Guest Article: Navigating Business Growth: Your Next Steps for Success

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The term “growth” is often used as a buzzword in the business world, but its importance cannot be overstated. Growth is the oxygen that keeps businesses alive, prosperous, and relevant in a fast-paced and ever-changing market landscape. From networking to credit score management, various aspects contribute to successful business growth. Today, Guest Writer Eleanor Wyatt of Remote Work Wellness guides business owners through key steps that can significantly influence the growth trajectory of their enterprises.

 Leverage Networking for Business Growth

Networking isn’t just about shaking hands and exchanging business cards; it’s about building meaningful relationships that can drive business growth. Frequent industry-specific events, trade shows, and business meetups to make connections with potential clients, partners, and even future employees. Don’t underestimate the power of a good network; it can open doors for collaborative ventures, provide insider market insights, and direct customer referrals.

Diversify Your Offerings

If you’ve excelled in offering a particular product or service, consider diversifying. Expanding your product line or adding complementary services can help attract new customers and offer more to your existing client base. A broader range of offerings not only opens up new revenue streams but also strengthens your business against market fluctuations. However, make sure to conduct market research before taking the plunge to understand your target audience.

Upgrade Your Marketing

In a world where attention spans are shrinking, effective marketing is crucial for business growth. One way to revamp your marketing strategy is to focus on visual elements. If you’re trying to design posters and other eye-catching ads, you might need to change image formats on occasion; the best option is to use  a free conversion tool. From there, don’t just share your marketing images on posters and your website; make sure you also add them to social media, as well as sharing them through email campaigns and newsletters. You can also supplement this with old-fashioned approaches like business cards and brochures.

International Expansion

Once you’ve established yourself in your local market, consider taking your business international. This step will require significant planning, including understanding global demands and regulatory environments. Tailor your products or services to meet the needs of international markets. A global presence not only boosts your brand’s credibility but also offers a cushion against domestic market volatility.

Boost Your Online Presence

In today’s digital age, an online presence is not an option but a necessity for business growth. From a sleek, user-friendly website to active social media accounts, your online platforms are your business’s virtual storefront. Invest in quality web design and regularly update your social media accounts with engaging and relevant content. Additionally, consider leveraging the power of digital marketing to reach a wider and more targeted audience.

Content Marketing for Credibility

Content marketing and SEO can be powerful tools for building trust and establishing your brand as an industry expert. Develop a content strategy that provides valuable insights, tips, and solutions to problems your target audience faces. Regularly post this content on your blog, social media platforms, and other relevant channels. In doing so, you don’t just sell your product or service; you sell your brand’s credibility and trustworthiness.

Understanding Your Credit Score

For most businesses, growth usually comes with increased capital expenditure, often requiring loans. Your credit score plays a pivotal role in securing a loan with favorable terms. Keep tabs on your credit score and take steps to improve it. A higher credit score can make a world of difference when it comes to negotiating interest rates and loan amounts.

Growing a business is a multifaceted endeavor that requires strategic planning, diligent execution, and constant adaptation to market trends. This article covered essential steps such as networking, diversification, marketing, international expansion, and financial preparedness to guide you through the labyrinth of business growth. By incorporating these time-tested strategies, you can amplify your business’s growth prospects and set you on the right path to greater long-term success.

 

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Eleanor Wyatt

Staying Productive Using Technology

Hello Everyone! I hope you’re all having a great day. Our weather is wreaking havoc on my chronic conditions and as such I’m forced to stay in bed. I’m grateful for all the wonderful technology that is available that allows you to work even if you’re not able to get to the office – or home office!

Kathy’s Bed Desk

First, I start with the fastest internet I can get. In my area, we really only have one choice, Xfinity. I don’t like how much they charge but I do like the reliability. I no longer have their TV or digital voice packages so that helps. (I use Hulu and some Prime channels to make up the difference).

Next, to get the fastest wifi possible throughout my house – or you can use it in an office environment – I have the Orbi Wifi Mesh system, with the router and two satellites. We really love it, and the range is amazing, I have no issues even in the Treehouse Office, or the studio, it is a great product by NetGear.

Next, for remote working from bed, I log into my desktop upstairs using SplashTop by LogMeIn.com I can easily manage not only my computers but my clients’ as well. They even have mobile apps for logging in from your phone or tablet. I have used their service for many years and it just keeps getting better.

For ambiance, and to provide a bit of background noise so my tinnitus doesn’t scream at me so much and make me dizzy, I keep a crackling fireplace video going on the TV. There are a number of videos that are included in Amazon Prime, and I’ve included the link. This is perfect for winter, but for summer I like the streams, rivers and so on. And I’m a huge fan of the Smithsonian Channel’s Ariel America – I’ve probably seen every episode multiple times.

Now, for the desk, I use a simple bed desk I got from Amazon – with adjustable legs – this is important because some days you might want to snuggle with a puppy and they need a bit more room 🙂 My kids are constantly wanting under the desk, and under the blankets – which cheers me up immensely. I got the basic one made of bamboo with a fan built in that I can plug into the power strip. But now I’m thinking I need to have a bit more oomph for it, so I’ve put this one in my cart to “think about”. It is much more than the one I have currently in that it has adjustable height and tilting top, but I’m not sure I really need that. I might just look for things I can clip to the one I have.

See? You CAN work and be somewhat immobile. Or in the middle of a pandemic and being forced to work from home (which I’ve been doing since 1996 by the way). and it can still be comfortable and productive. Having worked from home for so long, I’ll never go back to a traditional office.

Best wishes to everyone and I pray you stay healthy and safe!

In all transparency, if you click on one of my links (except the search results links) I’ll get a bit of a commission. 🙂

The Password "Book"

The Password “Book” I have this book of passwords, logins and so on, I’ve actually gone through several, and this is my latest one. [caption id="attachment_915" align="alignnone" width="300"]Kathy's 'Book' Kathy’s ‘Book’[/caption] This is also my last book like this one.  I can’t believe its taken me over 20 years to get my logins and passwords all organized.  I mean, the other was ok, just put a rubber band on it and throw it in the safe and you’re good to go. But, ugh!, it was a beast to manage. Every new ‘key’ or login was stuffed in there wherever it would fit. Finding anything was a chore.  I would have to do a task and suddenly realize I don’t remember the password, or it wasn’t in the digital manager yet, so I’d have to wade through pages and pages of logins and passwords to find what I needed – hence all the stickie notes and flags!  It was very frustrating to page through the old book when you’re on the phone trying to get something done with a client. So, over the past few days I have revamped my ‘book’. Its still small enough to fit in the safe, but its now arranged by alphabet, and each client has their own sheet(s).  It works so much better now! Its still the 5.5 x 8.5 size, so it fits where I want it, it has a built in pocket for holding notes I haven’t categorized yet, and I used an old set of contacts tabs from my DayTimer , with notes pages.  I love it, I feel so organized now! For those of you who are yelling at me from afar and saying, “Digital password manager!!!” well, I have one of those too, but, its always a good idea to have a paper backup. wp_20160927_16_11_29_rich wp_20160927_16_12_15_rich I’m so proud of myself – it only took 20+ years!! :-)]]>