These days, most companies just use webinars when they want to operate some kind of online event. This is usually much cheaper than trying to host a public event, and in this day and age, most people would prefer to stay at home anyway. However, that’s not to say that business events have died out. They’re still going to be around (especially when the pandemic is over) and it’s important to keep them in the back of your mind.
One of the more difficult aspects of planning a big business event is the budgeting. There are going to be lots of expenses that you need to consider, and there may be times where you’ll miss out on certain expenses and forget to include certain things. So in this post, we’ve covered five of the biggest event expenses that companies always seem to overlook.
Entertainment
Entertainment is a huge component of any event. Even if it’s a formal business event that is focused on serious business deals and product reveals, it’s going to have some kind of entertainment to keep your guests happy. However, the amount you spend on entertainment can often exceed your budget because of all the additional costs involved. Try to keep an eye on your entertainment budget and make sure it doesn’t exceed the limit you’ve set.
Staff
Staff can be expensive to both hire and manage at a public business event. As such, you’ll need to be cautious about how many people you hire, how you manage them, and also delegating tasks to them. An efficient way to manage your team is to use a staff management app. This can help you understand how many team members you have, it’ll ensure that every member has been delegated a task on specific days, and it improves the overall efficiency of your team.
Lighting
Lighting costs are surprisingly expensive, especially when you consider how big and bright those fixtures need to be in order to light up a stage. Lighting costs can easily exceed your predicted budgets, so make sure you speak to the venue to get a rough estimation of how much you’ll be spending.
Audio and visual
Audio and visual is another big cost. If you want to show off your products and make clear speeches, then you’ll have to invest in good audio equipment. Luckily, venues will often provide this as part of a package deal or as an upgrade option. Speak to them regarding their audio and visual devices to ensure you’re getting a good deal.
Food and beverages
Lastly, we can’t forget about your food and beverage budget. If you’re planning on having your guests eat and snack at your event, then this is an expense you can’t forget. Make sure you plan ahead so that you know exactly how much food you’ll need and don’t forget to keep dietary considerations in mind too. This will ensure that everyone is fed and happy during your big event.
Inefficiency is bad in business because it means wasted resources. Unfortunately, if you are wasting resources you are also wasting money, such as supplies, person-power, and time. All things your company must ultimately pay for. That is why a focus on efficiency is essential if you are looking to maximize your business success. Happily, you can discover some fantastic ways to improve the efficiency of your business, below.
Automate.
Many businesses see automation as a luxury they cannot yet afford. However, the truth of the matter is that automating certain processes can save so much money in the long run, that they are well worth the initial investment.
In particular, look to automate repetitive or mundane tasks, as these can often be performed much faster by using an automated process rather than a human.
Also, by automating such tasks you will free up your employees to work on other projects. Indeed, this can have a double benefit. Firstly, you workers are likely to be happier focusing on more complex and project-dependent tasks, which means better motivation and productivity. Secondly, you will have more personal power to devote to these which can both speed them up and help to ensure the most positive outcome. All things that will boost the efficiency of your business.
Pick the right people for the task at hand.
Another way that you can ensure your business is as efficient as possible is to assign the right people to the tasks that need completing. What this means is playing to your employees’ strengths and previous experience.
Of course, sometimes, particularly specialized tasks will need to be completed by experts that you do not have within your business. Writing a customized software program for example which would mean you need to outsource an IT expert to help you.
Similarly, if you have a complex marketing task then you need an outsourced marketing agency to help you. Indeed, it is the most efficient way of doing things concerning time, quality, and cost. After all, getting your own non-expert employee ‘up to speed’ in this area will take considerable time and effort. Neither of which is a particularly efficient way of running your business.
Minimize distractions.
Distractions, in their many forms, are efficiency killers in most businesses. We are talking about things that seem important but aren’t, such as meetings, answering emails as they come in through the day. Even queries from other employees can hamper people focusing on the task in front of them, something that means it takes them extra time to complete it.
With that in mind, minimizing any of these efficiency sapping distractions is essential. One way to do this is to ban meetings, or at least limit them to a maxim of 10 minutes. A great way to do this is to make everyone stand for their duration, as they will quickly put a stop to anyone that is going on too long.
Distractions from email and queries by other employees can be solved with the same solution – batching. This means you assign a time in the morning and afternoon of each day where people can answer emails and ask questions of their colleagues such as 30 mins. However, outside of this time, both activities are not permitted, and so the distraction they cause is greatly reduced.
Entrepreneurs think a lot about marketing. But, in many ways, marketing is just the short-game. The long-game is technology. Ultimately, tech is what decides whether a company is successful or not.
3D printing is arguably the most exciting technology in the manufacturing space right now. It has the potential to completely change the way the world’s production systems operate, providing consumers with better products at lower prices.
Strangely, though, industry as a whole is skeptical about what it can achieve. Entrepreneurs in the segment know that additive manufacturing has been around since the mid-1980s. And it hasn’t – as they see it – had a massive impact on their operations.
Advances in technology, however, are changing things. In 2021, we’re seeing a step-change in capabilities similar to what happened when Apple released the original iPhone back in 2007. A whole new space of possibilities is opening up. And only companies that prepare now stand any chance of thriving.
In this post, we take a look at some of the weird ways 3D printing is going to disrupt business and help to create a better world.
Non-Mass Production
Mass production was one of the greatest inventions of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Industrialists saw that they could produce products in bulk and lower the unit cost. It was great for consumers.
Unfortunately, though, it led to product homogenization. Everyone had to accept virtually identical models and there was a lack of customization.
3D printing promises to change all that. Today, it’s possible for customers to order the exact product they want and then have a machine print it out for them.
What’s more, there’s virtually no limit to the level of customization that’s possible. Users can even upload their own designs or get professional agencies to create them for them. It means that the production of one-of-a-kind goods is going to explode.
Prototyping
As industries learn more about 3D printing, they are realizing that it can help bring costs down.
In aerospace, for instance, companies are now using additive technologies to create new prototypes that replace the need to individually manufacture separate parts. Companies can simply print and test parts all day long, without having to go to the trouble of creating separate molds.
Spares
It’s a similar story when it comes to parts and repairs. It’s now easier than ever for companies to simply order a new replacement part freshly printed, instead of having to rely on supplier inventory.
Imagine if, in the future, your spare parts inventory could be just a lump of raw material and some designs stored on a cloud server. It would massively reduce your costs and improve your efficiency because you could create the parts you need instantly onsite without having to wait for delivery. It sounds futuristic, but that’s the world that’s coming.
It’s clear that 3D printing is going to be a disruptive tool for companies. And that’s why it’s imperative to begin preparing now. You want to have a strategy in place before compelling mass-market products arrive.
This is a contributed post
Featured image courtesy of: Photo by Mushroom from Pexels
Running a small business can be a highly rewarding experience. It can also be filled with hassle, struggle, and stress! The good news is that by outsourcing certain tasks, you can reduce some of this stress, and still run an effective and profitable business. Keep reading to find out more.
Marketing
Could you do a reasonable job marketing your business to potential customers? Probably, if you were motivated enough and had enough time. However, whether it makes sense for you to spend all that time and effort on something that is regarded as a specialist subject is the real question you should be asking here.
After all, marketing will be one of the many tasks on your to-do list. Although if you outsource it to a professional firm you can ensure it will be handled by experts. These will be specialists that not only know how best to market your business, but also the latest trends and developments in marketing as well. Something that means they can offer your business a substantial advantage against your competition.
IT Management
News flash! Being able to reboot a PC by switching it off, and then on again doesn’t make you an IT expert! Indeed, because the field of IT is moving so quickly right now, anyone that isn’t dedicating their entire working life to it will struggle to stay abreast of the latest developments.
This can become a massive problem, what with nearly every business relying on IT to function! What this means is outsourcing your IT problems to specialists will ensure they are resolved as fast as possible and your business is up and running again with a minimum of downtime.
You may even want to circumvent dealing with such issues altogether. That is where outsourcing the whole of your IT and network management comes in. After all, a good management company will be constantly monitoring your service with a view to spotting issues before they become serious enough to stop work.
Accounting
If you adore numbers, spreadsheets, and brushing up on the latest regulations then you may want to deal with your accounting, in-house. However, if these things are not your strengths, finding an expert accounting agency to help you is often well worth the investment.
There are many accounting and financial tasks that can be outsourced, such as preparing periodic accounts for accurate reports on your business’s performance, as well as budgets, cash flow, and forecast work. Indeed by handing off these jobs to experts you can concentrate on other issues in your business that will help it thrive.
Shipping and Logistics
Running a business with its own logistics arm is a complicated and expensive feat. Also, because there are so many shipping companies, covering so much of the world in a fast and reliable way, controlling your own logistics is largely unnecessary for most businesses.
Of course, when choosing whom to outsource this function to it is important to consider several things. Price is essential, but the quality of service is also important. Remember that clients like to be able to track their package’s progress, and change the delivery location and date at will. Therefore choosing an outsourcer that can offer this is important to your long-term success.
Running a business needn’t require you to be chained to an office desk all day. Modern technology has made it possible to run a business from any location: whether you’re at home, in your car or even travelling abroad. Below are a few ways to run a business from any location.
Invest in the right portable devices
You can’t work from any location if you’ve only got a desktop PC. Consider investing in portable devices that you can take with you. A laptop is the most practical device for writing tasks. If you need to work while standing up, a tablet could be a good option. You can even work from a smartphone (although due to this device’s tiny screen, you probably don’t want to do anything too intensive on it).
Start using the cloud
Cloud technology has allowed businesses to store all their data remotely. This allows you to access this data from any device in any location. Many of today’s modern software solutions are cloud-based – this allows you to access the same data on your phone as you would on your PC. This guide offers more tips for migrating your data to the cloud.
Adopt a VoIP phone system
When it comes to receiving business calls on the go, it could be worth looking into VoIP phone solutions for small business. This involves using a cloud-based number to receive calls – this can be answered from any device whether it be a PC or smartphone, providing that you have internet connection. By being able to answer the same number from multiple devices in any location, you have freedom to answer business calls practically anywhere.
Look into portable internet solutions
Having an internet connection on the go is also important. You may not always be able to rely on public wi-fi. This is where portable wi-fi comes in use – this allows you to enjoy your own private internet connection on the go. Some modern cars are fitted with portable wi-fi. Alternatively, you can buy yourself a portable router to take with you. Public wi-fi may sometimes be the strongest option if you’re in a coffee bar or a library – when logging onto such wi-fi, always use a VPN in order to keep your network secure.
Keep devices charged with a portable charger
On top of making sure that your devices are always connected to the internet, you’ll want to make sure that they always have enough battery. While you may be able to access plug sockets when working from certain locations, you may not always have this luxury. Carrying around a portable charging station allows you to keep all your devices powered up. Portable chargers come in all forms – there are bags and suitcases with in-built portable chargers and even solar portable chargers for use in very remote locations. Consider which type of portable charging station is most practical for you.
Ensure Great Technological Backup
The nomad lifestyle has many perks if you have a career set up online, and when you are on the go and your mind is scattered between all your work tasks and travel itineraries, the last thing you need is a computer crashing, a virus, or some other technical difficulty to deflate your mental tires.
Ensuring that you always have access to an IT department in the case of a technological emergency is going to reduce stress and enhance your nomadic lifestyle. Haycor IT Solutions is a great option, as they offer many services, including assisting in getting you onto the Cloud, handling your devices’ cyber security and preventing hacks (especially great for digital nomads traveling abroad), backup recovery in the case of a system crash, and any IT consulting you might need.
The great thing about having an IT servicing company on speed dial is that it’s not like insurance, where you have to pay each month despite never having an issue. These services can be paid for in the moment of your breakdown, allowing you to save money and get back on the road swiftly!
Whichever service provider you choose to assist you in the IT department, be sure to choose a company that offers 24/7 customer service. You never know when you are going to be in a technological crisis or halfway across the world. Try getting this assistance in another language! It’s nearly impossible if you aren’t fluent in the language.
Wi-Fi has become something that is considered essential in most homes and businesses all around the world.
What would people do without the internet? They would not be able to send emails, watch videos, play slots at an online casino, check the weather, or look for a map in order to determine the route for their weekend trip. Wi-Fi has simply become integral to work commitments and home life.
For this reason, it is highly important that individuals know how to get the most out of their Wi-Fi system. After all, there is nothing worse than an internet connection that is slow or continuously disconnects at random moments. A lot of people do not know it, but there are ways in which people can improve their connection by doing simple things which do not cost money.
Find the best spot for the wireless router to be placed
Where in which the wireless router is placed in the home or in the workplace is highly important. There are several factors which determine where the best place to put the router is and these will all be explained below…
The first thing that one needs to encounter is how close the router is to the outside area. A lot of routers have an omnidirectional antenna. If the one in question does not have one then this point will not be relevant. However, if the router in question does have an omnidirectional antenna then this should not be placed against an outside wall. The reason why this is the case is that it will send half of the signals outside, thus the connection is largely wasted.
In addition to this, a lot of people want their router to be placed somewhere which is not visible, after all, nobody wants a random box or wires on show in their house. Nevertheless, this is something which is highly unadvisable. Wireless routers are very susceptible to overheating and so they need a clear airflow in order to ensure that this does not happen. The best place to put a wireless router is in open space where they are not obstructed by anything. After all, nobody wants to have to replace their wireless system because it has overheated.
Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind the height of the router. This is especially the case in houses that have more than one level. After all, the connection needs to reach the second floor so that the internet is available in that room. Therefore it is best to have the wireless connection placed as high up as is possible.
A final point worth noting regarding the placement of the wireless router is the other appliances that are nearby. It is highly important that there is nothing which will cause interference between the wireless connections reaching the other devices needed. In order to ensure this is the case, it is highly recommendable to keep the router away from all appliances in general. However, if this is not feasible then simply do research to find out which appliances give out a strong signal and avoid these, for example, an oven.
