In many cultures around the globe, the art of gift-giving is a sign of respect, gratitude and care. This is just as true in the professional sphere as it is in private life. In some countries, exchanging gifts is an integral part of the business process. Whatever the case, a thoughtful token of appreciation can be the perfect way to let a client, colleague or partner know that they are appreciated and valued.

From branded corporate gifts such as notepads, pens, mugs or other items provided at client meetings for your guests to keep afterwards, through to sending treats on your clients’ birthdays, small acts of generosity will create a positive impression and contribute to your business reputation. Unsure of how corporate gift-giving could benefit your business? These five tips will give you an insight into why it’s important and the etiquette behind it:

Build Your Reputation

Corporate gift giving can be a way to reinforce your brand image. Similar to the way you present yourself and your work to clients, your gifts should reflect the reputation you want to uphold. Cheap, tacky gifts will leave an impression that you don’t really care, whereas putting in a little extra effort can go a long way.

Get Your Brand Noticed

Corporate gift-giving is one of the oldest tricks in the book for advertising your business, but you’d be surprised how many don’t utilise the opportunity. While the holiday season is often a given time for this to occur, taking the initiative to exercise generosity outside of the holiday season will be more likely to make an impact. Your offering won’t get lost in the sea of gifts that clients receive as the Christmas celebrations draw near and your thoughtful contribution will be met with gratitude and respect.

Reward Those Doing the Work

Don’t forget your team. These people create the magic that attracts and retains clients, and it’s important to show your appreciation. Whether it’s treating a round of morning coffees, taking the team out to lunch once a month or providing Friday night drinks, your act of gratitude will be well-received by staff and help build respect and trust.

Build Strong Relationships

Whether you’re giving to long-standing or prospective new clients, the art of corporate gift-giving affirms your professional relationship and can assist in building stronger ties. A thoughtful present to our loved ones on a birthday or other milestone shows that we care and have them in our thoughts. Giving to your business connections will have the same effect and will benefit your all-round partnership by fostering a deeper personal connection that is often missing in today’s age.

Gift-Giving Etiquette

Whatever the nature of the professional relationship? It’s important to understand the difference between a thoughtful business token and a personal gift. The latter can be deemed inappropriate in a corporate environment, so it’s best to ensure that the kind of gift and the timing and mode of presenting it are in line with professional norms. However, use your gut instinct. You know your client and if you think they would appreciate a gift a little more personal, go for it. Just remember to tread with caution!

Making a statement with corporate gifts is a great way to spread brand awareness and create a lasting impression. Not only will your clients appreciate it in the immediate short-term, but it will positively impact your professional relationship in the long-run. Taking the time to show a little gratitude or appreciation through gift-giving, such as birthdays and the like, shows your business character and builds your professional reputation. 


The world of digital marketing is constantly growing and expanding. When it first began, the vast majority of methods were fairly complicated and took time and effort to master. As digital marketing has grown and expanded, it has also become easier to understand. While it is still often difficult to quickly master various techniques, there is a simplicity that did not exist in earlier methods. The best option is always to hire a professional to handle all of your marketing campaigns, digital and otherwise, but if that is not currently an option, there are very simple ways to get started. If you are trying to get started with digital marketing, but cannot yet consider hiring a professional, you will need some basic information on the simplest but still effective methods to use. What you will find here is a comparison list of the simplest digital marketing techniques currently available.

The first technique that we will discuss is social media. One important aspect of social media marketing is that it has to maintain on a regular basis. This means that you should be updating and posting every day, preferably multiple times per day. Thankfully, many sites now offer ways to schedule posts so that you do not have to worry about making posts at certain times. Social media marketing is incredibly simple, but it does require quite a bit of time and effort, especially in the beginning. Deciding how to proceed will be based on whether or not you already have established social media pages or not. If you do not, the first step will be to create and build your pages. Each major social media platform offers specific business versions of their accounts. This is what you will need regardless of whether you are building a marketing page for a business, organization, blog, or freelancing service. While it is not necessary, it is a fantastic idea to create an email specifically for your social media accounts. This way, your regular business email account will not be crowded with all of the notification emails from the various social media platforms.

Once you have created your account, you will need to ensure that you fill out all of the information and details listed on the account page. Your customers and followers need to be able to access all of the information they may need regarding your business. This includes contact information such as phone number, email, and links to your website. You should also be sure that your business name is listed accurately and that any information regarding products or services offered is as accurate as possible. List all relevant information that you can on each profile that you set up. Different platforms have different information requirements which must be considered when building each one. It is fine to use the same basic wording on all profiles.

After establishing your profiles, you will need to start posting updates right away. Keep your posts varied between text, photos or graphics, videos or GIFs, and links. Make everything you post is relevant and error free.

The next method up for discussion is SEO which stands for Search Engine Optimization. This method is in some way connected to almost every other digital marketing method. It is a common misconception that the only important factor in SEO is keywords. While keywords and key phrases to carry a great amount of importance, they are not the only important aspect that needs consideration. Others include a link back, ads, and content quality. To have a great SEO campaign you must have an amazing website. Have social media pages is also quite helpful to SEO even though it is not entirely necessary. Follow the same steps outlined in the last section to set up social media pages to use for SEO purposes. Again, this technique will take up a fair amount of time and require effort and a bit of elbow grease to accomplish successfully.

You will need to build or update your site with SEO in mind. This means that you will need to make sure that all information is correct and up to date, add relevant pictures and graphics, and proofread all content. Next, you need to carefully choose your keywords that you are going to use. You should choose one primary keyword and several secondary keywords. Each one has to be relevant to your specific business. Choosing the best ones will require some research and added time and effort, but the results are well worth it.

Next, you will need to fill your website with quality content. There are two ways for you to get this content, write it yourself or outsource it to a professional. If you choose to do it yourself, you will need to take the time to make sure that each piece of content is proofread multiple times and all needed edits are made. It is best to read the content out loud, this makes it easier to catch certain errors in phrasing as well as typos and grammar problems. Each piece should be proofread and edited at least three times to ensure the highest of quality. There should not be any errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, phrasing, spacing, or grammar. Also, you should always double and triple check the spelling of names.

Finally, you will need to establish a system of link backs. For this, you will need the assistance and corporation of several other businesses as well as bloggers and organizations. Look first for other sites that directly relate to your business and then move on to those that are less directly related. Reach out to each company, blogger, or organization and ask if they would be willing to a link to your website on their site. Tell them that you would be happy to do the same for them if they wish.

These two digital marketing methods are by the easiest to use when starting out on your own. Remember that there will inevitably be a learning curve and a hearty round of trial and error. This is completely natural, to not get discouraged if you do not get everything exactly right the first time you try. Especially with choosing keywords. Because of its importance, many people stress themselves out to the point of making themselves ill. This is not at all necessary and if you feel that you simply cannot handle choosing keywords on your own, there are plenty of professionals that will happily help you out. Because this is a fairly small task and will not require a great deal from the professional, many will offer this service at a very big discount from helping with everything about the marketing campaign. If you decide to hire a professional instead of doing all of this yourself (like I did), it is best to keep your search terms simple while looking. Using the term “SEO” along with the area in which your residence will work wonders. For example, “Denver SEO” was what I used.  Once you have a list of possible professionals to hire, the only task left is to choose one.

Robert Cunio, Franchise Owner of Transworld Business Advisors, a leading business franchise brokerage and development company joins Enterprise Radio.

Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Robert Cunio discuss the following:

1. Could you provide a brief background of yourself and Transworld Business Advisors?
2. How or why did you decide to franchise with Transworld?
3. How does Transworld help entrepreneurs buy or sell their businesses?
4. What are some of the qualifications that business owners should look for in a business broker?
5. What inspired you to become a Certified Business Intermediary and what was that process like?
6. What is one piece of advice the you would give to someone who is looking to buy or sell their business?

Robert Cunio is an accomplished Senior Executive and Entrepreneur with more than 30 years of success across aerospace & defense, business sales and commercial real estate industries. Leveraging extensive corporate experience as well as a expertise in selling and franchising businesses, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), exit planning and more, he is an invaluable asset for companies looking to divest or grow, both domestically and internationally. His broad areas of expertise include program and financial management, due diligence, franchise development, commercial real estate transactions, sales and marketing, and strategic integration/reorganization and increasing shareholder value.

Throughout his executive career, Robert has held leadership positions at companies including Transworld Business Advisors, Northrop Grumman Corporation, and Space Gateway, LLC. He has been responsible for the negotiation and implementation of multi-million-dollar programs in both public and private sectors. He has extensive experience working with buyers and sellers and brings them together for mutually beneficial opportunities.

Robert is a Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) with the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA), a Certified Business Broker through the California Association of Business Brokers (CABB) and holds an MBA with a concentration in Marketing from Bentley University.

Website: www.tworld.com

Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/transworldbusinessadvisors
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tworldbusiness

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Life is busy, and it is hard to fit everything in. We work increasingly long hours, socialize more, and health and fitness often take a back seat. It is not uncommon to struggle to get into a regular exercise routine. So why can’t you commit? We have explored five common problems and how you can work through them:

Accountability

The mental challenge of creating new work out habits can be tricky, and it is easy to find an excuse why you shouldn’t get out of bed or go to that gym class after work. How many times have you said to yourself “I’ll do it tomorrow” only to find that a week has gone by? Similarly, people tend to cut their workouts short or go at half pace because they don’t have a plan and they aren’t accountable to anyone.

Seeing a personal trainer who can create a customized workout plan for you can be a great kickstart to getting on track with an exercise regime. They will be able to guide you to gradually build your fitness and increase the pace of your workout. Having an appointment set with your personal trainer will be sure to make you more accountable than if you are only answering to yourself.

Too Much Too Soon

Don’t go from zero to hero. If you haven’t exercised for a while, it might be worth easing yourself into it and giving yourself set rest days. Some people throw themselves into a new exercise regime and burn out before they are starting to see the positive health benefits. Choose a realistic number of days that you plan to work out, and then any extras that you squeeze in become a bonus.

Choosing the Wrong Time

Some people say that by exercising in the morning, you burn the most calories and give your body additional energy throughout the day ahead. However, the time of day you exercise is a personal choice. You have your circadian rhythm to thank for making you an early riser or a night owl, and you need to find a time to work out that feels right for you and your body. If you struggle to pull yourself out of bed every morning for an early gym session, then aim to go after work instead. The goal is to find a time that works for you and stick to it!

The Wrong Focus

The easiest way to stick to a workout is to find something you love. If you hate to run, don’t force yourself to pound the pavement. If you have never liked team sports, that indoor soccer team might not be for you. There are so many workout options out there – you might need to try a few to see what you like. Think outside the square with options like rock climbing, bike riding, dance classes or Parkour.

Be Realistic

In today’s reality TV loving world, it is easy to get frustrated when you aren’t meeting your fitness or weight-loss goals quickly. Just remember that reality TV contestants, movie stars and models often train for hours each day, with highly qualified professionals, to achieve the outcome that you see on your television. So be kind to yourself, be realistic, and take it one step at a time. As long as you stick with it, you are sure to see benefits over time.

Getting active benefits both your physical and your mental health. Stop finding excuses to stay on the couch and get moving! You will be amazed by how good you feel when you gain some momentum.

Joey Song, COO and Head of Business Development at Cloudbric, an award winning web security vendor looking to expand to leverage blockchain technology to expand its services for all global users joins Enterprise Radio.

Technology has truly changed the way we do things in the 21st century. Innovation has been applied in many different fields to bring forth unimaginable effectiveness. In the business world, technology has not just been an incentive for development. Instead, technology has been the backbone on which big and small businesses are built upon. It is no surprise then that areas like finance and banking have also embraced various technologies to bring efficiency to the industry. Most of the startups in the business world since the last decade have been based on new and inventive technologies. Indeed, the finance and banking sectors have seen major changes as a result of technology. The following are some of the areas that are seeing the biggest changes as a result of tech.

Online Banking

Online banking was not a term that was used two decades ago. Today though, most aspects of banking revolve around the digital world. Technology has been deeply integrated into the banking systems such that most services are now available via the internet. You can now access your banking services from a phone or tablet from anywhere around the world. In fact, the act of physically going to the bank is no longer necessary as bank transfers, payments and even registration of accounts are all done online. Online banking has a long way to go but the steps that have already been made are impressive. As technology continues getting better, online banking might just be the only form of banking.

Fraud Detection and Prevention

Technology has also done wonders for banking and financial security. There are dozens of systems that have been developed in the recent past to help curb rampant cases of fraud. Biometric systems among others have made it to the financial world and this has improved the security of transactions greatly. In addition, it has now become much easier to track and recover assets that have been acquired through fraudulent means. This is being done through forensic and analytical methods. Technology has been improving at a faster rate than crime and this has allowed for a safer and more credible financial sector. There is still potential in this area as systems that rely on blockchain are still being developed. The bottom line though is that technology is at the core of fraud prevention in the financial world and this is not about to change any time soon.

The Forex Market

The foreign exchange market has not been left behind by tech either. Not only is trading now almost exclusively done online, but it is now done via multiple platforms. Before the advent of computers, trading was a brick and mortar affair that seemed like it was never going to change. Because of technology though, it is not uncommon to see traders who mostly rely on a mobile trading platform for most of their activities. Mobile trading applications, tools, and systems have gained wide acceptance in the market. The forex market as a whole has become more liberal and vibrant because of technology.

Customer Services

Customer service is at the core of financial service providers. Whether in banks, stock exchanges, big organizations or any other financial business; the daily activities revolve around taking customer queries and responding to them. Needless to say, customer service was mostly a realm dominated by the human to human interaction in the recent past. Today, however, machines are increasingly substituting certain aspects of human services. Computers and phones have greatly contributed to how customer services are handled. Technology has not just improved the human to human communication in the customer service sector though. In some instances, bots and other systems have completely replaced humans. Customer service has greatly improved as a result of technology. Issues are now handled faster, accurately and more efficiently. It has also become cheaper for customer service providers who now employ effective machine resources thus saving a lot of money.

Conclusion

The finance and banking sectors are just one of the many sectors that have been impacted greatly by technology. Technology has brought about unrivaled efficiency in this sector. In general, the impact of technology in finance has been great as it has brought about advances and also reduced crime. While there is a number of technologies that are still contentious, the future of the finance and banking realm is firmly set in technology.

Faith Bandklayder, President of Welcome Home Senior Services and Placement Co., LLC offering FREE personalized services to those seeking senior living placement again joins Enterprise Radio.

Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Faith Bandklayder discuss the following:

1. Tell me about Welcome Home Senior Services & Placement.
2. What gave you the idea to start a business like this?
3. How does it work?
4. How is it free to the client?
5. Why should someone use a senior placement service as opposed to doing their own legwork?

Faith Bandklayder, President of Welcome Home Senior Services and Placement Company, is a seasoned veteran of the senior living industry, with over thirteen years’ experience in sales and marketing. She began her career first as a Marketing Consultant and then becoming Director of Marketing in Miami, Florida. Her greatest reward is helping the elderly decide how to begin their new adventure in Independent and Assisted living. Her company provides FREE hands on personalized services to those seeking senior living placement. Faith has received her Assisted Living Administrator Core license and also has her Bachelor’s Degree from SUNY at Stony Brook.

Website: http://www.welcomehomesenior.com

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With the use of various Google tools, you are able to see which keywords are used by searchers to get to topics that they are interested in. By organizing these by their search volumes, you will be able to see which keywords should be prioritized.

From here, do your research and slowly come up with a well-written article. And just like this, the website content has been created excellently by you or your content writers for hire.

You have to stand out to be on top. One good way to rise above the rest is to have a highly informative meta description for your page. Because the space for these summaries is very limited, every word in it must be important to the message that you convey.

The meta description, therefore, must be written using copywriting principles. Professionals from a good advertising agency can provide useful insights for this. You will likely need to hire some if you have many pages or many websites that require good meta descriptions.

Another good way to ensure your online success is to have many relevant websites posting backlinks to your page. You see, it looks like search engines see backlinks as ‘votes’ for a webpage. The more votes a page has, the better its perceived relevance and usability.

However, you cannot just have any backlink. Not all links are created equal, they say. Read on to learn what types of links are going to be useful for you.

External links are better than internal links.

In the early days of the search engines, all links to a page were treated equally. So, pagemasters utilized internal links–or links from different pages within the same domain–to make it appear that a page is valuable.

However, the search engines saw these attempts at ranking manipulations and immediately put up measures to counteract them. They’ve adapted the age-old saying that what others say about you is a lot more reliable than what you say about yourself. Hence, external links are considered more important now.

Links from popular sites are more valuable than the less popular ones.

If you think that the web is not democratic, think again. Though it seems obvious that more popular sites should have more value, a lot of site owners still fall for the allure of having links in less popular domains that happen to be easy to establish links with.

Links to domains that don’t have any age or content can be valueless.  It might be difficult and challenging, but going through the hassles of convincing established sites to link to your content will bring you the most valuable rewards.

In-text links are better than links in sidebars.

More often than not, a page has these parts: (1) the unique content, which is most probably at the middle of the page, and (2)  the computer-generated contents, which are usually in the sidebars, footers, and headers.

A link that is found within the unique content will be far more valuable than those in other areas of the page. This reflects the search engines’ overall preference for human-generated contents than computer-generated ones. In fact, pages that have more automated than unique content risk losing favor.  

Running a startup can be both exciting and costly. It can be tempting to go all out and get the latest and greatest in gadgets for your startup, following the idea that you have to spend money to make money. While that’s entirely true to an extent, you need to know where the line is and refuse to cross it.

There are telling signs when someone’s spending is out of control, and the results can be disastrous. You must seek help if you are addicted to shopping and spending money on frivolous things. Here are a few signs that you’re in trouble, and how to fix your poor spending habits.

Scale Up Slowly

As a startup or small business, you want to plan for the future. You don’t, however, want to spend money with the idea that your future success will pay for it. Rather than purchasing with the future business in mind, consider what you need now to effectively deliver the promised goods or services to your customers.

For example, if you’re running a kayak tour company and hope to someday have four instructors running twenty kayaks at a time, you create a business plan to reflect that. You do not, however, purchase twenty kayaks right now. Instead, buy the five your solitary instructor will be able to manage and schedule accordingly. Once you have to start turning customers away, consider buying another batch of five kayaks.

The idea with scaling up is that you’re increasing your offering to meet demand, and spending only what you need to run a business today.

Know the Difference Between Wants and Needs

From an early age, we try to teach children the difference between wanting something and needing it. You want to go to your favorite band’s concert. You need to have money to pay rent. As an entrepreneur, it can be challenging to remember that important distinction.

Determine what your company needs rather than what you want. While it might be fun to have a high-powered laptop that costs $500 more than the base model, it might not be necessary to operate your business. You need a company vehicle to meet with clients. You want a Mercedes to impress them. Getting comfortable with being logical will help prevent poor business spending practices.

Budget, Budget, Budget

Set a budget for all aspects of your business and adhere to it. If you find yourself spending too much on lunch meetings, set a monthly limit in a sustainable budget. Sometimes having a number on paper can make it easier to track and remain aware of what you’re spending.

Set a total overall budget and reallocate funds as needed. If you spend too much on stationery one month, even if it’s a necessary expense, don’t use that as an excuse to go over budget. Instead, spend less on another area to make up for it and keep your expenditures balanced. If you carelessly go over budget once, it will be easier to do it the next time, until you have no budget at all.

Don’t Borrow too Much

Many startups and entrepreneurs get a business loan to get them on their feet, which is entirely acceptable. However, taking more money than you need can cause a temptation that’s difficult to ignore. It can give you the illusion of having more money to spend, and cause you to make bad decisions.

Nip this idea in the bud by borrowing only what you need, after creating a business plan and determining what seed money is required to get you up and running. Rather than using credit cards, look at programs that require more accountability– such as small business development lenders. If you need money desperately, look for short-term loans that are meant to bridge the gaps for a short amount of time.

Being a responsible spender will help bolster your success as a business owner. Too many would-be successful entrepreneurs have met their fate as a result of irresponsible borrowing and spending. Be smart, be savvy, and you’ll be successful.

Bitcoin is a form of electronic currency that is often held as an investment. In the recent past, the use of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin has grown in popularity. It is now accepted in many websites as payment for goods and services. More people are opting to trade in cryptocurrencies as opposed to fiat money because of bitcoins have lower transaction costs.

Wallets

To ensure security when trading in bitcoins, it’s good to invest in a good wallet. A wallet protects bitcoin users from losing their money to hackers. Since bitcoins are not tangible, the public and private keys have to be stored in wallets. Wallets can either be online or hardware store. Online wallets are good when one is storing a small number of bitcoins. Hardware wallets are good when one has a large pool of bitcoins. This is because higher numbers of bitcoins, increase the risk of being hacked.

Exchanges

Bitcoins are traded in exchanges which act as a market where buyers and sellers are matched. Buyers use fiat money and altcoins to purchase bitcoins.

Safety and Security

The exchange of bitcoins involves high levels of technology, meaning security and safety are not common issues with the currency. All bitcoin transactions are recorded in a ledger known as a blockchain. This ledger is very hard to modify, and that is why security is not a major issue with the currency. Many people now buy IOTA instead of using blockchain, and that is just as secure. However, security cannot be fully guaranteed. Processing mistakes may occur, and these may lead to the loss of bitcoins.

Management of Portfolios

Anyone who invests in bitcoins should manage their portfolio to ensure that they can track their sales and purchases in one place. There are many apps that can help you keep track of your profit and loss information. Portfolio management can also be done by the use of Google spreadsheets.

Trading

Trading in cryptocurrencies requires patience. Earning substantial profits does not happen instantly. An investor should practice critical thinking before deciding on trading. Otherwise, losses are likely to occur. It is wiser to invest for the long-term. Granted, errors will occur once in while, but these should always be viewed as learning moments and not failures.

Common Mistakes

A lot of caution should be observed by those intending to trade in bitcoins because the prices are highly volatile. If one does not understand how to trade and secure bitcoins from hackers, then it is not worth an investment. It is important that investors understand how digital currencies work before investing.

Conclusion

Cryptocurrencies have become popular in the recent past. Bitcoin is the most popular digital currency, and it is now used to pay for many online services. It is important for investors to store their currencies in wallets to ensure safety.

Kristy Kudlick, Owner of Industrial Farm Co., that makes one of a kind, handmade metal brackets for shelves, floating shelves, countertops, and mantels joins eCommerce Radio.

Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Kristy Kudlick discuss the following:

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background…
2. For those who aren’t familiar, what is Industrial Farm Co.?
3. What sets you apart from other retailers selling similar items?
4. Where do you get the ideas for your designs?
5. As an entrepreneur, what are your future goals for your business?

We are a husband and wife team! My name is Kristy, last year, I was presented with an opportunity to start creating and selling farmhouse and industrial inspired pieces with my #1 (my husband, Tyler)!

Tyler and I have always loved redoing rooms and adding character to our house throughout the years, recreating and bringing timeless pieces back to life. All of the welding on our metal work is done by my husband. I am always in awe when he shows me finished products. His craftsmanship and quality of work are made to last a lifetime.

All of our steel is sourced from local mills and some of the antiques we sell, we have bought from local architectural salvage yards. We also travel to other local antique shows to pick one of a kind pieces, that we love, and inspire us to repurpose into beautiful pieces for your home. Each piece has a history and a story, that we hope to add chapters to its life.

Tyler and I are lucky to be the parents, of two feisty and smart little girls, that we love more than anything in this world. We also have 4 nieces and a nephew that we absolutely adore, and a German shorthaired pointer, who thinks he is our 3rd child!

Our goal is simple… we work to continue building our shop and enjoy what we do and spending time with our family! We strive for nothing less than perfection, and to exceed our customer’s expectations.

Website: www.industrialfarmco.com

Social Media Links:
Facebook: @industrialfarmco
Instagram: @industrialfarmco
Pinterest: @industrialfarmco

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Customer experience. You don’t need to set foot near a marketing agency to hear the words drifting ominously outwards. And, let’s face it, there is a perfectly good reason that the notion of customers often sends shivers down the spine. People usually go into business because they’ve got a great idea that they want to sell, not because they want to start ‘meaningful relationships’ with distant audiences, or to become ‘social media buddies’ with strangers.

However, the reality is that customer experience is changing the entire philosophy of the business universe. Ideas such as “continuous engagement” are now recognized as being crucial to successful organizational development. Innovation, integrated communication, brand experience, and 360-degree value are all characteristics of companies that make the A-list.

So is it possible to achieve? Absolutely. Here’s our ultimate guide!

Stop imitating and start innovating

Innovation. It’s a golden word. It’s the key, we are all told, to success. And there is a definite truth to that: without innovation, there would have been no Bakelite, and without that, no computers, and without those… well. The world would look very different indeed.

However, ‘innovation’ can sometimes seem like an unachievable goal. After all, we can’t all be the next inventor of the iPod.

Instead, studies show that successful innovation is more of an organizational philosophy than anything else. Innovative organisations have a culture of creativity, experimentation, and commitment to always putting the audience first. The mindset of ‘this is what I’m going to give the customer’ is becoming increasingly obsolete, replaced by the much more agile and powerful ‘what does the customer really want?’

Start with that basic question, and begin breathing fresh air into your brand. 

Infuse the experience with the brand

In a fragmented world where consumers exist in a kaleidoscope of information, it can be easy for brand identity to disintegrate. Audiences expect cohesion from their brands, but with the struggle for visibility over different platforms an ever-present problem, this can be hard to achieve.

Turning to visibility experts can help, and these are now better than ever. For example, SMR Digital provides an organic approach to search marketing. These days, that includes a dizzying array of marketing needs, such as Link Outreach, SEO, PPC, social media marketing. As the Forbes Agency Council recently noted, these trends are constantly evolving, and have a dramatic impact on customer relationships. They are something to be taken seriously. 

Prioritize quality support

Studies suggest that many start-ups think that quality support is less important than other aspects of an organization, such as marketing or engineering. However, this is a grave mistake. All of the evidence shows that customer service can be a make-or-break factor. Make sure that you don’t end up on the annual viral lists of customer service fails. 

Be relentless about talking to customers 

Everyone knows that there is a delicate balance between bombarding customers and completely ignoring them. Overdo it, and it’s all too easy for followers to hit ‘unsubscribe’. Under-do it, and you consign yourselves to the shadowy history of memory. The Chartered Institute of Marketing says that there is no one-size-fits-all rule. Instead, you need to listen to your customer base and align your marketing communication in tune with their tempo.

Create an experience around the business model

Gone are the days when a good idea automatically translated into steady revenue. Customers these days are things to treasure, something that the customers themselves are increasingly aware of. If you want to forge that lasting relationship, you’re unlikely to succeed on the basis of a great product and a basic marketing plan. Instead, your brand needs to exist in the 3D zone of the fully immersive experience.

Creating a brand experience takes both time and thought, according to innovation and creative manager Yasushi Kusume. This means that it has to be integrated into the business model as a whole. When you start recognizing that you will never be able to separate your brand from your customer’s experience of it, he argues, you are on your way to establishing a continuous engagement with your audience.

Closing thoughts

Perfect customer service is something that we are still learning about. Until recently, the “sell and forget” model worked perfectly well. These days, the idea is something that provokes a nostalgic chuckle. However, by following the simple steps that enable you to place the customer at the heart of your entire process, great engagement is achievable.

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After spending years hard at work in college, you’re ready to join the world beyond the dorm room and get your life started. When you graduate and move on, there will be some things you’ll do immediately after your college years. Here are five of the top things you should be prepared to do after you graduate college.

Find a Job

One of the very first things you’ll want to do after you graduate college is to find a job. Finding a meaningful career after college is easy for some while for others it may take some work to find the perfect job for you. You can find jobs in new york city for just about any job type, making it one of the perfect places to start your career. Securing a job is a vital first step to maintaining financial independence so you should prepare to start looking immediately after college.

Live on Your Own

After years of living with roommates in a dorm or apartment, it’s time to move out on your own. Finding your own place after college is an important step to being independent after school and will help you learn about yourself and how to manage a household quickly. You’ll soon master the art of making small repairs around your home and how to create and manage a monthly budget.

Start Saving for Retirement

Nothing makes you feel like more of an adult than opening your first retirement savings account when you secure your first job. Saving for retirement is a big step to ensuring you have a secure life after you eventually stop working. You’ll quickly learn about 401ks, IRAs, and 403bs when you start saving for your retirement. The sooner you start putting money away for your future the better off you’ll be when the day comes for you to retire.

Paying Bills

Paying bills is a right of passage or many adults, although not always a fun one. Managing your monthly bills responsibly is vital if you want to be financially independent. Along with your basic bills like your rent, cell phone, and utilities, you’ll also need to factor in paying back your college loans, credit cards, and the costs that are associated with owning a car if you have one. That’s why having a budget is important for keeping track of your bills and ensuring they get paid on time.

Find Your Hobbies

While you were in college, chances are you probably didn’t have a lot of time for activities outside of studying and attending classes. Now that you’ve finished your studies and are getting settled in with a career, you’ll likely have a little more free time to decide which hobbies are right for you and match your interests.

Meet Your Significant Other

Some people meet their spouses and significant others in college, but others don’t come along until after your college years. If you aren’t already in a serious relationship, chances are you’ll find your significant other after you graduate. Take this opportunity to enjoy meeting new people and don’t stress too much if you don’t find the one right away.

As you settle into the adult world after college, it can be a little scary at first. However, if you’re open to new experiences and flexible you should enjoy the things that come your way after your college years.

Alex Boyd, CEO and Founder of lead generation and revenue-building company, RevenueZen joins Enterprise Radio to discuss the Ikigai way to lead generation.

Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Alex Boyd discuss the following:

1. What is the Ikigai, and how are you using it to drive successful business?
2. How does a “zen” or mindful approach to business actually improve revenues?
3. What is the most common mistake businesses’ make in lead generation?
4. How did your personal journey take you from salesperson to mindful CEO?
5. What is the single most important thing a business owner can do to drive lead generation?

Tip: Success is 90% mental; minimize your downtime when things go wrong by viewing experience as a learning opportunity.

Alex Boyd is the CEO & Founder, RevenueZen, a demand generation company. Leveraging background in demand generation, sales development, scalable sales processes and lean growth strategy to create revenue and lead generation success. Experience in public companies as well as small startups.

I’ve built and successfully scaled a sales team from two reps to 20, turned around a Sales Development team from avg seven appts/mo/rep to 24 appts/mo/rep.

I’m an ambivert as much in love with the client conversation as I am with smooth back-office operations. I love helping companies choose among outbound sales and/or inbound marketing strategies, collaboratively building the plan, and owning pieces of that plan through a partnership my team.

Website: www.revenuezen.com

Social Media Links:
Twitter: @Revenue_Zen
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/revenuezen

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Traveling can be a high-stress situation whether you have to run for a flight or are left stuck in an airport lounge for hours at a time. When you are outside of familiar surroundings it can be a chore to make sure that you and all of your items stay safe. Hotel conferences, out of town meetings and even vacations can be a bad place to lose your laptop or have it stolen.

When you are travelling with your business laptop, you may be unaware of some of the risks that you may be facing. Business competitors and hackers are given a great opportunity to steal your info right from underneath you. Imagine someone getting unlimited access to your company secrets and data while you are away from home!

Information thieves are no longer limited to just the option of stealing your laptop unit. There are plenty of ways that they can gain access to your information without you even being aware. They can even hijack your files by USB. Take care with your laptop security when you are away from the office with these simple steps.

Disable Boot Drive Startup

One of the many ways that a hacker can gain access to your laptop data is by discreetly inserting a USB drive and restarting your computer so that it launches through the invading drive and allows them to access all of your important files. To prevent this you should go into your administrative settings and disable all of your boot drives. This will block any attempts via USB to pirate any of your information by making the port ignored for startup purposes.

Use Secure Passwords

Passwords are your first line of defence against hackers. Not only should you have a password for when the computer starts up, your laptop should also require you to re-enter your password after it is in sleep mode or hibernation. Passwords should be unique and very hard for a hacker to “guess”.

Simple passwords like “1234” or your name are not sufficient enough security to protect your laptop. A combination of letters, numbers and symbols is a much more effective password to maintain a high level of security.

Use A VPN

Hotels, conference centers and airports that have a public wifi system can be a dream for a hacker. They can be relatively simple to access without authorization leaving anyone connected at risk. When you are connected to public portal, you should be using a VPN or Virtual Private Network to conduct all of your online activity. This will provide you with a secure and encrypted information tunnel that hackers will not be able to see or access.

Whether you use your laptop for gaming or for business, using a VPN is one way of securing your data.

Stay Updated

Don’t ignore your computer’s prompts for system updates. Although they may pop up at an inconvenient time (such as, while you are working) it is important to keep your laptop as updated as possible. especially with anti-virus software. Ignoring important updates can leave your system open and vulnerable to malware, viruses or hackers.

Lock It Up

This may seem like the most obvious of security measures, but it is still often ignored. While travelling, if you are not using your laptop, you should be securing it in your rooms’ safe or in a lockbox provided by the hotel. When you are flying, keep your laptop in your carry-on luggage as opposed to your checked bags where you won’t be able to monitor it. If you need to have your laptop with you at all times, invest in a Kensington lock that will help deter anyone looking to make a quick grab.

Warren Buffet is one of the richest men in the world. He has held a position among the top investors for many years. He is also a man who has been heavily involved in philanthropic work. Buffet has also proven to be a great collaborator in business as he has worked with Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos on different projects. His philosophy and strategy have definitely worked for him for the many years he has been in business. Most people have wondered how he has been able to have such a profound investment strategy. So how exactly does he do it?

Warren Buffet’s Philosophy 

Warren Buffet uses a system where he follows the value of a security. He has indeed admitted that he goes for value investing and that is how he is able to get securities of low intrinsic value and grow them to valuable assets. Investors have different approaches when it comes to identifying and nurturing such securities. In the stock market, he does not exactly consider the market forces when he is acquiring assets. He just goes for the lowly valued assets and trusts the ability of the market to recover. This strategy is usually risky but rewarding for investors with patience. As reported by Admiral Markets, a lot of insight is needed to ensure a capital gain is realized. Buffet values ownership more than market conditions and that is how he manages to get returns on the investment in the long-term.

Buffets investment process

Warren Buffet follows practical business techniques to choose the kind of businesses that he invests in. this is in line with what most investors do as well. Every shrewd investor considers the return on equity (ROE) when calculating the time that the investment will yield profits. In short, Buffet aims to:

• Trims down the investment opportunities to a sizeable selection that only comprises of companies whose future prospects can be estimated
• Do away with companies that have a poor management team
• Estimate the value of the remaining companies and buy them at the least price possible

While there are quite a number of companies where it is not possible to estimate certain factors, Buffet makes his investment process completely foolproof so that he is only left with companies that he is sure about. He values the figures, variables and assessment processes.

The economics behind Buffets methodology

In short, Warren Buffet follows actual economic models to estimate the value of his investments in the long run. He does this by calculating the net income expected as well as that which has already been recorded by the company before. The process also involves investigating whether the company has any remaining liabilities. Liabilities are an extra burden that could cause problems in the future of any investment. While the best option is to go for companies that have zero debts and liabilities, the margins can also determine whether a company is worthy or not. Companies with little debt margins can be viable too as long as the margin does not affect the total value.

Buffet also considers the prevailing profit margins. A company with increasing profit margins offers the perfect opportunity for growth. Other than that, the duration that the company has been in the public is also important. Most companies that have only existed in the market for a short time are hard to evaluate. Those that have been in the market for a while but are undervalued are great for investment as the brand already has traction.

Another issue that factors in Warren Buffet’s model is the uniqueness of the products that the company produces. Companies with unique products are easily sellable. Those that have stiff competition though are much tougher to sell. In case the company that is in consideration is listed, the stocks must be selling at a much lower price than they should be. This is the most important part of the opportunity for any eligible company.

Conclusion 

In summary, Warren Buffet focuses on the basics of his investment style. He does not look down on any investment no matter how small it might be. The most important thing for him is that the investment opportunity presents an opportunity for growth. For Buffet, the long-term value of an opportunity is what matters and not its current value. This investment style is very unpresuming and it has allowed him to grow many undervalued businesses into big companies.

Content marketing sounds simply like a phrase used to describe something minor and pointless, but what it really means is engagement. Marketing has come a long way since the advent of the internet. It’s no longer restricted to one-way traffic in the same fashion as radio, television and print.

Engagement is the new marketing currency. 

You can just tell an audience about your product or service anymore. Consumers and customers want to be shown how your business can make a meaningful difference to their lives. 

Slow marketing for sustainable, long-term results

For many businesses, content marketing falls into the too hard basket. There are many facets of content marketing:

• social media 
• email outreach
• articles
• blogs
• podcasts
• videos

It can seem overwhelming. 

Content marketing is time-consuming but worthwhile 

There’s no way around it. But the benefits of spending this time creating compelling content are undeniable. Traditional media, TV, radio and print, may still wield considerable power with their immediacy, but creating a digital presence is imperative for companies of every size, regardless of the industry. 

Customers are savvier than ever and the usual marketing spin is no longer considered the right way to communicate with your audience. People want to be informed, not distracted. Content marketing, whether self-managed or through a digital marketing agency, gives businesses the opportunity to show off what they know. It’s no longer enough to say you’re the best – you need to show it. 

Showcase your expertise and build strong relationships

Creating informative content is more than simply telling a reader or viewer what you know – it’s a chance to show them how well you know it. Developing this relationship is critical for building trust and convincing people to part with their money. It’s a chance to showcase expertise and build a rapport that goes beyond a single transaction. If, for example, a plumber writes a blog about how to unblock a toilet, in the past this might be considered incongruous with attempting to bring in a customer who needs their toilet unblocked. Detailing the process may seem like giving away precious information and costing the business money, however, content marketing demands that businesses write about real things and provide real information. Show a customer that you know what you’re talking about and your chances of securing their business increase. Plus, even if you don’t secure their business, who knows who they’ll tell about finding the right information on your website. 

Give your SEO a boost

The knock-on effect of creating such an archive of knowledge is its usefulness in search engine optimisation. Google, and all search engines, work under the premise that people are looking for answers and a site that can provide them and resolve a user’s issue is more valuable to their site. People seem to forget that search engines are businesses. They aren’t democratic, benevolent organisations. Their survival and success depend upon their ability to find websites that give them what they need to satisfy their users. A website that is packed with accurate and detailed content will be more useful to them, leading to better organic ranking results and more exposure for your business. 

The other side of the SEO coin is that a site with a lot of content will be more attractive to search engine crawlers. Thin sites, or those with minimal content, are less likely to rank highly, simply because crawlers have less to read and analyse. Modern websites are often highly stylised, with graphics, taglines and pithy phrasing of their content. This is fine from a branding perspective, but offers very little on the content marketing side of the equation. A blog is an effective way to build credibility and inform visitors, while providing dense, keyword-rich content for search engines to read. 

Blogs and other digital content marketing strategies are the connective tissue that turn a great-looking website into a high ranking one. Coupled with the increased engagement, this will drive sales and leads to improve your bottom line, now and in the future. 

Jennifer Collins, President & CEO of JDC Events, an award-winning event design company based in the Washington, D.C. area that positions corporate clients to strengthen their brand through strategic events joins Enterprise Radio.

Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Jennifer Collins discuss the following:

1. What made you write your book?
2. How can events be built so that they can effectively drive your message?
3. Give me an example of how an event can cause some form of change.
4. What is one of the most common misperceptions about designing events?
5. How can listeners get a copy of the book?

Tip: Remember, events drive messages and it’s critical that you spend the time in the purpose phase identifying what you want to achieve with it. Without deciding on your goals, it’s a sure bet that it will most likely not produce what you need. Events are so incredibly powerful and impactful, but it’s the design of it that will spark the change.

Jennifer D. Collins, CMP, is President & CEO of JDC Events, an event design company that positions its clients to create impactful events that get results. She has built JDCEvents to deliver programs for corporate, government and nonprofit clients that strengthen stakeholder relations, build industry leaders and promote achievements through creative design, expert logistical coordination and leading event technology solutions.

Under her leadership, JDC Events has been ranked one of the top meeting and event planning companies in the Washington, D.C. region by the Washington Business Journal for 11 consecutive years. Collins also serves as leader in the business community, including as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Women Presidents’ Educational Organization (WPEO); member of the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO); and a member of the Women’s Enterprise Forum, an advisory group to the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

Collins has earned the coveted industry designations of Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and is a graduate of The American University in Washington, D.C. as well as the TUCK-WBENC Executive Education program at Dartmouth.

Website: www.jdc-events.com

Social Media Links:
Facebook: facebook.com/jdceventsllc
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jdcevents

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It is becoming increasingly necessary for companies to allow employees to access business data from remote locations on a variety of devices. This includes smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops, and any other computing device. Different employees will have access to different levels of secure data and it is vital for this data to be protected regardless of where it is being accessed from. This is especially true now that it is becoming more popular for companies to have a BYOD (bring your own device) policy. This is far more cost effective for a business, but it also brings with it new security challenges. The vast majority of the time, personal smartphones spend approximately 90% of the time they are connected to WIFI, connected to an unsecured source. This is where enterprise mobility management (emm) becomes incredibly useful, necessary even. If you are not yet familiar with enterprise mobility management, you are in the best place you can be. What is contained here is a basic guide to all things enterprise mobility management. You will find details about what it is, how to use it, where to find it, and what it means among other basic information. By the time you finish reading this, you will feel like an expert on the subject.

First off, let’s talk about what exactly enterprise mobility management means and what it is. The word “enterprise” is used here to reference your business. “Business” is a synonym of “enterprise” so, if it is easier to think of it in those terms, by all means, do. To fully understand enterprise mobility management, you must begin by understanding the term itself and the best way to do that is by breaking down each individual word. The first word, enterprise, can have two meanings. The first definition is simply a way of referring to a business. As stated above, the word enterprise is often used as a synonym for the word, business. The next word, mobility, has two meanings. When most people think of this word, they think of movement, specifically movement of the human body. When someone is injured, people often say that a person has “limited mobility”. However, there is another meaning that specifically relates to technology. In this case, mobility refers to having particular services available on mobile devices. Finally, word management. This word refers to managing or supervising an event, business, project, or organization. So, enterprise mobility management means managing all of the necessary mobile features and connections of a business.

Now that you know what it means, you need to know what it is. Enterprise mobility management is a generalized term for software that allows the head of IT to control how employees are using company data when they are mobile. The necessity of being able to access company data while on the go is quickly becoming more and more prominent. Between telecommuting and the simple need to continue work after going home, the need for mobile regulations is high. There are several ways to for this to be accomplished. App monitoring, security codes, connection monitoring, and blocking, work profiles, content management, and service management.

The next step is to learn about each part of enterprise mobility management. The first part is often referred to as app management or MAM. This is when the IT manager uses enterprise mobility management software to control how company related apps are used. This includes when they are used, for how long they can be used, where they can be accessed, and how they are used. This allows the manager to ensure the security of company data that is accessed through specific apps. To someone unfamiliar with using company apps, this may sound invasive, but it is vital that company data be protected at all times. This type of software is designed in such a way as to only affect company apps, it will not invade the privacy of the device owner. This technology also strives to keep personal and company apps separate which means they will not interact or crossover, therefore, personal information will not leak into the company apps.

Next, enterprise mobility management software provides content management or MCM. The way these feature works is by allowing the IT manager the ability to wipe all company data from the device if it becomes lost or stolen. Sadly, this feature is also incredibly helpful for those terrible occurrences when an employee is fired or quiets and they need to wipe company data off of their device. This way, all company data is protected from falling into the wrong hands and kept where it needs to be.

The third factor in emm software is network and service management. This feature allows the IT manager to control what is being processed over certain networks and services. It is a fact, that the vast majority of personal mobile devices spend upwards of 90% of the time they are on WIFI hooked to an unsecured connection. An unsecured connection has the potential to allow hackers to access vital information and alter essential documents. This feature prevents company data from being accessed or transmitted through an unsecured connection.

There are two ways for a company to use enterprise mobility management software. The first is for them to provide employees with company-issued devices. This is the easiest way because all of the necessary settings, apps, and software can be pre-installed and set up appropriately. This also allows a higher level of control over the device as a whole. The second option is often referred to as BYOD which stands for bring your own device. This option allows employees to use their personal smartphone, tablet, or laptop instead of a company issued one. While the first option provides more control, this option is a money saver. Not only is a company issued device purchased by the company, the bill is also paid by the company. A personal device, however, is purchased and maintained by the individual. The way BYOD works, is the individual will be given specific apps to download, access codes to use specifically on that device, and profile information to set up. All of these things together will give the IT manager the need access and control to successfully utilize enterprise mobility management software.

Whether you need to liaise with clients around the world or bring together a remote workforce, connectivity it key. A fast, stable and reliable internet connection is an imperative, however, it doesn’t stop there. Digital innovation moves rapidly and even 10 years ago, relying on digital tools to do business was an impossibility. Today, the ability to connect with employees and clients, whether they’re in the same building and city or half way around the globe, has dramatically improved. 

File sharing 

To send large files, naturally you need a fast internet connection. Beyond that however, there are several platforms available that help you get your files from A to B, C, D, or even Z. File sharing is often thought of as cloud computing, but to send the types of files that are used by marketing teams or people in creative industries, you need a middle step. There are many companies offering file sharing services, allowing business to send hundreds of megabytes and gigabytes around the world, providing a safety net that mitigates against the possibility of dropped connections when transferring directly and aren’t limited by file size caps like most email providers are. 

Video conferencing 

Video calling has been a reality since the 80s, but it was never reliable or useful. In 2018, video calls have entered the mainstream and everyone uses it to communicate with friends and family in far flung places. Video or tele-conferencing has been making waves in the business world too. Working remotely has become a legitimate way to conduct business around the world, with software such as Skype, Facetime Viber and more, at the forefront of the industry. These platforms allow meetings of any and every size to be conducted easily and conveniently, regardless of the physical distance between participants. 

Project management 

Coordinating staff and keeping everyone informed on a project has in the past meant that everyone needs to be under one roof. In the same way that video calling has become incredibly powerful and a vital business tool, project management has also been digitised and streamlined. Real-time updates coupled with intricate and powerful software means that managing a team isn’t geographically restricted any longer. The software available has developed from simple schedules and lists to fully-interactive and tightly integrated pieces of software that ensure everyone understands the direction the team is headed and their part in the plan.

Cloud collaboration

A major drawback of a disparate workforce was keeping close tabs on version control. Who has the most up-to-date version? Often, businesses attempted to solve this conundrum by using physical drives accessible through a network, but that led to other issues and never fixed the core problem of version control. Now there are many cloud computing solutions that allow multiple people to access the same file, at the same time, without losing anyone’s changes or worrying about who has the most current version. There are no concerns about whether someone has saved the file to their desktop, rather than the network drive, and all alternations and contributions can be tracked easily. 

A powerful package for cutting overheads

Taken individually, each of these cornerstones are a fine addition to a regular business. Staff in the office need to communicate and collaborate digitally, even if they are in the same room. However, bring each of these elements together and it starts to show how a remote workforce can be equally efficient and productive as one required to turn up to the office each day. The margins for entrepreneurs can be wafer thin so any chance to save money should be eagerly grabbed. Reducing the size of an office space and developing a remote workforce can save thousands of dollars a year in rent and overheads, which is money that can be used to improve other facets of the business.