Office tips - Part 5

Checklist For Business Travellers

You’re a business traveler. You know too well that things don’t always go as planned. To avoid hassles, even last-minute panics, here’s a checklist of things to pack, as collated from frequent travelers. Don’t leave home without them! Your own MiFi hotspot. It’s a credit card-sized package that give you access to 4G networks. Saves a lot of money on airport WiFi connections. It’s a personal favourite of many CEOs. Your own GPS navigation device for rental cars. Fits easily into your purse or carry-on. You can also turn your smartphone into a GPS device. It’s good to have a readymade mount for your dashboard. […]

The smart way to get on the fast track to growth

Many business people are quick to generate ideas but slow to turn them into reality. How can you accelerate the process of scaling up without overloading your team? Here are some tried-and-tested ways: Small is beautiful There are many benefits of running a small, tight ship. It enables you to be more flexible and agile compared to large teams that spend hours just finding the right time to meet everyone concerned and when they do meet discussions go on and on. Stay small and focused and you will find that you can do big things with a small team. Walk […]

Choosing the right brand colours

The human mind is highly responsive to visual stimuli and colour is one of the major defining factors in that response on both conscious and sub-conscious levels. Colour is an important element in a brand’s visual identity. Think of iconic brands whose logos have withstood the test of time. Certain colours are immediately associated with various brands. Think Apple, FedEx, American Express – their consistent use of the same colours exponentially increases people’s recognition of these brands. While choosing a colour scheme for your brand, various factors need to be considered. Some colours have natural connotations and it’s a good idea to be aware […]

Keeping your home-based business legal

Starting your own business may be triggered by a new year resolution – or there may be other considerations that may prompt you to start anew. It’s an exciting milestone – which might however become a ‘millstone’ if you don’t take some simple precautions to protect yourself legally. Here are some basic guidelines: Pick the right business name Make sure you do an internet search for your business’s name and clear the trademark. Consider paying a service for a comprehensive name search to make sure you are not going to impinge on another company’s trademark. The last thing you want to do is to […]

THE COST OF GETTING THAT NEW CUSTOMER

So, you got a new customer? Congratulations! But have you stopped to think what just that new customer cost you? Perhaps you should wait on passing the champagne around till you consider the matter carefully. “You can’t manage what you don’t measure” is good advice. Is that new customer getting you good or poor Return on Investment? The best way to find out is write it all down. Spend a day in the office just listing every single expense incurred on the new client. Use a whiteboard, spreadsheet or a large sheet of paper and start writing. Your list could […]

DON’T MAKE A MOVE WITHOUT READING THIS!

So you are relocating to a new office? Congratuations. We could even say, “Commiserations”, depending on how well prepared you are. We suggest that you don’t make a move till you read this. First of all, determine a ‘moving office’ budget and keep to it. Even small offices that are re-locating would do well to follow this advice as hosts of quite unexpected expenses may come up along the way if you are not vigilant. Never underestimate what is involved in the move. Re-locating is a complex, stressful, nerve-racking and time-consuming job and it must be undertaken well in advance […]