Startup Grind Lansing
Guest Post: Industry of Creation: How to Create Superb Products
Working for any kind of company is a vocation that calls for all the effort in the world. If you want consumers to connect with your offerings, you have to give them solid incentives. That means that you have to start by making products that actually offer value. Companies that lack products of value tend to flounder and pack up their bags relative rapidly.
Recruit Capable and Sedulous Team Members
If you want to create excellent products consistently, then you need to have the cooperation of a capable team, zero exceptions. It’s critical to take your hiring processes seriously. Look for employees who are committed, responsible, seasoned, and enthusiastic about pleasing you. Employees who couldn’t care less can be recipes for disaster. They can lead to lackluster results of all kinds, too.
Establish a Work Environment That’s Conducive to Comfort and Health
Professionals who want their employees to do their best need to provide them with work environments that are conducive to achievement and productivity. That’s why they need to provide them with as much comfort as possible. Search for devices and appliances that are suitable for air filtration for industries and factories alike. Air purifiers can do away with allergens, dust, smoke, and unpleasant stenches.
Employ Top-Tier Materials and Equipment
People who are serious about making exemplary products need to employ top-tier materials and equipment. If you’re a clothing manufacturer who wants to produce durable and stylish apparel items, then you need the assistance of the finest fabrics. You need the assistance of the finest tools and supplies as well. You don’t want to cut corners with these things. Scrimping can often lead to significant regrets at later times.
Give Your All to Your Work
Full commitment is vital for professionals who want to be able to make products that are genuinely worthwhile. It doesn’t matter if you work in the manufacturing of food items, attire, cosmetics, or anything else. You have to be completely committed to the best and only the best. Half-hearted efforts won’t do much for you at all. You have to be willing to work hard and think outside the box. You have to be willing to take a hands-on approach.
Making products that are outstanding should be your priority. If you put time and care into your work, you can achieve anything you want. The secret is always to be as detail-oriented and meticulous as possible. It’s also to truly care.: How to Create Superb Products
Bio: Rachelle Wilber is a freelance writer living in the San Diego, California area. She graduated from San Diego State University with her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Media Studies. She tries to find an interest in all topics and themes, which prompts her writing. When she isn’t on her porch writing in the sun, you can find her shopping, at the beach, or at the gym. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @RachelleWilber; https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009221637700
New Video: Child and Family Charities – Chardae’s Gateway Story
Chardae shares how the Child and Family Charities (CFC)Â made an impact in her life. She also shares how they were able to help her succeed through their Gateway Youth Services.
For more on Child and Family Charities: https://www.childandfamily.org
#BetterCallPaul – May Recap 2019
ICYMI – We launched 4 new videos in May: The Firecracker Foundation, Elder Law of Michigan Pension Rights, Tri-County TRIAD, and the Ingham County Health Department.
We explored topics such as art, online safety for seniors, pension rights and healthcare.
Check out our main channel to watch all of these and more: https://bit.ly/2I6AGWr
Guest Post: Ready for Growth? 4 Ways to Expand Your Business Marketing Efforts
Finding new avenues for marketing your goods and services is certainly one way to go about expanding your marketing outreach, but have you considered actually offering a greater diversity of goods and services? For as simple as this marketing strategy sounds in theory, understanding your customers at a deep enough level to know what they’ll want in the future can be challenging to say the least.
Conduct Market Research
You might have been able to see where this was going: to be more sure-footed about whatever marketing direction you take next, consider doing market research. Market research is all about uncovering more information on what your customers’ preferences and their needs. Sometimes only market research can uncover what customers truly want since the product that will fulfill their future needs hasn’t been invented yet!
Tap Existing Customers
You shouldn’t feel bashful about asking your current customers what they like about your current lineup of products and services in order to inform tomorrow’s product lineup and marketing outreach. It’s much more economical to sell trusted and newer products to current customers than go through the ordeal of wrangling new customers into the fold. In other words, marketing to current customers can have a much higher return on investment for your company.
The good news is that you’ve already established rapport with these customers and know a lot of information demographically about them. They might even be willing to share with you what they’re looking for out of your company!
Embrace New Marketing Technologies
The internet is a veritable treasure trove when it comes to expanding our marketing outreach. Between paid-per-click advertising, search engine optimization, and email marketing campaigns the only limitation is the depth of information that you have on your prospects and customers and your willingness to experiment.
You might also want to explore local search engine optimization and app development services in order to capitalize on the fact that your customers are largely online in terms of exploring your product lineup, connecting on social media, setting up appointments, and making online purchases.
Expand into Fresh Markets
The great thing about marketing in new territories is that you don’t necessarily have to open another brick-and-mortar location to be effective. You can use search engine optimization and social media marketing to your advantage and tailor your marketing to a brand-new demographic of customers. Fresh segments, niches, and locations can be extremely exciting. It’s all about bringing more customers into the fold.
Emma Sturgis
Emma is a freelance writer based out of Boston, MA. She writes most often on health and education. When not writing, she enjoys reading and watching film noir. Say hi on Twitter @EmmaSturgis2
New Video: Arts Council of Greater Lansing – The Board Shares Passion for the Arts
Arts Council board members share their passion for arts and culture in the Greater Lansing region, and talk about why board membership matters.
For more information: http://lansingarts.org
Guest Post: Simple Steps to Better Your Brand Building
Successfully building your brand is one of the most important tasks for your business. It can allow you to strengthen customer loyalty, increase your sales and help you stand out from your competitors. On top of this, building a well-established brand around your business is by far the most effective way to ensure its long-term success. However, a lot of businesses struggle with establishing a recognizable brand which is significantly hindering their growth potential. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some simple steps to help you better your brand building.
Have a plan
Every successful endeavour starts with a plan, and the first step you should take towards bettering your brand building is just that. Coming up with a plan of where you want your brand to be headed will firstly have you consider the ultimate goals and vision of your business as a whole. Articulating these will give you something to aim at and turn to no matter how difficult the situation is. This will also help you come up with the message you want your brand to send to potential customers, which is one of the most crucial aspects of a successful brand. In today’s world, people value a vision they can stand behind and a message they can resonate with more than anything else. Because of this, getting this part right will be the most challenging part and it may require you to alter and experiment with your message until you get it just right.
Target your audience
Successfully building a brand will mean constantly absorbing the feedback you are getting. So, the next thing to do would be to research and find out who makes up the majority of your customers. Start by doing surveys and gathering any information that will help you better understand your audience. This will give you the ability to tailor your message towards them, making it a lot more effective.Â
Focus on customer experience
The best way to promote your brands’ message to other people is through their every-day interactions with your business. The way to do this is by focusing on making your customer experience as enjoyable for them as possible. And, while there are a lot of things that go into improving customer experience, there are a few things that will help you really convey your message and build your brand at the same time.
The main point of interaction between your business and the public is your website. In fact, it’s a direct reflection of your company as a whole, which is why you need to make sure it’s representative of what you stand for. It’s important to keep your website accessible, providing only the information a customer may need while at the same time keeping in line with the branding you’ve decided on.
Customer service is another integral part that goes into making top-notch customer experience and at the same time establishes your brand as one that really cares about making their customers satisfied. There are many approaches you can take when it comes to handling customer service within your business, from live chat to call centres and chatbots, it’s only important to choose something that best fits your business’ needs and possibilities.
There are many other areas where you can easily improve your customer experience. For example, you can introduce financing fees allowing your customers to pay for your services on a monthly basis or in whatever way best suits them, allowing you to implement a debtor management system. Or, you can focus on personalizing the interactions with your customers by sending them offers tailored towards their preferences which will make them form a deeper connection with your business. The number of approaches is endless, you just need to choose one and start implementing it.
Communicate your message
The final part of the brand building process is sending the message you settled on to the public. The best way to do this is through an effective marketing strategy which will integrate your branding in every aspect of it. This is where understanding and targeting your audience will once again prove invaluable as it will help you determine what platforms of communication to focus on as well as increasing the efficiency of your marketing.
Conclusion
While forming an elaborate strategy of where you want to take your brand, what message you want to send and how you are going to achieve those things is important, at the end of the day, all of it will be without a purpose if the product or service you are selling isn’t the best it can be. So, if your branding isn’t fulfilling your expectations, it may be worthwhile to take a deeper look at the products and services you are offering. With that being said, the only way to find this out is by starting to build your brand right now.
Keith Coppersmith is a business and marketing expert who has experienced both the rise and fall of many businesses. As a regular contributor at BizzmarkBlog, he enjoys writing and providing insight of the marketing industry based on both practice and theory.
New Video: Ingham County Health Department – Carry Naloxone, Save a Life.
The use of opioids is growing, and so are the number of accidental deaths related to opioid overdose. To combat this, the Ingham County Health Department is encouraging everyone to carry naloxone in order to prevent overdose and save lives.
For more on the Ingham County Health Department: http://www.hd.ingham.org
Guest Post: Achieving Work/Life Balance: Here’s What You Need to Know
Working professionals are constantly aiming for the “holy grail” of the corporate lifestyle: achieving “work/life balance”. Experts argue back and forth about whether this balance truly exists or if it is a marketing ploy by wellness and corporate bodies to manipulate exhausted employees. Regardless of your opinions of work/life balance as a concept, all you need to know is how to improve your own sense of balance between your work and life. Perfection is elusive, but taking realistic actions to get closer to feeling your best energy levels will pay off in your personal and professional life.Â
Know What You Want
One of the fastest ways to destroy your sense of work/life balance is to compare your own journey and lifestyle to someone else’s. You may not feel like you are missing out on time with your family until you see another parent getting more. You may feel like you have freedom in your job until you see someone else working from home. Comparison to others’ work/life experience is a damaging habit that can easily be broken. All you need to do is get crystal clear on what your ideal lifestyle looks like, and then avoid beating yourself up for anything outside of your vision.Â
Get clear on what you want by:
- Deciding what hours you’d love to spend at work and at home
- Specifying which healthy habits are priorities for you
- Learning how many hours of sleep are important to function
- Deciding what a social life means to youÂ
Set Healthy Boundaries
Getting clear on the exact lifestyle you want prepares you to set healthy boundaries in order to achieve it. If you have been feeling overwhelmed about your work/life balance, there may be specific actions and conversations needed to change your situation. Be confident in these approaches rather than shying away because your lifestyle and energy levels will reward you for advocating for yourself. Learning about boundaries and practicing the conversations will help you be proactive in the future if your work/life balance is threatened.Â
Examples of setting healthy boundaries include:
- Asking your boss for mental health days or better hours
- Communicating with your partner that they need to support you more
- Saying “no” to events and obligations that damage your mental health
- Asking friends to be flexible with activities to support your rest and wellbeing
Ask for Help When You Need It
Once you’ve established your ideal work/life relationship and practice setting healthy boundaries, you may realize you still need extra support. Mental and physical health play a huge role in your work/life balance including your energy levels, mood, relationships, sick days, and more. Being proactive about your mental and physical health can save you time and money in the long term as you navigate challenges that interfere with your work and personal life. By learning to ask for help when you need it, you set the tone for an interactive support system that can help you function rather than fall behind personally or professionally.Â
Consider these resources to help protect your physical and mental health:
- Licensed psychologist or therapistÂ
- Holistic treatment centers for serious disorders or addictions
- Support groups and organizations
- Regular visits with your doctor
- Check ins with your loved ones to ask for supportÂ
Maximize Your Time and EnergyÂ
Learning how to maximize your time and energy is a skill that will allow you to do more in less time. Growing your productivity skills allows you to achieve more at work while also saving precious time to nurture your personal life. The more you can do to take care of yourself while staying competitive at work, the more sustainable your lifestyle will feel. Balance is less about staying busy and more about cutting corners to increase the time you spend doing what you want. Learning how to organize your tasks and time in a healthy way can also improve your mental health at work, giving you less stress to bring home at the end of a long day.Â
Practice these productivity hacks to maximize your efforts:
- Time batch so you can complete tasks uninterrupted
- Delegate tasks that can be done by someone elseÂ
- Hire support for housekeeping or babysitting if you are able
- Prepare your meals ahead of time for more time spent relaxing at home
- Take your calls on a walk to include fitness into your work routine
Work/life balance is less about achieving an ideal and more about taking small actions that bring you more joy and relaxation. Feeling fulfilled and setting boundaries in work and life allow you the proper rest and mental health to thrive in both. Consider these ideas the next time you feel like your work/life relationship can use improvement, and remember that the best routine is simply the one you want.Â
Author Bio: Patrick Bailey is a professional writer mainly in the fields of mental health, addiction, and living in recovery. He attempts to stay on top of the latest news in the addiction and the mental health world and enjoy writing about these topics to break the stigma associated with them. Follow him on Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+: @Pat_Bailey80;Â www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-bailey-writer;Â https://plus.google.com/112748498348796236865
New Video: Tri-County TRIAD – Firmly Rooted in the Older Adult Community
Working with local Public Safety, Tri-County TRIAD is a volunteer-based organization that assists senior citizens. TRIAD provides senior citizens with resources in order to be independent and feel safe in their community.
For more on Tri-County TRIAD: http://www.tricountytriad.org