tools

19 Essential Free Marketing Resources for Small Businesses

Cressida Johns Marketing Advice

For small business owners, every penny saved is a penny earned, and that’s where free marketing resources come to the rescue. Small businesses often operate on a tight budget, but that doesn’t mean they can’t achieve marketing success. So in our latest article, we’ve compiled a list of 19 essential and free marketing resources that can help boost your small business’ online presence and marketing efforts. Canva – Your Visual Content Saviour Canva is a user-friendly design platform that empowers you to create stunning visuals and graphics for your marketing materials, from social media posts to flyers. MailChimp – Email Marketing Made Simple MailChimp offers a free plan that allows you to automate email marketing campaigns, build subscriber lists, and engage with your audience effectively. Trello – Project Management and Organisation Trello’s intuitive project management tool helps you organise tasks, collaborate with your team, and keep marketing projects on track. …

Why Choose PAYG Virtual Administration for Your Small Business

Why Choose PAYG Virtual Administration for Your Small Business

Cressida Johns Business Advice

PAYG Virtual Administration is a great alternative for small business owners that need extra support in their business but aren’t able to hire extra staff (i.e. full-time staff). Using a virtual administration service can allow small business owners to focus on the more important things in their business. Full article with thanks to: hrnews.co.uk/the-advantages-of-hiring-a-virtual-assistant-for-your-business-what-you-should-know Virtual assistant services are now plentiful, and their increase in popularity can be attributed to more work-from-home situations where a lot of business people and executives who are now based on the home front can’t seem to find time to accomplish all their tasks, including their personal responsibilities. The line between personal and business duties can become quite blurred when you are working from home, and this has made it difficult for many to balance everything they need to do – and have some time for themselves as well. A virtual assistant can be just the solution …

business software for small businesses

Is Free Business Software Good or Bad For Your Small Business?

Cressida Johns Business Advice

Are you looking for creative and free business software for your small business? Learn if free software would benefit your small business or not. Full article with thanks to: techdonut.co.uk/business-software/essential-business-software/free-business-software Free business software isn’t always the second best. In fact, some of the best software is free, enabling your business to benefit from up to date, highly capable applications without paying a penny. Types of free business software The easiest way to find free business software is to look online. It tends to fall into one of four categories: Freeware. Freeware is available at no cost and with no restrictions. Freeware tends to be simple software designed to perform one or two tasks. Free trials. Previously known as ‘shareware’, free trials enable anyone to try out an app for a limited period of time, after which a fee must be paid for continued use. Vendors may also choose to disable certain features …

Does GDPR Affect Small Businesses?

Cressida Johns Uncategorised

  WHAT  a minefield!!!  As of tomorrow (25th May 2018) GDPR is fully in effect and companies big and small seem to be scrabbling around at the last minute to get ready for it!  But what is GDPR?  Does it REALLY matter to small business owners? In answer to the first question – GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation.  It’s the changes in the law that come into effect on 25/05/18 that mean that ALL companies, no matter their size, have to be much more responsible for how they collect, store and use the personal information of their clients or potential clients.  Effectively, this is being done to make SPAM a thing of the last.  Will it work? That remains to be seen. “But I only run a hobby business, surely I don’t need to bother” I hear you say.  Unfortunately this new law applies to anyone and everyone …

I’m a small business…do I REALLY need a business plan?

Cressida Johns Uncategorised

I get it – you’re a small business. Business plans are for big companies aren’t they? Actually no – business plans are for ALL companies. Running a small business can feel incredibly overwhelming at times can’t it! If you’re a small business owner then chances are that it’s all on you….even if you have a few employees, you no doubt feel the weight of the responsibility of the company rests entirely on your shoulders! There’s so MUCH to do that it seems impossible to focus on any one particular thing…and then you can feel that you’re getting no-where fast. It’s even harder if you have a family, another job or other commitments as well. Sound familiar? The answer?…yup…your business plan… It doesn’t have to be war and peace! A complete plan could fit on a single A4 page if you have a hobby business. Simply put, this critical document defines who …

Handling Objections

Cressida Johns Uncategorised

  Handling Objections Don’t be frightened of objections – this is a completely natural part of the process and should be expected.  Your client isn’t being negative – 9 times out of 10 they are actually just asking for more information or a bit more time.  At the same time, when they are giving an objection it’s a critical time to listen to what they are saying. Knowing how to handle objections when a potential customer is genuinely interested in….or doesn’t understand and would benefit from…your product/service is one thing – pushing and pushing someone who is clearly not interested at this time is both fruitless and will give you no chance of getting their business in the future. It’s just as important to know when it’s time to back off. Here are some of the most common objections and how to respond. ‘It’s too expensive = ‘Tell me why …

Top Sales Tips

Cressida Johns Uncategorised

  Top Sales Tips Here are a few of the best sales tips I’ve picked up along the way that hopefully you’ll find helpful:   When talking to a customer, don’t ask questions that they can answer with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’.  You’ll get a lot more information from them this way. It’s not what you say – it’s what your customer believes. Don’t ever make a phone call or send out a communication without an end goal. Don’t bother trying to sell a product or service that you can’t get passionate about or don’t believe that you’re offering a quality product or service that will truly benefit your customers. Don’t be late – EVER Stay standing when greeting a customer – or stand as they enter the room.  ALWAYS shake hands standing up with a nice firm, purposeful handshake. Ensure that every sales call starts with letting the customer …