Showing all posts tagged running a business

In Business & Blogging, Parenting

Growing a Business & Outsourcing as a Parent

Author Nicki CawoodPosted on
Growing a Business & Outsourcing as a Parent

The act of growing a business while being a parent takes some serious juggling. Even if your children are angels that sleep and offer you calm nights in you are still going to have more to do than seems possible in a mere 24 hours. Growing a business while struggling with the minutiae of everyday life as a parent might seem impossible but it can be done If I could do it, anyone can! if growing a business is something you’re determined to do you need to consider outsourcing. 

Outsourcing Saves You Having To Learn New Skills

These days, we have to be hot on our marketing, and there are numerous companies out there like Herdl that can help with web design, or even freelance websites like PeoplePerHour, where you can get the right people on board. Outsourcing tasks to someone who is skilled bypasses you having to upskill yourself. This is vital when you are trying to free up time for work life balance and to work on your business. You can, of course,  invest in personal development down the road if you think it will benefit you and your business long term.

Does Outsourcing Work In A Home Environment?

Running a business from home can be a challenge, just ask this gentleman being interviewed on the news, where his children were trying to break into the room and say hello. Outsourcing work when you work from a home environment should be just as easy, if not more so, than in an office setup. The beauty of outsourcing is that you are able to hand off tasks to someone else. Usually these tasks including admin, bookkeeping and a whole host of jobs that can be done virtually. I work from home and remote work. I outsource numerous tasks. As a freelance copywriter I work for many types of clients. Some run their own home-based businesses and outsource their content-related work to me. 

Growing A Business & Outsourcing As A Self-Employed Parent

It is important not to tie yourself in knots trying to be everything to everyone and to do everything “right”. I’ve been a parent and self-employed for thirteen years. I still find the juggle hard work some times but outsourcing really can help, as can being realistic about the time you have available. Prioritise family time and “you” time, outsourcing when you can and you’ll see that growing a business while balancing parenting is absolutely possible, and maybe even enjoyable.

In Business & Blogging

Running a Business Effectively

Author Nicki CawoodPosted on

Running a business can feel a lot like juggling, much like parenting does. At any given moment you could have a lot of balls up in the air, and you can’t afford to drop a single one. However, some areas of your business are going to be more important than others and should be considered a top priority. It’s crucial that you know what these areas are and how to handle them effectively. This is something I learnt very quickly!

running a business

 

Security Matters

It’s safe to say that security has become a major issue for every business owner and indeed, every customer. In the next few years, cybertheft will become the main problem for companies with a hack on a company expected to occur every twenty seconds. When a cyber hack does occur then, it’s not your business that is targeted but rather your customers. It’s their data that’s being stolen. It’s them who is actually at risk.

Recently business owners in Europe were put through the ringer with the new GDPR, a set of data regulations and a hefty threat of fines for not remaining compliant. You may have noticed that a number of high profile websites are now no longer accessible in Europe, suggesting their security was simply not up to code.

Increased security can start at a basic level simply by running your site on Https, a higher level of encryption compared with Http. Make sure you are up to date with what your business needs to do in order to be GDPR compliant and of course as secure as possible.

Data and Running a Business Effectively

While data is certainly linked to security, this is not the only reason for focusing on this area of business. You should also be thinking in terms of what data can do for your company. Ultimately, using data correctly you can chart not just where your business is but where it is going and what it can be. Every major company invests in data analytics or uses a service like Cloudstream Partners, and you should consider doing the same. With this type of setup, you can unlock the true potential of data from discovering what your customers want from your business to finding out what your next step should be.  

Legal

Are you worried about the legal aspects of your company? The answer is probably no, but you should be. It’s very easy to fall on the wrong side of the legal line when running a business. Regulations and laws change every day, and if you don’t keep up with these new evolutions, then you could find yourself with legal fees and claims against your company. Do make sure that you consider investing in the services of a legal advisor who can keep you on the right path here and have insurance in place. 

Logistics

Lastly, do make sure that the logistics area of your business model runs like clockwork. It’s vital that deliveries and orders are handled fast with turnaround time kept low. A failure to do this will result in poor customer reviews that could cripple your business bottom line. Whether you are a freelancer such as myself or run a bricks and mortar business or even a big company, having effective management of these things is a must.

What would you say is essential to running a business effectively?

 

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