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Category: KATIE CONROY

About the Author: Katie Conroy is the creator of AdviceMine.com. She particularly enjoys writing about lifestyle topics and created the website to share advice she has learned through experience, education, and research.

Sustainable Business Practices Are the Future — Are You Ready? 

Fri, July 22, 2022 / KATIE CONROY / 0 Comments
Photo Credit: Edmond Dantès via Pexels 

Written By: Katie Conroy.

Sustainable Business Practices Are the Future — Are You Ready? 

Today, major corporations around the world are striving to become more sustainable in their business practices. This is due to market demand; consumers these days are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental and social impacts of production, and are voting for sustainability with their dollars. According to a recent Nielsen survey, sales of sustainable products have been performing well above average. 

If you’re planning to start your own business, you should be aware of how sustainable business practices can reduce environmental impact while at the same time promoting healthy, thriving communities. Today, Cymru Marketing presents a guide to help you lay the groundwork for your sustainable business. 

Sustainability 101 

The National Geographic Society defines sustainability as “the practice of using natural resources responsibly, so they can support both present and future generations.” This is not a new concept; for centuries, leaders of the Iroquois Nation considered the impact of their decisions on their great-great-great-great grandchildren (which is the origin of the term “seventh generation”). The challenge for business in the 21st century is figuring out how to be “green” while at the same time remaining profitable. This involves numerous considerations, such as: 

  • The sourcing of materials  
  • Delivery of goods and/or services  
  • Ecological footprint 
  • Economic impact
  •  Fair business practices 
  • The local environment 

Finding Sustainable Opportunities 

When looking for a niche, take into account the local environment and culture. Keep in mind that a business idea that may be sustainable in one place won’t be in another. While researching your idea, consider consumer demand and how to address it sustainably. It’s also worth looking into the walking score of a given location, in order to cut down on vehicular traffic. 

Understanding the Pros and Cons 

One of the challenges of going green is cost. Sustainable, eco-friendly fair-trade materials and products are simply more expensive and can reduce your profit margin. You may be able to make up some of this through volume, however, depending on the attitudes and values of your customer base. 

Marketing the Benefits 

In your marketing, you want to point out how patronizing sustainable businesses benefits a consumer personally. Nobody, especially consumers, wants to hear a sermon about their “responsibilities”; they want to know what’s in it for them.  Consider touting the benefits of a clean environment on personal health and the comfort of knowing their children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy those benefits as well. 

While keeping that in mind, continue to look for opportunities to authentically show your clientele what you’re doing to make your business sustainable. If you find a niche opportunity that isn’t being met in your area, start a green task force and share the positive changes through your marketing. Or join up with an already established organization doing great work and share how the partnership benefits the environment. You should also try to find an influencer marketing agency to help you get the word out. After all, it’s not just about what you do; it’s also about advertising your philosophy and serving as a demonstration of the results. 

Starting or shifting a business to a green model is neither easy nor inexpensive under the current system. It is nonetheless what a growing number of consumers are looking for, so it’s a wise choice in all ways. Make the right choices in your processing and market your venture appropriately. An investment in sustainability may be challenging but can pay off handsomely in the long run. 

Cymru Marketing Specializing in SEO, SMO, Exact Match Keyword Domain Names Sales & Acquisitions, Press Releases, Affiliate Marketing, Lead Generation & Web Design. To get started, please email us at hello@cymrumarketing.com. 

#FairTrade #Marketing #Sustainability #Ecological #LocalEnvironment

Building a Business Can Positively Impact Your Community. 

Sat, June 25, 2022 / KATIE CONROY / 0 Comments
Image via Pexels 

Written By: Katie Conroy.

Building a Business Can Positively Impact Your Community 

Small businesses make big differences in their communities. In fact, small businesses have added millions of jobs to the economy while many national corporations have eliminated positions. Of course, their impact goes beyond job opportunities — small businesses influence neighborhood culture and become a staple of hometowns. 

However, launching a small business takes careful planning, especially if your goal is changing your city for the better. The following steps prepare you for the realities of running a company while balancing local giving. 

For your next digital marketing project, connect with Cymru Digital Marketing to scale your business!  

Find Your Niche 

Your first decision is what goods or services to sell. It’s essential to offer something the community needs, so do some research to find your niche. For example, if you want to open a restaurant, look at what’s missing from the neighborhood menu. There may be many fast food places but no options for health-conscious customers. 

Apply for Funding 

Every company needs capital to get off the ground. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources for small businesses: 

  • Grants 
  • Small business loans 
  • Entrepreneur programs 

You can also look for investors who agree to finance your enterprise for a percentage of business ownership.  

Set Up Your Website 

Even if you cater to local customers, you still need a website. While it’s possible to create your own with templates, you’ll save time by outsourcing to a professional web designer. The expert team at Cymru Digital Marketing can ensure your site is aesthetically pleasing, user-friendly, and fully functional. 

Maintain Cash Flow With Invoicing Software 

In any business, large or small, accurate invoicing is essential to maintaining cash flow and keeping track of what is owed to you. While billing by hand may be fine for a one-person operation, as soon as you start working with multiple clients or taking on employees, manual invoicing becomes time-consuming and error-prone. This is where invoicing software can save the day. Customer invoicing software automates the billing process, making it faster and easier to generate accurate invoices. You’ll also be able to add a button to invoices that allow customers to pay online.  

Advertise Locally 

Local advertisements get local customers. To bring in the crowds, focus your marketing with the following strategies: 

Partner With Local Entrepreneurs 

Connecting to other local businesses is a great way to support your peers and offer more to the community. One of the best ways to do so is by joining municipal associations. These are usually organized by industry, allowing you to meet entrepreneurs with similar aspirations and challenges. 

Support Community Charities 

Local shops are uniquely positioned to work with charities within the community. You can do so by donating directly, hosting campaigns that donate a portion of sales, and even volunteering time, space, and labor. 

Tap Into Local Talent 

As a local business, you can create opportunities for the talent in your neighborhood. When looking to expand your workforce or hire a contractor, look nearby. A great place to start is universities and trade schools. Reaching out to new graduates and trainees keeps resources in the community. 

Running a small business takes determination and a clear vision of the future, but it’s also incredibly fulfilling, especially when you contribute to your community. With the right approach, your enterprise and neighborhood can flourish. 

#localbusiness #workforce #hirecontractors #universities #tradeschools #websitedesign

Start the Business You Dream About: Prevail Over Your Fears

Thu, June 16, 2022 / KATIE CONROY / 0 Comments
Keep your business moving forward
Image: Pixabay

Written By: Katie Conroy

Start the Business You Dream About: Prevail Over Your Fears

Starting a business comes with its share of perks, such as being in charge of the company and your financial future. It comes with risks as well, which can be frightening. You, however, need to overcome those fears to reap the rewards. But how do you go about this? Here are some tips from UK Business Banking on how to get started.

Begin as a Side Hustle

If you currently don’t have the financial means to put all your eggs in one basket, work on your business as a side hustle. Continue working your current job, but use your free time to begin your company. This way, you still have stability with less risk and can see if entrepreneurship is a fit for you.

Take Advantage of Free Tools

When starting out, you will likely have limited resources and will need to stretch your funds as far as possible. This means you should use free software and apps whenever

possible. If you’re working with images and documents, for example, use a free online tool to turn your image into a PDF in lieu of purchasing dedicated software. This way, you can store your images in the cloud for free, as well as distribute them as you like.

Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Before you begin, take time to reflect on your strengths as well as your weaknesses. Hone in on your strengths as much as you can, and consider hiring help to handle the areas of business where you’re less proficient. For instance, if you’re not artistic, consider hiring a professional to develop your logo. If you’re not familiar with search engine optimization (SEO) and web design, hire a freelancer or company to assist.

Choose a Business Structure Early

When you start planning your business, select a business structure early. This affects how you operate your company. One option is a limited company. It limits your personal liability in case of a lawsuit, which can be a relief if you’re worried about losing your home if an issue arises. Use an online formation service to assist in this process. Doing this helps you comply with the law while spending less of your time handling the paperwork.

Implement Certain Marketing Tactics

How you market your business has a strong impact on your success. Part of the equation consists of digital marketing since the Internet is where most people go to find products or services. You can automate digital marketing efforts with a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution to integrate with all your existing tools and services to seamlessly help your marketing reach go further.

Nevertheless, you can’t neglect traditional marketing tactics. For example, you should have a business card to give to people you meet. It makes a lasting impression and acts as a gentle reminder of your products or services. You can create business cards online using a pre-fabricated template that allows you to choose your colors, images, text, and font.

Create a Strong Business Plan

Establish a strong business plan that covers a variety of elements, such as your marketing, including your website. Part of your business plan should cover aspects that make your website convenient. For example, save yourself and clients or customers time and hassle by enabling your app or website to accept payments. This promotes long-term growth and makes it simple for your clients or customers.

Compare your payment options carefully. You want a system that doesn’t charge astronomical credit card processing fees and lets your customers or clients know they have the funds available for payment.

Have Realistic Expectations

While making £1 million in your first year of operations would be wonderful, this isn’t realistic. The average small business owner earns less than £30,000 per year. When you’re just getting started, it takes time to gain exposure and become successful.

Risk-Taking Can Equal Success

Although it might seem scary and overwhelming to take a chance, overcoming your fears and starting a business can lead to success.

#seo #searchengineoptimization #businessplan #businesscard #companyformation #limitedcompanies #ukbusinessbanking #owningabusiness

Keep your business moving forward

Why Data Is Good for Your Business

Sat, May 28, 2022 / KATIE CONROY / 0 Comments
Keep your business moving forward
Image by Pexels

Written By: Kaie Conroy.

Why Data Is Good for Your Business

Why Data Is Good for Your Business

Data analytics is the process of reviewing data and using it to make smarter decisions, which includes measuring and evaluating. It can be seen as a form of statistics that interprets data in order to identify patterns that can help you make smart business decisions.

Whether you are starting up or already established yet looking for more exposure to your business, Cymru Marketing Agency is here on hand to take care of all your marketing needs. Marketing is the key to generating traffic for your Business. Whether you are Branding or Re-Branding or want a helping hand with Business Consultation, Cymru Marketing is waiting to serve your needs.

The main use cases for Data Analytics in business are:

1) Improve decision-making – The goal of analyzing data is to provide clearer guidance on future decisions and outcomes.

2) Track performance – Using Data Analytics we can track past, present, and future performance.

3) Monitor customer feedback – Data analytics can help monitor customer feedback, identify trends, potential problems with products or services, etc. This way we can quickly address any issues before they become big problems.

4) Business intelligence planning – Using data for collecting and analyzing data from various sources

Business Process Management

Business process management uses various methods to discover, model, analyze, measure, improve, and optimize business. BPM  can automate and optimize processes and workflows by analyzing how people, systems, and data interact. By streamlining and improving previously laborious business operations, you’ll operate more efficiently. When creating a BPM framework, make sure you’re constantly monitoring its effectiveness and then acting on monitoring information to take steps to improve the process and output. You can download a BPM template that you can customize to fit your business.

Market Data

In order to manage your business effectively, for it to grow and succeed, you need to market it well, which means developing a marketing plan. A good plan will rely on data collected regarding target audience, product demand, customer demographics, purchasing habits, and sales trends. Marketing data can help you determine price, and how to offer targeted sales and promotions and give you a way to quantify success.

If you’re adding images to your business’s marketing materials or communicating with a graphic designer or web designer about design ideas, you may want to compress JPG files to make them easier to email. However, compressing a JPG file can degrade image quality. Instead, use a JPG-to-PDF converter to convert an image to a PDF to preserve the image’s quality. This tool even allows you to convert multiple JPG files into one PDF so you won’t have to email numerous images.

Business Operations

Knowing your business’s operation data is a great place to begin determining how to better equip your workplace for efficiency. By using data analytics to create comprehensive customer profiles, businesses can gain insights into customer behavior to provide a more personalized experience. Gathering and analyzing data about where bottlenecks originate and helping predict where future problems may arise is valuable information regarding your inventory and purchasing. If data from the past indicates that a specific vendor won’t be able to handle the volume required for the holiday season, a business could supplement or replace this vendor to avoid production delays.

Data is the key to understanding how your business works, how you can make it operate more efficiently, and how you can help it grow. Make it an important part of your business team.

Keep your business moving forward

#marketdata #businessoperations #dataanalytics #metadata #analyticsreporting #analytics

Going Ahead With the Plan: Starting Your Business After the Pandemic

Thu, February 17, 2022 / KATIE CONROY / 0 Comments
Image Courtesy of https://www.pexels.com/

Going Ahead With the Plan: Starting Your Business After the Pandemic

Have you had dreams of becoming a business owner?

Did the COVID-19 pandemic stop you short in your tracks?

As life slowly moves back to normal, you might still feel hesitant to move forward with your plans to open a new company.

Why You Should Start Now

MIT Sloan Management Review explains that many entrepreneurs are finding the business world has changed. According to experts, the labor market became disrupted in 2020, and there were not enough workers to manage certain industries like retail and health care. Fed up with restrictive jobs, many employees decided to forge their own path.

As bigger chains face hardship with workers leaving them, this is a good time to pursue something you have always dreamed of. Depending on your industry, you might face less competition and find it easier to make your first sale. As businesses close, many sell equipment, giving you a chance to purchase at a low price and start your own company. When things return to normal, you might not find the same savings to benefit from.

Make the Most With What You Have

Before you rush out to take a loan, start small and allow your company to grow as needed. Perhaps this means running your business out of your home or garage to keep costs down. Maybe you’ll only buy a few pieces of equipment or limit how many supplies you purchase to estimate how much demand is currently there. Or maybe you’ll renovate a dedicated space in your home and create a fully functional office, which includes your tech set up (computer, keyboard, printer, monitor, etc.) as well as furniture like a desk and comfortable chair. Keep in mind that any updates you make may even boost your home’s value.

The Business Journals recommends doing some research about the competition in your area. Maybe they recently went out of business themselves, or perhaps there is a service people need that they are not offering. Try to step in and fill these gaps for your potential customers.

Also make sure you are allowed to operate your business in your location, especially if you work from home. HOAs, local governments, and landlords usually limit what can be done and what sort of business can be conducted on properties within their limits. If it’s determined that your business can’t be run out of your current place, consider moving into one of the nearly 4,200 houses for rent in Phoenix, to a property that does allow you to run your operation without restrictions.

Know Where to Turn for Help

It is crucial that you know when to seek help. While you do not want to needlessly throw money around, it is important to outsource certain tasks you are not knowledgeable about or if it would take away time that you could use to grow your company. Sometimes, it is worth the extra cost to spend on a freelancer or another type of remote worker, such as blog writing services, a graphic designer, or a bookkeeper.

If you’re worried about hiring a contractor, consider one or two areas that you think would benefit from outsourcing. Track the results and judge for yourself how much time you get back when you use a freelancer instead of doing it on your own.

Get the Word Out About Your Business

Marketing will play a critical role in the success of your business. Make sure you have a solid marketing plan that can appeal to the demographic you want to attract, all while keeping costs low.

Consider using free or low-cost marketing methods for social media or a website. Later on, you can spend money on marketing that is more likely to stick with people, such as creating promotional items like t-shirts or keychains.

Starting your new business in an unexplored economy might sound challenging, but this might be the best time to put your dreams into action and move forward with your goals.

Image via Pexels

Cymru Marketing is your information hub, providing your business with connections to marketing consultants, branding, SEO, graphic design, public relations, and so much more! Contact us for more info using the form below!

#businessstartups #startups #katieconroy #advicemine #businessconsulting

Starting Your Own Professional Speaking Business? Avoid These Top 5 Common Mistakes

Fri, November 12, 2021 / Katie Conroy / 0 Comments
(Photo via Pexels)

About the Author: Katie Conroy is the creator of AdviceMine.com. She particularly enjoys writing about lifestyle topics and created the website to share advice she has learned through experience, education, and research.

The world of professional speaking can be incredibly lucrative. No matter where you are in your career, it can be worthwhile to turn your skills into a formal business. Whether you decide to create a business for just yourself — or for a group of expert speakers — your venture can pay off big time.

Before launching your new company, it is important to do your research, if you’ve been thinking about starting a professional speaking business.

Not streamlining essential processes

Too many new entrepreneurs spend more time on tasks than needed. There is an abundance of apps, online platforms, and software that can help you do almost anything for a fraction of the time it would normally take. From day one, aim to streamline essential processes for maximum efficiency.

By far, one of the best time-saving tools is invoicing and scheduling software. This will give you a clearer picture of your billable hours and availability for gigs and projects so you can better manage your bandwidth. Better still, you can batch-process invoices so you save time and maybe even get paid quicker. And finally, you can track and pay expenses with ease.

Trying to do all business-related tasks with no assistance

Another major mistake that a large percentage of new entrepreneurs make is trying to do everything themselves. Despite the benefit of saving money, trying to tackle duties such as customer service, graphic design, copywriting, event bookings, and IT work is draining. No one has enough hours in the week to run a business solo. Attempting this can lead to burnout, which may ultimately lead to the closure of your company.

Instead, opt to outsource core duties. On almost any budget, you can hire freelancers for the exact tasks you need. Whether you contract for several hours of work per week or full-time services is completely up to you and your needs.

Forgetting to schedule off days

Closely related to trying to handle all business-related tasks yourself is the mistake of forgetting to schedule time off. When you work as your own boss, you don’t have anyone giving you a vacation day/PTO allotment. Driven business owners may overlook this aspect of running their company, and work seven days a week.

For your health — and for the well-being of your organization — plan time to rest and recharge. This is especially important if you will also be booking speaking engagements for yourself in the near future. Earning an outstanding reputation largely depends on your ability to perform. Exhausting yourself will lead you to show up as less than your best, which isn’t beneficial for anyone.

Not marketing your business to the fullest

Don’t be shy in getting your name out there. Whenever you are presented with an opportunity to market your business and/or speaking services, take it. Marketing your business to the fullest is essential for getting your name out there, and for lining up high-paying speaking events. Regularly post on social media to market yourself. If you need some help in this area, you can hire social media management services through online job platforms. Before hiring a candidate, review their experience and feedback for past work.

Avoiding networking opportunities

As a speaker, one of the best places to promote your services is at networking group events. While online marketing is certainly important, networking events will help local business leaders learn more about you. They’ll also get a firsthand look at your presentation style and speaking topics.

Turning your passion and talent for speaking into a business is a wonderful way to make a living. Utilizing the tips above can help you fast-track this goal and book your first engagement even quicker.

#professionalspeaking #speaking #speaker #networking #leadership #motivationalspeaking #publicspeaking

Wales Independent Marketing and Brand Company

Wed, July 14, 2021 / KATIE CONROY / 0 Comments

Do you need more traffic to your website? As a Wales independent marketing and brand company, Cymru Marketing offers worldwide digital marketing, including outbound marketing, blog posts, and social media advertising. Contact us today!

Photo courtesy of Pexels

About the Author: Katie Conroy is the creator of AdviceMine.com. She particularly enjoys writing about lifestyle topics and created the website to share advice she has learned through experience, education, and research. 

Early Steps To Take for a Long-Lasting Business

Starting a new business means juggling many responsibilities — not only for your livelihood but for that of your partners and employees. Administrative duties aren’t the most glitzy or appealing parts of the business. But if you develop effective and reliable methods to get them done — like these from Cymru Marketing — you’ll be closer to launching a successful business.

What, exactly, are the least appealing but most important behind-the-scenes tasks you need to do for your young business?

Banking Matters: Accounting and Payroll

From the moment your business launches and years into its lifecycle, you want to have organized, thoroughly documented financial data. As SmallBizDaily points out, accounting information helps you analyze your business’s performance, and it’s important for filing taxes — errors or missed deadlines in your business’s taxes can result in penalties. As your business grows, so will your accounting needs, so you may decide to hire an accountant or use software to take care of the books.

Similarly, a meticulous payroll system will serve you well both in the early days of your business and after it’s fully established. If your payroll taxes aren’t managed correctly, you may incur penalties, so look for a service that offers penalty protection.

The ideal small biz software apps will also streamline other payment processes to save you time, like employee time tracking, fast direct deposit, and automatic payroll calculation with all the payroll forms applied correctly.

Getting Your Start-Up on Its Feet: Funding Options

Accounting and payroll are financial processes that come into play only when your organization has actually secured funding. Funding is perhaps the most basic requirement of having any kind of business, notes Think Latitude, so even if it’s not an appealing part of the work, it is a priority. There are many ways to go about financing your enterprise, each with different advantages.

If you’re starting a business that has a chance at explosive growth, you may consider seeking out venture capital funding from investors. If investors choose to work with you, they can be a huge help in providing the money (“seed capital”) you need to launch your business. They’ll also most likely become members of your company or have some portion of ownership in the business.

Other strategies for funding a new business are crowdfunding, an internet-based effort, or self-financing, which means that you pay the expenses of starting the business yourself and own the business in its entirety.

The Organization at Its Core: Choosing the Operational Structure

One way to approach the need for funding, and the structure of your business as a whole, is by choosing the type of operational structure you’ll be running. Several options are available, including forming a limited company, a sole trader, a partnership, or a limited liability partnership (LLP).

Each type of organization comes with its own set of pros and cons, all dependent on what’s the best fit for your business. For instance, the LLP structure offers both immediate and long-term advantages: It limits personal liability in cases of debt or bankruptcy and is pretty easy to create and operate either on your own, with a lawyer, or through a service.

Starting a business is one of the most exciting career steps you can take, and streamlining the chores of getting started leaves more room for you to enjoy yourself. When technical tasks aren’t stressing you out or slowing you down, you can focus on perfecting the product or service that you set out to share with the world, celebrating what you’ve accomplished alongside your team, and maybe even taking time off.

#startups #startupswales #businessconsultation #consultation #startingabusiness #newbusiness #smallbusiness #marketingcardiff #cymrumarketing

House Hunting in the Time of COVID-19

Mon, November 09, 2020 / Katie Conroy / 0 Comments
About the Author: Katie Conroy is the creator of AdviceMine.com. She particularly enjoys writing about lifestyle topics and created the website to share advice she has learned through experience, education, and research. 

House Hunting in the Time of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has kept most of us confined to our homes, but this doesn’t mean that your search for the perfect home should be shelved, too. In fact, the current economic situation could very well turn into a buyer’s market, making it an opportune time to continue your house-hunting efforts.

But of course, with social distancing measures in place, this can seem next to impossible. However, the fact remains that there are numerous online tools and resources that you can use—not just to search for your dream home, but even to look at it up close and personal and ultimately close the deal. The best thing is, you don’t even have to leave home to do so. Here’s how.

  1. Download a checklist to guide you in the entire process of buying a home.
  2. Alternatively, look for an experienced real estate agent and do an online background check.
  3. Search for your dream home in the best house-hunting sites.
  4. Explore online options for home viewing like video open houses and video-chat tours.
  5. Use Social Media ike Facebook and Instagram to find properties for sale and communicate with owners and/or agents.
  6. Do your diligence online to find a home inspector you can trust.
  7. If your inspector finds any common problems, research the cost of repairs you may need to address.
  8. Clinch the sale with drive-thru closings.
  9. After purchasing a home, find experienced and reliable movers.

As you search for a new home in the time of COVID-19, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Before long, this virus will run its course, and you’ll be moving into your beautiful, new home as well.

Packing Boxes For Removals.

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