How to Apply for a Business License – The Ultimate Guide

How to Apply for a Business License – The Ultimate Guide

Setting up a business can seem like a little bit of an overwhelming endeavor at first. There is a tremendous amount of planning that goes into getting business operations running and, on top of that, new business owners almost always come across unpredictable obstacles. From business tax, to collecting gross receipts, to finding a business location, the tasks can seem overwhelming.

Business License

With that said, starting a business can be incredibly rewarding. You can achieve a sense of accomplishment that is almost impossible to reach as an employee. Then, of course, there is the limitless earning potential and pride of ownership that comes with becoming an entrepreneur.

Coming up with a business plan and brainstorming the marketing material you will use can be incredibly exciting, but few people get excited about the nitty gritty of starting a business. For many new entrepreneurs, securing funding, researching relevant tax laws, and applying for business licensing areall boring stages of starting a business. However, they are also completely necessary.

In order to help you get your business off the ground, we have provided a straightforward guide that will help you apply for a business license. Becoming a business owner is all about paying attention to details and staying organized. If you know how to apply for a business license, you will be on your way to owning a prosperous new business.

The Four Steps to Getting a Business License 

Obtaining a business license will vary in some ways depending on where you live and the type of business you plan on starting. While there are variables, the process involves the following four steps:

  1. Research – The first step in applying for a business license is researching the specific rules and regulations in your specific area. Your particular state, city, and county could have different rules from those posed in another region. The type of business you plan on running will also impact the type of license application you’ll need and what sort of information you will have to submit. For example, if you wanted to open a restaurant, you might have to apply a business license, as well as a Food Service Vendor License, a Liquor License, a    Patio Permit, and much more. Again, the documentation you need to submit and license you need to apply for will depend on where you are located and the type of business you plan on opening. Most of this information is easy to find, so just be sure to do your research ahead of time and save yourself a     headache down the line.
  1. Submit – Once you have done your research and assembled the necessary documentation, you can submit your completed application to the relevant agency. The more careful you are during this process, the more likely you will be to receive your business license without any hassle. A business license application can be rejected if itlacks any of the necessary documents, or ifit’s filled out incorrectly. Remember, when it comes to running business operations, time is money, so make sure you are careful when you are putting your applications together.
  1. Receive – As long as everything was submitted correctly, your application will be approved. Once you have a valid business license, you can start legally operating your business. This is an exciting moment for any new entrepreneur and really is the moment when it all starts to feel real. 
  1. Renew – It is just as important to renew an expired business license as it is to obtain one in the first place. Make sure you are keeping on top of the expiry date and be sure to renew your license with plenty of time to spare. Expiry dates and renewal processes will vary from state to state and county to county. 

What is a Business License? 

Just understanding what a business license is and why they are necessary can be somewhat confusing. This is because the term ‘business license’ can be so wide ranging. There are so many different types of business licenses and permits and they all vary according to industry and region.

Again, this is why it is so important that you research the particular licenses and permits you will need for your business in the particular area where it will operate.

Essentially, a business license is meant to function as a government issued document that proves you have permission to operate your business in the particular area where it is located. Making sure every business has a valid business license is one-way government agencies keep an eye on businesses under their jurisdiction and make sure that they are operating safely and according to local rules and regulations.

Failing to have a valid business license can put your entire business into jeopardy. In fact, if you fail to have the right licenses and permits, your business could be forcefully shut down and you could have hefty fines imposed on you and your business. Basically, do yourself a favor and make sure you have everything in order.

What is a Business License

Are Business Licenses Expensive? 

Just as the particular license your businessneeds will vary depending on the particular industry and geographic location, the cost of the license can also vary.

Usually, you will have to pay some sort of a processing fee, as well as pay for the license itself. Usually business licenses are relatively affordable and usually end up costing somewhere in the range of a couple hundred dollars.

When you research the particular business license you need, you should also make a note of the cost. Budgeting for licenses, permits, and renewals will save you a great deal of frustration in the future.

How Long Does it Take to Receive a Business License? 

More often than not, a business license takes between several days and a few weeks to receive. After your business license application has been received, the relevant agencies will have to review and approve it. From there, they also need to deliver the physical copy to you. This is why it is important to get a head start on the process right after you have committed to starting a business.

If your particular region offers online applications, these almost always have quicker turnarounds. Take care when filling out your application and there will be less of a chance it will be rejected!

6 Benefits of Proximity Marketing and How to Execute a Campaign

6 Benefits of Proximity Marketing and How to Execute a Campaign

The key to the success of proximity marketing is the ability to advertise to a consumer base at the exact right place and time with highly relevant and personalized content.

You use proximity based marketing to deliver potential customers offers and advertisements when they are near a specific location, which helps entice them to make a purchasing decision in the immediate future. Basically, it is an extremely targeted form of marketing that can yield incredible results.

To help you take advantage of this effective marketing strategy, we will quickly clarify how proximity marketing works and explain six of the most important benefits of using this marketing technique.

Benefits of using this marketing technique

How Does Proximity Marketing Work? 

In simple terms, proximity marketing involves passing information in the form of a push notification, text, images, or videos to a potential customer’s mobile phone when they are in range of a beacon device.

More often than not, the marketing content is delivered to the consumer through a Bluetooth enabled device at the location where the proximity marketing campaign is taking place.

In many cases, the targeted consumers must have downloaded a relevant mobile app to receive proximity messaging. However, some beacon marketing and Geo-fencing techniques allow businesses to send a real-time push notification without going through an app. For example, Wi-Fi-based proximity marketing is one of the ways marketers can deliver location-based content to potential consumers.

The 6 Benefits of Proximity Marketing 

Benefits of Proximity Marketing

Proximity marketing is gaining popularity because it is effective for a wide variety of reasons. Not only does proximity marketing allow businesses to deliver advertisements and information to consumers at a time when they are most likely to make a purchase, it also offers the following benefits:

  1. It Can Increase Customer Engagement – Proximity marketing delivers content directly to mobile devices. We all know how much time the average person spends looking at their smartphone, so delivering marketing material directly to those screens can be incredibly effective. When a potential customer downloads your mobile app, there is a good chance they will continue to engage with your brand long after they have left the location where they received your proximity marketing material. For businesses where location is important, push notifications that are based on geo-targeting can be one of the most valuable benefits of having customers download your mobile app.
  1. Proximity Marketing Can Offer Customer Insight – Proximity marketing provides business owners with detailed purchasing maps. You can gain valuable insights into the purchasing behavior and day-to-day activity of your consumers while they are in your retail space. 
  1. Proximity Marketing Beacons Can Improve Mobile App Retention – Convincing consumers to download your mobile app is only half the battle, the real difficulty is preventing users from deleting the app after they have it. Proximity marketing campaigns that go through a mobile app are a way to increase app use, strengthen brand loyalty, and increase customer retention.
  1. Proximity Marketing Can Give A Business a Competitive Advantage –Creating an interactive environment where your customers can engage with your brand gives you a serious edge over your competition. Unlike your competitors, you are engaging with customers and providing them with a more enjoyable experience. While your business uses proximity marketing to improve customer engagement and retention, your competitors are marketing the old-fashioned way with unsophisticated techniques that are less effective 
  1. Proximity Marketing Can Improve Your Business’s Conversion Rate – Increasing app and brand engagement will help improve your conversion rate. Proximity campaigns help connect prospective customers with your brand, which increases the likelihood that they will make a purchase. Using the right proximity marketing campaign, you can prompt prospective customers with enticing offers and discounts at the ideal moment.
  1. Proximity Marketing is Much More Personalized Than Traditional Marketing Techniques – It almost goes without saying that personalized marketing content will be more relevant to your customers. Proximity technology will give you valuable information about your customers, which will allow you to send them personalized notifications that will be much more appealing. For example, if a previous customer enters your store, their purchase history will give you an idea of what they are looking for. This allows you to send them highly personalized and relevant discounts and promotions.

How Do You Get Started With a Proximity Marketing Campaign or Business? 

The reality is most business owners do not have the technological knowhow to introduce a proximity marketing campaign on their own. This is where BeaconEdge can come in handy.

BeaconEdge provides you with all of the tools and software you need to help businesses introduce beacon and proximity marketing campaigns of their own. Using BeaconEdge, you can start your own proximity marketing business and sell the numerous benefits of this cutting-edge marketing strategy to local businesses that might not have the ability to do so on their own.

As mentioned above, marketing beacons give businesses the ability to provide real-time push notifications to their existing and prospective customers. They can deliver product information, in-store discounts, upcoming event notifications, and much more directly to the mobile devices their customers are using.

You will be able to set up proximity boundaries around businesses and introduce those businesses to the benefits of Geo-fencing. Whenever consumers travel through a Geo-fencing area, they will instantly receive push notifications for deals and discounts, which will increase the likelihood they will return to the store to make a purchase.

The great thing about proximity marketing is just how versatile it can be. Whether a restaurant owner wants to alert Wi-Fi users about upcoming specials, or a retail storeowner wants to deliver information about an upcoming sales event, proximity marketing can help.

Why Choose BeaconEdge? 

Why Choose BeaconEdge

As you can imagine, there is an incredible amount of potential when it comes to selling proximity marketing services to local businesses, but you might be wondering why you should choose BeaconEdge to get your business off the ground. The reality is, using a turn-key business solution takes the headache out of getting a mobile marketing business off the ground.

BeaconEdge can provide you with everything you need because it uses state of the art marketing technology, video training, and an easily accessible team of experts than can provide you with everything you need to get your business off the ground quickly. You need no prior proximity marketing experience and your new business will always remain 100% your own!

How to Build a Mobile Marketing Strategy That Works

How to Build a Mobile Marketing Strategy That Works

It is no secret that the average person spends a significant amount of time on their mobile phone. Given that over 90 percent of Americans are smartphone users, business owners now have marketing opportunities they could have never dreamed of in the past.

Marketing opportunities

Creating a mobile website and a mobile marketing platform are now incredibly important for the success of any marketing strategy. Whether you would like to increase your business’s bottom line, or build brand awareness, it is important that you are engaging with existing or a potential customer through mobile marketing.

To help you build an effective mobile marketing strategy, we have provided a straightforward guide to mobile marketing. We will explain what it is, why it’s important, and what steps you need to take on a mobile platform to build a strategy that works for your business.

 

What is Mobile Marketing?

In basic terms, mobile marketing describes the efforts taken to share a brand or business in a way that is optimized for mobile technology, such as a smartphone or tablet. This is done by promoting brand-specific mobile apps, managing social media channels, and optimizing websites for mobile users.

A mobile strategy allows businesses to reach much larger audiences than they would be capable of connecting with a more dated desktop-based digital marketing strategy.

What is Mobile Marketing

Why Are Mobile Marketing Strategies Important? 

From the perspective of a business owner, it is incredibly important that you recognize the ways your target marketing channel consumes digital content. Most people, especially younger audiences, spend more time browsing the internet on their smartphones than they do on laptop and desktop computers.

Not only are people spending more time than ever on their smartphones and tablets, they are now more comfortable than ever being a consumer and purchasing items on a mobile device. Most people are staring at their phones for several hours a day and your business should be taking advantage of this. Marketing campaigns that are specifically tailored for mobile viewers across various digital platforms are vital to your overall success and growth.

Creating a Mobile Marketing Strategy 

Building a mobile marketing strategy that works involves many steps. We have listed the necessary steps you need to take to create a well rounded and effective mobile marketing strategy that will help you build your brand and capture new sales leads.

1. Optimize Your Website and Landing Page for Mobile Users 

You want to make sure that potential customers can access your website from a mobile device. Optimizing your website for the smaller screens of mobile devices makes surepotential customers will not be turned away because they are having difficulties finding the information they need.

You want your website optimized for straightforward navigation from mobile devices and you want to make sure it also looks visually appealing. Research shows most people view a mobile site quickly and will exit if they cannot find what they are looking for easily. You also want to minimize loading time by using smaller images. Make sure any photos or videos you feature on your landing page can be viewed quickly from a smartphone.

Content that is easy to read will also work better for mobile device users. Consider bulleted text, rather than lengthy talking points.

Streamlining your website for mobile users will increase sales conversions and customer satisfaction.

2. Consider Creating an Integrated Mobile App

If you want to take your marketing effort past the mobile web, a mobile app is a great way to get your marketing message across and increase brand awareness. Building an app with integrating purchasing and ordering tools can help turn interest into sales. They are also an excellent way to push promotions, sales, and new releases directly to a potential customer. You can send a push notification and quickly inform consumers of a new sale or release, which is a great form of mobile advertising.

3. Optimize Your Email Marketing Campaign for Mobile Viewers 

Email marketing remains incredibly effective. However, you do need to make some slight adjustments to optimize it for mobile viewers. Make sure your emails look appealing and are easy to read from mobile devices. As with your website, you want to reduce load time and streamline clunky language.

Get to the point and use bulleted text to make sure people on your mailing list can quickly get the information they need from their smaller screens. Most people will quickly delete emails that do not work well from their phones.

4. Optimize Social Media Content for Mobile Devices 

Publishing relevant social media content is critical for the success of any digital marketing campaign. Given that most people access social media from their smartphones, it is critical that your social media marketing efforts are mobile-friendly.

There are several ways you can make your social media marketing more suitable for mobile viewers. First, you should develop a hashtag strategy. Hashtags encourage customers to engage with your brand across various social media platforms. You should also take advantage of popular mobile-specific social media platforms, such as Instagram.

Again, avoid publishing content that is overly ‘wordy.’You want viewers to actually read and engage with what you have to say. Include calls to action and eye-catching images. Social media is constantly flooded with new content, so it is up to you to publish appropriate material that will be noticed.

Always be aware of emerging social media platforms and make sure your business has an active presence on those that are most relevant.

How Can Mobile Disruptors Help? 

How Can Mobile Disruptors Help

Mobile Disruptors provides you with everything you need to launch and operate a mobile marketing business.

We will take all of the difficulty out of setting up and running a profitable business. You can sell your services to local businesses that would otherwise struggle to setup an effective digital presence.

Your entire sales website will be tailored around your specific brand and will be completely optimized for mobile viewers. We also offer ongoing training and support, so you will always be aware of emerging trends in mobile marketing and, more importantly, you will always have access to the latest mobile marketing software.

We provide you with everything you need to get an effective and profitable business off the ground. You can make money managing the social media accounts of other businesses, transforming their in-store Wi-Fi into a marketing opportunity, and much more!

What is a Mobile Wallet and How Does it Work

What is a Mobile Wallet and How Does it Work?

Mobile wallets are actually more straightforward than you probably suspect. Basically, mobile wallet software transforms a user’s smartphone or compatible mobile device into a digital wallet than can take the place of a physical credit card or debit card.

 

Mobile wallets are designed to be a convenient and safe way to store and manage all of your banking, loyalty, and rewards cards. Physical cards and traditional wallets are susceptible to loss and theft, while mobile payment can be protected with passwords and encryption software.

Using a mobile wallet, rather than carrying a clunky, traditional wallet, reduces the amount of physical stuff a person needs to carry with them. Not only are mobile wallets convenient, they can also help reduce fraud activity. This is because mobile wallets have built-in fraud protection and encryption software. Not only that, the digital payment information is generally more difficult to steal and copy than a physical plastic card or cash.

Compatible mobile device into a digital wallet

While all of this probably sounds great, you most likely still have some questions about what mobile wallets are and how they work. This is why we have provided this handy guide, which will tell you everything you need to know about mobile wallets! We will explain why they are gaining popularity, how they work, and how you can get a mobile wallet for yourself. We will even explain how you can get into the mobile wallet marketing business for yourself!

Why Should People Switch to a Mobile Wallet? 

Unsurprisingly, one of the main reasons why so many people are switching to mobile wallets is for convenience purposes. A mobile wallet can be linked to your smartphone, which means you would already be leaving the house with the device anyways.

Not needing to carry around a clunky wallet that is stuffed with a variety of cards you rarely use is a huge advantage, especially for those that like to travel lightly. Many people like the quick accessibility and simplicity of contactless payment for purchases with their smartphone. A mobile wallet is available for Android and iPhone devices, so it’s totally accessible for anyone with a smartphone.

Using mobile wallet payment methods, you would no longer need to worry about losing or misplacing cards. Then, of course, there are the timesaving benefits. Payment transactions take place almost instantaneously. Where credit cards usually have to be inserted into payment machines and passcodes entered manually, mobile wallet transactions take place wirelessly and instantly.

As mentioned above, there is also the security factor. Mobile wallets use encryption software and anti-fraud protections to make sure that the user’s identity, banking information, and money are protected.

So, How Do Mobile Wallets Work? 

While the concept of a mobile wallet sounds a little high-tech, they actually operate in a fairly straightforward way.

How Do Mobile Wallets Work

Essentially, the user downloads a mobile wallet app of their choice onto a compatible and practical device – usually a smartphone, tablet, or smartwatch. From there, the user would upload the relevant card information, which usually includes their debit, credit, and loyalty cards.

Once the mobile wallet app has been installed and the relevant card information has been uploaded, the user can then use their mobile device to make in-store and online purchases.

The purchasing process with a mobile wallet depends on whether the purchase is online or in-store:

Online Purchases Using a Mobile Wallet –Once the user is at the checkout screen,they simply access the mobile wallet app and select the card they would like to pay with. This is all they would need to do to make a purchase on with their smartphone.

In-Store Purchases With a Mobile Wallet –To make an in-person purchase with a mobile wallet, the user simply taps the mobile device containing the wallet to a digital payment enabled terminal. Mobile wallets use what is called a near-field communication (NFC) chip. It is the exact same technology that allows you to do contactless ‘tap’ payments with physical cards.

Where Can You Use a Mobile Wallet? 

Retailers everywhere are beginning to adapt to new payment technologies. You will normally see the logos for various mobile wallet apps in the windows of retailers that accept digital payments. In the same way you would see a Visa and MasterCard sticker in most store windows, you will now notice logos like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

In the United States alone, over 10 million stores now accept Samsung Pay and roughly the same can take Apple Pay and Google Pay payments. These numbers will continue to grow as retailers realize how many consumers prefer to pay for goods using mobile wallets.

You can almost always pay for goods and services online using a mobile wallet.

What Makes Mobile Wallets Secure? 

What Makes Mobile Wallets Secure

Any information users upload to their mobile wallet will be encrypted. Given the fact that many smartphones are protected with passwords, face recognition software, and fingerprint detectors, you could argue that accessing a mobile wallet is much more difficult than opening a physical wallet.

The mobile wallet itself will also often use two-step authentication. Between the mobile wallet’s internal security measures and the authentication process required to access most smartphones, mobile wallets are actually difficult for non-authorized users to gain access to.

If a person were to lose their smartphone, it would still be difficult for others to access their mobile wallet. Most mobile wallet users install location-tracking software on their smartphone so they can quickly locate a lost or stolen device. You can also wipe data remotely to prevent thieves from accessing sensitive information stored within your mobile wallet.

If you lose your mobile device or suspect it has been stolen, you can also quickly change your passwords and make your mobile wallet inaccessible. Then you simply transfer your mobile wallet to a new device and you have your wallet back.

How Do You Get Into the Mobile Wallet Business? 

How Do You Get Into the Mobile Wallet Business

Mobile wallets are an emerging technology that is increasing in popularity every day. Not only are mobile wallets a convenient way for consumers to pay, they offer businesses plenty of opportunities to deliver digital marketing material directly to mobile wallet carriers.

Businesses can really benefit from being able to deliver their customers offers, coupons, and more directly to their mobile devices. This is where you can step in.

DealDrip is a turn-key business solution that gives you everything you need to set businesses up with the ability to deliver special offers, deals, coupons, and much more to consumers that use mobile wallets.

You will be able to offer businesses the ability to send push notifications directly to mobile wallet carriers that walk past their business. Businesses could then deliver deals and coupons to consumers, which would increase their conversion rates and help attract new customers.

You get everything you need to start selling mobile wallet marketing to businesses that could greatly benefit from modernized marketing techniques. Best of all, your business will always remain 100% yours!

Creating New Service Solutions for Your Business

Creating New Service Solutions for Your Business

It can be extremely difficult for small businesses to adapt to emerging digital technologies. Every small business owner wants their business to stay ahead of the curve, but sometimes they lack the resources and technological know how to stay competitive. There are so many local businesses that could increase their reach and revenue if they only had the tools to properly take their business online.

This is where effective service technology solutions can help small businesses reach outside of their local sphere and even provide better quality service to their customers than they could otherwise offer. There is actually a considerable variety of software service solutions out there that can offer expert advice on how a small business can stay relevant in the digital age.

Why Do Small Businesses Need Service Solutions?

Why Do Small Businesses Need Service Solutions

By their very nature, small businesses tend to struggle with upholding high-quality customer service and maintaining an effective digital presence. This is because they lack the personnel, expertise, and time to do it properly. However, with the right service solutions, small businesses can expand their reach through effective social media management and Wi-Fi marketing. They can also increase their revenue by encouraging customers to return using digital loyalty programs, mobile wallet options, and other digital marketing tools. As if that wasn’t enough, they can even improve their customer service capabilities with various types of customer service management software.

To help you understand your options, we will be going over some of the best service solutions available to businesses today. Remember, when implemented correctly, the right service solutions can help small businesses increase customer satisfaction, expand into new markets, and experience overall growth.

Social Media Management Solutions 

Social media is one of the most powerful marketing tools at a small business’s disposal, yet relatively few are able to use it to its full potential. Social media is an effective way for businesses to engage with their current customers, as well as attract new ones. The following system offers a straightforward solution to the social media needs of small businesses.

SocialOwl 

socialowl

SocialOwl gives you the power to help multiple small businesses manage their social media feeds. The state-of-the-art social software gives you the power to manage a week’s worth of social media content in mere minutes.

The effectiveness of social media marketing boils down to one single factor – engagement. If a business is not regularly engaging with its followers, its social media marketing efforts will fail. A lack of expertise, time, and personnel can prevent many small businesses from increasing their customer base and building brand awareness online. This is where SocialOwl’s unique software can help.

SocialOwl also allows you to help businesses offer unique giveaways, sweepstakes, and promotions, all of which are immensely beneficial for driving engagement. You can then use SocialOwl to monitor a business’s improving online reputation.

With easily adaptable, predesigned marketing material, you can quickly generate relevant and effective social media content for prospective clients. SocialOwl’s client portal allows you to give your clients the power to view and manage their own social media accounts and clearly see the effectiveness of their business’s entire social media marketing strategy.

Digital Loyalty Solutions 

Loyalty programs give businesses a competitive advantage by differentiating their products and services from those offered by the competition. Their rewarding nature helps encourage customer retention and repeat purchases. Most small businesses lack the ability to create their own loyalty program, but the following solution can help.

PerkUp 

PerkUp

PerkUp offers a turn-key digital loyalty program that can be adapted by businesses to increase their revenue. Their unique loyalty and mobile deals system rewards customers and helps businesses stay engaged with their existing customers.

You get all the training and support you need, which enables you to establish loyalty programs for local businesses that would otherwise lack the expertise to do so for themselves. The loyalty programs are intentionally designed for straightforward operation, so you do not need any previous experience.

Wi-Fi Marketing Solutions 

Wi-Fi marketing allows retailers to provide wireless internet access to their customers, which can then be used to offer promotions, advertisements, and other marketing material directly to their mobile devices. It is a powerful marketing tool that many small businesses do not take advantage of.

SavvyWiFi 

savvywifi

This Wi-Fi marketing solution provides all the tools necessary to transform a business’s free Wi-Fi into a powerful marketing tool. With Wi-Fi marketing, businesses are able to mandate what users view as they gain access to the network. Usually this involves a splash page that will be filled with important advertising content.

Businesses that take advantage of Wi-Fi marketing can also gain access to customer email addresses, which can prove invaluable for future email marketing efforts. All of the big companies use Wi-Fi marketing for a reason. Use SavvyWifi and help small businesses increase their sales and understand their customers better by taking advantage of this powerful marketing tool.

Customer Service Solutions

If a business is going to stay competitive, it is important that it adapts and employs new forms of customer service software. Impressive customer service will encourage customers to view a business in a positive light, which will encourage them to return. The following software services can help a small business improve its customer service.

Zendesk 

zendesk

Zendesk puts your customers first by offering a straightforward multi-channel system, which organizes all email, web, social media, phone, and live chat communication in one place. It also offers a customer self-service portal for any customers you have that would prefer to resolve their issues on their own.

Zendesk allows you to build more durable relationships with your customers because it offers a customer engagement feature. This feature provides you with access to key insights about the behavior of your previous customers, which allows you to deliver even more personalized customer support in the future.

Zendesk’s affordable pricing structure also allows you to build the exact system you need. More comprehensive plans will cost more per month, but if you only need a limited plan it can be very affordable.

Sparkcentral 

sparkcentral

Sparkcentral allows you to take control of social media customer service issues. Given the increasing prevalence of social media-based customer service, it is important that you have a way to respond to customer inquiries and complaints on these platforms.

This social media customer service software features an engagement dashboard, which helps agents quickly resolve issues and improve their response times. You also get access to a helpful reporting and analytics portal, which allows you to track productivity and other analytics.

Responding to customer service issues over social media will give your business a much stronger digital presence and it will help you establish your brand as current and technologically savvy.

Helpshift

helpshift

Helpshiftlets you deliver customer support directly through your business’s own mobile app. Again, this will help ensure your brand has a modern feel.

The in-app messaging software allows you to help customers that are reaching out from their mobile devices, which means they would not have to venture to your actual website, or call your customer service phone line.

Helpshift allows your customers to receive answers to their inquires quickly and conveniently. Some of the more useful features include image and video attachments, which means your customers can send and receive images and videos. For example, a customer could send you a screenshot to more easily explain an issue they were facing. You also get options for push notifications and visual customization. You can adjust colors, fonts, and other visual features to help match them to your business’s other branding.

Helpshift is compatible with iOS, Android, HTML 5, Unity, Cocos2d-x, and PhoneGap apps. It is available at a low monthly price, which gives you two team members and 20,000 monthly users.

Complete Service Solutions Packages 

Sometimes businesses need a complete digital overhaul. Small business owners tend to be extremely busy individuals and sometimes they are unaware of the benefits a strong digital presence can have for their business. There are solutions that can help you bring these outdated businesses into the digital age.

MobileDisruptors 

MobileDisruptors gives users all of the mobile and social marketing products and knowledge they need to completely overhaul small businesses. You can take a local business that is completely disconnected and quickly update its entire social media presence, institute a digital loyalty and text engagement program, and set their retail space up with an effective social Wi-Fi system. On top of all that, they provide the necessary tools to offer mobile wallet services.

Essentially, MobileDisruptors provides a turn-key system that allows you to offer a multitude of service solutions to local businesses.

Why White Label Business Opportunities are a Great

Why White Label Business Opportunities are a Great Long-Term Decision

White label business opportunities can be your gateway into the business world. Not only can a white label solution be a practical way to get your business off the ground, pursuing a white label business model can have some serious long-term advantages.

In order to help you understand how white label business opportunities can help you get your business off the ground, or help your existing business grow. We will be going over everything you need to know about what a white label product is and how to incorporate it into your business.

We will start by explaining what a white label product is and how it works. Once we have explained the basics, we will go over some of the many reasons why you and your business could benefit from white label business opportunities.

What is a White Label? 

Essentially, white labeling is when a product or service provider intentionally removes their branding and logo from their end productsto allow purchasers to brand them to their own liking through a reseller program. This service offering of removing private label goods and products is a useful product idea to make a higher profit margin, and it’s worked for a lot of businesses

Some of the largest companies on earth use white labeling so they can offer their own line of goods to their customers. For example, if you have ever been in a big box retailer, such as Costco or Wal-Mart, you have probably noticed you can purchase a wide variety of products under their own house brands. Costco and Wal-Mart offer their Kirkland Signature and Great Value brands, respectively.

You may wonder how Costco and Wal-Mart are able to produce and offer discounted versions of just about every item in their stores; however, the way they do so is actually quite straightforward. These large retailers simply use various companies that are willing to produce unbranded versions of their products that the retailer can package with their own branding. In other words, Kirkland Signature and Great Value goods are actually made by a wide variety of companies, rather than Costco and Wal-Mart themselves.

These are two well-known examples of white labeling, but it is actually a fairly widespread business practice.

How Does White Label Digital Marketing Work? 

How Does White Label Digital Marketing Work

White label digital marketing differs from white labeling physical products in many ways, but it follows the same basic business model. Essentially, a company purchases a white label company’s services and presents them to customers under their own brand name.

This allows businesses to take the concept of selling white label products and offer them within the digital world. The advantage here is digital products require very little overhead to get started, which makes this a practical solution for new and struggling businesses.

Why Are White Label Business Opportunities a Useful Long-Term Strategy? 

There are many reasons why you should consider white label business opportunities. To help you understand why white labeling can be useful for your business in the long-term, we will be going over five important benefits of using this strategy.

1. White Labeling Allows You to Increase Your Brand’s Visibility 

Taking advantage of white label offerings will allow you to increase the variety of products and services your brand offers. You can capture a greater segment of the market, without increasing your overhead to unsustainable levels.

The more products or services you offer, the more visible your brand will become. If your business only offers extremely specific products and services, it will be more difficult for new customers to discover the business in the first place. Using white labeling will allow you to raise awareness about your brand and capture a larger share of sales in your specific market.

2. White Labeling Allows You to Take Advantage of the Expertise Offered by More Established Businesses 

By offering white label products and services, your brand is able to offer a level of quality that you do not yet have the resources to produce yourself. In most cases, the third-party white label company has been focused on developing a high-quality product for longer than your brand has existed.

White labeling allows you to pay another company for their expertise and quality. You can simply add your own branding and pass their product off as your own work. The white label provider sells their product to you, then you sell your product to customers. It is a relationship that works for both parties. Essentially, you are providing the branding and customer service that encourages customers to make the purchase.

3. White Labeling Will Save You Time and Money 

White Labeling Will Save You Time and Money

As mentioned above, pursuing a white label strategy will save you time and money because you will not have to produce the product or service yourself. Developing a new product or service can take years and can be a huge financial investment.

Rather than dumping all of the time, money, and effort into research and development, you can simply white label and focus on branding and marketing. As your business scales, you can continue to pursue the white label strategy and watch your revenue increase.

4. The Options are Almost Limitless

There are so many companies offering white label goods these days. By pursuing a white labeling strategy, you open yourself up to a near limitless number of opportunities. No matter which market you are in, you will find new products and services you would not be able to offer if it was not for white label business opportunities.

As a retailer, you have so many options available to you. Choose from a wide variety of goods and services that range in quality and style. You might even find the number of options available to your business a little bit overwhelming.

5. White Label Business Opportunities are Easily Scalable 

Whether you are just starting your business, or you are already making regular sales, you can easily pursue white label opportunities that will match your current situation. More importantly, the white label business model is easily scalable. Your white label providers can continue to meet your needs as you grow.

As you know, scalability is incredibly important for any long-term business strategy. You can continue to focus on building your brand and running your business, while a reliable white label provider will take care of the product or service you are selling.

Building a Brand Strategy

Building a Brand Strategy: Essential Tools for Success

One of the most important things you can do for your business is create a cohesive branding strategy. Your brand identity should reflect who your company is and what it offers. You want a strong brand personality and brand voice that is both appealing to customers and reflects your company in a positive light.

In order to help you better understand how you can build your brand vision properly, we will be going over some of the components you need for a successful branding strategy. However, before we get started, we will explain what a branding strategy is and why it is so important for businesses to get them right.

What is Brand Strategy? 

Essentially, a brand strategy is a cohesive plan that is designed to encompass your entire company’s image and persona, whether that be through your products, social media presence, content marketing strategy, and your brand story, among other aspects. Building a strong brand strategy allows your company to have an easily identifiable character and appearance. It should match the way you want your company to be perceived by your target audience.

A well-built, strong brand strategy will influence almost every aspect of your business. It will connect your business to the needs and desires of your current and future customers.

Your brand strategy is much more than your brand name, logo, advertisements, or products. In fact, a brand is the summation of your entire business. It will help you stand out from the competition by building a strong brand voice for your company. A strong brand persona and brand messaging will help people connect with the business.

To help you build your own personal brand and understand what separates the most recognizable brands from forgettable ones, we will now go over some of the essential components of a successful brand development strategy.

What You Need to Build an Effective Brand Strategy 

What You Need to Build an Effective Brand Strategy

1. Establish a Sense of Purpose 

Before your business creates marketing material and develops an image, you need to establish its overall purpose. While on the surface it may seem like the only purpose of any business is to generate revenue, this is not enough to create a brand.

You need to discover what will set your business apart from the competition. Create a mission statement and come up with a list of long-term and short-term goals. Do you want your business to be associated with quality products, impressive customer service, low prices, or luxury? How do you want people to perceive your business? Answering that seemingly straightforward question will help you develop your entire brand strategy.

If you find you need a bit of inspiration, take a look at some brands you personally admire. What do you think of when you see their products, logo, and name? Take a look at the ways they explain their own vision. Many brands today associate themselves with a particular lifestyle, which helps them attract new business and retain customers.

Creating a cohesive sense of purpose will help you build your brand in a way that people will want to identify with the company and purchase what it offers.

2. Develop a Recognizable and Visually Appealing Logo 

Your logo is one of the most important areas of your entire brand strategy. A well-deigned logo will instantly connect people with your business.

Given the overwhelming amount of visual stimulation people are exposed to these days, it is important to make sure your logo is recognizable in an instant. You do not need to get too clever when you are developing a new logo, remember, it is more important that your logo is easily identifiable than overly creative.

A good logo will be eye-catching and represent your company in a positive light. Once you have a logo, get into the habit of attaching it to everything you sell. Your logo should be displayed enough that it becomes inseparable from your business.

Think about some of the most recognizable company logos on the planet, such as Nike and Adidas. Everything these brands sell will feature their easily recognizable logos. When you see one of their products, you immediately know who made it.

Develop a Recognizable and Visually Appealing Logo

Another way to help your logo communicate your brand image is by developing a tagline. A unique and timeless tagline that sums up your brand in a few words will help your brand make an impression on your customers.

The logo and tagline are some of the most important tools for creating a recognizable brand. Your logo and tagline will become intertwined with your company’s identity. They are the way people will visually recognize your business in an instant.

3. Focus on Consistency 

You want to avoid confusing potential customers about what your brand is all about. One of the easiest ways to avoid confusion is to practice total consistency. Everything your company puts out should align with your branding.

Make sure any advertising your business releases, content it publishes, and products it sells are done in a consistent way. The most recognizable brands in the world will always offer a consistent message.

The way the best brands communicate with customers and the general public is always the same. This helps solidify brand image and ensure customer loyalty.

Integrate your brand into every aspect of your business. Your brand should be visible and reflected in everything that your customers can see, read, and hear.

4. Outline Your Brand’s Key Qualities and Benefits 

You want to make sure that people see your brand as unique. When it comes to brand strategy, it is incredibly important that you are distinct from the competition. You need to create the impression that your business can offer what other businesses cannot.

Focus on the qualities that make your business different from the rest. Potential customers should immediately know why they should choose you over other companies.

Take the Apple brand as an example. For decades, their entire brand has centered on ease of use. Apple consistently advertises how easily you will be able to use their products. Unlike the computers the competition offers, you are told that Apple computers will work right out of the box. This consistent advertising of a key quality and benefit has helped Apple become associated with quality and simplicity.

You can study the competition in your particular market and find something you can offer that they don’t.

Are Turnkey Business Solutions Enough for Your Growing Business

Are Turnkey Business Solutions Enough for Your Growing Business?

If you have made the decision to work for yourself, or have recently started your own business, you are probably at a bit of a crossroads. Do you build your business completely from scratch on your own, or venture into the world of turnkey business solutions?

This question will depend on your own personal preferences and your own abilities as a business owner. However, it is worth understanding if turnkey technologies offer enough to really service growing business needs.

In order to help you understand the answer to this common question, we will explain what turnkey business solutions are and how effective they are at creating successful business growth. We will also go over some of the many things you should take into consideration before you opt for a turnkey business solution.

This information should help you navigate your way through the build vs. buy dilemma that is faced by countless new business owners. It will also help you understand if turnkey business solutions are the best option, or if it is better to go with a more customized and comprehensive strategy.

What Are Turnkey Business Solutions? 

Essentially, turnkey business solutions are pre-packaged business solutions that are designed to help you start or transform a business. They are intentionally designed for quick deployment and are meant to be as user-friendly as possible.

They are a type of end-to-end system that can be implemented to create a new business or change the way an existing business operates.

What Are Turnkey Business Solutions

Some business owners will opt for a turnkey business solution to a particular need. For example, many small business owners need help modernizing their company, so a turnkey digital transformation can help change and update an outdated business and bring it up to speed with modern business practices. This is done by introducing new digital technology and developing a business’s online presence.

Ideally, a turnkey business solution would replace or introduce a new system that would make sure a business is competitive and relevant in today’s market.

It is important to note that a turnkey business solution is different from a custom-built system. As the name suggests, custom-built business systems are developed with the client to create the exact business they want. On the other hand, a turnkey business solution is designed to be a straightforward one size fits all system that is more affordable, but not always the best fit.

What You Should Consider Before Choosing a Turnkey Business Solution 

As you now know, a turnkey business solution is a straightforward business strategy that is designed for quick implementation and affordability. They are meant to address your business’s needs in a quick and cost-effective manner. While this sounds great, there are a few things you should first take into consideration:

  • What are Your Company’s Existing Strengths and Weaknesses? – To understand if a turnkey business solution will help your company grow, you need to clearly understand what you are trying to address and improve. You want to make sure a turnkey solution will be able to properly compliment your strengths and help improve your weaknesses. 
  • Is the Turnkey Business Solution a Temporary Fix, or is it Scalable? – If you want to help your business grow, you should always be asking yourself if anything you add is scalable. This will depend on your particular business. In most cases a good turnkey business solution is a one-size-fits-all strategy, so it will be less scalable than a custom solution. However, this will depend on your particular company’s needs. 
  • Consider the Long-Term Costs of the Turnkey Business Solution – A turnkey business solution will not help your business grow if you cannot afford to implement it in the long-term. While some may have lower up-front costs than custom solutions, they could also have hidden fees or additional expenses you need to pay for in the future. If growth is your aim, make sure whatever you are implementing is affordable enough to be sustainable. 

Problems with Using a Turnkey Business Solution for Long-Term Growth

Problems with Using a Turnkey Business Solution for Long-Term Growth

There are several reasons why turnkey business solutions can be ineffective for long-term growth. While there are some advantages to using turnkey business solutions, they do have some potential pitfalls, especially when it comes to growth potential.

1. Customization is Really Important When Digitally Transforming a Business 

The one size fits all nature of a turnkey business solution can be beneficial in certain situations; however, when it comes to a digital transformation, a company’s strategy should be specifically tailored to that particular business.

If you want to create a digital strategy for your business, it should be customized to fit the unique needs and challenges faced by your particular company. Having a customized online presence will help increase your entire company’s growth potential. Essentially, you want a solution that will meet your exact needs. This will prevent your business from having to go back and update your entire digital strategy as the company grows.

2. Turnkey Business Solutions Sometimes Force Companies to Adapt to Them 

If you want to have control over your own business, it is best to use a system that is specifically tailored to your unique vision. Using a turnkey business solution can save you money in the short-term, but it can limit growth potential.

This is because many businesses will alter their behavior to make sure a turnkey solution works. Oppositely, a custom system would adapt to the specific needs of the business and vision of the owner. A cohesive, top-down vision is one of the most effective ways to ensure growth, so a turnkey solution that does not mesh well with that vision could potentially limit the company’s ability to grow.

3. It Can Be Difficult to Integrate Turnkey Solutions 

Sometimes it can be difficult to make a turnkey solution fit with a business’s existing systems. This is down to the plug-in and go nature of turnkey solutions. They are not designed for easy integration, which is part of the reason why they are so affordable.

However, if your aim is long-term growth, you want to make sure every aspect of your business runs smoothly because it all works together seamlessly.

Final Words 

While turnkey solutions can work with many business models, custom systems are almost always better at meeting the unique needs of a growing business.

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