How to Plan a Wedding While Running a Business

If you are running a growing empire, you might have placed your wedding plans on the backburner. However, a little research and delegation could make planning your dream day a breeze.

If you want to say “I do” to your other half soon, don’t allow your professional ambitions to stand in the way of your relationship. Read these top tips on how to plan a wedding while running a business.

Improve Your Time Management Skills

Do you not have time to visit various venues and attend cake tastings? Improving your time management skills could help you to plan a wedding without compromising on your career. For example, you could start work a little earlier or finish later, which will allow you to take a morning or afternoon off to browse ceremony locations or attend a wedding dress fitting.

Make Big Day Plans on Your Lunch Break

There’s no reason you can’t call a vendor or organize a wedding table plan on your lunch break. Rather than wasting your spare time browsing social media or reading the news online, use your time productively to book a venue viewing or order wedding favors online. Each call you make and product you buy will push you one step closer towards your dream day.

Simplify the Planning Process

Believe it or not, you don’t need to spend hours upon hours attending cake tastings or watching different wedding entertainment acts. Instead, browse the market for reputable companies to make an informed choice at the click of a button. For example, a dependable entertainment company will often feature footage of their wedding bands, pianists, harpists, caricaturists, and DJs to help you choose your tastes and wedding style. Visit https://www.alivenetwork.com/wedding-entertainment to find out more. Adding to this is planning for the wedding decorations. If you want to be trendy, add or display your wedding hashtags. And if you aren't sure about the perfect wedding hashtag that you are going to choose, definitely a free wedding hashtag generator is the best tool that you can lean on this with a lot of options you choose from.

Get Organized

As a business owner, you likely possess exceptional organization skills that you can transfer to wedding planning. Remove some of the stress by writing a list of various important dates and deadlines, and then aim to tick them off your checklist on schedule.

Similar to your professional life, keep a binder to store important contracts and information, which you can turn to when needed. Plus, you could launch a Trello board or Google Drive folder that you can share with loved ones, a wedding planner, or vendors. Don’t forget to add key dates to your smartphone calendar to remind you of important actions or appointments you won’t want to miss.

Assemble a Wedding Team

Your delegation skills could serve you well when planning your special day with your other half. Make the process a breeze by recruiting relatives, friends, and/or professional planners to help you create a perfect wedding. For example, you could ask a loved one to pick up your wedding cake, post save the date invitations, or for their opinion when picking wedding entertainment or a dress.

A busy career shouldn’t stand in the way of your wedding day. Follow the above advice to simplify the planning process while running your growing business.

Are You Forgetting These Important Things In Your Business?

The sheer number of things that you need to think about when you're running a business is staggering. It's, by far, one of the most complex, difficult, and intense undertakings that you'll ever experience in your life. Now, don't think that this is some attempt to discourage any prospective business owners from attempting to follow their dream, but it is important to get a sense of perspective.

The worst thing that you can do is to go into business with rose-tinted glasses. It's pretty likely that you have a lot of great ambitions for what you want your business to be and how it's going to succeed. While this is fantastic and it's important to have something that you're constantly trying to strive for with your business, you can't let your focus rest on that stuff alone. There are so many elements to running a business that, if you're not careful, you could well end up feeling completely overwhelmed.

One of the most common reasons that many organizations end up failing is because they fail to predict the kinds of things that they will inevitably have to deal with. Far from trying to be discouraging, the point of this article is to help you understand what kinds of things you should expect to come up against when you set up your own business.

By knowing what you expect, you're that much better prepared to deal with any problems that happen to rear their heads. Don't assume that this only applies to new businesses either. Many well-established companies can end up getting themselves into trouble because of things that they fail to pay attention to. With that in mind, here are some of the things that even the most experienced businesses often neglect, and how to avoid letting them trip you up, no matter what stage you're at.

Efficiency

Let's face it, running a business is complicated. A business can be an extremely complex mechanism with a whole lot of moving parts.

Because of that, you want to be sure that you're running your business as efficiently as possible. If you don't you could well end up getting buried by everything involved in it. You want to be sure that any given task is something that you can achieve quickly and efficiently, whether you want to be able to generate a document or send out information to every member of staff, you don't want to end up having to waste time on every little thing. You might not think that the little things will have that much of an impact on your business as a whole but the truth is that these things can often add up to a whole lot of wasted time and energy.

Lead generation

There's a fairly good chance that you're pretty aware of just how important marketing is to your business. Companies spend huge amounts of money every year on crafting the most effective marketing strategies possible, and that simply wouldn't happen if it weren't such a crucial element of their success. However one of the things that even the most experienced businesses often forget about is the importance of lead generation.

Lead generation is essentially the process of identifying potential customers for your business, usually those who have expressed some form of interest in your business in the past. It truly cannot be underestimated just how important this is. If you don't know who your potential customers are, if you aren't aware of who is most likely to respond to your marketing, then you're never going to effectively reach the kinds of customers that your business really needs.

If you spend your time trying to reach out to people who have no interest whatsoever in your business, then you're going to end up wasting both your time and theirs. This is where things like cold calling end up coming from. No one likes to be disturbed by a company who they have never expressed any interest in and have no desire to engage with. But through lead generation, your company is far more likely to only interact with the kinds of people who are ready and willing to engage with it. It doesn't matter what kind of business you're running; lead generation is important across the board, whether you're a retail store finding customers or an insurance company looking for potential policyholders. 

Office security

Security is one of those things that often seems to be ignored for no other reason than the fact that there are plenty of other, much more exciting elements of a business that people would rather focus on. This might sound like a completely ridiculous reason, but it's surprisingly easy to get wrapped up in particular elements of your business once all of the wheels are turning. That's part of the reason why things like this are so crucial to pay attention to from the very start. Your office is the hub of your business. Even in the modern, internet-driven world, your business still needs somewhere to act as a sort of home base, and that is almost always going to be your office space. This means that you need to keep your premises safe and protected with the use of alarms and security cameras. Make sure that you're covering any potential blind spots that intruders could potentially exploit. Not only that but your cybersecurity needs to be a major priority as well. 

Clear communication

If you're not communicating effectively throughout your business, then there's no way it's ever going to run as efficiently as you might want it to. You can't create a business that is functioning properly if your right hand has no idea what your left hand is doing. Make sure that, even if they're divided into smaller teams, your employees are always communicating with each other. Nine times out of ten interdepartmental issues and problems could have been easily avoided simply by improving the level of communication between employees. It's not just internally where you will find that communication is absolutely crucial.

You should make sure that there are open lines of communication between your business and your customers at all times. This means that you need a great customer service team, ready to speak directly to customers, but you should also make sure to use social media and your website to keep customers informed as to new developments within the business itself. By doing this, you'll be able to create a far stronger bond between you and your customers than you ever would have been able to otherwise. No matter what it is that drives your business forward, strong and open lines of communication are always going to make things run more smoothly and efficiently.

Many of these things might seem very simple, and perhaps even a little insignificant, but do not underestimate the difference that they can make to your business. If well implemented, these kinds of things can take your business to the next level with ease. But if they are left ignored then you could very quickly find some serious issues cropping up in your business. Hopefully, this article, at the very least, gives you an idea of just how important it is to pay close attention to every last detail in your business and never to let anything fall by the wayside, no matter how small and unimportant it might seem. Your business is a vast, complex machine and if even one single gear falls out of place, then it could lead to the entire thing grinding to a halt, or worse, falling apart entirely. 

Leveling Up Your Small Business

Running a small business is notoriously challenging. It takes commitment and a lot of hard work to get off the ground, and from there, the difficulties multiply. For most small enterprises, finding their feet in the middle-ground of the marketplace is a significant achievement, especially when we consider the statistics. 

Failure rates for small businesses are staggering:

• 20% fail in their first year.

• 30% fail in their second year.

• 50% fail within five years.

• 70% fail within ten years.

These failures are down to a myriad of reasons. Many become owner dependent, leading to a poor delegation of tasks or burn out. Other businesses fail to budget efficiently and go bust. The list of challenges facing small businesses is endless, and so, failure is common.

It’s important to note that amongst the failures, there are even more successes. Small businesses can thrive. Adaptability is critical, and stagnation should be avoided at all costs. Small business owners can’t afford to get comfortable and should frequently consider the possibility of pushing their company to the next level. 

With this in mind, here are 10 ways of leveling up your small business.

Expand your client base

Many small businesses fall into the trap of relying on a small core customer base. Although these clients should be valued, they shouldn’t be relied on. A more extensive customer base is the first step in leveling up a business. More customers mean more sales, reach, recognition, and opportunity for growth. 

Establish your target market and reach them through your marketing channels.

Get analytical

Analytics can be used to spot strengths, weaknesses, problems, and opportunities in businesses. Data should be at the forefront of all decision making, whether it’s to do with social media posting or major investment. 

If your business is ignoring the data, you’re in danger of falling behind. Use analytics when and where possible. 

Install cybersecurity

More and more of our data and information is stored on computer programs, mobile apps, and the cloud. This makes them highly vulnerable to cyber theft.

Small business owners may not be aware that they are potential targets of cybercriminals. Fortunately, there is reliable technology available that helps prevent cyber theft. Protect yourself, your businesses, and your customers by taking responsibility for your company’s cybersecurity.

Use social media the right way

Social media has come a long way in business. It is a crucial marketing tool and an essential communication vessel. All companies should have a content calendar that is well organized and managed. Quality content is a must. Posts should be varied, and hard selling should be avoided.

Don’t ignore the phone

In the social media age, people are ignoring a useful phone-based marketing avenue - phone calls, SMS messaging, and voicemails. These are direct marketing tools that have a high rate of engagement. However, this straightforward approach must be made professionally.

Services like Call Cowboy Business Dialing Platform provide packages that help streamline direct communication systems like calls, messaging, and voicemails in a professional and organized way.

Time management

Many small businesses are run by one or two people. With heavy workloads, they tend to focus on the areas where they are most proficient. Being more diligent with time management can help to get on top of all aspects of the business. 

The 60/20/20 principle recommends allocating 60% of your time to core tasks, 20% to planning, and 20% to strategizing. This forces your hand to look beyond the everyday struggle and allows for future thinking.

Delegate

A trait of a good leader is that they trust in their subordinates and delegate specific tasks to them. Many businesses over-rely on owners or managers, spreading them too thin. This is detrimental to an organization. Owners or managers should consider delegating responsibility to other employees. 

If there aren’t enough employees, perhaps it’s time to take on some new ones.

Get customer feedback

Nothing can help you level up your business, like getting feedback from your customers. Remember that 100 percent of your sales are to your customers, so their opinion is important. Create an online survey, an e-mail campaign, or simply ask for their two cents. Take their views on board and consider acting on them.

Set bigger goals

Something that holds many small businesses back is a tendency to settle for where they are. If your goals are small and don’t involve growth, then a lack of growth is inevitable. 

Ask for help

Running a small business is challenging enough; don’t make it harder by taking all decisions on your own. Join a local business network, reach out to friends and family, seek advice from consultants, or approach companies that inspire you. There are experts out there who are happy to talk and give you advice for free. You might be surprised at who’s willing to talk to you.

The Demands Of A Growing Business

A growing business is one that can be hard to manage. In fact, all of the business owners who expected their business to take years to grow, when it is, in fact, growing in a matter of months, find it impossible to manage. All of the sudden you go from small finances that are easy to manage, and sales that are easy to track and handle because they are so few, to a business with a huge influx of customers that makes everything hard to track and handle. So, what you need to do is go into crisis mode, and figure out how all of the systems of your business are going to work together as one so that your business can flourish.

All you have to do is focus on the growth aspects of your business, how you can streamline them, and how you can promote your business. Because the last thing you want to do is focus on all of the changes you’re going to make, only to find that the influx of customers was temporary and you now go back to a lull. So, we’re going to try and help you with all of that, as well as feel secure with your own knowledge about business. The more you know, the more you grow! Keep on reading and we’ll talk you through what we think you should be doing.

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Managing Sales & Production

Production and sales are something that’s going to flourish as soon as your business starts to have that influx of customers, and it can just be so hard to manage for a small business that isn’t used to being a business. But don’t worry, there are tons of tips that we can show you.

The first is hiring two people to work for you on a temporary basis. Freelance business analysts and advisors are essential for a business that is new to being on the market and really doesn’t have a clue what they’re doing. Because the one trend that’s happening at the minute is that business owners usually know their trade, but nothing about the intricate parts of running a business. These services are only going to benefit a business that hasn’t had experience being a business before other than the minor processes that are needed.

Hiring in people to give you good advice is always going to make you more comfortable with the decisions that you’re making. They can advise you on how to maximize your sales, and minimize the time and money spent on production as well as financial losses. A lot of it will come over time. You’ll need to find ways to streamline your production process. Whether you’re selling services or products, you will still have a production line that needs managing, and it can easily be done by focusing on the weak points and the areas that are taking the most time to complete. You can then use different techniques in a trial and error sort of fashion to see what you’ll end up with!

Inhouse Improvements

Running a business is going to take your inhouse life from being pretty casual, to pretty hectic. All of a sudden you have all of these orders and queries coming your way and it can be so hard to manage. We’re writing this assuming that you have your own office space. If not, then it might be time to seek out a small space for you to be able to run your business. Not only does it allow you to have that air of professionalism, but it’s far more practical for a growing business.

You then need to consider some of the improvements you can make to your office that will make it far easier to run. Lingo Communications Business VoIP might be one consideration you have. VoIP systems are so beneficial for any business, let alone one that’s growing at such a rapid rate. What it does is give you a system that’s connected throughout your business, preventing downtime and delays in internet speed, and allowing your phones to have the best connection. The one menial task that you’ll find yourself doing as a business owner is answering emails and phone calls. You’ll also find that office internet is absolutely shocking, so seeking out something such as what we have linked to could greatly improve the productivity of your office.

Even if there is just you in the room, it makes it far easier to expand and cope with the demands of your growing business. You should also think about the other equipment you’re using, such as your computers. Having a computer system that’s able to facilitate software that you need is important, and a good business will splash out the cash on an Apple Mac. As expensive as they may be, they look far more professional and modern for one, and they have a ton of capabilities that other computers don’t have.

Do You Need To Hire?

Hiring is one of the things that you might need to do far sooner than you thought you were going to have to do. The process of hiring can be so intimidating for a small business, especially for a business owner who doesn’t really know what they’re doing. You can miss out on the key questions you need to ask, and you may even cross the line towards inappropriateness without even meaning to with the questions that you ask, which is why we think it’s important that you stick to the basics.

The first is to make them relaxed as soon as they come in. Perhaps say that you’re just as nervous as they, or tell them to take a breath and relax because it will be a more chilled out interview. A chilled out interview-style attracts the right type of person. You’re allowing the candidate to relax in their natural way of being, rather than coming in with this forced behavior that would change as soon as they got comfortable within your company. Stick to asking questions about their likes and dislikes, goals, what they want from the company, and then give them all of the company information that you need.

To cover your back, you can hire HR services that are not in the house, but they will still support your business with any HR issues that may come up. You can then integrate them into your business and use it as a learning curve. Always make sure that you give ongoing support and training, and actually take the time to get to know them.

Promotion & Marketing

Promotion and marketing are something you’re going to become so used to doing. All of a sudden you’ll have everything on your shoulders, but the main thing you want to do is keep it there. Which is easily done through promotion and marketing. If you already have the influx of interest coming from somewhere, you must have been doing something right with a basic budget. So all you have to do is scale that to a bigger size and focus on the areas of promotion and marketing that are going to get the most attention.

For us, it’s simple techniques such as billboard marketing that you need to go for. You’ll still be a small fish in a big pond, so until you’re a bigger fish trying tactics such as SEO and PPC might not work well for you. But billboard marketing alongside Google Adwords, for example, might be the killer combination that your business needs for that extra boost of sales. Once you get a steady number of customers each month and your brand begins to grow, you can focus more on online marketing methods. Alongside this, we would always recommend that you use social media marketing to build your business a profile.

Financial Demands

The financial demands of your business are going to make a big difference in the way that you’re able to run your business. All of a sudden you’re not so much struggling for money, but struggling to manage the money and figuring out where it should be distributed. All we can say is to relax and take your time figuring it out.

Your first plan isn’t going to be your final plan, and you’ll often find that your financial plan has to be tweaked along the way so that you adapt to your business’s needs. The largest part of your distribution should be to production, then marketing, then whatever else is a priority within your business. Last should be your own pocket! Always make sure that you’re consulting a financial advisor before making any big decisions. Everything that you do with your budget is going to influence the way that you run your business.

Personal Demands

The personal demands seem to be what business owners seem to forget about. We’re so focused on our growing business that we don’t realize what it’s doing to our bodies and minds. Burnouts can happen pretty quickly, so make sure that you’re giving yourself time in the week to have personal time. To clear your mind and truly relax. It’s one of the best ways to keep your mind clear and focused is to switch off from work and forget about it all, even if it just be for 30 minutes a day whilst you’re on a run.