Finding a Business Idea that is Sustainable

If you want to generate a business idea which will stand the test of time it needs careful consideration. It is easy to become passionate about a particular path, however unless you do some early research to ensure it is viable, you could end up a victim of the statistics which say that half of all businesses will go bust within the first five years. Generating Ideas The first step is to generate a range of small business ideas which you should then examine in more detail.…

Happy Employees Equal Success (Infographic)

Whether you’re an entrepreneur with great dreams, a student advancing his or her career by pursuing an MBA degree online, or a celebrated corporate executive at the head of a multinational company, fully understanding the value of happy employees is fundamental to increased productivity, and ultimately, success. Those in management quickly learn this secret–keeping employees happy results in financial dividends for the entire company. The Harvard Business Review conducted an analysis of hundreds of studies which showed there was an increase of 31 percent in productivity, and 37 percent more sales when the happiness of employees was considered an important part of the business model.…

How to Build Influence With LinkedIn

Business networking can be great for your career, but the drawback of traditional networking is that it doesn’t scale. Online networking, however, does scale, and it can grow as large as you want. Here’s how to use LinkedIn to increase your influence and your network. 1. Regularly publish on LinkedIn This is one of the best ways to engage your audience, get involved in your niche and show that you’re an expert in your field. At first, only journalists or people in management positions could publish on LinkedIn.…

How to Know When It’s Time to Grow Your Business

Eventually, there will come a time when your small business reaches the limit of what it can do without growing. Small businesses and their growth are an important part of the economy – Forbes reports that they make up more than 65 percent of the net new jobs created since 1995 and that more than half the working population works at a small business. If you think your business needs to expand, watch for some of these common signs: You’re Getting Outpaced One of the indicators that it is time for your business to expand is when the demand for you product or service begins to outpace your ability to supply it.…

How to Start Trading Forex in Three Easy Steps

The world of forex is incredibly complicated. Success is hard won, and requires a draining cocktail of talent, application, time, and effort. It’s no surprise to discover, then, that many first-time investors avoid it in favour of less complex alternatives. However, it can actually be the ideal choice for novices. Its flexible trading hours make it perfect for working around a job, and it’s possible to trade on a budget in order to minimise any early losses. The trick is simply to put in place the right building blocks for a successful forex strategy.…

4 Great Tips for Managing Satellite Staffers

Satellite staffing is becoming a very economical alternative to opening a large office everywhere you do business. This modern practise also allows employers to bring the best and brightest together in their company, without requiring employees to pack up and move closer to headquarters. Finally, the cost-saving benefits of hiring skilled workers in countries where salary demands are much lower are a VERY enticing benefit that modern employers are eager to utilize in their business model. 1. Have a Solid Collaboration System in Place Milestones have to be met, and employee requests have to be addressed and honored.…

Infographic: Avoid Data Loss with Backup as a Service (BaaS)

Data is the new millennium’s commodity, and the primary export of the Digital Age. We have entire industries that are now built on its retrieval and analysis, and everyone from retail titans to small business startups rely on it to some degree. As much as data can build a company, losing critical data can not only cost a company hundreds of thousands of dollars, but can also damage its reputation and waste precious time in recovery attempts. How does data loss cause system downtime, and how can system downtime be mitigated?…

Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Business

The path that takes you from the first sparks of start-up inspiration to business success isn’t guaranteed to be a straightforward one. Setting up a new business can be hectic, and it can often be all too easy to look over or neglect important areas. To help you plan and avoid obvious mishaps, we’ve put together a list of some of the top mistakes new businesses make. Not identifying your potential target markets Whatever your business idea, considering whether the product or service you’ll be offering has a viable existing market is absolutely essential.…

Avoid These Common WordPress Mistakes

Making a mistake the first time is okay. Not learning from that mistake isn’t okay, though. Here are some common WordPress mistakes that other people have made so you don’t have to. If you’re currently making these mistakes, now’s your chance to fix them! 1. Using the wrong WordPress platform You can opt for either WordPress.com or WordPress.org. The former is best for beginners who don’t want to bother coding and who aren’t too worried about monetizing their blog quite yet.…

Can Business Consultants Drive Necessary Change in your Company?

Every business, regardless of size, eventually reaches the point where the owner recognizes the fact that expert advice is needed. This is especially true of businesses that are potentially failing and are in need of a kick-start to get them back on track. A cost-effective way of doing this is to call on the services of a business/management consultant to leverage the more specialized knowledge needed to achieve business goals in the shorter and longer term. A management consultant’s role Essentially, a management/business consultant is an outside expert who is brought in to help address internal business issues.…