Get great hires for your small business and compete with industry titans amidst trying times. Being a small business can be a strength, especially during uncertain times. Large corporations usually remove talented people from the company, which is their loss but your gain. Learn how to get great hires to compete against large businesses.

Open with a great job description

You need to write an excellent job description to attract potential employees. This job description must describe in detail what your company needs and what your potential hires stand to gain from working for your company over others. You’re essentially selling your company to future applicants, which requires you to find your unique selling points.

Tips to write a good job description

1. Write the proper job title to avoid confusion
2. Talk about the candidate’s duties in detail
3. Avoid using superlatives and buzzwords
4. Keep your job description short to make it easy to read
5. Write what qualifications you need from your candidates

You need to communicate your needs to the applicant in a concise way to ensure nobody’s time is wasted.

Promote work-life balance

The pandemic has taught people around the world one thing; its life is too short. Anyone can die at any time which is why people have shifted their attitudes towards work.

You have seen the trend of millions of people resigning from their jobs to pursue their passion. They did that because their jobs simply ate too much from their lives, which is where you come in to save the day. Offer your current employees and new employees a great work environment, reasonable pay, and hours to attract top talent.

Here are ways to offer work-life balance:

1. You can allow working from home as much as possible or give employees certain times of the week to report to the office. This allows employees convenience and to save money on gas and other expenses. The rising prices of everything can make this benefit seem more attractive than what big companies offer.
2. Promote flexible times to allow your employees to set their own schedules.
3. Offer rest areas for your employees to nap every now and then at work.
4. All of these benefits can make your employees feel valued and become more productive. These benefits can help you get great talent to choose you over big companies.

Update your knowledge

Talent acquisitions change over time, and you need to keep up. The pandemic has created a new work environment and market for everybody around the world, which you need to study. What worked before probably won’t work now, meaning you need to research new hiring practices to get top-tier employees. You can also ask for help from a hiring agency to help you get the best employees or at least teach you how to attract the best potential employees.

Play to your strengths

A small business has the advantage of being able to see and utilize each employee to the fullest. A big company has hundreds or maybe thousands of employees where there are rigidly assigned roles. A small business allows the owner to assess each employee’s talents and give them multiple roles to ensure their talents are not wasted.

Small businesses also allow employees to have much more agency in the company. Talented individuals can make a real difference in a small business compared to a large corporation that treats its employees as easily replaceable cogs in the machine.

Do not be discouraged by your size. A small business can have advantages large companies do not have. Play to your strengths to get the best employees on the market.

Contact us if you need help promoting your small business to get the best hires!

The benefits of using social media cannot be understated when it comes to businesses. Social media platforms can help small businesses compete with industry titans for a fraction of the cost.

Your business needs a social media plan to get your social media marketing campaign off the ground. Here are the benefits of social media platforms to help you create a marketing plan using social media.

Understand your audience

Use social media’s analytical functions to know your audience. That data can help you compile a persona that targets your audience to make a sale. One of the best things about social media is it gives you the ability to target a specific demographic. You can create ads and promotions that target the audience you’re looking for to land sales.

You can also communicate with your audience to find out their likes and dislikes about your product or service to improve your business. Your business will be left to the dust if you do not innovate, and social media can point you in the right direction.

Increase awareness

Over half of the world uses social media. A lot of people who use social media actively look for goods and services, which is where you need to place yourself. You can create a page that explains and promotes your goods and services. A social media page allows customers to find your business regardless of distance.

Be sure you choose the proper social media platforms to promote your business. You also need to cultivate a positive image on social media. Get positive reviews in the comments section or even a video to get people to trust your business.

Establish credibility

Your business has a product or service that people need or want in their daily lives. Establish your clout by creating helpful content that helps your audience improve their daily lives. Make sure that the problem is solved by your product or service to establish yourself as a leader. People sometimes need a push to why buying your product or service can improve their lives.

You can write content about a problem and tips to solve that problem. Your content must establish a problem and explain how your product solves it. Enriching your audience’s lives can help you stand out from the competition. Your audience will think of your business first when they need your product or service.

Check Trends

Social media can show you what the latest trends are to help you keep up with the times. Trends change regularly, and it’s important to stay on trend to prevent getting left behind. You can also check what your competition is doing to ensure you stay competitive.

Get more leads from web traffic

Writing ads, social media posts, and blogs can get people to enter your website. You can then promote your content through various social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. Add a link to the content through those platforms to help them find your business. Participating in chat to help your audience and promote yourself may also work.

Include your website address on all your social media platforms to make your business easier to find. You can create content that targets a specific audience and direct them to a page where they can learn more about your business to get more customers.

The benefits discussed above are only a fraction of what social media can do for your business. Learn how to use social media to establish and promote your business to stay competitive.

Reach out to us to get help with your social media marketing strategy!

Starting a business from your home can help you climb the economic ladder toward a more prosperous life. Read on to learn the requirements of starting your business.

Starting a business from your home is not easy and can feel overwhelming, but taking one step at a time will make things easier. Running a home business gives you the advantage of saving time and money from retail space.

Decide on your Business Idea

Decide on what kind of business you will start, and the rest will follow.

Review your skills and talents and find your passion and use them for a business idea. If you’re book smart, then a tutoring business in the suburbs might be helpful.

Not every skill or talent can be made into a business idea. For example, being excellent in soccer does not mean you can coach kids in soccer as a business.

Analyze whether your business idea can be run from your home. Certain types of businesses have different requirements issued by your local government. You need to check whether your business type fits a home-based business format.

Checking whether your business idea is worth investing in is the next step.

Analyze your environment to find out what people in your area need.

Check your startup costs before you do anything because different businesses have different start-up costs. One of your business ideas may be more feasible than the other based on costs.

Test your idea by getting a few customers first, like tutoring on the side in the suburbs. You can also start selling sweets you bake online to test who and how many customers you can get for your business.

Write your business plan

Your business plan will contain all the information you need to run your home business.

Here is what your business plan needs

1. Executive summary
2. Business overview
3. Market analysis
4. Product or service description
5. Sales, marketing, and financial plans

This step is very important because you will know how your business will proceed and operate by creating a roadmap for your business. You can also show this document to investors to help you get more funding. It may be wise to get someone knowledgeable in business to look at your business plan to ensure it works.

Choose a name and decide on your business entity

Choosing your business name is important because that is how people will recognize your business. You need a name that people remember, and it must also establish what your business is all about. Make sure you have a unique name and that the name is available as a domain to establish your trademark.

Choosing your business entity may require the help of an attorney and business consultants.

Here are samples of business entities

Sole proprietorship

This kind of enterprise is owned and run by only one person where there is no legal distinction between owner and business entity.

LLC

Limited Liability Company has the liability-shielding found in corporations and the flexible nature along with tax pass thanks to advantages found in partnerships.

C-Corporations

C-corporations have corporations taxed separately from the owners.

Register your business

It’s best to register your business to ensure everything is above board. Each state has its own unique steps in registering your business, so be sure to go to the business bureau to find out how to do it. Register your business to the federal government and apply for an employer identification number to get some benefits.

Get a business license

Getting a business license is required to start a business but can be difficult because the requirements may vary per state. Get a lawyer onboard if you are having trouble with this part.

Here are some types of home business permits

Home occupation permit is required to operate a lawful business in your home. This permit shows that you are not adding significant noise, traffic, or problems to the environment by operating your business.

Property and zoning permits are required to know if you are even allowed to operate your business in your area.

Licenses and permits

Talk to a lawyer to ensure you have all the requirements to legally operate a business. You may need an operating license or a trade certification to lawfully do business.

Finances

Protect your finances by separating your personal finances from your business finances. You will be personally responsible for the liabilities and debts of your business for the most part. Protect your personal assets by separating them from your business assets, and it will be easier for bookkeeping and tax filing purposes.

Open a business bank account to track the money coming in and out. It will be easier to check your profits and pay your employees from a separate account.

Accounting software is needed for easier bookkeeping and tax filing. You need software that can defend against cyber attacks.

In conclusion, learning how to start a business from your home can help you live a more prosperous life. You need to get all the requirements first and then start your business for a smoother process. Look before you leap and do your best to succeed in your endeavor.

Get great hires by offering these benefitswhen you post a job ad in 2022. A lot of people either lost or left their jobs during the pandemic, and it’s your chance to get really good talent in your company. Sometimes a high salary is not enough, and offering certain benefits will have great talent work for you over others.

Here are some benefits employees are looking for in 2022:

Flexible work arrangements

The pandemic has opened the eyes of the world to how working from home is no longer seen as impossible. Thanks to advancements in technology, employees are still able to produce quality work without having to be physically present in the office. Many companies switched to a work-from-home arrangement to protect their employees.

While there might have been issues with mental health during the lockdowns because social interactions were forbidden, plenty of people agree that they love work-from-home and want to keep it.

Your company needs to get in on the action to either keep your employees or attract new talent. More than half of employees want to work from home at least some of the time. Most people want flexibility and options when it comes to working arrangements, and you need to find the sweet spot that gets people to apply to your company.

Some of the reasons your potential hires want to work from home are to save money and to avoid the hassle of commuting. Considering the potential hire’s preference can help you get the talent you want for your company.

Mental health benefits

Every year 20% of all adults experience mental health issues, and as an employer, you need to find a way to address this issue. As an employer, you must address your employee’s mental health problems by adding mental health benefits. Getting a health plan that offers mental health services will be crucial when it comes to benefit packages. Not only do mental health benefits help to incentivize job seekers to pick you, but they also keep your employees happy, which adds productivity.

Employee Engagement

The pandemic has forced a lot of people to shelter in place and keep away from home. This reason has made getting teams together to laugh and build relationships to create a more cohesive team more difficult. You can set up zoom meetings for lunches or dinners to help your employees get to know each other. Offering free lunches or dinners also works to keep employees happy. Find ways to keep your employees happy and build a community spirit to make them more effective when they work for your company.

Child Care Assistance

Many daycares shut down during the 2020 pandemic, which has forced families to keep their kids home while working. This scenario made it difficult to care for their kids for families everywhere.

You and every other company out there knows this fact, which is why offering child care assistance is important. Job seekers are looking for child care benefits because of how expensive the service is and how difficult it is to raise a child while working.

Here are ways to offer child care assistance:

1. Add extra money to their salary for childcare
2. Offer flexible work arrangements for your workers.
3. Partner with a child care facility to get discounts in exchange for more customers

Adding this benefit for your employees may nudge plenty of job seekers to apply to your company.

Flexible PTO

Not everyone celebrates the same holidays and giving everyone the option of when to take time off can be a game-changer. This method will give employees the freedom to choose because they are given a set number of hours or days to take time off in a year. This allows employees to take time off when they really need it instead of someone choosing for them leading to happier employees.

Financial Wellness Programs

The pandemic has shown people all over the world how easy it is to find yourself in a bad financial situation. Financial literacy can help solve plenty of financial issues employees are facing. While studying finance is difficult for many, it can be easy to offer financial courses in the company.

Your company probably already has accountants and financial advisors in your office. Get these people to share their knowledge with your other employees as a perk. Free financial education can be very appealing to new employees. You may need to pay your financial experts extra for the lessons, but it’s well worth it.

Technology Support

Work-from-home is appealing but still has some infrastructure requirements. Getting a laptop or PC and an internet connection are all important to ensure work-from-home works. Getting these simple requirements may be difficult for some people.

Help your employees with infrastructure requirements via the following:

1. Lend them a good laptop or PC
2. Give internet and electric bill allowance
3. Subsidize their purchase of a laptop or PC

In conclusion, hiring good staff is not easy because there is a lot of competition. Offering the right perks and benefits may give you an advantage over bigger companies.

Is an e-commerce business really for you is a question you probably asked yourself when you decided to start a business. Read on to learn about whether the e-commerce format is right for your business and its pros and cons.

Here are considerations you need to make to figure out if e-commerce will work for your business:

E-commerce is great if you’re selling a unique product not tied to a specific place and you want to tap into different markets fast. The e-commerce model is good for this business because it has low start-up costs and allows you to reach customers from around the globe.

An e-commerce business model is not a good idea if your goods are not unique because it will be hard to differentiate you from other sellers. A storefront might be better until you are big and successful because then you will have plenty of customers to choose you from other businesses.

Note that a website is still important these days, even if you have a storefront because most people will still check for stores online. Your marketing will set you aside from other businesses. When you are starting out, it may be a good idea to hire a marketing firm to help you stand out from the competition.

The cost drives your decision whether to start e-commerce or a storefront business.

An e-commerce business will keep its overhead costs low but will require more investment in marketing.

A storefront business may be able to use e-commerce to supplement its income.

An e-commerce site costs more to design than a normal website because of the complexities in its design. The platform will require more money because of all the steps required along with company oversight from the web designers to keep the site functioning.

It’s best to do your research by asking your peers and checking the market to figure out what will work for your business.

It’s best to weigh the pros and cons of starting an e-commerce business before making a decision.

Pros

Easier Expansion

E-commerce allows you to expand your reach to customers further than your local areas. You can get customers from big cities or even neighboring towns with e-commerce. The added reach can also give you more income to expand your current business.

Save Money

An e-commerce store can run 24/7 without any employees needing to protect and watch items. It also eliminates the limit to the number of items you can sell at once since you are not limited to a shelf. Inventory can be stored at home or in storage spaces that are cheaper than retail spaces. Foot traffic and parking spaces also become non-issues.

Easier Growth

Growth when it comes to business often requires more employees and a bigger store to expedite the process and keep people happy. The logistics of growing can be a nightmare to deal with, but with an e-commerce model and the right third-party logistic providers, the company can grow without having to worry about space and employees.

Easier Communication

Getting the customer’s email allows you to send and receive messages easily. You can let customers know about sales, check-in to see how they are doing, and promote a new product with little effort. Any concerns they have can also be answered easily and comfortably through email for a more measured approach. Using cookies can also help you analyze customer behavior and adapt accordingly.

Easy Tracking

Digitizing your entire process eases crunching numbers and collecting data. You will easily know which of your items sell best and which ones don’t sell. The data you get from your sales can help you eliminate unnecessary costs.

Cons

Lack of Personal Touch

Plenty of people still want to talk to experts when it comes to purchasing products to ensure it fits their needs. There is no replacement for face-to-face interactions no matter which way you compensate. People also want to experience the item before purchase.

Fraud

Your consumers are always at a risk of experiencing identity fraud whenever they enter their details in your shop. The people need to know and be convinced that your processing is secure, or they may not purchase from your site. Phishing scams and cyber attacks are a constant risk for your business.

Lost Gratification

Shoppers from online retailers have to wait for several days to get their items which removes the joy of shopping for some. Shipping is also difficult in case of refunds and can add to the cost of the item.

Price wars

The online retail industry affords you the chance to lower your prices, but unfortunately, everyone will do the same thing. Not having the lowest price can see you lose a sale, and even lowering your prices will see a dip in your profits.

In conclusion, the e-commerce business model is not for everyone, but learning about it can help you decide whether it is right for your business or not.