Category: Legal Branding

CPA
Legal Branding

7 Reasons Startups Need a CPA

Starting a new business is always an exciting time. You anticipate all the ways your business will succeed, and if you start it off right, it will. One of things that many new business owners don’t think about right away is hiring a CPA. They consider marketing, client retention, sales, and even social media. However, they make the mistake of thinking that they only need an accountant come tax time when nothing could be further from the truth. A great CPA will offer many services that can benefit startups from idea to execution.

Set Up Your Business Correctly

An accountant can help you set up your business structure and the finance side of things before you even start making money. They can help you decide what to do with your start-up capital and help ensure you do everything by the books. Nothing is worse than getting started only to realize you needed a different structure. Many businesses start as LLC but may need to be an s-corp or other type of business instead.

Save Hours of Time

Having an accountant on hand can save you a lot of time. When you’re starting a business, time is already a precious resource that you can’t make more of. Most startup ventures have their owners working long hours already. It’s worth the money to invest in an accountant to handle the financial aspects of the business. This time saved means you can focus on the most important tasks for your business instead of all the little things.

Save Tons of Money

A good accountant will cost a pretty penny. But the money you save later on will more than make up the cost of hiring them. Accountants know all the fine details of the tax code to ensure you are getting every deduction and credit you are owed in addition to putting all the income and expenses in the right places. They make sure you don’t owe too much come tax time. Those savings add up and reveal why they are such a valuable resource.

Gain Insight Into the Financial Health of Your Startup

Not only can an accountant give you a snapshot of your financial health on any given day, they can also create important documents to give to your investors and clients as needed. An income statement simply shows the income and expenses your startup is incurring. A balance sheet will show your business finances on a specific date. And a cash flow statement shows how much liquidity you have in your business. Each of these documents gives you valuable insight into how well your new business is doing.

Help You Set Up a Business Budget

Not sure how to decide where all the money should go when it comes in? A CPA can assist you in creating your very first business budget. Since they are well-versed in all things applying to finances, they can easily help you create a working budget. This is one of the many pitfalls startups make. They don’t create or follow a budget. While the marketing for accounting firms might say they do it all, it’s important to find out if they really do. You want one who can manage all your finances in one place to simplify the process for you. It’s more difficult to hire a bookkeeper who works for a different firm than your accountant. Make sure you ask about all the different things they can do for your startup.

Avoid Expensive Mistakes

No one wants to end up owing too much in taxes. And no one wants to owe interest on tax they forgot to pay because they made a big mistake. Hiring a CPA helps to mitigate costly mistakes. When you use a professional accountant, you’ll be better prepared throughout the year to file the different taxes that the government requires. Additionally, you’ll be better prepared to avoid costly mistakes. You don’t know what you don’t know, but at the end of the day when it comes to taxes you are still responsible for it.

CPAs Help You Comply

Complying with industry regulations is about more than saving you money. It can also keep you out of jail. Tax fraud, tax evasion and other tax compliance issues are one of the reasons many businesses go under. Hiring a CPA helps you comply with all the regulations so your startup can get up and thrive. 

Legal Branding

Vape Pod: What Is It & How Does It Work?

Vaping and everything related to it still sounds like a significant mystery to some people. The vape industry has undergone its fair share of evolution over the years, causing an incredible deal of confusion.

The introduction of new products is part of the evolution process, and vape pods are among them. On the bright side, the thrill of finding out more about vape pods is exciting.

One thing that’s for sure is that vape pods are far more elegant than their traditional counterparts, cigarettes. Here’s a complete guide to vape pods and how they work.

 

They are Fully-packed

Different brands have unique ways of packaging and delivering their products. Vape pods are not an exception and bring utmost convenience to every user who dares to give them a try.

Most vape pods come in complete packages, including a wick, vape replacement coils, and sometimes e juice. These items make up the cartridge, which spells out durability when properly utilized and maintained.

With all the essential items in place, a vape pod is as flexible as can be since it doesn’t need an atomizer to function as it should. In e juice, any amount that falls somewhere between 1 and 3ml is enough to keep it running.

Overfilling them might cause the vape pods to spiral out of control. Its performance level depends on the amount of vape juice it contains. Anything more or less than the amount stated by the manufacturer may be detrimental to its durability and overall functionality.

Its adherence to technology has seen it steal the hearts of many vapers. A quality vape pod still maintains its elegant and sleek appearance despite its unique ability to accommodate vital pieces.

 

Refillable and Pre-filled Vape Pods

Vape enthusiasts should expect to come across two types of vape pods; pre-filled and refillable. Despite their similarities, each of them possesses distinctive qualities.

The point of distinction lies in their names which make it easier to tell them apart. Pre-filled means that the vape pods in question already come in packages filled up with e juice.

On the other hand, the refillable vape pod gives the vaper a sense of responsibility since they have to refill them independently. The good news is that you are at liberty to pick a vape juice of your choice.

Using a pre-filled vape pod means you can’t refill once it’s empty. It is by far the safest alternative, especially for first-time vapers that are not too familiar with the refill process.

The pre-filled vape pods also help in regulating the number of times one vapes in a day. This reduces health complication cases by a considerable margin since it prevents the upsurge of toxic chemicals in the body.

Refillable vape pods also make it possible to concoct their own juices and vape them at their pleasure.

 

Requires Less Effort

Despite their iconic and sophisticated reputation, vape pods are quite simple to use. They are flexible and can work perfectly in the hands of both beginners and advanced vapers.

Its mode of operation depends on the type you choose to use. As stated earlier, there are refillable and pre-filled vape pods. One of them only requires the user to have it in their pockets or other belongings.

The other may need you to have separate e juices that should see you refill from time to time. The refillable vape pod only needs basic knowledge on how to operate the buttons on the device.

Some vape pods have buttons that indicate what they are for, giving the user an easy time during its use. Vape pod users don’t have to go through the demanding process of figuring out what the settings could mean.

On the contrary, they only need to know the type of vape pod they would be comfortable using. Due to its simplicity, vapers find it more relaxing to vape on the go. Advanced users see the refillable pod vapes as opportunities to explore all the available flavors of e juice on the market.

 

Little To No Maintenance

Its ability to function is not in any way dependent on the care and maintenance factor. Vape pods are ready for use as soon as they land in the vaper’s hands compared to vape mods.

However, refillable vape pods only require constant refills depending on how often the user puts it to the task. Otherwise, it can go for long periods without the urgent need for a checkup.

Their general design also prevents unnecessary leaks. Vape pod users can comfortably carry them around (they are portable) without fearing their messy side.

 

Depends on the Brand

Since the vape industry is constantly evolving, vapers should expect some changes in their favorite vape products. Vape pods are part of this list, but manufacturers strive to maintain their simplicity.

Different brands will yearn to give their products a new look but eventually yield to their client’s feedback. Vape pods function according to the original design of the manufacturers.

Conclusion

Vape pods are among the favorite vape products among vapers. Its general profile speaks for itself and ends up attracting both new and long-time vapers. Shopping around for the latest models grants exposure to interested vapers.

What’s more, staying informed on the latest developments is a walk in the park owing to technology.

Merging Pdfs
Legal Branding

6 mistakes to avoid in the early stages of a startup

Most startups fail in the first year. This is simply because this is the most crucial time in a startup’s journey: Moving from the idea stage to the market. To help your startup succeed, here are the six mistakes to avoid in the early stages of a startup.

 

Developing a technical prototype too soon

Technical prototypes cost money and time. It is something that you will need to do at some point. But you shouldn’t jump the gun and develop one too soon. You need to be really solid on your idea first. Instead, ensure that the financial and marketing sides of your business are in place. Then, start to look at prototyping.

 

Not having a knowledgeable mentor

Getting advice is crucial to the success of your startup, especially in those early stages. Yet so many entrepreneurs avoid doing this. Mentors offer valuable insights into the field that you are entering and can help to guide you through all the challenges that it presents. If you don’t know anyone who can offer you some guidance, then look online. There are so many startup communities that have forums and groups where your questions can be answered.

 

Lacking a well-defined business plan

In those early stages, you really need to know what the future holds for your new company. That means having a detailed business plan created that will cover all aspects of your business. It may initially seem like a boring task, but many entrepreneurs fail because they don’t do this. Hence, you should put the time and effort into making sure that you have one!

 

Outsourcing unnecessarily

While you need to get going, getting everything done for you is rarely the best idea. For example, outsourcing your accounting or bookkeeping can seem like a good idea at first. But in reality, it’s usually not. You really need to know what is happening with your finances if your business is to succeed! So, do as much work as you can. Another example is app-building and website building. With today’s no code technology, you can build most of these things yourself. Here’s a useful guide on everything no-code.

 

Picking the wrong investors

Another thing that most new entrepreneurs get wrong is who they choose as an investor. That’s because, if it isn’t done right, you could be on the end of some seriously bad advice. When you first begin looking for investors, do so by asking around. See if you know anyone who has money to invest. If not, then start researching online. Look at the Angel Investment Network and see if they can find you a potential investor.

Expanding the team too soon

When it comes to expanding your team, you need to be careful. As the old saying goes: “Too many cooks spoil the broth.” You really need to consider carefully who you bring on board as an employee or a contractor. This is because if that person isn’t 100% dedicated and committed to your company, then he or she could end up causing some serious issues.

Legal Branding

7 Awesome Automation Tools to Supercharge Your Content Creation Process

Content creation is a key function in digital marketing that demands both time and effort. The content you put out there speaks volumes about your business and your authority in your field. This is why optimizing the content creation process should be one of your top priorities. The more tools and aides your content creators have at their disposal, the more productive they are likely to be.

According to a survey by HubSpot, 68% of businesses use automation in some way. Another report by MarketingProfs says that 92% of marketing agencies are now investing more time and resources into marketing automation. use of automation tools and software has resulted in increased ROI for many marketers who have automated some of their content marketing activities.

If you are looking for the best automation tools that can give you a competitive advantage, here are 7 awesome tools you should know about.

1. Narrato – Content creation and collaboration platform

Narrato is a content creation and workflow management platform that helps you see through your content creation process from start to finish. It’s a great collaboration platform where your entire content team and stakeholders can come together to build great content.

Narrato Workspace can help you:

Collaborate with your content team – You can add your entire content team to the Workspace on Narrato, including your writers, editors, content managers, clients, partners, and other stakeholders. You can assign your team members to tasks and get them to collaborate on any piece of content. You can also share content with partners and stakeholders using public content links.

Manage a team of writers – Narrato is a perfect platform to manage your team of writers – be it your in-house staff or freelance / part-time writers. Content task assignment is super convenient (you can assign multiple tasks to a writer in one go). You can even track work done and payments due for your contract or freelance writers.

Create quality content – Narrato boasts of a powerful content editor, which allows you to optimize your content for readability and gives great content structuring suggestions. You can even run a plagiarism check on content using the editor. What’s even cooler is the ability to create custom content templates to get structured input from your writers.

Organize your content and projects – Narrato offers you a great platform to organize all your content projects in a single place. It’s structured very much like your local or cloud drive with folders and content items. But offers you several other views of your content to facilitate easy access and planning. For instance – a view of all content items without folders and a content calendar view, which is great for planning and tracking content work.

Track content and project progress – All content tasks run through workflow statuses and you can also track the overall progress of your project using project status bars.

Publish and deliver content seamlessly – Narrato Workspace integrates with WordPress and supports HTML publishing as well.

Create a guidelines and brand assets repository – This is a cool feature which allows you to create a guidelines document with attachments, and you can link it repeatedly to multiple tasks anytime.

Pricing: Free at the moment. May launch paid plans soon.

2. Automizy – Email marketing and automation software

Automizy is an email marketing automation tool that helps you distribute your content and engage with leads at the right time. Email marketing is one of the most important areas of any digital marketing strategy. But handling emails manually can be quite tedious. You have hundreds of prospective leads, each at a different stage in their journey towards conversion.

Email automation allows you to send them targeted, personalized emails at the right moment to increase your chances of conversion. With Automizy, you can build your contact list with the help of sign-up forms you create. The platform has an email automation builder that helps you define the entire process of sending an automated email, based on the actions taken by the prospect.

The drag and drop email editor also lest you create high-performing emails without any additional skill requirements. The AI tool on the platform helps by predicting the performance of your subject lines.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $9 per month for 200 contacts.

3. TubeBuddy – Productivity and SEO tool for YouTube

Nearly 61% of digital marketers say they have achieved better ROI with video marketing than with Google Ads. So you can imagine how important it is that your video content performs well, particularly on platforms like YouTube.

TubeBuddy is a browser extension that helps you get more views and subscribers on YouTube faster. The tool helps you with advanced keyword research, simplifying publishing, optimizing content to rank higher in search results, promoting your videos on social media, and data analysis to identify improvement opportunities.

Pricing: They are offering a free plan with limited features. The paid plans start at $7.20 per month.

4. Typito – Video maker to create videos with text

Another amazing video content platform, with a slightly different use case, is Typito. Typito is a video creation app with an easy drag-and-drop editor. You can customize your videos with your brand colors and fonts. You can also add captions easily that are perfectly synced with the video.

The platform offers more than 20 video formats, over 600,000 free images, and 500+ motion graphic templates.

Pricing: The paid plan starts at $29 per month.

5. Jasper – AI-based copywriting software

Jasper is an AI-powered copywriting software that can create high converting copy for ads, emails, websites, blogs, and more. This could be a very useful tool to create a compelling copy during web design and development work, without having to hire a copywriter just yet. It can also be an invaluable tool for your sales, marketing, and customer support teams, saving them a lot of time on content creation.

Jasper can generate several high-converting headlines with just a little input about the product or service for which you need a copy. You can also set the tone for your copy to go with your brand image. The tool lets you translate your content to more than 25 different languages too.

Pricing: The starter plan is priced at $29 per month.

6. CreatorKit – Video tool for content creators

CreatorKit is a video creation tool for creating social marketing videos. The platform lets you create animated videos, stories, and ads for different social platforms with its easy-to-use video editor. It has thousands of templates to fit various social channels.

You can customize videos to reflect your brand and save your customized templates to use again. You can also add price tags, discounts, and other engaging text to your marketing videos.

Pricing: Pricing information not available

7. Zencastr – Podcast recording tool

According to a research report, the number of podcast listeners in the US alone has grown by 29.5% in the last 3 years. Podcasts are a high-potential marketing tool today, competing with video and written content.

Zencastr is a tool that helps you record studio-quality podcasts from anywhere. It allows you to record a lossless 16-bit 48k WAV audio track with each guest, without any time limits. Since it is local recording, the internet connection speed does not matter and you can get high-quality audio every time.

The tool has built-in VoIP that lets you chat, talk, leave live footnotes, and record at the same time. It also has a Soundboard for live editing of your podcasts and an automatic post-production tool to help you achieve the final product.

Pricing: Free plan with limited features for hobbyists. The professional plan costs $20 per month.

Conclusion

Each of these marketing and automation tools is sure to drive more engagement for your business. Content creating and marketing requires skill and effort. But it also demands the right tools and technology to deliver the best results. Try out these amazing automation tools and watch your content performance soar higher than ever before.

Author bio:

Neelam Goswami is a Content Writer at Godot Media, a leading content writing services agency. Her areas of interest include digital and content marketing. She is also an amateur artist and loves to spend time on creative work.

Legal Branding

How to List Products on Amazon Without a GTIN or UPC?

A Global Trade Identification Number is required for any products sold on Amazon (GTIN). You must apply for a GTIN Exemption if your product does not have one. But don’t worry; it’s not as challenging as it appears. If your product does not have a UPC, EAN, ISBN, or UPC code, you must apply for a GTIN exemption under a specified product category. Let’s have a look at what a GTIN Exemption is. Also, visit olifantdigital.com to get more information or professional Amazon help.

What is GTIN?

A Global Trade Identification Number (GTIN), commonly known as Product ID, is a unique number assigned to each product sold on Amazon, as previously stated. This can be found as a barcode label on a product’s packaging. The GTIN, or Global Trade Item Number, is a unique string of numbers that identifies particular products beneath the barcode but is not the barcode itself.

 

Types of GTINs 

UPC: A Universal Product Code, also known as GTIN-12, is a unique 12-digit numerical product identifier under a barcode that is most commonly used in the United States and Canada. These can be found on almost all tangible things in retailers. As a result, it is the most widely used barcode type on the planet.

EAN: A European Article Number (EAN) is a unique identifier for products sold in the European marketplace. The EAN, commonly known as GTIN-13, is a barcodeThe EAN, also known as GTIN-13, is a 13-digit numerical product identifier that appears under a barcode.

JAN: A Japanese Article Number is similar to an EAN in that it is only used for products sold in Japan’s marketplace.

ISBN: ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number, and it is a unique identifier for books. There are 10 or 13 digits in an International Standard Book Number. The number was chosen by the date of publication.

GTIN-14: It relates to the container codes.

 

UPCs and Barcodes

While UPCs are the most prevalent sort of GTIN used for Amazon.com sales, they are not required for every product sold. However, it is contingent on elements such as the brand and category in which you wish to sell. If you sell a private-label or handmade product, you may be qualified for a GTIN exemption. This exception would mean that the product would not require a UPC for listing on amazon.

All listed products must have a GS1 (Global Standards 1) registered barcode if they do not have a GTIN exemption. GS1 is a non-profit organization that creates and maintains international business communication standards. The only legitimate way to purchase a UPC for use on Amazon is through GS1. When using FBA, your product packaging must have an associated UPC number, an Amazon barcode, or an FNSKU (Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit). This FNSKU is an Amazon-specific code that keeps track of your inventory. You can also check the amazon PPC guide to have complete insight into the significant information.

 

GTIN Exemption

There is already a list of brands that require a GTIN to be listed on Amazon.com. GTIN exemptions are not available for these brands since they utilize a GS1 authorized barcode on their products. If a product does not have a GTIN and fits within one of these brands, it will be “suppressed.” You can apply for a GTIN exemption if you meet the following criteria:

  • You want to sell products for which the brand, maker, or publisher does not issue a GTIN.
  • You are the maker, brand, or publisher of a product that you want to sell but don’t have barcodes for.
  • You wish to sell product parts that don’t have a GTIN, such as automobile parts or product accessories.
  • You want to sell a bundled pack that contains multiple products.

 

Requesting a GTIN Exemption

To be eligible for an exemption, you must meet certain criteria. It’s a lot easier to register a GS1 account and receive barcodes here than it is to claim you need a GTIN exemption. Obtaining GTINs is the simplest solution in the long run. Check to see if your product is listed in Amazon’s massive catalog to discover whether you qualify for a GTIN exemption. Even if the same product is sold by numerous sellers or companies, it’s common for everything to be linked to a single listing. The barcode is what makes this relationship possible. Your products don’t appear in Amazon’s catalog and/or you don’t have barcodes, thus you’re exempt.

If an existing product matches yours, your offer can be added on the detail page of that product without the need for a GTIN. The product should appear in the manage inventory area on the “Seller Dashboard” within a few minutes. If your product doesn’t match, you’ll need to apply for a GTIN exemption before it can be added. You’ll need the following if you’re a brand owner, manufacturer, or publisher: The product’s name and 2-9 photos of the product against a white backdrop, taken from two different angles, including the product’s box.

 

Guidelines

  1. The brand name supplied on the application must match the brand name on the goods and/or packaging exactly.
  2. Images of the item and packaging must be taken in the actual world. When photographing the product, they must show it being held in hand or placed on a table.
  3. The product branding must be affixed to the container or the product itself in a permanent manner.
  4. There should be no certified GS1 barcode anywhere on the goods and/or packaging, as this would eliminate the need for GTIN Exemption.
  5. You can always re-apply if you mistakenly used the wrong brand name or category when applying for the GTIN exemption.
  6. Listing under a new brand or in a new category necessitates the submission of a new application each time. . In a single application, you can request GTIN exemption for up to 10 different brand names/category combinations.

 

Resellers’ Requirements

If you’re reselling products, you’ll need a letter from the brand’s owner written in the local language of the market and contains the following information: Name and contact information of the addresser or writer of the letter

  • Your address, phone number, and email or website address
  • Reasonable reasons why the product requires a GTIN exemption After that, go to Seller Central and click the following link — Request a GTIN exemption.
  • Select “Select” and search for a category that applies to your goods.
  • Then, “verify your eligibility.” If it comes back as “ineligible,” a GTIN will be required.
  • “Check for eligibility” is the next step. If it comes back as “ineligible,” a GTIN will be required. If not, click “Continue.”
  • Amazon may take at least 48 hours to react. You may check the status of this in Amazon Seller Central’s ‘Case Log’ area.
Legal BrandingLocal BrandingPersonal Branding

Experts Discuss Small Productivity Tips for That Bring Big Benefits

In everyday work, there are a lot of challenges and sometimes even obstacles that prevent us to stay in focus all the time. It doesn’t matter if you are an entrepreneur, manager, assistant, junior or on any else position, it is important not to lose the thread. Here you will find many useful advice on how to save your time and energy, and at the same time to make the highest productivity.

Productivity in a Nut Shell.

Our partners from Managementguru suggests “Productivity in a Nut Shell”.

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”

Productivity can’t be better explained. Productivity is the result of a commitment to excellence, smart planning and focused effort. Remember – Effective people are preferred to, rather than efficient people as the former does the right thing and the latter does things right. Procrastination is like a credit card. It’s a lot of fun until you get the bill. The only difference between success and failure is the ability to take action. Managementguru is the number one source for all things business. They’re dedicated to giving you the very best of information, with a focus on social media marketing and strategy.

Be more realistic about what you can deliver as a team.

Our partner Sherene Funk from Rain Retail suggests to “Be more realistic about what you can deliver as a team”.

We recently had a goal-setting session in which we determined that, in order to be more productive, we needed to be more realistic about what we can deliver as a team. It’s always best to under promise and over deliver. Realistic goals prevent overwhelm, increase motivation, and heighten the sense of achievement when projects are completed on time, or before.

Focus on time increments and small wins – Imed Bouchrika, project leader and chief data scientist at the academic research portal Research.com.

It’s easy to lose productivity when confronted with multiple tasks. Doing them all at the same will likely end up in you pouring in lots of initial work across a field of open-ended tasks at the day’s end. In short, you accomplish nothing.

Instead, focus on finishing one task at a time across increments of short periods. You can follow the Pomodoro Technique here, where you break work into 25-minute periods. Or devise your own increments. For example, divide an hour into two 30-minutes or four 15-minutes and allot a period for each task. 

The time increments allow you to tune out of the paralyzing thought of needing to finish a lot of work NOW and instead focus on a small win, something you can easily take a good shot at. Achieving small wins will add up to wrapping up the big task sooner than later.

There is a postscript benefit to increments and small wins: It helps you squeeze out more outputs past your highest productivity level in a day. After all, it’s not that difficult to add just… one… more… 15-minute task even in your last hour of work.

 

Productivity is doing more with the tools and making sure the outcome meets standard of quality.

Our partner Andrea Curry from Zenefits says that “Productivity is doing more with the tools”.

There’s a lot of buzz words that are thrown around when talking about productivity. How many Medium blog posts or LinkedIn articles have you seen about “super-charging” our workday, “hacking our way” through a project, or “tips and tricks” to increase output with minimal input? For me, productivity is doing more with the tools I have and making sure the outcome meets my standard of quality. Honing productive habits help get this done. Step one is to get organized (and that doesn’t mean having an inbox with zero unread messages, though that helps!). Projects can get messy, so be sure that you use a system that helps you keep control and look at the big picture. I love using the online tool Asana for this reason. It helps with capturing my thoughts, outlining workflow, and I can easily update deliverables and due dates. The next thing to understand is that distractions will constantly come up. It takes a lot of self-discipline not to be pulled in different directions. It’s helpful to have an understanding of what is your “north star” — aka your purpose or big picture goal. If people or other projects pop up, ask yourself if this helps you achieve your goal, or if it will derail you. Finally, remember not to burn yourself out. You won’t be productive if you’re running low on fuel. Incorporate the things that help feed your creativity and bring you joy — whether it’s exercising, spending time with family, or taking a walk outside.

Take Charge Of Your Email Not The Other Way Round

Our partner Dr. Anthony Llewellyn from AdvanceMed suggest to “Take Charge Of Your Email Not The Other Way Round”

Dr. Anthony Llewellyn is a successful online doctor coach. He writes about the importance of getting in control of your email.
With so many points of contact into your business, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed at times. But whilst email is now considered by many as “low tech”, the “email list” still remains one of your greatest assets. So it’s important to be able to dedicate time to your email management. But that doesn’t mean it needs to always take away your focus.
One great tip I developed sometime ago came out from a bit of frustration. You see I was getting a bit sick and tired of being included as a “CC” into a whole lot of company wide and team email discussions. It often felt like I was being included either on a “just thought you should know” basis or even at times because the email sender didn’t trust the recipient and wanted some witnesses!!
So I went through my email inbox and saw how many emails I was getting on a CC basis. And I thought to myself. Would it be that different if I just chose to ignore these emails? So I set up a bit of an experiment. I set up an email rule to divert these CC emails into another folder before I could even notice them. Strangely enough, the sky didn’t fall in and the world kept rotating. I blissfully forgot about the presence of this folder for a few weeks and then I remembered it.
So I went back in and checked all these emails and to my great satisfaction, I realized that all the issues in these emails had either been inconsequential to me or dealt with in other ways, i.e. someone had come to speak to me about the issue or emailed me directly.
I’ve since used a variety of rules with emails to cut through and focus on what is important.

Recognize Your Strengths

Our partner Lori McKnight from CSI Stars suggests to “Recognize Your Strengths”.

Most people are much more productive when working on things that utilize their strengths. Identify what you excel in and focus the majority of your time on those activities. If you are in the right job, these things will be what most moves the needle and delivers results. The same goes for your team. Spend time getting to know each of your employee’s strengths. It is far more productive to leverage your peoples’ strengths than fix their weaknesses.

Identifying your employee’s strengths and recognizing their contributions will drive higher employee engagement. This, in turn, will boost your own productivity as you spend less time interviewing and re-training. Consider these stats:

Organizations that excel in employee recognition have 12x better business results
High-recognition organizations have 31% less voluntary turnover

Who knows…maybe a team members’ strengths will even complement a weakness of yours!

An organization that doesn’t trust its employees to manage their workload will quickly find itself with “doers” and not “learners”

Our partner Scott from Structural says that “An organization that doesn’t trust its employees to manage their workload will quickly find itself with “doers” and not “learners”

An organization that doesn’t trust its employees to manage their workload while being able to connect with others as needed will quickly find itself with “doers” and not “learners” which is an organizational death sentence in a world where the half-life of skills is so short.

Avoid getting caught up in the work of others

Our partner Clayton Kaufman from My Employees suggests “Avoid getting caught up in the work of others”.

“When you truly believe your work improves the lives of others, the difference you make becomes the anchor of your passion. Make the connection between the work you do and how that work makes life better for others. The decision to become a positive difference-maker for others contributes to a deep sense of purpose, fulfillment, and productivity”.

Plan your days in advance

Our partner Kelvin Mokaya from Fuzu suggests “Plan your days in advance”.

Knowing what you need to accomplish during a particular week will enable you to plan for the week. List all the tasks you’ll need to do in order of the urgency they need to be done and the amount of time it would take to complete each. This will make it easier for you to plan your calendar for the week while prioritizing the work that matters most.

Prioritize actions that will make tomorrow easier

Our partner, Fiona Adler from HR Partner, explains that prioritization is one of the most important, yet overlooked aspects of productivity. Taking the time to proactively decide which tasks are most important will put you streaks ahead. One key to this is acknowledging that you can’t actually do everything – you will always have more ideas and things coming at you than can possibly be done. Once you really understand this, the significance of prioritization is obvious – if you don’t do this, you’ll never get to those most important tasks. 

But prioritization is hard, so one thing to remember when putting your tasks in order of priority is to emphasize those tasks that will make your tomorrow a bit smoother and easier. So prioritize things like; choosing a new HR system, posting a job ad for a new accounts manager, setting up a new process, or deciding on a strategic direction.

Invent your personal workflows that work best for you

Our partner Baiju NT from RoboticsBiz says it is vital to create personal workflows to efficiently manage your time and increase productivity. Productivity isn’t just all about checking boxes off your to-do list. It is about making sure you’re getting the right things done in the right timeframe, successfully and effectively. Creating a workflow enables you to train your brain and systematically get into an efficient cycle of executing tasks from the morning till the end of your day. Start the day with easy, regular, and repeatable tasks first, and then you will have more uninterrupted time blocks to accomplish larger time-demanding tasks in a day. Millions of people use productivity tools like Trello to get into personal workflows and achieve more every second.

 


Infographic provided by Food For Thought

Legal Branding

Exactly How to Create Custom Badges Online

Are you planning to host a school event or business meeting?  You can create custom badges for your school with a school photo, for your business with your company logo and tagline, and personal photos for social events.  With https://www.makebadges.com.au/, you can create badges with just a click of a button. You can follow these steps to make custom badges online.

Step 1: Choose a Badge Design Template

The first thing is to go to “badge design defaults” and choose the shape you want to use. It is necessary to select a shape that resembles your logo. Additionally, find a design template that speaks about the theme and mood of the occasion.

Step 2: Add Text

Add text to describe the theme of the context behind the badge. Be it for membership, award-winning, academic achievement, or employee appreciation.

Step 3: Choose your Font

Badges are displayed in various sizes, so you should pick an easy-to-read, clear font to pass the message quickly. Select a font that properly represents the occasion. It may be for completing a training course, membership, or any other event.

Step 4: Match Logo and Color

To keep the logo attractive and straightforward, you need to add your logo and color themes that match your brand. Go to the “Elements” tab to color to reflect your brand image. Besides, you can use the color wheel tool to re-color an icon to bring the right hue. You can also use a specific hexode to get your brand colors that are right for the badge.

Step 5: Upload your Photos and Background

If you want the badge to have a photo, you can easily add it to your card design—no need to taking photos and resizing them to paste on the badge. You only need to upload an image from any JPG, SVG, or PNG file from your computer. You only need to drag and drop the image to where you want it to be on the badge.

With the help of the upload feature, you can add your background to your design. It will make your badge reflect your brand.

Step 6: Download and Print

Once you are done with customizing, download, and save your badge as a PDF, JPG, and PNG, you can also make high-quality prints with Canva Print. It allows you to open and edit the project in the future when you need to.

Tips for Choosing Custom Badges Online

Here are some tips that you should consider when selecting a custom badge online:

  • Size

One crucial factor to consider when choosing a custom badge is size. You should decide the badge to consider depending on the information it should contain. Ensure the badge size is not that tiny to be recognized and too big to look absurd.

  • Appropriate Font Size

Most people tend to create custom badges with small font sizes. This tends to prevent people from talking and hindering efficient networking. Ensure you get a custom badge with a font size that meets your needs. It should also hold lengthy names.

  • Great Background

Using the wrong background makes the badge ineffective as it makes the text unreadable. Avoid backgrounds with multiple colors or patterns because they cause distractions. Also, choose contrasting colors that bring out the intended purpose.

Conclusion

Badges make people stand out from a crowd and mark achievements. With makebadges.com.au/, you can create fantastic badges to share and download in minutes.

Legal Branding

Lead Nurturing Campaigns: Tactics and Best Practices

Image Source: Unsplash

Any experienced salesperson will tell you that getting a ‘no’ from a prospect seldom actually means ‘no’. In fact, a ‘no’ can mean a lot of things:

  • Not right now
  • I’m not ready to commit
  • I’m not willing to put time into this at the moment
  • I’m not able make a purchase this quarter
  • I’m not convinced of the value of this product/service
  • Etc.

Statistics show that a salesperson who gives up with a prospect after that first ‘no’ is missing out on a huge potential opportunity:

  • The average customer says no an average of four times before saying yes
  • It takes an average of 8 cold call attempts to reach a prospect
  • 80% of closed sales require 5 follow-up calls

With this knowledge available, why is it then that a surprising 44% of salespeople stop contacting a prospect if there’s no response to their first follow-up?

It really boils down to emotion. Many are trying to avoid being bothersome or overbearing. Many others are afraid of multiple rejections or angering a customer.

However, the reality is that if you truly believe you have a great product or service that will benefit your customer, you are doing them a favor by trying to stay on their radar! The key to being persistent (without being annoying) is to continuously add value to the conversation during each interaction with your prospect.

In this blog, we’ll discuss how to add that value, and a few other tips that can help you stay efficient and effective with lead nurturing campaigns.

4 Ways To Add Value To Your Follow Ups

Listen First

The first conversation you have with a prospect is no doubt the most important. Be sure to listen more than you speak. If you can learn enough about the prospect in your first call, you’ll have a much easier time delivering value to them in your subsequent follow ups.

In that first conversation, try to find out:

  • What their main pain points are
  • Who their competitors are
  • What keeps them up at night when it comes to their work or business
  • What are they looking for in a solution

These important questions will help you to gain a solid grasp of what your prospect needs— and knowing this will help you incredibly in the following steps.

Become The Go-To Expert For Your Prospect

When speaking with a prospect about your business and what you offer, it’s important that you are seen as the subject matter expert. You want the prospect to feel that you are the immediate go-to if and when they need to pick a solution.

Part of positioning yourself in this way is to give your prospects specific and actionable tips for their business that are within your general field of expertise.

For example, let’s say you were representing a company who supplies machine parts to automakers. The automaker you are prospecting mentioned off-handedly that he is having an issue with one of his machines (one that your company doesn’t sell parts to). So, after your call, you do some research on the machine. You find some self-fixes the automaker can do, and you also give him the number for a trusted maintenance company that you know.

Then, you include the information you found in a follow up email to your prospect— just as a PS.

Building this kind of trust with prospects has a huge effect on how they see you and how they digest your follow-ups. If you’re offering them valuable, actionable advice in each touchpoint they are far more likely to not only open your emails but respond!

Share A Helpful Resource (With No Strings Attached)

If you’ve sent a few follow-ups with no response, it can be easy to lose heart. But don’t! You just have to think of another way to reach out to your prospect and add value.

One way to do this is to include another helpful resource in your email. For example, did you just come across a recent study or eBook that your prospect might find interesting? Does it cover something relevant to your prospect’s business or industry? Include it as the introduction to your follow up email.

As with the tip above, adding value to your prospect’s day makes your email more of a relationship-builder and less of an annoyance.

Ask Your Prospect What Their Preferred Method of Communication Is — And Stick to It

We get it. Sometimes it’s just easier to send an email than to make a call. However, the way you follow up needs to be the way your prospect prefers it, not you. You may believe that busy B2B executives would prefer email. But actually, one recent study showed that 57% of C-level buyers prefer that salespeople call them instead.

You never know what the easiest way to reach someone will be, so the best way to find out is simply to ask! Odds are the prospect will appreciate that you are trying to make things more convenient for them.

3 Lead Nurturing Best Practices to Start Using Today

Use Automation

Today’s marketing automation tools have made automating sales follow-ups incredibly easy. Tools like Salesforce remind salespeople when it’s time to follow up, include notes from previous touchpoints and prospect details all in one simple platform. You can automate your follow ups using templates and set them at timed intervals. This is a great way to ensure that you are being persistent and that nothing falls through the cracks.

Keep in Touch

Things in business change daily. Positions change, people leave companies and join others, and roles shift. However, you shouldn’t waste the time and effort you’ve put into a prospect just because they leave their current company. Continue building your relationships with occasional follow-ups. Who knows when those might lead to a referral down the road!

Outsource Your Lead Generation


If trying to source new leads is eating into the time you have to perform consistent follow-ups, it’s time to look into outsourcing. Great B2B lead generation services can help you find, qualify, and schedule meetings with great leads so you can focus your energy where it’s best served— closing deals and following up with your prospects.

Brand
Legal Branding

Learn How You Can Grow Your CBD Business Online This 2021

CBD (cannabidiol) seems to be quite popular everywhere in the world these days. CBD products are available widely on the shelves of health stores, high streets, pharmacies, and even cafes. It is a trend that’s swiftly gained traction and will continue to expand in the coming years.

The CBD industry in the United States alone is to top $20 billion US dollars by 2024, so if you are searching for a lucrative opportunity in a rapidly developing sector, you have come to the perfect spot. However, selling CBD has its own set of obstacles, especially if you are selling it online. There is so much to think about, from which products to sell, to designing your website, to considering how to best set up dispensary payments for customers to make their online purchases. Let us discuss what you need to learn to grow your CBD Business Online in 2021.

What is CBD?

The trend of Cannabis cultivation and utilization for medicinal, leisure, and economic reasons is since ancient times. The most popular cannabinoid, THC, is famous for its recreational properties. Cannabidiol (CBD), the next is a cannabinoid,  has no psychoactive essence. The plant can grow in different conditions, each with a large amount of Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabinol.

Hemp extracts contain fibers and a large percentage of CBD, which may come in use to process oil. Marijuana plants cultivated for leisure purposes have more Tetrahydrocannabinol than common hemp plants. Hemp has less than 0.3% of THC, according to the code of conduct. It has various forms, including candies, tinctures, vapor, wax, and more. CBD reduces inflammation. It helps with anxiety, reduces depression, and pain reduction, among the other traits.

CBD has different versions like CBD Oil, CBD Tinctures, Gummies, Cigars and CBD Candy. You name it, and there is already a type of product available for you. It is one of the unique selling points of CBD, as it can target a wider audience. Younger individuals incline towards CBD Gummies because of their taste, and Older individuals prefer CBD Oil because it is easy to consume. The college-going young adults prefer CBD Vaping as it is very famous among their circles. There is a  form of CBD for dogs, as premium treats, which are liked by animals a lot. 

Tips to Grow your Business

SPECIFICALLY, TARGET THE WIDE RANGE OF PRODUCTS

The CBD product range has many options, making it necessary to pick the product you want to sell. It is easy to get lost in the wide variety of products Cannabinol has to offer. The firm should choose a product and stick with it in the starting. The marketing should revolve around the particular product, and your website should have all the details about it. It helps the consumers to associate a specific product with your brand. Niche marketing is a must for any seller who is new to the CBD market.

With time when the business expands, the seller can enlarge their business to other products. The additional products can complement the other products as well. For example- a seller starting her/his business by selling CBD Gummies can sell other products. It can include CBD Wax and CBD Oil, which complement CBD Gummies. Seasoned sellers, which already have existing consumers, can expand their horizons. The ones selling human CBD-Based products can also include CBD-Based animal products, ensuring more revenue streams. The more the revenue streams, the more stability your business has.

Good UI/UX Design

Homepage and the website design are everything, coming from the general user experience and the interface design. A user experience firm encourages that your main website is uniform. User Interface/UX company works on many aspects such as style, colors, size, and visual features with a team of web developers to give your business domain a different appearance and feel. Your company website design will have a consistent and uniform user experience thanks to the distinct UI/UX.

Customer Service

Customer service is critical to your company’s success because it keeps customers happy and allows you to extract more profit from them. Businesses may recover client acquisition expenditures and create a loyal following that recommends consumers and serves as case studies. It gives testimonials and reviews by delivering excellent customer service.

  • Adds Revenue to your service

You can only go so far with a decent product or service. When you add excellent customer service to the mix, the value of your product skyrockets.

  • It Increases Customer Retention and Recurring Revenue

Retaining an existing client is always less expensive than acquiring a new one. As a result, delivering excellent customer service is an efficient strategy to keep people returning and purchasing your items.

Lead Generation

A company’s lead generation is crucial. Without it, a company will struggle to grow and produce sales. A robust lead-generating strategy is essential for every company. As a business, you’ll have a hard time generating leads since you’re not clear who you’re trying to market. Many companies now rely significantly on lead generation to drive visitors to their websites, where leads convert into consumers. Google has simplified the process of linking individuals with companies, allowing companies to showcase how their products and services vary from their rivals to the rest of the globe.

It lets you reach out to a consumer base that is actively looking for your product or service on the internet. Furthermore, directing the lead to your website enhances the likelihood of the lead purchasing from your company.

 Catalog of Products

Because of how effectively a catalog connects with the Internet world, catalog marketing plays a significant part in business success today. If you’re a digital seller, you could discover that sending out print catalogs helps your business in many ways. All thanks to the introduction of short-run printing and customization. It is now accessible to every business of all sizes — you can start with as few as 250 copies.

Create an app for your store

A well-designed mobile app is substantially faster than a mobile website in doing tasks. In contrast to web pages, which often require web servers, apps keep their data locally on mobile devices. As a result, data retrieval in these localized applications is fast.

Conclusion

CBD is an enthralling product to work around. On the one hand, giving life-improving items to your consumers will allow you to make a meaningful impact. On the other hand, you must keep the general population informed about the effects of your medications, their legal status, and their lack of connection to THC-dominant marijuana.

A combination of prudence and innovation will set the firm up for success in the CBD area. Now is the opportunity to get in on the ground floor and create a company that will survive while also standing out with a high-quality product.

Digital
Legal Branding

4 Things to Outsource in Your New Law Firm

As a lawyer just starting in your own law firm, you already know that time is money, especially in the legal profession. In your profession, you’ll be wearing many different hats to help you get established, bring in clients, and make your new law firm successful. 

There are some things that you can do yourself, and some that are just more manageable and wiser to outsource. If you’re considering outsourcing specific tasks but aren’t sure which ones, we have some tips that will help you decide. 

Your Branding

If you want your law firm to be successful, then you have to have a brand that people can recognize and trust. Branding is vital in any business but critical when you’re a lawyer who’s just starting out. It’s best to outsource your branding to a marketing firm, especially if you know nothing about creating a brand and getting it out there to possible clients. 

Many firms out there specialize in branding, some in legal branding only, so that’s one thing that you can take off your own plate and be sure it’s being done the right way. 

Legal Research/Writing/Deposition Services

You’re tired, your junior associates are tired, and you still have to do your own legal research and writing. On top of that, you’re paying a full-time employee for deposition services and court reporting when you really can’t afford to pay full-time benefits, full-time pay, vacation and sick leave since your firm just started. Take the initiative and outsource not only your deposition services but your legal research and writing. Find a reputable company that will cost you much less than hiring full-time employees and working yourself and your junior associates to the bone. 

Your Marketing

From social media marketing to SEO content, there’s a lot more that goes into marketing a law firm than there used to be. In the past, it was simple for lawyers to get the word out there about their business. Spread the word, slap your name, face, and phone number on a billboard, and leave some fliers on cars in the local Walmart and be done with it. Today, there’s the internet, social media, and many, many different ways to market your business. So many ways, in fact, it can get confusing and a bit overwhelming. 

If you don’t know anything about digital marketing, social media, or even SEO, then it’s time to outsource your marketing. It’ll save you time, money and ensure the word gets out there about your law firm at the same time. However, there is one marketing strategy that is tried and true and still works. That marketing strategy is word of mouth, so make sure your clients are happy and the word will spread. 

IT Services

Everyone has been there. You’re in the middle of something crucial to a case and the Wi-Fi goes out. It’s not your internet company, and you have a deadline. For the life of you, you can’t figure out what the problem is, and you can’t afford a full-time IT department to take care of IT problems for you. Outsourcing your IT services means that someone will be available to fix problems when they happen, and it’ll save you money in the end as well. 

These are just a few of the things you should outsource when starting your own law firm. As a new business owner and an attorney, you have a lot on your plate already. Outsourcing your marketing, IT services, and court reporting, among others, can do a lot to relieve stress and make your law firm successful. And then you can focus on what’s really important — your clients.