Category: Business Insights

America’s small business owners create jobs, original products, and services, and these entrepreneurs make things happen for their companies – even during the rough times. What you might not know about half of small businesses, though, according to the Small Business Administration, is that they are run from home.

How to Start a Business From Home

Running a business from home can be a simple undertaking if you take the right steps to start. There is no end to the types of businesses that are run from homes, and they can range from providing financial services to selling art and antiques on Etsy or eBay. In all honesty, you are very much unlimited when it comes to the type of business you want to run from your home. In order to execute it, the most important aspects are to have the right tools to reach the right audiences, while also having the best tools to actually run the business.

Virtual Tools for Maximum Efficiency

If you are one of numerous Americans who run their small business from home or if you’re thinking about starting a small business from home, there are a few ways that Global Call Forwarding can help your business grow.

Purchasing virtual phone numbers from Global Call Forwarding can help small businesses establish a presence in places the business cannot physically be in. The numbers act as a point of contact between customers and businesses. The following includes a list of ways virtual numbers can benefit your business from home with maximum efficiency.

Keep Your Professional Life and Personal Life Separate

Having a virtual phone number attached to your home phone, cell phone, desktop, or tablet gives you the freedom to take work calls on your personal devices without having to give out your personal phone number. Now you have the choice and ability to walk away from your office phone without eliminating communications.

Set Business Hours

No one can be available 24 hours a day, but having a virtual phone number gives you access to many features. You can choose what time your business hours are, and then you can set up a voicemail message to let your customers know what time those business hours are or direct them to leave a message. Not only can you set up a personalized business voicemail, but you can also set your hours by visiting your account page and updating your settings. That way you won’t have to be bothered when you’re sitting down to dinner.

Put Them On Hold

Your customers won’t think its professional that you have a crying toddler in the background or a barking dog every time the mailman walks up to the house. If you run a business from home you may run into problems occasionally, and luckily that’s what the Hold Button is for. Once you’ve soothed your crying toddler or saw the mailman safely make his way to the next house, you can return to your call. You also have the option to transfer the call to another phone. If you run your business with another person or have someone working for you, you can simply dial their extension and forward the call over. Your small business will seem like it has all the bells and whistles of a large corporation.

Change Up Your Ringtone

Global Call Forwarding offers local ringback tones for anywhere in the country. The familiar ringing tones in each country are different from one to the next. Customers calling from other countries will prefer to hear their local ringtone, and you can customize your phone line to give them exactly that.

Call Recording

The Call Recording features will benefit your business in numerous ways. Being able to record calls and play them back will help you with your customer service skills. You will start to learn what works and doesn’t work and change your approach accordingly. It also helps when training a team of people, that way everyone can have a script of what they will say to customers. In the event of a legal situation, which is an unfortunate situation that businesses may have to deal with at some point, you can use the recorded phone call as evidence on your behalf.

Time of Day Routing

This feature allows you to route your calls to the device of your choosing when convenient. For example, if you normally work at a desk in your home, but step out to go to lunch or pick your children up from school, you can get your phone calls routed to your cell phone when you are away from your desk. You can also reroute your calls to an automatic voicemail message if you like to work within certain business hours. This automatic rerouting allows you to be present with your business as much as you would like to be, at your convenience.

Running a Business From Your Home

Running a small business from your home has never been easier than it is today. Your time is precious, and you deserve the freedom to work from wherever you want to be. Global Call Forwarding will help you on your way to expanding your business while looking professional and making the most of your time.

If you’re ready to take your business to the international level, there a few challenges that you might happen upon during your journey. The reasons behind these challenges are numerous. The recent Brexit from the European Union, political differences, and economic differences between international governments are just the beginning. To become a successful business leader in this global industry, there are practices in business that you should not observe carelessly. It will be an uphill battle but expanding and reaching new clients means a big boost to your profits. Despite these challenges, there are a few general rules that you can take into consideration before jumping into the international business world.

Do Your Research

Learning all you can about a foreign market is the first step to heading towards international business. You want to understand the market trends, how the economy flows, and the behaviors of consumers. If you find several issues that won’t allow you to enter the market or realize that your product or service is not necessarily beneficial to that foreign market, you will be happy that you did your research beforehand. It is better to find out it won’t work early on and work on choosing a different foreign market in the early stages. A normal American logo can look like an inappropriate symbol in a foreign market and vice versa. You do not want to offend your customers with your product. Try to speak to local distributors for some insights. Local distributors know how their customers behave and can point out issues with your product that may work in America, but not overseas.

Learn the Etiquette

Respect the culture, language, and simple etiquette of your new consumers and clients to get ahead. Human behavior varies greatly between countries. For example, blowing your nose in a meeting with Japanese businessmen will get you turned away. It is considered very crude, even if you can’t help that you have a cold. It is best to walk out of the room before taking care of a runny nose. Fortunately, you can learn about these many different cultural differences by doing a quick web search.

Decide Where You Will Run Your Business

Will you run your business from one place or have several shops around the world? If you choose to run your business from one place, consider getting an international virtual phone number so that you can keep in touch with clients and consumers. They will be more trusting of a local number than a foreign number and it will make them believe that you have a shop in their city. If you do expand your business with different stores or teams, you will need to coordinate between different time zones how you will all work together.

International Taxes and Accounting

After you have researched the area and decided on where you will run your business, you will need to look into that country’s tax information. You want to stay on the side of legality, therefore, understanding trading laws is key to gaining success and keeping it. Employment and labor requirements are different in other countries, too. For example, in Europe, employees receive 25-33 days of vacation time and you must also provide a minimum 14-weeks of maternity leave for expectant mothers.

Pricing Correctly To Break Into New Markets

Many businesses trying to break into the Chinese market realized right away that if their prices did not match the Chinese population’s expectations, they would not be able to compete in the market. The Chinese believe that the product should match the quality. That means that you might have to price down or price up your products depending on their view. For example, Apple products are priced higher in China than in America, because they are a symbol of status. If you can afford an expensive Apple product in China then you clearly have some degree of prestige.

Find Acceptable Payment Methods

There are a wide variety of payment methods that can be accepted internationally through e-commerce websites. It is important that you choose the right one for your business. PayPal, wire transfers, and Bitcoin are all possible payment methods. You can also go through well-respected global payment companies like Worldpay or through local payment methods in the country that you choose to do business in.

Despite these challenges, this is an exciting new chapter for your business! Since you are better prepared to face these challenges head-on, you and your business are sure to become stronger and more profitable because of it.

Whether you work from home or at an office, it is essential to have a physical space that gives you the best tools in order to get your work done. Let’s be honest, your workspace is the probably where you spend the majority of your time, so it is important that everything inside and around you is comfortable, creativity-inducing, and productive. Your workspace is your exclusive place to set tasks, goals, and finish assignments. And since you’re probably working for a paycheck that you want and need, it is important that that workspace has all the bells and whistles inside to ensure you do a wonderful job.

Have All Of Your Necessities Within Reach

Take a second to sit down and think about all the things that you may need while you’re at work. Write them down. Now, look at your workspace. Do you have all the items you need? If not, get them! If you’re constantly asking every other person to borrow their stapler, maybe it’s time you rise to the occasion and splurge on one for yourself? If you can’t concentrate without a morning cup of coffee, keep a coffee maker within reach. In addition to necessary supplies, inspirational items are important, too. Whatever inspires you to do the work that you do – keep that close. It could be a photo of your daughter, a playlist of your favorite songs, or an inspirational book or sign.

Keep It Clean

Some people do thrive in chaos, but if you’re not one of those lucky people, then try to keep your space organized. A little dust on the top of your computer that you get to once a month is fine, but make sure that important paperwork and necessary supplies are easy to find. It is easy to get distracted by a cluttered workspace. A lot of time is wasted when you spend several minutes looking for something that should be right in your desk drawer. You’ll feel better about yourself, your work, and your workspace if its clean. So tidy up the place once in a while.

Silence Is Deadly

Working in an eerily quiet or overly noisy office or home space can be distracting. Like the co-worker who can’t stop clearing their throat every five minutes? Drown out the background noise with a playlist of your favorite inspirational songs. This playlist probably isn’t the same one you’ll use to pump you up at the gym, or maybe it is? Classical music is always a great choice for studying, but maybe your work isn’t all that academic. Some people derive great amounts of creativity from the songs that they listen to while working. It is very dependent on the individual when considering which music will be helpful and not distracting while working. If you would describe yourself as more high-energy then you’ll probably opt for hip-hop, rock, or even some heavy metal. Introverts or more mainstream types may get more work done with some nice background ambiance, like the tunes found on ambient-mixer.com. They will also be the ones mellowing out to soundscapes like thunderstorms, and instrumental music without lyrics.

If you are looking to find music that you can listen to while still being able to get the most work done in the shortest amount of time, you should consider opting for mellow music like instrumental, classical, and chill-hop. It is much less disruptive than scream core. However, if you want to amp yourself up before you work, then something with a faster beat and loud lyrics can certainly do that.

Everyone is different and not every job is the same. A disheveled office is not going to be the best workspace for a Type A business person. A writer may want to enjoy the sounds of a rainforest and have a stash of healthy snacks next to him/ her while penning the next great American novel. Meanwhile, an artist may only be able to create their masterpieces while listening to punk rock and surrounded by empty boxes of Chinese takeout. Once you’ve created the perfect workspace in your mind, take it to the next level and build your workspace into the perfect physical space conducive to productivity and you will soon be getting the most out of your work.

So you started your own business. That’s a goal many people only dream of and not many achieve. You may be giving yourself a well-deserved pat on the back, but there are always things in the back of your mind that may cause you stress. The fact is that starting your own business takes time, effort, and a lot of faith. Not only must you have faith in yourself but you must surround yourself with others that have faith in you and vice versa. You, your business, your family, your clients, and your employees… that’s a lot of people to have to constantly worry about. Not everyone can cut it as an entrepreneur and there are many aspects of entrepreneurship that aren’t as glamorous sounding as you may have thought when you started your journey. Sure there are entrepreneurs whose ideas have gone on to become so popular that it seems like their products sell themselves, but that’s a sliver of the reality of it. In truth, entrepreneurs must constantly be on their toes. Here are several things to know about about being an entrepreneur and building your business from the ground up.

1. Letting Go Of Other Dreams And People

In order to fully realize one dream, it may be necessary to let go of another. Dreams come with sacrifice and these could be personal or professional. If you aren’t ready to let go of your cushy corporate job then you may find that there is not enough time left over to focus on building the brand that you’ve always dreamed of. If your family and friends are not fully on board with your dream, there is a large chance it won’t work out. A support system is key in realizing your dreams. You may have to ditch the naysayers, at least for a while.

2. Balancing Work And Life

If you are building a company from the ground up, you can say goodbye to any free time. Many entrepreneurs find themselves in a constant swarm of meetings, brainstorming ideas, networking, and more. Even if you do make it out to your daughter’s ballet recital, you could find your thoughts drifting off to your business. Long hours are a requirement for entrepreneurs. When it’s your business and your livelihood, it’s no wonder that it takes center stage in your mind. Especially, in the beginning, you might find yourself shirking your chores, skipping the gym, and trading in your favorite sitcoms for informative podcasts.

3. Loneliness

“It’s lonely at the top.” There’s a reason for this popular saying. The bigger your business gets, the more competition it will have, and therefore more people who will be against your success. Then, of course, you are the boss of your huge empire. You’re surrounded by many people throughout the day, but you can never get too friendly with your employees as that may later cause tension or backlash. There’s no lonelier feeling than being surrounded by people and not having anyone to lean on.

4. Responsibility

It was your dream to become your own boss, right? Did you ever think about all the not-so-fun things that go with being the boss? Didn’t think so. There are some unpleasant rules that need to be established for any business to run successfully. You might have to implement rules that your employees do not particularly care for. There’s also the annoying responsibility of having to fire people from time to time, who aren’t aligned with your company’s direction. Along with implementing rules, you’re also tasked with carrying them out, and most people will divert to you when they have questions. Answering other people’s questions, along with being the one who is responsible for creating “new ideas” all the time can be very taxing.

5. Succumbing to Decision Making Fatigue

As mentioned before, you’ll be tasked with answering a lot of questions throughout your day. These questions will come from clients, investors, and employees all day long. You could suffer from some burnout and mental fatigue after a long, grueling day. The more decisions you make throughout your day could become steadily worse if you’re not accustomed to exercising your decision-making skills. You should implement a plan to avoid some simple decisions so that way you have more brainpower later and you will stay rational and informed throughout the day.

Imagine if the monotony of a work day could be lessened by bringing along your favorite furry friends. It is becoming increasingly more common to allow dogs and other pets into the workplace. Huge companies such as Etsy, Google, and Amazon allow their employees to bring their pets to work. Many pet-centric companies, such as Purina, have been doing this for years as well. If you’re thinking about working for a company that allows pets in the office or if you are thinking about adding a pet policy to your business, first you should check out this list of pros and cons of bringing pets to the office. While the affection of our furry friends is pretty much the best thing ever, there are some considerations to keep in mind.

Pro: Pets remind us that we need to take breaks sometimes.

When you’re caring for a dog, you become very aware of their needs for food and bathroom breaks, and this can lead to great perks like regularly-scheduled walks around the block. Often employees will ignore their basic needs in order to continue working. Having a pet to feed and nurture, reminds workers that they may need a snack and a break, too. Employees who listen to their bodies and take regular time to stretch out and care for themselves are able to perform better at their jobs, too.

Con: Distraction

On the other side of the coin, you may be working on a problem and nearing a solution when Fido starts to paw at you and turn around in circles, letting you know he has to go out. To leave your projects sitting around and then not being able to remember where you left off when you return can be a real problem. You may begin missing deadlines or leaving out important details that you would have otherwise included if you hadn’t been interrupted.

Pro: Improvements in employee satisfaction and morale

Employees are more relaxed when there are animals around. This 2012 study found that employees who brought their animals with them to the workplace had decreased levels of stress hormones compared to people who did not bring their pets. People who did not bring their pets experienced higher levels of stress at work. Not only do animals decrease stress at work for people, but allowing employees to bring their dogs to work also eliminates costs for the employees who may be paying for doggie daycare or a dog walking business.

Con: Hiring people with allergies or who are afraid of animals.

There could be a lot of legal trouble that happens if you refuse to hire a person because they’re severely allergic to cats or who are afraid of dogs. If there are people in your office that have severe allergies to animals and/ or have phobias of certain animals, then it will be necessary to create a safe area to prevent them from interacting with the animals. That may become a hassle over time, and you may risk losing employees with great talent who do not want to work in the presence of animals all day.

Pro: Employee turnover and performance

Companies that allow pets into the workplace often have lower levels of employee turnover. In addition, people want to show up for work! There are fewer absences reported and people are even more willing to work longer hours. Since the dogs are already running around the office, no employee is rushing home to let their dogs out.

Con: Potential for damage and legal issues

There are some legal issues that you will have to worry about as well. In the event a dog bites or trips an employee or customer, you could be dealing with a liability lawsuit. It is also possible that a pet may cause permanent damage, by breaking important items or having an accident somewhere that is potentially dangerous.

Bringing pets to work comes down to each individual’s preference. As the owner of a company, these pros and cons should be something you factor into making the decision to allow pets or not. As an employee who wants to work in an environment with animals, it is a definite yes. However, if you have found your dream job but you’re afraid of dogs, then you must first discuss options with your employer that will allow you to work safely away from the office terrier.

Thinking of starting your own business? Becoming an entrepreneur takes a lot more than just a great idea. You have to map out a plan of action, assemble the perfect team, and then you have to put in the work. It’s not easy to start your own business, but it is not impossible, either. The hardest part is deciding where to start. Check out these 5 tips for entrepreneurs before starting your journey.

Choose Something That You Care About

If there’s a problem that you have, solve it for yourself. If something didn’t work for you, then there are probably a lot of people out there that need your solution too. You create your own life and your own path. Following your heart and things you’re passionate about is the best path towards success because you won’t give up if you have a stake in it. Energy has a limit in monotonous work, but when you’re really passionate about something, it’s as if the energy comes out of nowhere and helps you to reach your goal. Satisfaction in life comes from going after what you want, after all.

Do The Research / Know Your Client

Do plenty of research before launching a new brand. It is especially important to understand what your client’s wants and needs are. Once you have launched, it is still very important to keep listening to the customer. If they don’t like something, listen to them. When they do like something about your product, listen then too. You always want to have the best product available, but you also need a solid customer base to sell that great product. Let your consumers know that they’re important by delivering the solutions they’ve asked for.

Surround Yourself With The Right People

Always grab opportunities to network with others. Finding a mentor or coach is very helpful when it comes to starting out as an entrepreneur. Along with researching tips like the ones found here, to hear advice straight from other successful entrepreneurs is very advantageous. If you know that you have cultivated a strong team, be kind to them. Show your appreciation every chance that you get. If there are some people who are falling behind, don’t be afraid to give them the opportunity to work somewhere else. This is your dream and you need the strongest team you can create by your side.

Know Your Finances

Being able to balance a budget is key to being successful. You can get yourself into a lot of financial trouble if balancing a checkbook is hard for you. A successful business turns out a profit; it is important to recognize key details that don’t work for your business and even more important to recognize the things that do work. Any cash flow problems need to be addressed immediately, always. Also, plan ahead with finances because you cannot expect to see returns immediately; making money takes time. A business does not become highly profitable right away, so be sure to map out a plan for repaying debts on time.

Don’t Give Up

Above all: keep hustling for your dream and never give up. If you fail, then you can always try again. Failure is never the last option. No matter what happens, as long as you keep your vision alive in your brain you can keep working on it in the physical world. Whenever you see something that seems to be an overnight success, it most likely took a lot longer than you think. If you’re willing to put in the work and keep chasing after those goals, then you’ve got what it takes to succeed. Keep persevering, because after hearing 100 people say “no,” you really only need one to say “yes.”

Getting to the level of success that you want as an entrepreneur will take time. It is important to never lose sight of your original vision and to never stop working towards your goals. These 5 tips, will hopefully help you cultivate your own path to success in your entrepreneurial business.

Growing a small business is no easy task, especially when most consumers trust names that have been around for a while. Luckily there are easy ways to make any business seem like a large corporation that has been around for years. If you’re looking to grow your small business right away but are unsure of how to do that, check out our 8 ways to Fake It Till You Make It.

Get a P.O. Box

If you’re working from home or a shared space, it is a good idea to use a P.O. Box for your business. It can be dangerous to give out your home address, so this separates your business life from your personal life. You will know that packages will always be safe when using a P.O. Box. There are other options than the USPS, too. UPS offers a street address, that way you can receive mail from anywhere – not just from the USPS.

Amp Up Your Website

Your website should look professional and always be up to date. If you want your business to be taken seriously then a quality website should be at the top of your to-do list. Luckily there are several platforms out there like WordPress, Squarespace and GoDaddy that can offer you your own domain name, hosting, and a premade theme for your site for just a few hundred dollars. If you’re on a budget, which you probably are if you are a small business, then using one of these sites is a great way to have an excellent website to showcase your products and stay in the green.

Get a Toll-Free Number With Extensions

Consider setting up a toll-free number that your consumers can easily reach you at. With a toll-free number from providers like Global Call Forwarding, you can add unlimited extensions. For example, “Press 1 for sales” and so on. The more extensions that you have set up, the bigger your business looks. Even if there is only one person working in each of these departments, and that person is you, it still gives off the perception that the consumer is dealing with a large business.

Add LLC To Your Business Name

This will take a bit of an investment on your part, but in the end will be worth it. With an LLC you can keep your business separated from your personal life. If your business goes into debt it won’t affect your personal assets. An LLC turns your small business into a corporation and it requires a separate tax return from your personal taxes. Plus, it is a lot easier to register as an LLC than an S-Corporation or C-Corporation.

Buy Virtual Phone Numbers in Multiple Locations

Consumers are more likely to trust local businesses. If a potential customer finds that they will be able to reach your business from their local area code, they will be more likely to want to do business with you. If you do not have the means to expand your business to other states or countries you can always claim a virtual presence by using VoIP. This is especially helpful if you already have several customers in a different country or state. Businesses make their money from loyal customers and if you are easily able to stay in contact with them by providing them with a no-fee telephone number they are more likely to stay loyal.

Focus On Social Media

Growing your social media presence is a great way to find new customers and market for free. Small businesses should stay focused on social media since it is a great way to stay in contact with consumers, too. Figure out which social media site will be the best for your particular business and invest time into your page. Restaurants benefit from using Instagram because they can show off pictures of their beautiful food or their lively scene to about 2.3 billion active users. Many businesses also benefit from paying influencers to advertise their products to their thousands or millions of followers. If you are not sure how to go about managing your social media, hire someone to do it for you. There are many marketing companies that specialize in social media, or you can find a freelancer if you want something more personal. If you are trying to grow your social media on your own, then there are several websites that make it simple to follow up on social media statistics, like followers and growth. These sites will usually have the ability to post content for you on a continuous basis, too. That way you can load up on content at one time and the site will post it each day or at different intervals in the day.

Set Up A Separate Business Email

No one is going to take you seriously if your email address ends in @yahoo.com or @gmail.com. Creating an email address with your business’ name looks more professional and will be better for your brand since your business’ name will be constantly displayed in your customers’ inboxes. There are plenty of email providers to choose from and they all have very great features for a low price.

Invest Time and Money Into Good Marketing

If you want your small business to become a big business then you should model your company after them. Large corporations spend a huge amount of their budget on good marketing. You probably won’t be able to spend millions or billions on marketing when you’re just starting out, but investing a chunk of your profits into consistent marketing is a great avenue for creating more revenue. Not only will your products or services get seen by more people, your products and services will be advertised in a professional manner. Plan out your budget and choose marketing strategies that are right for your particular business. If you’re not selling Doritos then you don’t need a 60-second commercial spot during the Super Bowl. However, you may benefit from a direct mail campaign.

Remember that winning in business means being able to compete with the competition. Making it appear that your business is bigger than it actually is is not unethical if you know that your product or service is good. In order to compete sometimes, you gotta fake it till you make it.