When you own a business, the safety and security of both your products and your employees are your responsibility. Knowing this, one of your main priorities and concerns should be ensuring that every employee you have feels safe and protected when they’re on the clock with you.

To help ensure that this is the case for your organization, here are three ways to ensure that your employees work in a safe environment.

Get Your Employees Involved

Within some businesses, the owner of the company may not actually be down working with the employees much. As a result, you may not know what the conditions really are like for them. So to help you have the full picture here, it’s wise to get your employees involved with ensuring the work environment is safe.

To do this, you may want to start some kind of committee where employees can meet to discuss any workplace safety issues that they might have. This way, any complaints will be heard and you’ll get more direction as to how these problems should be addressed. Additionally, getting your employees more involved in the safety of the workplace may also help them feel more responsibility for keeping the environment safe and secure, which can go a long way toward having an overall safe workplace.

Bring In Extra Help

While it can be helpful to get suggestions from your employees on what will help make them feel safe at work, sometimes, what you really need is a professional and outside opinion on safety.

When this is the case, bringing in someone like a fire marshal or a security consultant could be a great way to uncover where your real vulnerabilities lie and what you can do to fix them. And since these people will have a lot of experience working with businesses just like yours, they may also be able to come up with better solutions than you could have on your own.

Hold Regular Safety Trainings

Your employees really are your most valuable asset when it comes to keeping people safe on the job. With this in mind, you may want to start holding more regular safety training sessions so that each and every employee you have knows how to prioritize their safety and keep others safe in the process.

Whether you’re working with heavy machinery that could cause some real damage to people or simply want people to be more aware of what inconspicuous dangers could be lying in wait for them in your work environment, there are always things you can do and teach that can help people better protect themselves from injury or danger.

If you want to reduce your risk and keep your workers safe, consider using the tips mentioned above to cultivate a safer work environment at your place of business.

 

Starting up a new business from scratch can be very exciting, but it can also present many challenges. Of course, one of your huge challenges is being able to compete with rivals that are already established, and this is why effective marketing is so important. Fortunately, there are far more options these days when it comes to marketing your business than there were in years gone by.

One type of marketing that has become crucial for any start-up business is digital marketing. By finding a digital marketing company for small businesses, you can make a huge difference when it comes to raising the profile of your brand and increasing awareness of your goods and services. This then means that you can compete with far greater ease, and you can boost the chances of success. In this article, we will look at why start-ups need to ensure they use digital marketing.

Why it Is So Vital

So, why has digital marketing become so vital for start-ups these days? Well, there are lots of reasons behind this, some of which are:

Ideal for Limited Budgets

One of the reasons why digital marketing is so vital for start-up businesses is because it is ideal for limited budgets. The affordability of this type of marketing means that even start-ups that have very little money to spend on marketing can still effectively promote their business without needing a huge marketing budget. Many other methods of marketing can be out of the financial reach of start-ups such as TV, radio, and print media advertising. However, digital marketing is a solution that is affordable to all.

Levels the Playing Ground

When you have to compete against bigger, more established rivals within your industry, it can be very difficult to achieve success. However, effective marketing can help to overcome this issue. This could still be a problem in the past because start-ups could not afford the same marketing budget as their bigger rivals. However, digital marketing helps to level the playing ground and means that start-ups have a much better chance of being able to compete with other businesses that have bigger budgets. This makes digital marketing a crucial addition to the marketing strategy of any new business.

Simple Solutions

Another of the key reasons why digital marketing is so vital to start-up businesses is that it offers total simplicity and convenience. When you are in the throes of setting up a new business, you will have enough to deal with without having to invest huge amounts of time trying to market your venture. In addition, chances are your resources will be very limited. With digital marketing, you can promote your business without needing lots of time and resources to invest.

A Modern Solution for Start-Ups

Digital marketing offers a modern solution for start-up businesses that want to achieve success and compete effectively. This can be further enhanced by getting experts to help with all aspects of digital marketing to achieve the best results. Consult Digitalspotlight.com.au for their digital marketing and SEO services.

 

Do you have a business or brand that you’re trying to help achieve success? If so, you’ll need to take advantage of all the tools you have at your disposal.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, half of all businesses fail within five years. After ten years, two out of three companies fail. To say that the odds are stacked against you is an understatement.

Many people have heard about search engine optimization but don’t know much about it. The truth is, however, that the benefits of SEO can help your business thrive. It may even be the secret ingredient to your company’s success.

Read on to learn more.

1. SEO Uses Inbound Marketing

One of the problems with traditional marketing tactics is that they rely on outbound marketing. This is when everyone sees your ads, including people who may not be interested in your product.

However, SEO relies on inbound marketing, which is when people exploring your industry, products, or service stumble across your content. Because they know what they’re looking for, SEO will help increase your chances of getting your target audience to your site.

2. No Ad Costs

Unlike different ad programs, SEO is free. You don’t have to worry about spending thousands of dollars to drive traffic to your site—all you need to do is focus on choosing keywords and improving your rankings.

That said, working with an SEO expert can be a worthwhile investment. If you’re in New York, we recommend working with this company: https://www.thehoth.com/locations/new-york-seo-company/.

3. It Lets You Become a Knowledgeable Voice

When people have a question, they often turn to Google to get their answers. You want your site to be one of the first that comes up. SEO helps allow that to happen.

Over time, people (including other individuals and companies in your industry) will begin to see your brand as a knowledgable voice. They’ll know that you have the authority and experience to answer questions and help people out.

4. Squeeze Out the Competition

Of course, as SEO allows you to climb to the tops of search engines, it also allows you to outpace the competition. In a world where so many businesses, startups, and brands fail, having that extra push is invaluable.

By creating valuable, worthwhile content and ranking for the right keywords, you can ensure that your company sticks around well into the future.

Take Advantage of All the Benefits of SEO

When you have a small business, you need to do everything in your power to get it up and running. One of the best ways to do that is with SEO.

As this guide explains, there are many great benefits of SEO. Consider working with an SEO expert today to enjoy all that search engine optimization has to offer!

Are you looking to learn more about the importance of SEO? If you are, make sure to check out the rest of our site for more great content.

 

The United States of America is known as the “Land of Opportunities” because of its abundant opportunities in terms of employment. Based on statistics, most people have to work in the U.S. to enter and eventually settle. To do such, an aspiring immigrant must first look for an appropriate job, a company willing to sponsor you, and apply for the appropriate type of visa (usually the H1B visa application).

Searching for that opportunity is like winning the lottery due to possible competitors around the globe. It typically takes years to be part of the workforce of the United States. However, a different story is given if you are an academician, allied health professionals, or any professions that are currently in high demand in the U.S.

Your chances also depend on your country of origin. It helps if your home country has signed a free trade agreement with the United States.

However, in the overwhelming changes in the employment and economic status in the country, everybody has an opportunity to fulfill that “American Dream.” With the right guidance of an immigration lawyer and a dose of perseverance, you can successfully get into the country. Let us try to review the best jobs to immigrate to the United States today.

Academics

Ranked as the most in-demand job these days in America, the overall employment of postsecondary teachers is expected to rise from 2019 to 2029 by 9 percent. It’s recorded to be the fastest among all occupations. The median annual wage for postsecondary teachers was $80,790.00 as of May 2020.

Allied Medicine

With the same trend as teachers, allied medical professions such as nurses and physical therapists also present as in-demand professions in the United States today.

According to the American Nurse Association, more registered nurse jobs will be available than any other profession by 2022 at more than 100,000 per year. The median annual wage for registered nurses was $75,330.00 as of May 2020.

According to the Bureau of Labor, physical therapy is one of the fastest-growing in healthcare in the U.S., which is expected to grow 36 percent (for registered physical therapists) and 41 percent (for physical therapy assistants and aides) through 2022 Statistics. Physical therapists earned an average of $91,010.00 annually in 2020.

Arts and Sports

Another vital profession in the U.S. that is in the rise of demand today is artists and athletes. However, having a renowned name in the field requires fulfilling a list of criteria that will certify your talents or skills in your field. The median annual wages for fine artists and athletes were $49,120.00 and $50,850.00 as of May 2020, respectively.

To achieve your dream to be part of American society, it is ideal to plan ahead by choosing the most ideal profession that is trendy and fits your passion and capabilities. Seek a knowledgeable immigration lawyer to plot your aspirations accordingly.

For more information, you may ask or consult with Houston immigration lawyers.

 

Josh Melick was the Co-Founder and CEO of Broadly.com, a local small company mobile CRM and messaging platform. Josh grew Broadly from zero to over 10,000 paying SMBs while raising approximately $30 million in venture finance. Before joining Broadly, Josh had product leadership positions at three different firms.

Josh spoke to us about his experience as a startup founder and entrepreneur and how he came up with the ideas for his businesses.

How did you come up with the idea for Broadly? What motivated you to get started?

Basically, it was a combination of two things. First, I had been in the marketing tech business for a long time and saw all these problems around local advertising and how local businesses market to their customers. But, at the same time, I noticed that all these SMB marketing products were complicated to use.

So, the combination of that left me thinking there’s a massive opportunity for a product in the space that brings technology to market in a way where it’s actually usable by small businesses but also has enterprise features…

I didn’t have any technical background; I just had a lot of experience in the marketing business. So that made me think that there was an opportunity to build something that could really change how small businesses market themselves at scale using technology.

Josh, what are some common mistakes you see entrepreneurs make when trying to find their idea?

Well, this is probably not a surprise to anybody in the room, but it’s going back to what you already know. I think that entrepreneurs are looking for an idea that is so new and so different than anything else out there, when actually they would be better served by evaluating their own experiences and thinking about what needs they see in the world every day…

I think all the data supports that you’re better off thinking about things from a vantage point of what I know and who I know, rather than trying to find something utterly foreign to me.

How did you validate your idea? Did you always have a great team in place? How did you grow it?

Well, we didn’t have a great team in place when we started. In the early days, especially in the tech business, you can get by with just having technology. But when sales are involved, it’s really how many customers you have and if your product works for them.

I don’t think anybody gets to scale without a great sales organization. Having said that, the first couple of salespeople we had were friends of mine, and they’re still our top performers. It comes down to finding somebody who believes in the vision and has a passion for it, and just being good.

How do you think about pricing? And also, tie that into how you got your first customers.

As far as how we did pricing, I think that it’s really about the value and reselling to your customers at the end of the day. So we thought about our pricing regarding what people were willing to pay for this product and what value looked like to them. In our case – it was a CRM, so it was helping drive sales.

We didn’t do a lot of discounting early on because we believed in our product and thought that offering discounts diluted the value proposition… So I guess you never want to start with discounts, and I think if you do, your unit economics aren’t going to work.

Employee theft is something that most small business owners and employers would probably not want to think about, but maybe should. What would you do if a trusted team member stole from your business? What would be the right course of action to take? Considering how substantial the losses from employee theft can be for small and midsize companies—a median loss of nearly $290,000 in 2016—you may want to take immediate action if you think an employee is stealing from your organization. However, missteps and hasty actions in response to theft accusations can be disruptive to your workplace and potentially lead to lawsuits, aggravating an already challenging situation. If you suspect an employee of theft, take a deep breath, compile evidence that can back up your claims, and follow the tips listed below.

Look for telltale signs and evidence of employee theft.

Detecting and proving workplace theft can be difficult, but being aware of common signs of these acts can help you determine if there’s merit to your suspicions. Missing inventory, disappearing equipment, payroll and expense inconsistencies, depleted cash, undue travel expenses, and a mysterious drop in your profits could indicate theft. Suspicious employee behaviors may include working late and putting in extra hours but never taking time off from work. While you may think employees who are always in are ideal compared to someone who always calls out, these individuals could be perpetrators of employee theft.

If you’ve equipped your workplace with surveillance cameras or other security systems, you could have security personnel review any recordings and surveillance videos. Security cameras have features that make them capable of seeing what guards and staff may be unable to see. For instance, a high-tech dome camera has a vari-focal camera lens that monitors at wide angles, allowing the camera to record your premises at various angles and considerable distances. This security camera has a night vision feature that makes it practical for indoor and outdoor use. Ultimately, this vandal-resistant security camera can produce high-resolution video, providing you with evidence of unusual events if they happen.

Assess and investigate the situation in the workplace.

Jumping to conclusions about who may be responsible for employee theft and making false accusations could be grounds for a defamation suit. If you firmly believe an employee stole from your organization, a thorough investigation in which you gather evidence for proving your case can be necessary. In such situations, it’s crucial to consult an attorney for legal guidance.

Establish any necessary consequences and implement prevention measures.

Suppose your suspicions are correct and you identify the wrongdoer. In that case, it’s up to you to determine a fitting punishment and present it and the evidence to the employee in a confidential meeting. For instance, termination may be the only option for employees who committed theft or other fraudulent acts with high dollar values. In contrast, written warnings, probations, or restitution may suffice for more minor incidents. Whether you choose to also report the situation to law enforcement and press charges against your employee, it’s crucial to follow fair employee dismissal policies if you decide on termination.

The ordeal of suspecting an employee of theft may prompt you to take measures of preventing workplace theft and misconduct more seriously. You can avoid employee theft by creating procedures and policies related to fraud, training employees on these policies, and using more caution in the recruiting process. When recruiting, require and validate references for applicants and ask them to complete background checks. In some cases, traditional methods of background reports may not produce complete information. A reputable online people search tool can help you uncover accurate, unbiased information about people that typical background checkers may not report. Online people searches can benefit you professionally and personally, providing you with a person’s first name, last name, and contact information such as email addresses and cell phone numbers. A people search with the right online resource can take it a step further, giving you information regarding an individual’s public records, court records, criminal records, criminal history, and more.

Ultimately, implementing an informed yet fair vetting process can help you avoid making a poor hiring decision that could contribute to employee theft.

Receiving a call from your clients when you are too busy at work for the same reason? Looking for that perfect receptionist to answer calls when you might be out of town or otherwise unavailable? A virtual receptionist is a great solution. Here are ten ways the virtual receptionist service will benefit your business.

1. You’ll Provide Your Clients with Superior Customer Service

Your clients are your customers. You provide them with a service; you also hope to have them as repeat customers. If your communications are always professional and courteous, you’ll establish a great reputation.

This is because most people know what type of care to expect from businesses specializing in customer service. They will know that it’s the same no matter who they talk to, from the receptionist to the manager. That is what your virtual receptionist offers.

2. You’ll Foster a Professional Image

People like working with companies that are on their level. You want to be professional, and you want the clients who call your company to feel comfortable doing so as well. The virtual receptionist allows you to maintain a professional attitude throughout every level of the business.

You will never have to interact with clients personally unless you choose to. This allows you to be present and energetic with the business to make the callers feel comfortable.

3. You’ll Cut Your Employees’ Overhead Costs

A virtual receptionist can help you save money by eliminating the need for employees who answer calls, respond to emails, and do other administrative tasks. This will reduce your business’s overall cost and help you take on more contracts in the long run.

You won’t have to worry about building a staff capable of handling more clients or projects either, because your virtual receptionist can help with that.

4. You’ll Have More Time for the Business

Many business owners feel that they don’t have enough time to spend with their customers. A virtual receptionist will allow you to take a step back and look at your business from a different perspective.

You may concentrate more on growing your company rather than taking care of every customer call. A virtual receptionist is like having additional staff at a lower cost.

5. You’ll Improve Your Return on Investment (ROI)

If you own a business that makes profits, the virtual receptionist service can help you to increase your ROI.

Not only will your clients have better customer service, but they will also be able to get in touch with your company more easily. You won’t need to answer phone calls or deal with emails frequently.

6. Your Clients Will Expect Better Quality

Your clients will expect high quality from your company. If you can’t deliver it, they will probably look for another company that can.

With a virtual receptionist, you can provide them with the same service they are used to from you. You won’t need to worry about making calls or handling complaints or complaints.

7. You’ll Be Able to Take on More Clients

One of the biggest benefits of a virtual receptionist is that you’ll be able to take on more clients. If you find yourself suddenly swamped with work, you can always add more clients without adding staff.

Since the virtual receptionist is generally cheaper than hiring another person, it’s an ideal tool for growing your business. You can bring in more work without having to worry about taking on additional overhead costs.

8. You’ll Have More Time to Market the Business

Many entrepreneurs spend their time managing the day-to-day activities of their businesses. Rather than spending a lot of time marketing the business to potential clients, they rely on word of mouth and other forms of advertising.

With a virtual receptionist, you can take more time out of your schedule to work with others and build the company’s brand.

9. Your Clients Will Feel More at Ease

Your clients will feel more at ease when they can contact your company by phone or email. They’ll know that someone will always be there to help them, no matter the time of day. This means that they won’t need to stress about when they need to call.

10. You Can Save Money

A virtual receptionist is much cheaper than hiring a full-time receptionist. It’s a great solution for those just starting a business and doesn’t have the money to invest in employees. It will save you money in the long run because you won’t have to pay salaries or benefits. It’s a good idea to consider the virtual receptionist before ever taking on an employee.

Conclusion

With a virtual receptionist, you’ll be able to provide your clients with superior customer service. You’ll make more money, free up your time to do other important business issues, and improve your return on investment.

Free trials are fun and all, but you have to convert your free users into paid ones if you want your business to thrive. There are several strategies for doing so, including upselling and cross-selling. Here are eight proven strategies your business can use to convert your free users into paid ones.

1. Incentivize

A lot of free users don’t care about your business and the money. This is why it is often the best strategy to offer incentives to your users. You can do this through anything from badges to bonuses for those who pay for subscriptions. But the trick is that it has to be tangible, not just a vague sense of goodwill.

2. Get Creative

You can do a lot with creativity. One free marketing tool that can help your business is social media. If your free users are active on social media, you can often entice them to make an in-app purchase by offering a discount or special promotion. Of course, you can also use this strategy to advertise your business on sites like Facebook.

3. Minimize Transactions

If you have a large number of free users, then you’ll minimize your revenue because they are free to sign up. You can fix this by ensuring that your business complies with Panda and Penguin by having fewer active users per day or week. This way, you can ensure that you will convert your free users to paid ones.

4. Upsell and Cross-sell

If you have a paid version of a service or product, upselling is one of the easiest ways to convert your free users into paid ones. This is one of the most powerful tools to use. After all, why pay $10 for software that only costs $10?

The second most common reason for people to convert into paying users is through cross-selling. That means selling other products or services that go with your product, such as subscriptions to other products.

5. Offer Concierge Services

If you offer services that enable your users to create more value from the product you offer, then it makes sense for you to ask them to pay for it. For example, suppose you have a service that allows users to automatically send notifications to their friends about things happening on social media.

In that case, a lot of those people will likely want to pay for the service. And, this is a great opportunity for you.

6. Promote Your Business Online and Be Patient

If your business is not big at the minute, then it would make sense for you to promote your business on social media. By doing this, you can reach a lot of people who are interested in what you do. This is the time to push your paid version of the service or product because they will be easier to convert to paid users.

The business world is a long game. If you are willing to wait a little longer, you will see that your free users will convert into paid ones. Several case studies from corporations recommend that you wait it out instead of pushing new users all the time.

7. Limit the Number of Free Users but Do not Forget about the Existing Users

There is a limit to how many free users your business can handle. And the limit is 25%. So if you have more than 25% free users, you are probably losing money. Convert your free users by setting a limit on the number of free users allowed to sign up.

Existing users are your trump when it comes to converting free users to paid users for your business. This is why you have to work hard to keep them happy with your service or product. It is also important that you update their software because of many built-in issues that compromise your product or service.

8. Track Your Success

It is important to track your free users and conversions. That includes the number of sign-ups and how many of them convert into paid users. The more analytics that your business has, the better. Keep in mind that even if you have free users, they need to be paid for you to make money from them. So you need to see that they are converting.

Conclusion

Free users are the lifeblood of any business, but they are hard to convert. This is why you have to be smart about it. If you follow these proven strategies, you will see that you can make some money from free users.

 

If you’re in the process of trying to immigrate to the United States, it’s possible to do it without a lawyer. However, despite it being possible to navigate the process on your own, doesn’t mean it’s necessarily advisable. There are plenty of things that can go wrong throughout the process, and having a legal professional on your side is considerably helpful. Here are some of the biggest reasons why you should consider hiring an immigration lawyer instead of trying to do it all on your own.

Less Risk of Mistakes

Again, even though it’s possible to go through the immigration process without a lawyer doesn’t mean it’s necessarily a great idea. The forms can be confusing, even for native English speakers, so you should seriously consider having a lawyer handle it for you. They are well versed in all of the forms and the legal jargon contained in them. Having the peace of mind knowing that you clearly understood everything that you filled out is well worth it. Not to mention you won’t lose precious time having your form sent back to you because you misunderstood something or made an error in an important section.

You May Not Know All Your Options

Immigration lawyers are well trained in their practice area, they may know certain loopholes or opportunities that you aren’t aware of. Working with an immigration lawyer means learning about all of the options you have available to you that you might not have otherwise known about had you gone through the process yourself.

Not only can they advise you on alternative options but they can also clearly explain them to you. Doing your research online isn’t always reliable. A lawyer can spell it all out for you in a way that’s easy to understand.

They Are Organized

A lot goes into your immigration application. You’ll need plenty of supporting documentation, and if any of it is missing, your application can get rejected. Lawyers are well versed on the entire process and extremely organized on all of the important deadlines. If you’re not used to administrative work, it can be difficult to stay organized and on top of your case. Hiring someone else to stay on top of important dates and information for you means you’ll never risk anything falling through the cracks.

They Have Experience

Chances are your immigration situation has unique circumstances. Nearly everyone has a unique set of characteristics in their case that may or may not work in your favor. A lawyer’s experience can help you determine the right kind of forms you need, and whether your case stands a chance. Because they’ve already worked on so many cases in their past experience, they have valuable knowledge that can help you gain a better understanding of your process.

Medical co-working is a concept that has recently gained a lot of popularity. The idea of medical office share seems like a great option for many. Sharing medical office space can be helpful for those who cannot get an entire space for themselves only due to any reason. To understand medical co-working better, some of the secrets of a medical office share are as follows.

Better Focus on Patients

A medical co-working space allows a qualified person to get an already running office for themselves. Once they have such a space, they can get right to work. In a co-working space, the need to manage the office is significantly very low as space is usually managed by a third party. This allows doctors to give all of their time and attention to their patients instead of other things.

All of the time that is spent in managing the operations and the logistical is saved in a co-working place as these co-working places are built thoughtfully by keeping a modern approach. The spaces have all the basic amenities so that a doctor can save as much time as possible and devote that time to his patients.

Increased Financial Efficiency

When anyone sets up their own office for the first time, a lot of money is spent in the process. The cost for the rent, or the lease, or the renovation can be very high. Getting the basic amenities in the workspace can also be very expensive. This is why choosing a medical office share can be a better option.

Getting a private office space would also mean a lot of expenses which can be cut short by choosing a medical co-working space. Most of these spaces have low rent as they are shared by people, and they have the basic amenities at a much lower cost. This can increase financial efficiency.

Flexibility

A medical co-working place gives a lot of flexibility that cannot be achieved in a private space. In a co-working space, there is an option to use the space only for the hours that the person would need it. This way, the doctor has to pay for only the time that he is using the space and nothing extra.

Conclusion

This option is efficient for those who are new to the practice and have only a few patients. Whenever the doctor starts getting more patients, he can opt for more hours or simply get a full-time space. The biggest benefit of this is that the risks are minimum this way.

A medical co-working space is a trend that is on the rise because it is financially efficient and allows doctors to be a part of a bigger community. A co-working space is flexible and has a more modern approach required by most people these days. It also provides a positive work environment because of the lack of the need to take care of other things, which increases the efficiency of practitioners in the long run.