Opening a new small business is no easy feat. Between financial struggles and hiring employees, small business owners may take several years to become profitable. A strong marketing presence can help speed this process along. Below are five simple marketing strategies to help get people to notice your new small business.

Mailers

Although some people may see marketing by mail as “junk mail,” there is no denying that it is a good strategy to get your business noticed by several people. From real estate postcard marketing to coupons, mail usually makes it into households with very little effort on your part, leaving you with more time to work in other areas.

Social Media

Many people look to social media to find new businesses or products. Frequently posting advertisements on social media websites is an easy way to get noticed or find an audience for your new company or products, especially with younger generations.

Billboards

Perhaps posting an advertisement on a billboard is an old-school way of marketing, but there is no denying the number of people driving on the roads. Every person who drives by your business’s billboard will at least glance at it for a moment. That exposure is worth the rental fees for the advertisement alone.

Bulletins

Churches and clubs will often print bulletins or brochures with updated information and articles pertaining to their individual news. In the back of such literature, there is often a section dedicated to local businesses and their services. Print an advertisement in one of these bulletins and many people will see that you are endorsed by an institution they already attend.

Online Reviews

One of the easiest ways to market your business is by using your customers. If you offer fantastic customer service and treat your customers well, then they will happily spread the word for you. You can also offer incentives to those who leave you reviews online on a variety of search websites.

Marketing does not have to be a difficult process to help your small business. Any of the ideas above would be an easy way to get your marketing plan off the ground.

Before you lay employees off, before you even think about reducing the quality of your services or products or cut down your business and its future, know there are ways to reduce costs without the hardship. In fact, you can reduce costs and actually improve your business for the better. 

Most businesses are inefficient in one way or another. If you have not already looked into improving your business’ efficiency, from operations to spending, then you can use this guide to reduce cost where you won’t miss it. Save money and improve your business: 

• Make It Easy to Make the Right Buying Decisions 

Make it easy to buy the right product at the cheapest price every single time by having resources saved and plug-ins installed. Plug-ins are great for everyday office equipment, but resources are your best friend for specialist equipment. You don’t just want to find the cheapest tantalum capacitors, after all; you want to see the different specifications on each product and brand, and then be able to choose the cheapest option online. Performance matters as much as cost for products that relate to the tech side of your business, and the right resource will help you find the ideal option no matter the circumstance. 

• Allow for Automation Throughout Your Business 

If your employees have to manually get in touch with each other to get something to happen, it is inefficient. To avoid this inefficiency, you need the right data management programs in place. This way simple tasks can be automated. In an inefficient system, an employee needs to put in a request to change their personal information. In an efficient system they can update this themselves rather than go through HR. 

There are so many instances where even the smallest amount of automation can help, but your systems cannot do their job if they cannot understand the data in question or communicate with your other systems. 

• Audit on Schedule for Inefficiencies 

Invest in audits for your business that go through where your business is inefficient and how you can improve that. This may mean hiring a consultant once a year. So long as they produce an actionable set of steps for you to take, the investment is well worth it. 

• Go Digital 

Paper, and especially printing, is very expensive. By going digital, you can save massively on the material costs of printing. Going digital also means you can get invoices in to your customers in seconds, rather than days through the post.  

• Train Your Employees to Improve Efficiency 

People naturally find the fastest way to do something over time. Enforcing rules that don’t make sense is going to kill this natural process. To find the most efficient method, and to train all your employees on how to work faster, talk to them. One employee might have truly cracked their work process, and what they have learned can help everyone. 

• Improve Office Organization 

If your employees cannot find what they need, that is time and money wasted. You need to improve office organization, particularly when it comes to finding files. Invest in a uniform metadata system so that all your employees can find what they are looking for in seconds. 

Did you know that 75% of all conveyancing transactions are handled by just 25% of law firms? It’s an increasingly competitive market, and if you want to make sure that your firm survives, your strategy must be evolving in line with what the consumer wants. In the case of conveyancing, what the consumer wants is for their house sale to go through as smoothly and simply as possible with minimal interaction. The best way to provide this for them is to take your conveyancing online. So how do you go about it?

Case Management Software

To provide conveyancing online, you first need to get your case management into a digital format. You must use a software solution that is designed with your industry in mind; otherwise, you could run into costly errors. You also need to ensure that the software you choose is user friendly and is actually saving you time in the automation of manual tasks to ensure that you are getting the best possible value for money. The case management software offered by redbricksolutions.co.uk has been designed with conveyancing specifically in mind and is already being used by law firms who have commented on how much time they have saved by using it. 

User experience is key

So, now you have your case management software, and you’re ready to go online. One of the most essential things in website design is user experience. If a user finds your website easy to navigate and use, then they are likely to engage your services. If not, then they are likely to go elsewhere. People are increasingly busy; they are not going to waste their time. 

Think about creating a ‘user avatar’, that is a profile of a person who is likely to use your website. What age are they? How familiar with technology are they? In what type of language would they want information presented to them? Considering all of these questions will help you to build a website that functions exactly as your clients want it to.

Hosting

Where you host, your website is as important a decision as the design. Your host will dictate how much it costs to run your website each month, how much maintenance you need to do, and how much they will manage for you, and what tools and plugins are available. It’s well worth researching providers while bearing in mind not just what you want your website to do right now, but what you want it to do in the future as well.

Build a simple solution and iterate

In general, people prefer a website to be as simple as possible. They just want to go to your site, easily find what they need, and leave. When you first publish your website, it should be as basic as possible, and you should only add features when you really need them. Ascertain which features are needed and which are not by listening to client feedback and carrying out surveys. It can also be valuable to check out the web pages of successful competitors and see what they are offering for inspiration.

Many of us are making the effort to reuse and recycle plenty of our own household items – but are you doing the same at your workplace? Since a lot of people spend a large amount of time working, we might still use a number of things that could be recycled that maybe aren’t just yet.

So what are your options? While you may immediately think about some of the more obvious items you can recycle, there’s a wide variety of materials and objects that could also be eligible. Here’s what your organization could do, if it’s not doing it already, to improve the amount of recycling for which it is responsible and boost its green credentials:

Collect food waste

This is something you can’t ignore if you’re not already collecting food waste. Not only will you increase your company’s diversion rate, you will also be well on your way to achieving zero waste. These compostable materials can also go towards producing power, help to grow crops, and revive land that’s nutrient-deficient when they’re collected and processed properly. So if you’re not doing this already, you could consider collecting:

• Food leftovers
• Coffee grinds and tea bags
• Paper napkins
• Compostable cutlery and plates
• Cardboard sleeves from cups

Reduce waste coming in

You can actively increase your brand’s waste diversion rate by reducing what comes in and you can do this by looking at your supply stream. Talk to your vendors about your program, and consider only using items that can be recycled or composted. This means you can divert more items from going to landfill because you’re in control of what’s being brought in, and what waste you are producing can be reused, recycled or composted.

Collect more items

You may find there are items you can divert from landfill beyond paper, bottles and cans. There are companies around that can recycle e-waste, such as cell phones and computers, and can reclaim and repurpose these objects. Carry out an audit at your workplace so you can see what’s being thrown away that could be recycled. These may include newspapers and magazines, cardboard, batteries and printer cartridges. When recycling some of these items, baling them together with wire may make it easier to dispose of them.

Upcycle your office furniture

More than 17 billion dollars of office equipment and furniture is sent to landfill in the US each year. This may be because of branch closures, moving premises or refurbishment for instance, yet this can be a problem because these materials shouldn’t be going to landfill.

Look at a desk chair: it’s made out of many different materials and chemicals, but these products can be repurposed effectively because they have a long lifetime. Recycling or repurposing should be the first option with such an item, because the materials used are both scarce and hazardous if they’re not disposed of correctly. So see if you can upcycle an older piece, not only will it be cheaper than getting a new item of furniture, but it will also be better for the environment.

As a business, you need to find ways to make things faster and better. More sales and less work is the ultimate goal. To accomplish, here are four things you can start doing today to increase overall company success.

1. Delegate Tasks

Despite your team’s size, delegation is an important role in every industry. One worker may have barely any work while another may struggle to finish any of their projects in time. Find the duties that need to be fulfilled and delegate them equally and strategically. At the end of the day, everyone’s small portion contributes to a larger finished product.

2. Automate Duties

Are your team members spending countless hours on something that can be done with a few clicks of a button? Always be on the lookout for things that can be automated easily. Technology plays a big part in business these days, so it wouldn’t hurt to use an IT consulting Los Angeles service to help you out.

3. Stay on the Same Page

Effective teamwork comes through communication. Meet with employees often to inform them of changes, current projects and your overarching goals. Together, you can brainstorm and work toward a bigger and better future. Helping your coworkers feel appreciated and needed can also improve moral.

4. Use Digital Marketing

If you are looking for big results, one of the smartest options for your business is to invest in digital marketing. As traditional methods of advertising slowly decrease in effectiveness, digital methods are only growing. This type of online reach ranges from content marketing, SEO and paid advertising. You can even invest in social media marketing. Each type can bring in valuable traffic and potential leads.

Actively finding ways to improve your company and minimize time-wasting projects can help you consistently reach success. As your business continues to grow, keep in mind the basic methods of efficiency that create a sturdy foundation for any industry.