In this episode, William and Pascal Haab have a conversation about his company, System Crew. They are a reliable and self-motivating tech outsource partner – they take an iterative approach to enhance client’s IT infrastructure, working with them to design, improve, and implement solutions.
In this episode, William and Andrew and Cassie Murphy have a conversation about their company, Tide and Ledger Bookkeeping. They provide full service bookkeeping services in Tampa, FL. and help clients remove the burden of bookkeeping and streamline processes, allowing them to focus on what truly matters—growing their business. They provide valuable insights that help clients identify key levers for growth, ensuring they have the support they need every step of the way.
In this episode, William and Alistair Dearie have a conversation about his company, LAM Development Solutions LLC. Alistair’s hands-on involvement in various projects, from small developments to large commercial ventures, has sharpened his attention to detail. He can spot potential issues. He gives lenders and developers the insights they need. This helps them protect their investments and handle construction challenges with confidence.
Packing peanuts are a staple for businesses that need to send potentially fragile or breakable products to customers. They’re inexpensive, efficient, and lightweight. In today’s economic climate, those are some considerable pros. But what if the cost is customer satisfaction? In this article, we take a look.
Whether it be the traditional kind or the newer, more eco-friendly versions, customers aren’t fans of packing peanuts. Below are a few reasons why:
They make a mess: They easily scatter and are difficult to clean up.
Hard to dispose of: Due to static cling, they stick to every surface, and their lack of recyclability makes disposal complicated.
Environmental impact: While some versions are biodegradable, the environmental cost is still significant. Non-biodegradable versions remain in the environment for a long time, generating a substantial amount of waste.
Health impact: Traditional foam peanuts production methods can release carcinogenic fumes that could be harmful to workers handling the material.
Increase in shipping costs: For businesses, the biodegradable option can also increase shipping costs since they have a higher weight than traditional packing peanuts.
When a customer receives a package filled with packing peanuts, the unboxing experience, which for many is a highly satisfying moment, quickly turns into frustration. They may even need to spend more time than expected cleaning up the mess and getting rid of the peanuts. This doesn’t only affect the perception of the product but also the company’s image.
More than that, many businesses today are concerned about the environmental impact of their products and processes. If a customer encounters packaging that is harmful to the environment, it could affect their brand loyalty and even damage the company’s reputation.
As consumers become more aware of their purchasing choices, the demand for sustainable (and easy-to-handle) packaging is growing. They want to know their purchases aren’t contributing to a larger environmental problem. Companies that adopt eco-friendly practices not only gain in terms of brand image but can also stand out as leaders in innovation.
Furthermore, customer experience is becoming increasingly valued. Customers who have a positive unboxing experience are more likely to share their impressions on social media, influencing other potential buyers. A well-thought-out package can be an excellent competitive differentiator.
Ultimately, while packing peanuts may be cheap and functional, the hidden costs to customer satisfaction and the environment are significant. Businesses that prioritize eco-friendly and user-friendly packaging not only reduce waste but also create a better experience, strengthen their brand, and show they care about the planet. Choosing smarter alternatives is an investment that pays off in happier customers and a stronger reputation.
When diagnosing the cause of professional burnout, people often point to high-pressure environments where overwork is the norm. Yet, according to executive advisor Liz Wiseman, it’s not always too much work that causes employees to lose steam, but rather too little impact.
So how can you make an impact at work and gain momentum and ease in the process? Start by finding out what’s energizing your company and how you can be of service to that mission. In this video lesson, Wiseman defines the concept of impact players and how becoming one can help you avoid burnout by making a difference.
In this episode, William and Mike Knaggs have a conversation about his company, RedLED. Mike explains how RedLED can help clients with all their point of sale solutions from installation, to maintenance, to management.
When creating a budget for your business, it is helpful to separate and account for fixed versus variable expenses. Mistaking the latter for the former can cost you, and the better you understand all your expenses, the better chance you have of optimizing them.
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, the best way to describe the difference is that fixed expenses are costs that stay the same from month to month, whereas variable expenses are ever-changing and harder to predict.
Fixed expenses often represent the largest part of your budget. For a business, your fixed expenses are going be costs such as rent payments, insurance premiums, property taxes, and so on. While these are not easy to optimize, they are easy to work into your budget, as they are unchanging and paid at a consistent frequency.
If you can lower these expenses – say, by finding a different insurance plan that works for your needs – you automatically save more money each month or pay period.
In business budgeting, it is important to remember that all your fixed costs must be paid, regardless of your sales that pay cycle. If you’re starting a business, making sure you can cover these expenses for a period before you start bringing in revenue is crucial to staying afloat.
Your variable expenses are going to represent the costs incurred by how a given month or pay period goes for your business. How many credit cards you swipe, how much electricity you use, or how much waste you generate; all of these are going to incur a bill that varies every cycle.
Some of these expenses can be harder to reduce than others. How much heating you use to keep your office warm, for example, may be more difficult to lower than the amount of waste your organization is generating. However, in many cases, these expenses are in areas that you can strategize or work with professionals to identify savings, creating a more predictable monthly bill.
Depending on how you staff your business, your employees can be either a fixed or variable expense. Anyone hired on full time, who is guaranteed a forty-hour work week, will be a fixed expense, whereas a seasonal or part-time employee will likely be a variable expense, as their hours are subject to change month to month.
When you’re budgeting, it’s important to separate your fixed costs and your variable costs. If you’re able to determine what you absolutely will be spending in your fixed costs, then it is easier to identify and strategize areas to save with your variable costs.
Month to month, keep track of your variable expenses. Maybe one month you allotted too little to certain expenditures and went over budget. If you keep a closer eye on each cost category, you can do a better job budgeting and planning for the future going forward.
The lower you can keep your costs, fixed or variable, the better the results for your bottom line. If you don’t have experience negotiating rates or deciding what expenses are fair in comparison with the rest of the market, don’t settle. Explore your options, bring in consultants, and work with professionals who can guide you in the right direction.
Especially for the fixed expenses you will be locked into for some time, this could be a make-or-break decision for your business. Why pay more than you have to?
This article was originally published in November, 2021
Love it or hate it, no matter how you feel about AI, the truth is that your customer and client base might be changing the way they use internet browsers because of it. With many users sticking with Google as their default browser, AI overviews are now a normal part of everyday web searches. While some of your client base may choose to avoid them, many people trying to do a quick search will rely on this brief summary to tell them what they need to know.
So how do you ensure that, one, you’re not lost in the sea of information the AI overview is pulling, and, two, misinformation about your organization isn’t being accidentally spread? In this issue of the Pulse, we take a look.
As per Google’s own advice to site owners, AI overviews aren’t completely changing the principles of good search engine optimization (SEO). “The underpinnings of what Google has long advised carries across to these new experiences,” according to the internet giant’s blog update on the subject.
Putting out unique, relevant content that your target audience may be searching for is still a great strategy for ranking high in Google’s search algorithms, as well as in its AI overview.
A lot of people are using Google like they might use ChatGPT. They are asking questions and expecting thorough answers, with links to the webpages to support those answers. Think of what questions your audience might be asking Google, and how you can craft content to help answer those inquiries, with Google’s AI overview as the bridge between you and them.
This means relying on more than just keywords. Consider phrases, questions, semantics, and word association to help make the most clearly relevant content for AI to pull from your website.
Beyond just a browser, many internet users rely on AI chatbots and tools like ChatGPT to find information. This can be problematic, leading to misinformation and incorrect results to user queries. However, for the chatbots and tools that share links and sources as a part of their responses, having answers that lead back to a website may lead more thorough, critical thinking users to do their own investigation.
Squarespace recently did a study that found that “46% of entrepreneurs believe AI could make or break their business in the next five years.” Some of that is going to depend on industry, but one thing most businesses have in common, these days, is reliance on the internet for marketing. Most businesses have some degree of SEO awareness, so much so, that focusing on AI SEO is already becoming its own niche skillset. If your business doesn’t gear its content to match this shift, you may find your competitors pulling ahead.
If you’re a casual internet user in your personal life, you may not feel the need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in your day-to-day use. However, for business purposes, a VPN might be a critical tool you could be missing out on. In this article, we take a look at VPNs and why you may want to consider investing in one if you haven’t already.
What is a VPN?
A virtual private network (VPN) establishes an “encrypted tunnel between a device or endpoint (like a laptop, mobile phone, or desktop) and one or more internet-facing servers.” This technology has been around since 1996, when it was created by a Microsoft employee. It assures businesses extra privacy and security when their employees connect to their Wi-Fi.
How do they work? As one security software developer explains it, when connected to the VPN ‘tunnel,’ “an end user sends their data through that tunnel where it’s encrypted, and at the end of the tunnel, the data is picked up and metaphorically wrapped in a blanket of an organization’s security measures (e.g., a firewall). Once the data is safely nestled in that blanket (a security blanket, if you will), it’s rerouted to wherever it needs to go.”
A business VPN differs from a VPN you might subscribe to for your personal devices at home. Though they both work by creating an encrypted connection between your devices and a remote network, there are some key differences to be aware of:
A business VPN:
Why are VPNs critical for businesses?
Cybersecurity is no small consideration in the increasing digital age. With ransomware and malware posing a real threat to many organizations, a VPN is an extra, often necessary step to protect your data.
A VPN helps secure your company’s data by:
Providers often offer customized solutions.
This isn’t just a solution for large enterprises. Organizations of all sizes, across all industries, should consider investing in a VPN, if they have any sensitive financial or client data that needs protecting. Some larger organizations can host VPN infrastructure themselves. However, providers also offer solutions and pricing models to fit different budgets and capabilities. For very small operations, there are limited, free or cost-effective VPNs out there that might suffice.
Things to keep in mind with business VPNs.
Not all VPN solutions are built equal, and the cost of employing a below standard option can be considerable. Not just in the monetary cost, but in employee productivity as well. A VPN that isn’t running with modern, expected speeds can create significant lag and frustration for users. In some cases, employees will resort to abandoning the VPN for productivity, which then compromises security.
Are you looking for cybersecurity insurance?
As mentioned, ransomware and malware are a rising threat. Many organizations are considering cybersecurity insurance to protect themselves, financially, in the case of an attack. However, many of these insurance providers will require your business to be using a VPN.
In conclusion…
A VPN, when using the right solution, is a critical tool for a business’ cybersecurity. Investing in one should be a serious consideration for any organization with sensitive data to protect or with employees who work remotely.
Learn the key difference between being direct and being rude—and how to communicate truthfully without doing harm. From conflict and leadership coach, Ryan Dunlap.