Business

Since the Royal Mail’s monopoly on parcel delivery ended, the market has been flooded with new delivery brokers and courier companies.

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The growth of the sector and its importance have also been affected by the change in the nation’s shopping habits, with online purchasing representing a huge part of the market, including for small and medium-sized businesses.

Retailers

Under the Sale of Goods Act it is the vendor’s responsibility to ensure that items reach the purchaser in good time and in a satisfactory condition. This means that small retailers must look at several issues before hiring their courier service.

1. Do you need to outsource a parcel distribution provider or contract a single carrier directly? If you are only sending out a few parcels each week, say 20, you should enter into an agreement directly. If you are sending significantly more locally, nationally and possibly internationally, an agent may be a better option as they will be able to reduce your costs significantly as they will negotiate group rates. Always ensure they are passing these savings on to you.

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2. If you have specialised goods, such as medical or frozen items, you will need to ensure that your chosen courier has experience in carrying these goods safely. Delicate goods such as glassware or toiletries will also need to be carried carefully. If you are selling clothes, you will need to cope with returns, and it is vital that you are dealing with a company that is used to this kind of activity and understands returns are likely across the period of the contract.

3. You may want to ensure quick delivery and so may be looking for same day couriers. Information about such firms is widely available online, including at sites such as http://allaboutfreight.co.uk/same-day-courier-service.

4. You may have clients overseas, and so you will need to ensure your courier also has facilities in the markets you are hoping to exploit. This can help to reduce shipping and customs fees. Your courier should also understand the potential impact of the UK leaving the EU.

5. Finally, your delivery provider’s service should integrate with your own website and platform. This will ensure both parties get automatic notification of new orders and the execution of deliveries.

Answers

Once you have the answers, you are ready to hire.

How an office workplace environment is designed and fitted out can have a big impact on the productivity of employees. If you’re noticing that the performance of your employees isn’t as strong as it could be and workers are lacking motivation, it may be time to overhaul the office. After all, the workplace is where employees spend most of their time, so it’s important for the environment to be pleasant to work in. Here are five tips to help you overhaul your office and improve your workplace environment.

Go Back to Square One

Square one is how your office was before you introduced the items it currently has now. Over time, you will have likely collected a large amount of files, documents, letters and books that may not be needed anymore. Identify the items that you must keep by emptying all desks and drawers. Cleaning out the workplace and getting rid of clutter and unnecessary fixtures can make room for more important things that may come your way in the future. Removing clutter can also minimise distraction and boost productivity.

Have a Plan

It’s important to plan out exactly what your commercial office fitouts will involve before you begin. Buying random items without a plan can lead to doubling up on certain items, or buying pieces that aren’t suitable for your space. It’s therefore essential to research furniture that will suit the space. A mood board is a great way to experiment with styles before you start buying items, as you can easily edit and refine the board as your ideas develop and grow.

Assign Activity Areas

When you’re overhauling your office, it’s a good idea to allocate areas for different activities. For example, if your office often holds meetings with clients, you should have a specific space in your office for meeting rooms. Your office should also have break rooms and relaxation spaces where employees can go to unwind and relax on their breaks.

Invest in a Bulletin Board

Your office may be the centre of the day-to-day operations of your business, but it’s essential to show your employees that having a work life balance is important. To do this, place a bulletin board in a prominent spot in the office, such as the kitchen. On the bulletin board, place pictures of inspirational quotes along with business performance statistics. You can also put up details of events and activities that employees can participate in, such as fundraising events and team building days. This can help improve staff morale by making employees feel more like part of a team.

Make Use of Wall Space

An overhaul of existing commercial office fitouts can also involve maximising the space you have available by using any blank walls. The more you’re able to utilise wall space, the more space you’ll have to move around in the office. For example, you can choose to install floating shelves to hold books and documents, or hang pegboards to store office supplies.

Launching a business is a daunting prospect. Many budding entrepreneurs often fail to succeed either because of lack of funding or because they don’t have the right business strategy. Getting the exposure and funds, you need to get the ball rolling can be done through several sources. People in business typically apply for a loan in a bank as starting capital. But what if a bank loan is not the most suitable option for your business idea? The possibility exists to use crowdfunding as an alternative method of getting investors to launch your business.

Crowdfunding is quite popular these days, and there are many crowdfunding for business websites that have been instrumental in the success of start-up companies. One famous example is the Oculus Virtual Reality Headset which began as a crowdfunding campaign and later on was bought by Facebook. If you have a unique and exciting concept, product, or invention, how do you transform your idea into a viable crowdfunding campaign?

Determine if crowdfunding is suitable for your business plan

It is essential to understand that crowdfunding is not a “one size fits all” solution. There are specific ideas and business plans that aren’t compatible with this method of receiving financial support to launch a business. The rule of thumb in identifying whether your campaign is fit for a crowdfunding platform is whether it provides value for a specific population and there is a possible reward you can offer the investors or backers.

Many ideas fit well with crowdfunding sites. Typical examples include tech gadgets and home inventions. But there are times when backers offer their support to ideas that don’t have tangible rewards. Overall, it depends on how you package your campaign and attract the interest of potential supporters.

Be ambitious with your goals

You need to begin your campaign with success in mind. While crowdfunding helps you gather funds, you don’t need to stop at this point. Aside from raising money for your campaign, you also need to set other goals for your business that you wish to achieve with the help of crowdfunding. For example, think about how to increase traction and exposure for your product so that when you launch, you already have a steady following and loyal customers.

Have a good incentive plan

Your incentive plan will help bring supporters to your campaign; therefore, it needs to be of value. You can either offer rewards to your backers or offer them shares in your business. In devising the right incentive plan for your campaign, consider how it helps motivate backers and encourage them to participate and invest in your campaign.

Have a strong marketing strategy

Your project page presents the campaign to users of a crowdfunding site. You need to create a page with high-quality graphics and videos. Aside from your project page, you also need to invest in marketing strategies such as Facebook and social media advertising. If you lack the confidence to market your campaign, you may also enlist the help of a marketing expert.

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Signage remains an effective, affordable means to introduce or market your service or product. When done right, it can convey your message correctly and attract potential customers. With careful planning, you can have great signage that draws people’s attention and has them rushing through your door. When creating your business signage, your customers should come first, not what you think is right for you. Know your audience and what you think would spark their interest. Here are other essential tips to ace that signage.

Be watchful with the wording

Effective signs have the right wording. The word count should be limited. Your viewers only have a few seconds to spare to read all that’s written on your sign. Other text can just be a distraction, so keep it short and sweet if you want to grab their attention. Include only the essential information and a call to action. It should have your brand name, contact number, website URL and tagline. Do not forget a call to action, so the interaction does not end with just reading your message.

Decide on a deliberate design

Designing your business signage takes into consideration several elements such as the focal point, branding, font, capitalisation and colour scheme.

• Focal point: your sign’s focal point should be towards the upper left part.
• Branding: needless to say, your sign should be consistent with your brand in terms of colour palette, font and wording to reinforce your identity.
• Font: larger letters and strong styles are ideal for use in signs.
• Capitalisation: it is not always wise to use all capital letters. Using title case is better because it is easier to read.
• Colour: besides being consistent with your branding, the right colour contrast is necessary for your signage to be pleasing to the eye. It is safe to use fewer colours but if you want to have more, make sure they work well together. Of course, your choice of colour depends on your type of business.

Plan the proper placement

Placement is essential in effective signage. No matter how clever the design or message, if it cannot be seen, it will in no way be effective. Make sure the signage is clearly seen by customers by clearing any obstructions. It should also be properly illuminated to be seen at night time. Check it from afar and see how it works. Look around you and observe the other signs. This should give you an idea on the right height or dimension for your signage.

An attractive sign is a key visual element that represents what you do or what you offer. Business signage can be your inanimate salesperson, so it is crucial for it to represent you well. Signs are cost-effective investments, but make sure you do it right and work with the best people to do it. If you are on the lookout for professional printers Stockport offers, trust those with sufficient experience and supplies because they will surely know what is best for your brand.

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