Categories
Sales & Marketing

4 Tips to Increase Blog Subscribers ASAP

Blogs do a lot of heavy lifting for businesses. Not only can blogs act to boost a website’s visibility, but they can also generate potential leads  directly. Unfortunately, building up an online audience is easier said than done. Most of the time, increasing a blog’s reach will take months –– if not years –– of hard work. However, there are a few things you can do to get more subscribers quickly. Check out our top four tips on the subject here: 

Create Relevant Content

Generally speaking there are two types of content blog writers can produce: evergreen and topical. Evergreen content (like an evergreen tree) is “fresh” year round. It has a long-term appeal and addresses a subject that will always (or almost always) remain relevant. Topical content, on the other hand, addresses a specific idea, event, or problem that has only just occurred and that may not have value in five or ten years’ time. However, businesses that create quality topical content can –– in some instances –– attract a lot of visitors to their site quickly. Striking while the iron is hot can help you establish your business as a leading voice in your industry. So don’t pass up the opportunity to write quality topical content from time to time. 

Make Guest Appearances

One classic way to garner more interest in your business is to invite a guest blogger (or bloggers) to write content for your site. Getting a respected leader in your community to write on your blog can be a great way to quickly attract new visitors. Alternatively, bloggers can also make guest appearances on other websites as well. By writing excellent content for a guest site, you can win over potential new readers to your own site. 

Offer a Promotion

Marketing doesn’t have to be complicated all the time. Rather, if you want to get people to subscribe to your blog, give them a good reason to do so! Running promotions and giveaways for your subscribers will encourage new visitors to check out your content. Just make sure to give away worthwhile prizes. Otherwise, no one will bother to sign up. 

Spread it Far and Wide

It doesn’t matter if you’re writing about solution vs suspension mixtures or advice for real estate agents, you should always share your best blog content on social media and beyond. Many successful companies create newsletters highlighting their blog, and it never hurts to talk about your blog to potential clients. The more your business promotes your blog, the more consumers will view it as a viable resource. Keep that in mind moving forward!

Categories
Entrepreneurship

The Rise of Social Enterprise

The rise of social enterprise

The pandemic has inspired a new wave of social entrepreneurs developing business ideas to support their Covid-stricken communities. Here, Kevin Marquis, Social Enterprise Manager at the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC), explains how entrepreneurs are shaping communities and changing the world.

Since the outbreak of the virus, we’ve noticed a marked rise in demand for our business advice services. More and more people are realising that the social enterprise model offers the perfect way to run a business that is not only profitable but also has social purpose at its heart.

We’re receiving enquiries from individuals preparing to start-up new businesses aimed at making a difference to local people and places, as well as from existing enterprises with plans to expand everything from counselling services to food co-operatives.

As with all crises, the pandemic has brought out the best in a lot of people and has inspired them to take collective action to consider how they can best support others.

People are thinking more about their social objectives and their own accountability and responsibility to their communities. They’re turning to social enterprise as this is the best model to support those objectives.

Creative Minds – run by North Star Counselling CIC is a fantastic example of an ambitious social enterprise that is rising to the challenge of Covid-19 to help its community.

Working closely with our team, Creative Minds secured grant funding to help them reach more people reeling from the impact of the pandemic. The counselling team has adapted the way it works to provide free online and telephone counselling sessions and workshops, as well as a range of programmes specifically focused on suicide prevention, grief and the mental health of young people.

Bishopwearmouth Co-operative CIC in Sunderland provides day care, training and employment opportunities for some of our most vulnerable adults. Previously a City Council service that has externalised, it is a business that uses horticulture to provide day care services, training and employment for those with learning difficulties. The fully commercial, retail garden centre has significantly increased turnover, profitability and opened up many new opportunities for the business.

Building on the success of the garden centre, they raised £200k from social investors to acquire the adjacent cemetery house to convert it to a café / restaurant to serve the Garden Centre. This will further increase retail sales and delivery on their social objectives – expanding the range of services, training and employment opportunities for their care customers.

The evidence suggests that social enterprises will play an increasingly important role in our economic recovery. At the latest count, by Social Enterprise UK’s State of the Sector report* in 2019, there were 100,000 social enterprises contributing £60bn to UK GDP. Despite the challenging economic climate of 2020, a total of 183 CICs were incorporated to the start of November 2020. This accounts for 19% of all CICs in the region.

We are preparing the way for even greater numbers coming forward for support -from both new social entrepreneurs and traditional businesses looking to explore this business model and we’re expecting to see many new and exciting social innovations in 2021.

The rise of social enterprise [B DailyNews]

About Our GE Network Expert - Min Tang

Categories
Human Resource

The Benefits Of Managed HR Services

What Is The Concept Of Human Resource Management (HRM)?

Human resource management (HRM) is the process of effectively managing people in a company. HR management software aids in the alignment of employee success with the organization’s strategic goals. Furthermore, an effective HR management program will offer businesses a competitive advantage.

Function Of HR Managers

Recruitment is one of the most important tasks of an HR boss. 

The workforce employed has a significant impact on an organization’s performance, so it’s important that the best people are recruited for the right job.

Learning and development: Education is a process that is essential for workers to be more productive. HR managers are in charge of new employee orientation and induction, as well as current employee professional growth. 

They are in charge of planning development programs. They must also be able to define and analyze the fields in which workers require training.

Developing workplace relationships: Good employee relations can help improve morale and contribute significantly to the success of a company. 

Employee relations mechanisms are used to ensure that an organization is concerned with its employees’ general well-being.

Compensation and benefits: Managing compensation and benefits is an essential part of an HR manager’s work. 

They’re in charge of creating incentive plans, performance management processes, and compensation mechanisms, as well as discussing salary and benefits packages for new hires.

HR Managers’ Importance In Organizations

Management of strategy is an essential part of any organization and is crucial to human resource management. 

HR management software handles plans to ensure that the company meets its objectives, and contributes greatly to the corporate policy system, which involves employee evaluations and forecasts based on business needs.

HR managers seek to cut costs where they can, such as in recruiting and retention. HR experts are well-versed in benefit plans that are sure to attract quality workers and retain current staff, as well as conducting successful negotiations with prospective and existing employees.

HR managers play a critical role in improving employer-employee partnerships, and they make important contributions to training and development programs. 

This helps workers develop within the business, which improves employee engagement.

Employee interaction: HR managers are in charge of organizing meetings, gatherings, and celebrations within the company, which provides opportunities for team building. 

Furthermore, it increases employee interaction and fosters a sense of confidence and regard among colleagues.

HR is the department you contact if there is a professional dispute among employees. 

They focus on ensuring that problems and disputes are successfully addressed by addressing the problem objectively and facilitating open dialogue in order to arrive at a solution. 

Furthermore, they assist workers in comprehending different methods for developing successful work relationships, as well as the value of not allowing personal judgment to influence their conduct.

Creating a positive work environment: A positive work environment is critical for instilling confidence in workers. 

HR management software plays an important role in establishing a pleasant and secure work environment, which leads to increased employee productivity.

HR practitioners work to ensure that the company complies with worker protections, and keeping track of the recruiting process and candidate log.

Categories
Human Resource

Top Reasons to Do Background Check Drug Test

If you are in a position that’s directly related to hiring people for your company (or the company you are employed through), then it is very important to conduct a background check drug test. This type of background check is pertinent to ensuring your workplace is free of drugs. It can also help curb the potential of hiring people who tend to display violent behaviors. For now, though, let’s take a quick look at the top reasons to do a background check as well as drug tests on the employees you hire as well as those that stay employed through your company (or through your employer).

Reveal Intoxication During the Hiring Process

One of the best ways to avoid hiring people who suffer from substance abuse is to see which ones are under the influence during the hiring process. You can easily do this by requesting applicants to submit to a drug test and criminal background check before you actually hire them. In doing this, you can pinpoint the applicants who are currently under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and this will help greatly with your hiring decisions.

Prevent Costly Accidents

One of the top reasons to avoid hiring people who have an active substance abuse problem is because you can help prevent accidents from taking place at the workplace. When an accident occurs at work, and it is discovered that drugs were involved, this puts all the liability on the employer because it is the employer that should have made sure its employees were not abusing drugs. With a criminal background check and drug testing, you can make sure you are doing all that you can to uphold your due diligence in making the workplace safe and comfortable for everyone.

Avoid Chaos

When employees abuse drugs, they tend to abuse them with the people they are around the most. If your employees are all using drugs together, this can not only lead to safety issues, but it can lead to a lot of chaos in the workplace, especially when it comes to “he-said, she-said” spreading of gossip. But when you regularly drug test employees, this can help with maintaining a workplace that is free of drugs. By doing initial screenings, you can reduce the number of workers that come into your place of employment under the influence of drugs, which therefore helps decrease the overall substance abuse problems that impact the business.

Increase Employee Productivity

Workers under the influence of drugs don’t produce productivity levels as high as workers that aren’t under the influence. By making employees go through initial drug testing during the hiring process, and then making them go through it while they are employed, this can significantly impact productivity levels positively. The goal during the hiring process is to hire people who aren’t abusing illegal drugs, and a criminal background check along with drug testing is one of the best ways to do this.

Final Thoughts

As a hiring manager or the CEO of your company, it’s very important to make sure your workers are doing all that they can to provide you with the most productive levels of work possible. By doing drug screenings and background checks, it possible to keep your company operating as smoothly as possible. It also helps you avoid any liability for any accidents that take place at work. If you would like to learn more about doing background checks and drug testing, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Locate a background check drug test company to help ensure you create a safe and healthy workplace for your employees as well as yourself.

Categories
Entrepreneurship

Pricing Strategies For Small Businesses

One of the first lessons I learned when I started my business is that setting prices, especially for a service business, is quite difficult, especially when you’re essentially charging for your ideas, backed mostly by your reputation.

When it comes to pricing, there are many important factors to consider, such as sales channels, cost of goods, and competitor pricing. But, just as important is how well you know your target audience and how much they value what you offer.

Here are five pricing strategies to keep in mind as you grow your business.

1. Understand Your Market Price

Correctly pricing your product or service starts by determining the market price—the current price your product or service can be bought or sold. An economics professor will tell you the forces of supply and demand influence market price. The price at which quantity supplied equals quantity demanded is the market price, and because supply and demand are fluid, market prices change quickly. Factors such as employee wages, world events, and natural disasters all impact market price. Just look at how the recent pandemic disrupted the supply chains and affected food pricing on dairy, meat, and fish products.

Start by researching market trends in your industry, market demographics, and supply and demand. Check with your industry trade association—they should have valuable information for members. Also, Google Trends is an excellent resource about popularity trends over a specific time period. Risk Management Association (RMA) Annual Statement Studies are available at libraries or online and provide benchmark financial ratios for businesses in over 370 industries.

2. Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)

Calculating the direct costs of producing a product (COGS) ensures you are not pricing your product too low or too high. Include the cost of materials, equipment costs, utility costs to run equipment, shipping costs, and labor directly utilized to create the product. You then add other factors to that total to establish a profit margin. Research what the average markups are for your industry. When pricing a service, look at standard industry practices, plus market prices.

3. Sales Channels

Pricing also depends on your sales channel (or channels). Sales channels are how products and services are distributed to the customer, such as:

  • Business-to-business (B2B): Selling products or services directly to other businesses.
  • Business to consumer (B2C): Selling products or services directly to consumers or stores.
  • Distributor: Selling to a wholesaler or distributor who then sells to retailers.
  • E-commerce: Selling online.

4. Competitor Pricing

The amount your competitors charge for the same or similar products and services is a vital factor in your pricing strategy. Should you charge less, more, or the same? If you’re just starting, it’s difficult to charge more than your competitors unless you are offering something genuinely unique. In that case, you can take customer value into consideration (more on value later). Finding out the competitions’ prices is as easy as a quick internet search, but there are other factors to consider when comparing competitor pricing:

  • What sales channels do your competitors use?
  • How large are the companies? How many employees do they have?
  • Where are your competitors located? How many locations do they have?
  • What are your competitors’ branding strategies? Do they position themselves as high-end or low-cost leaders?
  • How do the features and benefits of your competitors’ products or services compare to yours?
  • What are your competitors’ pricing strategies? Do they offer bundled services or products for a discount? A subscription or member plan?

5. Understand What Customers Value

To define and measure customer value, you need to look at a product or service in terms of the benefits (technical, economic, social) a customer receives in exchange for the price they pay. Therefore, by this definition, lowering or raising prices does not change the value offered—instead, it changes the customer’s incentive to purchase the product or service. Part of your pricing strategy should be to note all the ways your products or services offer value, whether it’s solving an accounts receivable issue for your business client or satisfying a demand for vegan cookies. Understanding your value also contributes to your marketing strategy as you tout your value points to the market.

Keep an Eye Out for Reasons to Adjust

As market trends change, it’s vital to consider whether your pricing needs to change also. Make sure you continuously monitor customer demand, the sales and pricing of your existing competition, and any new market entrants. Revisit your product or service’s value elements, as well. Then, when you’re ready to invoice customers, let Bill.com take care of the details and help you get paid faster so you can spend more time helping customers and clients.

Pricing Strategies to Help Grow Your Small Business [Small Biz Trends]

 

About Our GE Network Expert - Min Tang