Did you know you could market your business online at a very low cost?

If you’re shifting to a remote team, your company’s training program might fall to the wayside. If you’ve always trained people in person, but are now operating solely online, it’s easy to send training materials to new hires through email and call it a day.

Emailing new hires a training manual isn’t sufficient and it won’t benefit your company.

Improve Corporate Training in Remote Workplaces

Right now, it’s more important than ever that you have strong team members properly trained to get targeted results. Although it might seem impossible to thoroughly train a remote team, it just takes a few adjustments to your usual training routine.

1. Use a professional video recording system

Giant corporations like IBM and Microsoft maximize their training sessions by having employees watch pre-recorded meetings, presentations, and training sessions. Recorded videos drastically reduce the amount of time required to train an employee. However, it’s important that pre-recorded training materials be produced with high-quality audio and video and be easy to access remotely.

Intelligent Video Solutions makes this possible with a corporate training video system that not only captures video, but catalogs each recorded presentation in a way that specifically supports future training. For example, all recordings are securely stored in the cloud and are accessible from anywhere using a browser. Each video can be annotated with comments, which become text-searchable, and access to each video in the training library is controlled by user groups.

Video training libraries have always been beneficial to corporate teams training in person. Today, they’re even more beneficial since they make it easy to securely train remote team members all across the world.

2. Prioritize feedback from new hires during training

Fresh eyes from new hires are your best chance at identifying and strengthening weak areas in your corporate training program. When you’re used to company procedures, systems, and software, it’s sometimes hard to tell if something isn’t working right. Familiarity with a system tends to mask all the workarounds you created for that system early on.

The best thing you can do for your organization is prioritize gathering feedback from new hires. While not all of their frustrations will be the result of a flaw in the system, they’ll be able to catch things only a fresh pair of eyes can see.

Receiving and acting on feedback can boost employee satisfaction

According to remote work statistics published by Flexjobs, 57% of remote employees are satisfied with their jobs compared to 51% of traditional office employees. Employee satisfaction directly impacts the effort they put into onboarding, guiding, and helping new hires. Employees who love their job tend to go out of their way to help new team members acclimate to the company’s way of doing things.

You can increase an employee’s level of satisfaction by actively soliciting feedback and making appropriate changes based on that feedback. This applies to everyone, not just new hires.

For example, if an employee provides feedback about a company process that is difficult or ineffective, look into the process to pinpoint the issue and become committed to making it better. Ask the employee for their ideas and then implement changes to improve the process.

3. Prioritize company culture as part of your training

Never underestimate the power of fostering a strong, cohesive company culture during the training process. Remember, your new hires will take on the attitudes and habits of those who train them.

Demonstrating the right attitude and habits is easy when you’re training in person because it can be immediately observed. However, when training new hires remotely, your trainers need to go out of their way to model company culture in every interaction at all times, even in text messages and emails. This will ensure that your new hires adopt the proper company culture from the start.

Keep training a top priority to get targeted results

Your company’s success hinges on how well your employees are trained to perform their duties to your standards. Unfortunately, the importance of training is often underestimated in the corporate world. Often, companies hire experienced professionals and expect them to perform without any formal training.

Training isn’t just for newbies to an industry. A training program brings an employee’s skills into alignment with the company’s brand, expectations, and priorities. An employee can be a top expert in their field and will still fail in their position without proper training.

Thorough and effective training is central to developing a strong team that represents your brand and most importantly, gets targeted results.

Image: Depositphotos

This article, “3 Ways to Strengthen Corporate Training in a Remote-Centered World” was first published on Small Business Trends

How easy is it to market online?

If you’re shifting to a remote team, your company’s training program might fall to the wayside. If you’ve always trained people in person, but are now operating solely online, it’s easy to send training materials to new hires through email and call it a day.

Emailing new hires a training manual isn’t sufficient and it won’t benefit your company.

Improve Corporate Training in Remote Workplaces

Right now, it’s more important than ever that you have strong team members properly trained to get targeted results. Although it might seem impossible to thoroughly train a remote team, it just takes a few adjustments to your usual training routine.

1. Use a professional video recording system

Giant corporations like IBM and Microsoft maximize their training sessions by having employees watch pre-recorded meetings, presentations, and training sessions. Recorded videos drastically reduce the amount of time required to train an employee. However, it’s important that pre-recorded training materials be produced with high-quality audio and video and be easy to access remotely.

Intelligent Video Solutions makes this possible with a corporate training video system that not only captures video, but catalogs each recorded presentation in a way that specifically supports future training. For example, all recordings are securely stored in the cloud and are accessible from anywhere using a browser. Each video can be annotated with comments, which become text-searchable, and access to each video in the training library is controlled by user groups.

Video training libraries have always been beneficial to corporate teams training in person. Today, they’re even more beneficial since they make it easy to securely train remote team members all across the world.

2. Prioritize feedback from new hires during training

Fresh eyes from new hires are your best chance at identifying and strengthening weak areas in your corporate training program. When you’re used to company procedures, systems, and software, it’s sometimes hard to tell if something isn’t working right. Familiarity with a system tends to mask all the workarounds you created for that system early on.

The best thing you can do for your organization is prioritize gathering feedback from new hires. While not all of their frustrations will be the result of a flaw in the system, they’ll be able to catch things only a fresh pair of eyes can see.

Receiving and acting on feedback can boost employee satisfaction

According to remote work statistics published by Flexjobs, 57% of remote employees are satisfied with their jobs compared to 51% of traditional office employees. Employee satisfaction directly impacts the effort they put into onboarding, guiding, and helping new hires. Employees who love their job tend to go out of their way to help new team members acclimate to the company’s way of doing things.

You can increase an employee’s level of satisfaction by actively soliciting feedback and making appropriate changes based on that feedback. This applies to everyone, not just new hires.

For example, if an employee provides feedback about a company process that is difficult or ineffective, look into the process to pinpoint the issue and become committed to making it better. Ask the employee for their ideas and then implement changes to improve the process.

3. Prioritize company culture as part of your training

Never underestimate the power of fostering a strong, cohesive company culture during the training process. Remember, your new hires will take on the attitudes and habits of those who train them.

Demonstrating the right attitude and habits is easy when you’re training in person because it can be immediately observed. However, when training new hires remotely, your trainers need to go out of their way to model company culture in every interaction at all times, even in text messages and emails. This will ensure that your new hires adopt the proper company culture from the start.

Keep training a top priority to get targeted results

Your company’s success hinges on how well your employees are trained to perform their duties to your standards. Unfortunately, the importance of training is often underestimated in the corporate world. Often, companies hire experienced professionals and expect them to perform without any formal training.

Training isn’t just for newbies to an industry. A training program brings an employee’s skills into alignment with the company’s brand, expectations, and priorities. An employee can be a top expert in their field and will still fail in their position without proper training.

Thorough and effective training is central to developing a strong team that represents your brand and most importantly, gets targeted results.

Image: Depositphotos

This article, “3 Ways to Strengthen Corporate Training in a Remote-Centered World” was first published on Small Business Trends

Do you know anyone that likes to shop online?

If you’re shifting to a remote team, your company’s training program might fall to the wayside. If you’ve always trained people in person, but are now operating solely online, it’s easy to send training materials to new hires through email and call it a day.

Emailing new hires a training manual isn’t sufficient and it won’t benefit your company.

Improve Corporate Training in Remote Workplaces

Right now, it’s more important than ever that you have strong team members properly trained to get targeted results. Although it might seem impossible to thoroughly train a remote team, it just takes a few adjustments to your usual training routine.

1. Use a professional video recording system

Giant corporations like IBM and Microsoft maximize their training sessions by having employees watch pre-recorded meetings, presentations, and training sessions. Recorded videos drastically reduce the amount of time required to train an employee. However, it’s important that pre-recorded training materials be produced with high-quality audio and video and be easy to access remotely.

Intelligent Video Solutions makes this possible with a corporate training video system that not only captures video, but catalogs each recorded presentation in a way that specifically supports future training. For example, all recordings are securely stored in the cloud and are accessible from anywhere using a browser. Each video can be annotated with comments, which become text-searchable, and access to each video in the training library is controlled by user groups.

Video training libraries have always been beneficial to corporate teams training in person. Today, they’re even more beneficial since they make it easy to securely train remote team members all across the world.

2. Prioritize feedback from new hires during training

Fresh eyes from new hires are your best chance at identifying and strengthening weak areas in your corporate training program. When you’re used to company procedures, systems, and software, it’s sometimes hard to tell if something isn’t working right. Familiarity with a system tends to mask all the workarounds you created for that system early on.

The best thing you can do for your organization is prioritize gathering feedback from new hires. While not all of their frustrations will be the result of a flaw in the system, they’ll be able to catch things only a fresh pair of eyes can see.

Receiving and acting on feedback can boost employee satisfaction

According to remote work statistics published by Flexjobs, 57% of remote employees are satisfied with their jobs compared to 51% of traditional office employees. Employee satisfaction directly impacts the effort they put into onboarding, guiding, and helping new hires. Employees who love their job tend to go out of their way to help new team members acclimate to the company’s way of doing things.

You can increase an employee’s level of satisfaction by actively soliciting feedback and making appropriate changes based on that feedback. This applies to everyone, not just new hires.

For example, if an employee provides feedback about a company process that is difficult or ineffective, look into the process to pinpoint the issue and become committed to making it better. Ask the employee for their ideas and then implement changes to improve the process.

3. Prioritize company culture as part of your training

Never underestimate the power of fostering a strong, cohesive company culture during the training process. Remember, your new hires will take on the attitudes and habits of those who train them.

Demonstrating the right attitude and habits is easy when you’re training in person because it can be immediately observed. However, when training new hires remotely, your trainers need to go out of their way to model company culture in every interaction at all times, even in text messages and emails. This will ensure that your new hires adopt the proper company culture from the start.

Keep training a top priority to get targeted results

Your company’s success hinges on how well your employees are trained to perform their duties to your standards. Unfortunately, the importance of training is often underestimated in the corporate world. Often, companies hire experienced professionals and expect them to perform without any formal training.

Training isn’t just for newbies to an industry. A training program brings an employee’s skills into alignment with the company’s brand, expectations, and priorities. An employee can be a top expert in their field and will still fail in their position without proper training.

Thorough and effective training is central to developing a strong team that represents your brand and most importantly, gets targeted results.

Image: Depositphotos

This article, “3 Ways to Strengthen Corporate Training in a Remote-Centered World” was first published on Small Business Trends

Did you know you could market your business online at a very low cost?

What does authenticity bring to the table for B2B marketers looking to create better customer experiences?

Authenticity is a vital factor when it comes to making B2B marketing that’s top-notch, with the inherent trust it builds powering campaigns that stand apart from the common crowd.

Here are 5 vibrant takes on the potent power authenticity holds in the best B2B marketing, from some of the top innovators in marketing and beyond, to help inspire your marketing today and to prepare for the eventually post-pandemic business landscape.

Take #1 — Authenticity Embraces Humanity

For Alicia Tillman, executive vice president and global chief marketing officer at SAP*, building a community of brand advocates requires not only authenticity but accountability.

“Authenticity and accountability are needed to make a long-lasting impression and build a community of advocates,” Tillman has noted. “Embrace your brand’s humanity by creation authentic experiences. Your customers will thank you,” she added.

[bctt tweet=”“Embrace your brand’s humanity by creation authentic experiences. Your customers will thank you.” — Alicia Tillman @aliciatillman” username=”toprank”]

Take #2 — Authenticity Requires Rolling Up Your Sleeves

For Eric Austin, senior director of global brand building and media innovation at P&G, authenticity requires brands to establish “street cred,” do their homework, and roll up their sleeves — an approach that holds just as true for B2B efforts as those applied in B2C.

“Consumers are very savvy these days,” Austin recently told Marketing Dive. “They really can see through things that are not authentic, and that’s where brands tend to get into trouble: when they don’t have the right insight. They have not done the roll-up-the-sleeve work in the community before they start to go big and broad,” Austin added.

[bctt tweet=”“Consumers are very savvy these days. They really can see through things that are not authentic, and that’s where brands tend to get into trouble: when they don’t have the right insight” @eaustin892″ username=”toprank”]

Take #3 — Authenticity Enhances Brand Storytelling

Authenticity can also enhance brand storytelling, as Konstanze Alex, head of global digital storytelling at Cisco, has shared.

“Co-creating content with influential industry experts is one way for brands to unlock powerful, authentic storytelling that results in valuable brand experiences for customers,” Alex has noted.

Alex is one of the marketing leaders in our list of “50 Influential Women in B2B Marketing Who Rocked in 2020,” and “32 Top Social Media Marketing Influencers To Follow.”

[bctt tweet=”“Co-creating content with influential industry experts is one way for brands to unlock powerful, authentic storytelling that results in valuable brand experiences for customers.” @Konstanze” username=”toprank”]

Take #4 — Authenticity isn’t Easy

There are dangers lurking when brands try to force an air of authenticity when none or very little is actually present, a challenge that Sky Cassidy, CEO of MountainTop Data, recently observed.

“A lot of people take on a mission purely for marketing reasons and it’s not real because it’s not authentic,” Cassidy has noted.

“Purpose-driven marketing can be tough because you don’t have much traction at first. Hopefully, eventually, it gains momentum and then eventually you have this massive force that is doing good, it’s part of your company culture and is an overall plus to the company,” Cassidy added.

[bctt tweet=”“A lot of people take on a mission purely for marketing reasons and it’s not real because it’s not authentic.” — Sky Cassidy @mountaintopdata” username=”toprank”]

Take #5 — Authenticity is Diverse

To Carla Zakhem-Hassan, chief marketing officer at Citi and also one of our 50 Influential Women in B2B Marketing, authenticity is both inclusive and diverse.

“Now more than ever, it’s so important to be authentic to who we are,” Zakhem-Hassan said. “I’m a proud female Arab immigrant and I’m grateful to be able to lead with my culture defining who I am,” she added in a recent International Women’s Day tweet about an insightful Our Voices Our Hopes interview, “Being ‘Authentic’ Means Being Empowered to Lead, Citi’s Carla Zakhem-Hassan.”

[bctt tweet=”“Now more than ever, it’s so important to be authentic to who we are. I’m a proud female Arab immigrant and I’m grateful to be able to lead with my culture defining who I am.” — Carla Hassan @chassan” username=”toprank”]

Authenticity Adds New Marketing Dimensions

via GIPHY

Even an already fine marketing strategy can benefit by adding ample content that cuts to the heart of authenticity.

Using the keen insight we’ve shared here from Alicia, Eric, Konstanze, Sky, and Carla, you’ll be better able to create B2B marketing efforts that will take you to new heights in the push forward to 2022.

Here are three addition resources we’ve published for looking even more closely at the important role of authenticity in marketing:

• Authenticity and Great B2B Content Marketing Go Hand In Hand
• Inside Influence 12: Paul Dobson from Citrix on The Secret Sauce of B2B Influence: Authenticity
• Evolve or Die: The Role of Purpose & Authenticity in Marketing

Contact us today to find out why brands from LinkedIn and Adobe to IBM, Dell, Cherwell Software, monday.com and more have chosen TopRank Marketing, and also check out our careers page.

* SAP is a TopRank Marketing client.

The post The Real Thing: 5 Ways Authenticity Inspires Vibrant B2B Marketing appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog – TopRank®.

Are you ready to start your online business now?

What does authenticity bring to the table for B2B marketers looking to create better customer experiences?

Authenticity is a vital factor when it comes to making B2B marketing that’s top-notch, with the inherent trust it builds powering campaigns that stand apart from the common crowd.

Here are 5 vibrant takes on the potent power authenticity holds in the best B2B marketing, from some of the top innovators in marketing and beyond, to help inspire your marketing today and to prepare for the eventually post-pandemic business landscape.

Take #1 — Authenticity Embraces Humanity

For Alicia Tillman, executive vice president and global chief marketing officer at SAP*, building a community of brand advocates requires not only authenticity but accountability.

“Authenticity and accountability are needed to make a long-lasting impression and build a community of advocates,” Tillman has noted. “Embrace your brand’s humanity by creation authentic experiences. Your customers will thank you,” she added.

[bctt tweet=”“Embrace your brand’s humanity by creation authentic experiences. Your customers will thank you.” — Alicia Tillman @aliciatillman” username=”toprank”]

Take #2 — Authenticity Requires Rolling Up Your Sleeves

For Eric Austin, senior director of global brand building and media innovation at P&G, authenticity requires brands to establish “street cred,” do their homework, and roll up their sleeves — an approach that holds just as true for B2B efforts as those applied in B2C.

“Consumers are very savvy these days,” Austin recently told Marketing Dive. “They really can see through things that are not authentic, and that’s where brands tend to get into trouble: when they don’t have the right insight. They have not done the roll-up-the-sleeve work in the community before they start to go big and broad,” Austin added.

[bctt tweet=”“Consumers are very savvy these days. They really can see through things that are not authentic, and that’s where brands tend to get into trouble: when they don’t have the right insight” @eaustin892″ username=”toprank”]

Take #3 — Authenticity Enhances Brand Storytelling

Authenticity can also enhance brand storytelling, as Konstanze Alex, head of global digital storytelling at Cisco, has shared.

“Co-creating content with influential industry experts is one way for brands to unlock powerful, authentic storytelling that results in valuable brand experiences for customers,” Alex has noted.

Alex is one of the marketing leaders in our list of “50 Influential Women in B2B Marketing Who Rocked in 2020,” and “32 Top Social Media Marketing Influencers To Follow.”

[bctt tweet=”“Co-creating content with influential industry experts is one way for brands to unlock powerful, authentic storytelling that results in valuable brand experiences for customers.” @Konstanze” username=”toprank”]

Take #4 — Authenticity isn’t Easy

There are dangers lurking when brands try to force an air of authenticity when none or very little is actually present, a challenge that Sky Cassidy, CEO of MountainTop Data, recently observed.

“A lot of people take on a mission purely for marketing reasons and it’s not real because it’s not authentic,” Cassidy has noted.

“Purpose-driven marketing can be tough because you don’t have much traction at first. Hopefully, eventually, it gains momentum and then eventually you have this massive force that is doing good, it’s part of your company culture and is an overall plus to the company,” Cassidy added.

[bctt tweet=”“A lot of people take on a mission purely for marketing reasons and it’s not real because it’s not authentic.” — Sky Cassidy @mountaintopdata” username=”toprank”]

Take #5 — Authenticity is Diverse

To Carla Zakhem-Hassan, chief marketing officer at Citi and also one of our 50 Influential Women in B2B Marketing, authenticity is both inclusive and diverse.

“Now more than ever, it’s so important to be authentic to who we are,” Zakhem-Hassan said. “I’m a proud female Arab immigrant and I’m grateful to be able to lead with my culture defining who I am,” she added in a recent International Women’s Day tweet about an insightful Our Voices Our Hopes interview, “Being ‘Authentic’ Means Being Empowered to Lead, Citi’s Carla Zakhem-Hassan.”

[bctt tweet=”“Now more than ever, it’s so important to be authentic to who we are. I’m a proud female Arab immigrant and I’m grateful to be able to lead with my culture defining who I am.” — Carla Hassan @chassan” username=”toprank”]

Authenticity Adds New Marketing Dimensions

via GIPHY

Even an already fine marketing strategy can benefit by adding ample content that cuts to the heart of authenticity.

Using the keen insight we’ve shared here from Alicia, Eric, Konstanze, Sky, and Carla, you’ll be better able to create B2B marketing efforts that will take you to new heights in the push forward to 2022.

Here are three addition resources we’ve published for looking even more closely at the important role of authenticity in marketing:

• Authenticity and Great B2B Content Marketing Go Hand In Hand
• Inside Influence 12: Paul Dobson from Citrix on The Secret Sauce of B2B Influence: Authenticity
• Evolve or Die: The Role of Purpose & Authenticity in Marketing

Contact us today to find out why brands from LinkedIn and Adobe to IBM, Dell, Cherwell Software, monday.com and more have chosen TopRank Marketing, and also check out our careers page.

* SAP is a TopRank Marketing client.

The post The Real Thing: 5 Ways Authenticity Inspires Vibrant B2B Marketing appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog – TopRank®.

Do you need help with marketing material or software?

Summary: Mastered your market? Nearly nine in ten respondents say that in the past five years, their companies have either pursued at least one activity in a new category, have considered it, or plan to do so in the next five years according to a McKinsey Global Survey. So we know it’s happening, but how does one execute it successfully? This article will help by listing ways to expand your business outside of your core industry.

What can you learn from a humble chicken nugget about expanding your business? Maybe more than a nibble’s worth of information, so hop in the sales and marketing time machine.

Today, bite-sized chicken bits embraced by a crispy breading seem normal. Forty years ago, they were a tasty novelty offered up by McDonald’s. Thanks to their portability and unique flavor profile, they took off with hungry consumers. In fact, they became a new star on the fast food giant’s menu.

But why did McDonald’s, known primarily for burger-like sandwiches and irresistible shoestring fries take this plunge? The answer: Nuggets were a natural extension of their core industry. After all, they catered to people craving quick, salty, hot meals. The nugget seemed an attractive way to draw in more consumers, especially the younger set and beef-eschewers.

The lesson in the McNugget journey is one your company can take to the bank. By diversifying their basic portfolio, McDonald’s hit the deep-fried jackpot. This type of expansion is possible at any business, including the one you lead.

Of course, developing successful offshoots of your product line can be tricky. If you’re planning to take this plunge, you’ll want to keep a few tips in mind to avoid preventable missteps.

1. View your differentiators from a new vantage point.

Think about what your team does better than the competition. Is it a novel customer service approach? Perhaps a unique feature of your signature bestseller. Once you identify your differentiator, use it as a springboard for other offerings.

For law firm Anidjar & Levine, their differentiator was the ability to bring their marketing in-house. Their willingness to in-source, rather than outsource, the marketing function brought them better leads and shaved their advertising spend. It also showed them a potential avenue to expand their function by offering marketing to other firms.

As Marc Anidjar notes, the team’s been prudent about the premise of moving into the advertising realm. He explains, “While we always want to share success with our partners, we have to be cognizant of the fact that not everyone has your best interest at heart.” Still, the firm has struck out with a move that’s both innovative and bold for its field.

TL;DR takeaway: Build upon your organization’s strengths. Treat them as stepping stones to earn more market share and refresh your brand.

2. Look for “off-label” uses for your products or services.

In the pharmaceutical industry, medicines often have off-label uses. For instance, the ADHD drug Ritalin has been prescribed to help cancer patients ward off extreme tiredness. This allows the medication to benefit a different population than was originally intended. (Full disclosure: Whether or whether not off-label is wise in healthcare is debatable and beyond the scope of this article. The phenomenon is meant for analogy purposes only.)

Your current customers may have off-label uses for what you sell. Let’s say you sell thoughtfully imprinted bandanas for GenZ consumers. With plateauing sales, you know that your product has reached the maturity stage. So you enter into a few focus groups and send out digital surveys.

Through your marketing research, you discover that many of your customers aren’t part of GenZ. To the contrary, they’re older “pet parents” who want cute, young-seeming bandanas for their pooches. This gives you the idea to add new SKUs to your lineup, advertising some of your bandanas as perfect for pups.

TL;DR takeaway: Increasing your profits may be as simple as finding out how customers are really using your products. Prepare to be surprised by consumers’ innovativeness. Oh, and get ready to refresh your website content to pull in off-labelers.

3. Partner with a company that’s not in your industry.

Another way to break in with new buyers is to position your company alongside another one. Look for a non-competitor. Otherwise, you’ll end up trying to sell to the same crowd you already own.

Forming loose or formal partnerships takes time, effort, and trust. However, if you can find the right fit, you’re almost certain to invigorate your sales. And the process could be less arduous than you might have thought. Who would have imagined that EVA Air and Hello Kitty would be a sky-high, stellar match? Yet their relationship has allowed both brands to soar their sales.

It doesn’t matter if you sell widgets or experiences, either. The more creatively you’re willing to think, the more partnering opportunities you’ll find. Just remember that any partnership needs to have a win-win theme. Otherwise, one of the parties will eventually drop out.

TL;DR takeaway: Breaking into uncharted waters is simpler when you have a friend by your side. Find another company to befriend and take on new markets as a team.

4. Give existing customers something else they need.

Pain points. They’re uncomfortable for customers—and potential goldmines for inventive companies. You’ll want to go beyond scratching the surface to discover what keeps your customer base up at night. Then, you can work with your employees on a solution.

Don’t assume you already know all the pain points that your customers face, either. Yes, you can come up with hypotheses. Just make sure you go the extra mile and test them. Otherwise, you might assume pain points that don’t exist. At the same time, you could miss glaring pain points that you’re perfectly positioned to solve.

A good way to uncover pain points is to conduct in-person or Zoom interviews with a statistically significant amount of customers. Find out how they’re using your product or service. Ask them what they wish they could do. If you’re not confident that you can dig inappropriately, hire a market research firm. The money will be well spent and get you closer to an attractive ROI.

TL;DR takeaway: Go ahead and play doctor by healing your customers’ nagging pains with feature expansions or new products.

Scaling any business can seem like a daunting prospect, but it could be less challenging than you think. Even if you believe that you’ve done all you can to boost profits and sales, take a second look. There are plenty of ways to expand your company’s footprint selectively, proactively, and economically. You just have to be willing to think outside the nugget.

Image: Depositphotos

This article, “4 Ways to Expand Your Business Outside of Your Core Industry” was first published on Small Business Trends

Do you know anyone that likes to shop online?

Square, providers of software, hardware and financial tools to empower businesses, has announced a new payment functionality. Businesses can now accept Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments on Square invoices.

The new payment solution is designed to bring convenience and flexibility to businesses and their customers alike.

Square Accepts ACH Payments

Due to health and safety concerns, contactless payments have soared in popularity during the pandemic. Compared to cash payments, contactless payments are significantly more secure, providing increased security and protection for businesses.

ACH payments enable businesses to offer customers a secure and simple alternative to card networks. The payments are contact-free, as customers simply login with their bank details and complete the transaction online.

Lower Transaction Costs

The challenges of the past year have also meant many businesses, particularly smaller businesses, are having to cutdown on costs and expenses. Another benefit of ACH payments is that, without any hidden fees, they offer lower transaction costs, meaning merchants save money.

Speaking of the advantages ACH payments bring to businesses, Ashley Grech, Global Head of Sales at Square, said: “ACH payments on Square invoices allows us to compete for and better serve complex businesses like wholesalers, home and repair, and service providers that need lower transaction costs, while giving businesses another option in how they accept payments that ultimately brings huge benefits to them and their customers.”

Used for Recurring Billing

Almost all businesses have experienced missed or late payments at some point. With Square’s new facility, ACH payments can be used for recurring billing on Square invoices. Consequently, the issue of missed or late payments are likely to be minimised, helping businesses and customers stay on track of payments.

Used By Multiple Industries

Square’s ACH payment solution is designed to streamline the payments of multiple industries. Such sectors include wholesalers, home and repair, service providers, caterers, wedding planners, custom craftsmen, and more.

According to a survey Square carried out with Panel Fieldwork of 519 US active members of the buying/decision making group for business finance and operations, almost a quarter of merchants report administrative tasks like payment processing as a primary bane of running their business.

By bringing all forms of payment under one roof and eliminating the need for a separate provider to handle ACH payments, AHC payments on Square Invoices provides an integrated solution to streamline transactions.

Image: squareup

This article, “Square Offers ACH Payments for Big Ticket Purchases, Client Payments” was first published on Small Business Trends

Are you ready to start your online business now?

The post B2B Marketing News: B2B Brand Affinity, What B2B Website Visitors Want, Twitter Gets Bigger Images, & Business Video Benchmarks appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog – TopRank®.

Did you know you could market your business online at a very low cost?

The demand for online shopping is soaring, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the disruption it caused to bricks and mortar stores.

With around 4.3 million sellers in 2020, up from 2.7 million in 2019, Etsy is a hugely popular platform for online sellers.

In 2019, Etsy sellers contributed $6.6 billion to the US economy. The selling platform for handmade crafts and vintage items created 1.7 million jobs in the independent worker economy.

Given the prolific rise of Etsy as an online platform for merchants, entrepreneurs, online sellers and small businesses thinking about using the site to showcase and sell their products, may be interested in knowing which Etsy shops are performing best across the US.

Top Etsy Shop in Every State

To shed light on what sells the best on Etsy, Frontier Bundles – phone and internet providers – evaluated 500 shops across the United States that had at least 500 reviews, five stars ratings, and have made at least 2,000 sales.

Take a look at the top performing Etsy shops in each state across North America according to Frontier’s ‘The Top Etsy Shop from Each State‘ report.

• Alabama – MonsterAndTomato
• Alaska – FrontierDesignsAK
• Arizona – LetmeseeyyouSparkle
• Arkansas – BrushAndBarley
• California – BeWellGroup
• Colorado – AMarieQuiltCo
• Connecticut – TheDangleDiva
• Delaware – cloudsofrainbow
• Florida – Worldincensestore
• Georgia – MonogramElite
• Hawaii – xoMamaPlans
• Idaho – LoriPaperEnvy
• Illinois – AdorenStudio
• Indiana – mrcwoodproducts
• Iowa – 5thstreetstudio
• Kansas – BeautifulPieShop
• Kentucky –  SayIDoPrintables
• Louisiana – YourPersonalized
• Maine – RoweStationWoodworks
• Maryland – PaperBuiltShop
• Massachusetts – GustoSpice
• Michigan – HuckleberryHearts
• Minnesota – justplainbeckyw
• Mississippi – BibisBoutiqueMS
• Missouri – SeedGeeks
• Montana – BlackSheepBlankies
• Nebraska – ShaunaSmithDesigns
• Nevada – AMnails
• New Hampshire – TheCrownPrints
• New Jersey – MintyPaperieShop
• New Mexico – SuchGoodSupply
• New York – julioodean
• North Carolina – JennLorynDesigns
• North Dakota – boardgamemodder
• Ohio – SandyPawsCollarCo
• Oklahoma – BarnwoodUSAHomeDecor
• Oregon – crystalsNcreations
• Pennsylvania – Climbergoods
• Rhode Island – klgphoto
• South Carolina – JonleyGifts
• South Dakota – 81MetalArt
• Tennessee – 1Man1Garage
• Texas – NANApartysimplified
• Utah – TiredTruckerDesigns
• Vermont – TheStitchMill
• Virginia – MyWoodPhoto
• Washington – OojLaLaScraps
• West Virginia – MollyMcShabby
• Wisconsin – FreeSpiritCrafting
• Wyoming – LarissaKayDesigns

Image: Depositphotos

This article, “These are the Top Etsy Shops in Each of the 50 States” was first published on Small Business Trends

Did you know you could market your business online at a very low cost?

Landing a corporate client is no easy task for a small business owner. However, if you do land a corporate client it will dramatically change the trajectory of your business. If your product or service passes the scrutiny of that first corporate client, other clients (small or large) are more likely to give you the opportunity to make your case with greater ease.

Win Corporate Clients: The Real Deal 2021 is an event presented by The Corporate Agent designed to help you get B2B clients. You will learn how to scale your consulting, coaching, professional services, outsourcing, or other corporate supplier business with lucrative B2B clients.

With the strategies you learn in this event you can go after:

•  Mid-market companies
•  Colleges and universities
•  Non-profits and NGOs
•  Small enterprises with 100+ employees
•  Local, state and federal government
•  Faith-based organizations

These will be clients who buy from you month after month, year after year to keep your small business growing.

The three-day event begins runs from October 4-6, 2021, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Click on the red button and register now to attend the Win Corporate Clients: The Real Deal 2021 event.

Register Now

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Featured Events, Contests and Awards

WEBINAR: What Business Structure is Right for You?
June 17, 2021, Online

Picking a business structure is usually the first big legal decision for a new business owner and one of the most confusing. However confusing, it is an essential step to protecting your personal assets from any liabilities of the company. In this webinar, Nellie Akalp CEO of CorpNet.com, will share insight on business entities to help guide you to the best decision for your new venture.

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WEBINAR: Best State to Incorporate
July 28, 2021, Online

Some say Delaware, others say Nevada while someone else may say your home state. What is the best state to register a business in? What if your business is expanding into new territory? At what point should you Foreign Qualify? Nellie Akalp, CEO of CorpNet.com, will go in-depth to answer these questions and more in this webinar.

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Win Corporate Clients: The Real Deal 2021
October 4, 2021, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

What if you could rapidly scale your consulting, coaching, professional services, outsourcing, certified diverse company or other corporate supplier business with lucrative B2B clients…clients who buy from you month after month, year after year, with a well that never runs dry. That’s exactly what we’ll show you how to do when you join us!

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WEBINAR: Steps to Start Your Business
October 20, 2021, Online

Starting a business can be an exhilarating time, where everything seems full of potential and purpose. But navigating the logistics of launching a business can be daunting. In this webinar Nellie Akalp, CEO of CorpNet.com, will outline the steps necessary to legally start a business and get up and running on the right foot.

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• The Process Excellence & Business Improvement
  May 12, 2021, Online
• DigiMarCon Canada West 2021 – Digital Marketing, Media and Advertising Conference & Exhibition
  May 13, 2021, Vancouver, BC
• Webinar: 5 Top Things to Track in Google Analytics
  May 13, 2021, Online
• DigiMarCon Canada East 2021 – Digital Marketing, Media and Advertising Conference & Exhibition
  May 17, 2021, Montreal, QC
• AMA: Navigating Tax Law for Your Business
  May 19, 2021, Online
• DigiMarCon Canada 2021 – Digital Marketing, Media and Advertising Conference & Exhibition
  May 20, 2021, Toronto, ON
• TECHSPO Toronto 2021 Technology Expo (Internet ~ Mobile ~ AdTech ~ MarTech ~ SaaS)
  May 20, 2021, Toronto, ON
• Machine Learning Week 2021 – Livestream
  May 24, 2021, Online
• The Customer Experience Conference – Engaging Journeys, Real Results
  May 25, 2021, Online
• DigiMarCon South 2021 – Digital Marketing, Media and Advertising Conference & Exhibition
  May 26, 2021, Houston, TX
• AMA: Cybersecurity Considerations for Small Businesses
  May 27, 2021, Online
• SB’21 San Diego
  June 7, 2021, Carlsbad, CA
• Influencer Marketing Strategies Summit
  June 8, 2021, Online
• DigiMarCon West 2021 – Digital Marketing, Media and Advertising Conference & Exhibition
  June 16, 2021, Santa Monica, CA
• Email Innovations Summit North America 2021 – Livestream
  June 17, 2021, Online

More Contests

This weekly listing of small business events, contests and awards is provided as a community service by Small Business Trends.

You can see a full list of events, contest and award listings or post your own events by visiting the Small Business Events Calendar.

Image: Depositphotos

This article, “Win Clients, Attend a Small Business Event in Person” was first published on Small Business Trends