• Office Environment
    Management

    5 Essentials for Encouraging Good Manners in the Office

    Manners aren’t what they used to be, and while it’s a relief for men not to have to stand up every time a woman enters the room — for both genders — some of the old social norms really did keep things feeling more kind, civilized, and stress-free. Not too long ago, there was a very agreed-upon set of rules and decorum that almost everyone followed anytime they were at work, a church potluck, or any other social gathering. However, things have changed, and they’ve done so in a very short amount of time, which means that knowing the best way to act in a work environment is oftentimes not…

  • Venture Capitalist
    Finance

    Pitching a VC? Don’t Make this Mistake

    Ask any millionaire for the secret to their success, and they will probably tell you that entrepreneurship helped them reach their financial goals. However, starting a business takes money. While it's possible to launch a successful enterprise on a shoestring, many businesses require an influx of capital in order to get off the ground, and that money often comes from venture capitalists (or VCs).

  • Handshake
    Marketing

    A Digital Dilemma: Building Powerful Offline Connections

    In a time wherein everyone seems to go crazy over digital, how can you ensure that the quality of connections (or more deeply, relationships) is not compromised? The answer is so simple: the non-digital channel. When we say non-digital channel, this is anything offline. If you have exhausted the digital channel, perhaps, now is the perfect time to go back to our core where in-person network is prioritized more than digital networking. Logically, your concern might be how can you build offline connections effectively. Below are the steps in building powerful and valuable connections and turning them into quality relationships. 1. Leverage your social media presence Your LinkedIn connections and Twitter and…

  • Digital Signage
    Marketing

    Tips for Choosing the Best Digital Signage Templates

    In addition to giving your brand visual identity, using the best digital signage templates communicates your products to your clientele. You achieve this by optimizing your signage for the best readability through various design elements such as colors, structure, orientation, and text among others. Note that designing digital signage templates is a task best left to professionals, and it is advisable to hire a good designer for the best results. The following are some guidelines used in designing digital signage templates: 1. Structure your template using rows, columns and categories Structured menu content is easily understood by customers, making it is easy for them to decide what to order. For…

  • Offline Promoting Tactics
    Marketing

    5 Offline Promoting Tactics for Your Small Business

    The world of today can be divided into two groups of people: those who live online and those more oriented to the offline world. Every business owner should be aware of this division. Also, this Internet-wise duality can be of essential importance when it comes to planning your marketing campaign. If your business is more oriented towards middle-aged and older people, then it is clear that the promotion of your small business should definitely be directed to offline promotional methods. On the other hand, products designed for younger generations must be presented both online and offline. Here are some useful offline promoting strategies that could help you improve the visibility…

  • Simplify Info
    Public Relations

    How to Make Technical Information More Digestible for Your Audience

    Reading long paragraphs or pages of uninterrupted text can be tedious for anyone, unless it’s supposed to be that way: a twenty-thousand page Stephen King novel, or a really interesting dissertation on the evidence of alien life, for example. However, most of us even need a break after several chapters of good fiction. Feeding your audience information about your products, services, company or processes via text alone is just about the worst way to do it, especially when the information is highly technical. As a business owner, you know everything about your niche, industry or topic. You’re the expert, so you should be able to explain it. So why doesn’t…

  • Business graph
    Marketing

    5 Simple Strategies for Your Business Online Boost

    It must have been much simpler for our grandparents and even parents to run a business. The competition was not as dense as it is today and the world’s economy was on much starker legs. Today, with the rise of economy tigers of the Far East and the long crisis in Europe with an uncertain outcome, running a business seems like a total mess. However, people are driven with challenges and opportunities to succeed. Online or dead Today, if you own a business and you fail to take your share of the online market, you can consider your business dead within a few months and yourself a beggar. When it…

  • Marketing Businessman
    Marketing

    How to Jump-Start Your Business with Email Marketing?

    Email marketing is one of those techniques that can show instant results. It is also one of the best methods to jump start your business. E-mail marketing might sound complicated when you hear terms like, spam filters, list building, click rates, etc. We will discuss some tips below to leverage the power of e-mail marketing to jump start your marketing campaign for your start-up.

  • Video Marketing
    Marketing

    4 Ways to Use Video Marketing Without Showing Your Face

    Camera shy? You can still create videos without ever being on screen. Still, more often than not, your voice should at least make an appearance or two. Even without showing your face, you can make those videos personal, tell a story and work for your brand – all important components to creating worthwhile video marketing campaigns. No matter which video marketing tactic you choose to try out, it’s all about offering great content. Forget about lengthy introductions and find ways to grab the viewer’s attention as soon as possible. If you don’t capture their attention within the first eight seconds, studies show, your viewers are likely to click away. Highlight…

  • Nike Slide Banner Screenshot
    Online Business

    What Makes a Good Slide Banner?

    Screenshot of Nike’s Slide Banner. One of the best ways to attract customers to your products or services is with proper banner design and placement. Banner advertisements are one of the most relevant ways to market on the Internet. To get business online, you need to make potential customers react in some way. Why a Slide Banner? To get more clicks, do not create a static banner. Studies show that banners that slide, or move in some form of animation attract much more attention than a static one. Create an engaging banner ad that grabs your potential customers and forces them to click on one the images of your products…

  • Computer Mouse
    Public Relations

    5 Ways to Present Online Testimonials for Your Business

    Image by lastquest. When today’s customers get it in their mind that they are interested in getting a product, they’re more likely than ever to do a little bit of research on the Internet prior to opening their wallets. While that shouldn’t be too surprising, here’s what might be: As many as 90 percent of customers said their decision as to whether to buy something was influenced by a positive review they read online. On the other hand, 86 percent of customers said their decision not to buy something was influenced by negative reviews they read online. In other words, your customers place a lot of emphasis on what other…

  • Entrepeneurship
    Marketing

    How to Make Your Product Sell Itself by Understanding Customer Psyche

    How often have we heard this phrase from marketing gurus that we need to build and package a product in such a way that it sells itself? Is this actually possible? According to various psychological and marketing case studies prepared by researchers from Vanderbilt University, Wharton and others, there are a number of emotional and psychological factors at play when the consumer is out checking your product out. By making use of the right strategies, you can in fact make your product sell itself. Here are some tips on how to do this. 1. Make Your Product Premium If you are not in a business that has been commoditized, then…