrates that your business is modern, tech-savvy and innovative. However, the actual value is the satisfaction and sense of fulfilment you derive when using these technological audio-visual systems. An effective AV control system ensures that engaging and informative content is displayed at the right time. And most small businesses need this approach as it is part of their marketing processes.

Saves time

For every company, time is valued, and anything valuable must be profitable as well. Whatever time and effort you spend during business working hours to handle inefficient things, are wasted, especially if it is related to technology. Therefore, to make a huge change, you must work with tools that can help you save time, effort and money. A perfectly working AV control systems allow activities to be done faster, better and with ease. 

Create an opportunity for unity

if you work with several people who are specialized in different areas and doing different things. Unity and oneness are critical, and the big question is, how can small business owners unite their employees. This is always challenging, but with the right knowledge and tool, it is easy to achieve. AV control systems like office contact phones, video conferencing tools can help create collaboration and unite team members.

Satisfy your clients with the right AV control system from Neets

As a business that wants to be successful and have the appropriate resources to thrive in the stiff competition in the market, you must consider a lot of things. AV control systems are one of the essential elements, you think your business does not need an AV system or you probably haven’t gotten to the stage? A soldier who is ready for a fight and sick victory won’t rely on a gun as his only weapon. Why you consider other things, take the burden of AV control systems off your back by visiting neets.io today!

Categories
Operations

The benefits of an efficient meeting room booking system

Meetings are an important component in business management; they enable communication, information exchange, problem solving and teamwork. There are, however, reasons why meetings can fail to be productive and instead be problematic for business operations. These reasons range from having the wrong participants present at the meeting to having no clear purpose for the meeting. Furthermore, there tend to be inefficiencies with regard to the meeting room booking systems being used by the business or there is no clear system in use to begin with.

The right software can streamline the booking process and save the business valuable time and money. A modern meeting room booking system, such as Add-On’s Resource Central, allows employees to select and book rooms, invite participants, use Meeting Labels to describe the types of meetings being held and even order catering. Businesses that are using technology correctly to their advantage are using software, which is secure, accessible, and scalable. Add-On is a reliable option that is trusted by customers, from commercial giants to legal services, globally.

Meeting room booking software also provides managers with insight into how and how often rooms are being used by employees. Office planning can consequently be a more informed and organized process as there is increased space management transparency. Facilities can be renovated to adjust for specific needs. With the most optimized spaces, workforce productivity can also be optimized. 

Resource Central can eradicate conflicts over double-booked rooms and other such miscommunications. All employees can have some level of access to the software, so all meeting participants are updated on any changes. When a meeting starts off on the right foot it is more likely to succeed than a haphazardly organized session that had to be re-located at the last minute; employees can arrive on time and well prepared. This reduces the risk of meetings lowering employee morale and generating dysfunction in the workplace; accurate information exchange means lowered stress and increased productivity. 

Misallocation of resources and time is costly to businesses. Meetings can take up a large portion of an employees workday, so it is important for any unnecessary steps to be removed. Well-designed software interfaces can save businesses a great deal of time. 

Nonetheless, if the meeting itself is redundant in terms of content, the efficiency with which it was scheduled holds less relevance. While strategic scheduling provides the groundwork for a meeting to be smoothly run and the ripple effects that can be traced back to a meeting room booking system are greatly beneficial, it is still the responsibility of the employees to cooperate well. Meetings must have an objective that is measurable and specific to keep discussion and brainstorming on track. 

An efficient meeting room booking system eliminates booking conflicts, facilitates filtered searches for appropriate booking options and coordinates with catering and services as an easy-to-use software option. In turn, the booking system will benefit the productivity of employees and be the profitable choice for an organization.

Categories
Technology

The Next Big Thing in AV Control Systems

Discover how AV control systems will improve the overall user experience.

The user experience and behavior are dynamic and changes at any time, depending on several factors. The big question is, can the AV control system do its part to ensure a perfect experience during usability? For every high user, technology incline will expect seamless and uncomplicated experience because they want to have total control over their devices. With the right AV control systems, the user’s control level is automatic; tap or click leads to the desired feature. No matter how an AV control system may be, the bottom line is that its unique feature must meet the user’s needs. The generic interface must ensure a custom-made solution during listening, presentation, or meetings.

AV control system is the central collection unit of pieces of information, and the information is being controlled, managed, and utilized using software and hardware technology. Every AV system comprises different specifications of hardware, and several organizations and corporate bodies are beginning to realize the value once incorporated in their technology setting and routine. The use of AV control systems can make a difficult task easier to fix using simple automation.

For commercial and residential purposes, AV control systems can manipulate various projects, and it just needs the attention of someone with the experience and operational knowledge to handle the equipment. Another big thing in AV control systems is that it is intuitive and only consists of the necessary features for users; that’s why many users consider it a top priority technological tool. The satisfaction of all these big things lies therein, by choosing the right AV control systems suitable for your specific need, and should be installed by an AV expert or installer, not the regular TV installer.

Categories
Success Attitude

How to Get a Job in a Competitive Field

Landing a new job is a challenge no matter who you are, where you live, or what you’re trying to accomplish. Still, it must be said that some jobs are harder to attain than others. Indeed, certain fields are so competitive that even qualified, talented professionals with experience may struggle to find a position to match their abilities. And of course, trying to get a new job when the market as a whole is depressed is even more difficult. With all that in mind, today we’re going to explain how ambitious professionals can break into a crowded industry and secure their dream job. Check it out here:

Acquire the Hard Skills

First thing’s first: most lucrative positions require a certain level of knowledge and expertise. This means that applicants have to have a firm grasp of the hard skills necessary to do the job. For instance, a Spanish-to-English translator must be able to understand different dialects and accents; a scientist working in a lab must know how to handle sophisticated equipment like 2 ml cryovials –– and so on. The good news is that dedicated pros can always go back to school to bolster their education, should they need to develop new skills to land a better job. 

Sweat the Small Stuff

In many instances, small details separate the most successful individuals from the rest of the pack. The difference between getting an interview with an influential business leader and getting a rejection letter could boil down to a few key lines or phrases on your resume. As such, job-seekers in competitive fields should ensure that everything about their presentation –– from their resume, to their cover letter, to their personal website, and even their wardrobe selection –– is unimpeachable. 

Network

It’s a cliche, but who you know in business does really matter almost as much as what you know. Building relationships takes time, and networking can sometimes feel unnatural or forced. Yet, cultivating a good rapport with others in your field will help you advance your career and climb the corporate ladder. Bottom line: don’t be afraid to play the long game here!

Persevere 

Everyone struggles from time to time. Even if you do everything right, you could have to wait five, ten, or even twenty-plus years to finally reach your most desired professional goals. The key is learning how to persevere during the difficult moments. Picking yourself up after a setback won’t be fun, but if you manage to keep your eyes on the prize and maintain a positive attitude, you’ll achieve great things soon enough.