Category: Business

Featured Flocksy Team Member Design Of The Month:

Here is a custom flyer mockup created for a client by Flocksy team member Janelle.

All custom illustrations/brand designs/marketing materials on Flocksy are created completely from scratch by one of our extremely talented graphic design creatives.

Start a graphic design project today and see results in just hours!

10 Tips For Making Great Explainer Videos

by Flocksy writer Eden Need a hand making an explainer video for your business? You’ve come to the right place. An explainer video can assist with business, advertising, and marketing in several ways. What is an explainer video, you might ask? Well, an explainer video is a short film explaining your product to the consumer and why they should buy it. In this guide, I’ll give you ten tips on how you can make an awesome explainer video for your business in order to drive up sales and show others how you stand out uniquely from the rest of the crowd. continue

My Honest Review of Thonest (Updated 2022)

by Flocksy Staff Writer. Thonest is a decentralized sales and feedback tool that allows you to let your existing customers answer questions from potential customers. Using a mix of AI and software, potential customers can ask questions and existing customers can respond. Questions are available for everyone to view, making your company more honest and open, building trust with new users.  continue

12 Types Of Business Posters To Inspire You

by Flocksy Staff Writer.

The internet is filled with tiny ads no bigger than a stick of gum to elaborate and often irritating pop-ups.

But their size is a deficit. Business posters, on the other hand, reign supreme because they can be many sizes, often larger than 3 feet by 5 feet, and can incorporate visual attractions more than many other options, including internet marketing ideas.

The resolution, the colors, the style, and even the shape, all draw the eye, and with the right focus points, can even improve your exposure to a large audience. continue

Building Your Brand with a Personal Website

by Flocksy Writer Amy. Building your personal brand can be just as important as building a company brand. No matter what your business or career industry is, by building your personal brand, you develop an audience and are able to further your creative and business endeavors.   continue

Business cards are one of the most effective means of marketing, especially when you’re just starting out in the business world.

A cute, stylish card that you can easily pass around containing your company’s list of services is the perfect way to garner customer attraction and spread the word about the good or service you provide more effectively.

But sometimes it can be daunting to know where to start or what design will be most beneficial for what you’re trying to accomplish.

If you feel this way, you’re not alone, and we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll share with you fifteen business card designs that are sure to provide you with inspiration for making your own.

15 Of Our Favorite Unique Business Card Designs

1. Cheese Grater Card

From JWT Advertising, this unique card is sure to get people to come back for more. Sometimes having a theme to your business card centered around who you are and what you do is the best way to paint a memorable picture in the mind of your customers.

Having a business card in a creative shape, such as a spray bottle for a cleaning company or a cake for a bakery, will remind potential customers of what you do whenever they see the card, even if they don’t have time to glance at the contact information.

2. Mini Portfolio

This adorable mini-portfolio envelope by illustrator Iris Compiet doubles as both a business card and an example of what she can do.

If you’re into the arts, this design is for you – it perfectly encapsulates the creativity of the artist in both what she does and how she presents herself.

Using this design is sure to show people your skills at photography, graphic design, art, or even writing!

3. Interior Designer Card

Interior design is a job where it’s super important that you stand out from the crowd – after all, that’s what you’ll help your customers do with their homes!

This ornate business card by Smriti Kariwal illustrates the beauty of patterns in home design array, displaying a preview of the business owner’s talent for potential buyers.

4. Illusion Card

Remember those visually-stimulating cards you got at parties or after a trip to the doctor’s office?

The ones with a shifting image, almost like a mirage? Well, turns out these ones are great for business too! Evengy Katz’s design for a barber shop card can be used for all sorts of jobs for a versatile, eye-catching design.

Because it doubles as both a fidget toy and a business card, it’s sure to keep customers’ eyes on your business; literally, in this case!

5. Lush Seed Packet

Because gardening and lawn care companies are a dime a dozen, you have to make absolutely sure that yours pops out the most among your customers’ choices.

Luckily, this card designed by Struck Creative is here to do the trick. This business card doubles as contact information for your company, as well as being a seed pouch.

This makes it perfect for remembering who you are as well as for practical use in the gardening adventures of your potential customers!

6. Tearable and Shareable

Divorce is never fun to deal with, but this card by James A.W. Mahon can at least help people know their options better.

Even better, this card can be used for a variety of businesses as a way to share the information with others!

If you run a painting class, a party place, or even a bakery, you can make sure that your business card is the gift that keeps on giving with this design.

7. Filmmaker Ticket Cards

If you’re a filmmaker, you’ve probably wondered how on earth you could possibly compete with enormous studios. Not to worry, though; Alice Cho has you covered with this callback to classic cinema.

With this business card being shaped like the movie tickets of old, it generates both nostalgia and interest in your next big production.

8. LEGO Business Card

Toys are a timeless mode of diversion for children and adults alike, and LEGO may have the most interesting design for their business card yet.

These cards match each employee’s features quite well, and the contact information is printed on the back.

If you’re selling to customers who love toys, the best way to remind them of who you are and what you do might be to become a part of their daily play with this creative and unique informative toy.

9. Rollable Yoga Mat Card

Yoga is a timeless way to relax and exercise, and there’s no better way to accomplish this than by giving your potential clients a reminder of what you do.

The relaxing blue encapsulates the quiet peace of Vancouver Yoga Center’s wonderful atmosphere, and rolls up just like the mats they use to help their fitness members find more balance in their lives.

The language of color is especially powerful, and one of the most effective tools you have at your disposal in whatever business endeavor you have planned.

10. Coaster Card

If you’re a communications expert, chances are you’ve been a few places in your life.

This coaster card by Jukebox Prints is both cute and informative, letting your customers know what it is that you do and what your experience level is while also being chic, classy, and generally wonderful for get-togethers!

Place it on the table and watch people go nuts for it; it’s sure to get people to ask more questions and request your business for their needs.

11. Cotton Business Cards

These cards from MOO may not look especially unique, but if you take a closer look, you’ll find that they’re a lot cleverer than they seem at first glance.

These are actually repurposed T-shirt scraps, pressed into paper using one of the most ancient methods of papermaking.

This method creates a premium business card with an interesting story behind it, making it a great choice if you’re wanting to get a chance to explain your business to others.

12. Event Photographer’s Film Card

Photographers have tight competition in the market, so it’s super crucial to have a card that looks unique and classy, and captures what they do at a glance.

Norris Mantooth’s card, translucent and appearing to be a camera lens, helps accomplish this wonderfully.

Plus, it’s pretty fun to look at, meaning customers will be drawn to it even more and share it with everyone around them as a result.

13. Flower Bouquet Cards

The importance of the right bouquet (and the right marketing scheme for your company!) cannot be overstated.

Latona Marketing made this perfect business card for what they do, all boiled down into a simple shape resembling a flower bouquet.

Posturing your business card around the main idea of what you do is a must, and there’s no better example of that than right here!

14. MODHair Card

This business card by Fabio Milito for MODHair, a rock-n-roll salon in Rome, has multiple uses.

Not only does it plainly advertise the services offered, it’s also a usable comb!

To top it all off, this business card plays a classic rock tune, meaning you’ll never forget which hair salon it’s talking about.

With an almost magnetic pull, this card appeals to a wide range of people while also functioning as a preview for the service provided.

15. Personal Trainer Card

Our brains are constantly linking stimuli to information; that’s why it’s so easy to study when listening to music or chewing gum.

This business card makes use of the fact that you have to pull it to see the personal trainer contact information, making it a great choice for potential clients looking to improve their overall fitness.

Professional voiceover work may be a dream for those who want to pursue a career in voice acting, or for entrepreneurs who want engaging narration to go alongside their creative ventures.

Whether you’re doing voiceovers for a client or yourself, professional voice overs are supposed to tell a story effectively and bring the listeners in.

Read on below to see our 10 tips for creating professional voiceovers, all of which can be done from the comfort of your home.

First And Foremost, You’ll Need The Proper Gear And Equipment

Although the specific makes and models will depend on your own taste, here are a few general products that should be on your list when creating professional voiceovers.

1. The Microphone

Besides you, the biggest star of your voiceover recordings is your microphone. You’ll need to shop around for the right microphone that will elevate your story telling.

Contrary to widespread belief, it doesn’t have to be expensive. You can find microphones rated 4 stars and higher on Amazon for under $100.

A microphone stand is also a must have. It’s great in assisting you with remembering to not sit too close to the microphone and it will help to reduce the sound of rustling papers as you look through notes. 

2. Use A Pop Filter

When a microphone picks up air impact as a result of plosive sounds, it doesn’t sound pleasing to the ear for your listeners.

A pop filter, or pop shield, is used when tracking voices and it helps prevent the ‘popping’ sounds from getting into the recording.

Pop filters are positioned 4-6 inches in front of the microphone. They are helpful with making sure that the voice-over artist is the correct distance from the microphone, which is about 8-12 inches from the mic.

3. Voice Recording Software

Using a reliable voice recording software is necessary if you want to consistently have high-quality, professional recordings.

If you’re looking to save money, Audacity is a popular free voice recording software that is beginner friendly and geared toward podcasting and voice recordings.

If you want an interface that is more multi-faceted and allows you to do more mixes, Wavepad is another popular choice for creatives with monthly and yearly subscription fees.

Once The Technical Aspect Of Creating Voiceovers has Been Figured Out, Now The Focus Should Be On You (The Voice Actor) And Your Environment.

4. Record In A Quiet Place

In order to reduce background noise, think about recording in an environment that’s as silent as possible.

This can be in an area of the house that’s the quietest, such as a basement, bedroom or even a closet!

If you live within a household where it’s difficult to be rid of noise, try your local library. Libraries often have private conference room that you can rent by the hour. 

 5. Keep The Script Close To You

Familiarize yourself with what you are about to record from the very beginning.

Don’t be afraid to mark up the script with ques on when to breathe, when to pause, or when to pitch your voice up or down when necessary.

Once you’re ready to record, use the familiarized script as a guide.

6. Pre-Read The Script Before Recording

Before you start recording, read the script aloud. This lets you find the right combination of volume, projection, and pacing for the voice-over.

If there are any difficult sections that you’re having trouble with, reading out loud will show you where you need to rearrange a sentence to resolve the issue.

The goal is to make your voice-over sound natural, at-ease, and appropriate for the task.

7. Record As If You’re having A Conversation

As stated earlier, yes, it is important to pre-read the script but just as much, remember to not sound like a robot once you press record. 

For example, when you’re talking to another person, you’re not only using your voice, but also facial expressions, body movements and gestures.

Although listeners won’t be able to physically see you, make sure that each word is still understandable through the microphone by speaking clearly and naturally. 

If you are the client who provided the script to the voiceover actor, be sure that the script is easy for the actor to follow and that the script is relaying a message that your targeted audience will be able to understand.

8. Record Standing Up

Make it a habit to stand while you’re recording your voiceovers. If you can’t stand, sit up straight in your chair.

Good posture will help to maintain good breath support, which makes it easier to project your voice in a strong, clear tone.

9. Have A Video With The Voiceover

If you are a client who’s trying to market your business, it’s good practice to hire voiceover actors to narrate advertisements, films or shows (depending on your genre).

A good narrator alongside an engagement video can drive sales or clicks to your website.

When hiring a voice actor, remember to send them your video so that they can get familiar with your brand and the overall tone that they should use for the video.

As a voice actor, if available, request to see the video before you record. The video, along with the script, will provide proper guidance with cadence and energy.

10.Be Confident 

Always speak with conviction and confidence when you’re recording. Clients are more likely to hire voiceover actors that don’t sound timid or unsure of themselves.

An upbeat, confident tone is contagious, and your listeners will be able to feel it. If you don’t feel confident, fake it! Listening to an engaging, confident narrator elevates the listening experience. 

Great Articles and Designs to Inspire You!

Featured Team Member Design Of The Month:

Here is a custom character design mockup created for a client by Flocksy team member Alberto. All custom illustrations/brand designs/marketing materials on Flocksy are created completely from scratch by one of our extremely talented graphic design creatives. Start a graphic design project today and see results in just hours!

How To Hire A YouTube Editor

by Flocksy writer Sophia   Editing videos can be a timely process. Yet, video editing is so necessary for marketing your business and reaching your audience. You may be considering how to hire a youtube editor for your business.  continue

14 Clever Tech Logos That You Can Use As Inspiration For Your Start-Up

by Flocksy writer Rachel Estes   If you are researching inspiration for impactful, yet simplistic, logos for your new tech start up, this list has some amazing ideas. Read on to discover 14 clever logos from well established tech companies.    continue

6 Benefits Of Having Your Employees Work Remotely

by Flocksy writer Rachel Estes
  Studies have found that businesses that implement remote work policies see increased productivity, efficiency, and fulfillment from their employees, which in turn means your business will benefit greatly.  continue

Branding Vs. Marketing: Building Relationships While Driving Sales

by Flocksy writer Kasey Van Dyke   Understanding the differences between branding and marketing is crucial in developing effective strategies and strong tactics.  continue

Hi Everyone, We now offer an easy way to share work done with your clients without showing any of the Flocksy branding. This is great for agencies that want to share work with their clients without showing that Flocksy did it. If you are on the Access Plan, simply go to the project and click the share button above the work. Then simply toggle off “Flocksy branding” and you are good to go. Sam Ryan … and the rest of Team Flocksy!

Featured Team Member Design Of The Month:

Here is a blog post design mockup created for a client by Flocksy team member Sunardi. All custom illustrations/brand designs/marketing materials on Flocksy are created completely from scratch by one of our extremely talented graphic design creatives. Start a graphic design project today and see results in just hours!

The 8 Most Common Web Design Blunders To Avoid

by Flocksy writer Valentine Karimi   Easy and inexpensive self design platforms have simplified the process of creating sites. In fact, you no longer require coding knowledge these days. However, acquiring a website is not the problem; usability is… continue

Some Great Logo Examples To Help You Get Inspired

by Flocksy writer Sophia   Logos are a critical aspect of any brand; they’re what represents a brand and makes it recognizable to customers. When you think about all the top brands(Apple, Google, Target, Microsoft) a lot of times what will instantly come to mind is their iconic logos. Logos speak for their brand and are a huge part of their advertising.   continue

12 Interesting And Iconic Logo Redesigns

by Flocksy writer Sophia
  Regardless of the size of the change, seeing redesigns that Iconic companies make are also always a fun adventure and the public is very quick to judge whether it was a success or not. Here are some examples of famous brands, and their logo redesigns:  continue

How To Design The Best Characters For Websites

by Flocksy writer Alexander Lundrigan   If you are a web designer, you will likely run into a client that wants a cutesy or cool looking character design for their website. If your goal is to dazzle the client, you need to understand the best conventions when designing these characters. continue

Once you take the leap to be a small business owner, you will notice immediately that you spend a lot of time jumping from one responsibility to another. Entrepreneurs must wear many hats aside from being the CEO, such as accounting, marketing, and sales.

Luckily, there are various apps available for moguls to use to make business task simpler and more efficient.

Read on below to see our list of 8 apps that every entrepreneur should know.

1.Accompany(Cisco)

Accompany is an app that uses artificial intelligence to build large databases of people and relationships at companies. The app will send you notifications about the latest company news, work anniversaries and other information to keep you abreast about what’s going on with businesses that you’re interested in. 

To put it simply, Accompany is an app that has information all in one space about companies or potential contractors without you having to spend time researching online. 

2. DisputeBee

For small business owners, staying on top of the financial aspects of the business falls solely on your shoulders. It is important to try to stay in the “green” and avoid as many monetary missteps as possible.

DisputeBee is an app that helps owners with the process of identify negative marks on their credit reports and assist with having them removed. With DisputeBee’s help, you can increase your credit score and stay on top of your credit score so that it doesn’t impact your growing business.

3. Toggl

Are you easily distracted whenever you work? Or do you overwork yourself so much that you forget to eat or drink? It’s easy to lose track of time, or let time lose you, when you are your own boss.

Toggl is a productivity app that that allows you to track your daily work. Every day, the app sends reports to you about how you allocate your time. The app shows you where you can improve productivity and get things done on time so that your days are more structured.

4. Hunter

Hunter prides itself in ensuring that users will be able to find email addresses in seconds. This app is great for entrepreneurs who want to find and reach out to connections via email to talk about business ideas or prospects. If you know the person’s name or company that they work for, Hunter will try and find their email contact information.

5. LastPass

As an entrepreneur, you have a lot going on and remembering all your passwords may be easy to forget. With LastPass, you can easily access all your passwords on each connected device. This app eliminates the need to store passwords on multiple devices or platforms.

6. Asana

The Asana app is perfect for entrepreneurs with remote teams consisting of freelancers or contractors. 

Asana is a cloud-based project and task management tool that will help you manage and organize assignments, communicate, and collaborate with remote workers. It’s initiative, easy to use and best of all, free for small teams.

7. Canva

Canva is a great app for creating promotional posters, infographics, and web design content. It’s also perfect for creating logos, thumbnails, and post for social media content.

The best part of this app is that you don’t have to be a design professional to use it. Canva provides you with hundreds of ready-to-use templates that are all customizable. If you want more template choices and more design features, consider upgrading to the paid version. 

8. Pocket

Gone are the days of scrolling through various news outlet until you find something that’s interesting. The pocket app is a news app curated specifically for you! 

Save articles, videos and stories from any publication, page or app that has to do with your business interest Curate your own space filled with everything you can’t wait to learn.

A job interview, no matter how many times we’ve been in one, always makes us a little nervous. Do you get that little stomach drop when your name is called to come in? It’s perfectly natural to feel nervous, even when you’ve prepped yourself for days.

What many professionals won’t tell you is the myths that are out there about job interviews. There are plenty of antiquated or just plain fake tips out there ready to sabotage your efforts, and they are important to know before the hiring manager calls your name next.

Dressing To Impress Is Old School

Even though attitudes toward workplace attire have evolved from years past, it’s important to dress appropriately for an interview. On the flip side, an interviewer who forms their opinion about candidates purely from the label of a suit might give you an indication of the work environment you should avoid. Ensure your hygiene is good and take hints about what people are wearing from photos of the workplace online.

Don’t Say ‘I Don’t Know’

It’s a given that in an interview you should answer questions with confidence and candor, especially if they are questions specifically about your work history and personal background.

But if a question is posed to you that you don’t immediately know how to answer, you are not being vulnerable nor clueless by not answering with a similar confidence and candor.

Be honest and say you don’t have an immediate answer, but also stress that you want to know the answer.

Body Language Is Telling

The truth is, an interviewer’s body language or facial responses to you or the way you answer questions is not an indicator of how well your interview is going.

There’s a myriad of reasons why someone sits the way they do, or how their face looks for that very small portion of their day. Maybe the interviewer is stressed about something totally unrelated to you?

Body language is not a good indicator of how the interview is going and definitely not an indicator of whether they like a candidate or not.

Short Resumes Work Best

In years past there was a tip that the shorter your resume, the better. In fact, many people swore by having one page only. The reason for this was that supposedly the interviewer’s time was so important and short, you had to advertise yourself the best way possible and in the shortest time possible.

This attitude has totally changed in the modern workforce; in fact many companies have dedicated Human Resources departments or Hiring Managers who spend most of their day looking solely at resumes and candidates.

Always Accept A Beverage

Accepting a beverage prior to your interview would seem like a very innocuous thing, and that would be correct. However, another old interview tip was to always accept what was offered to you, as it would indicate your politeness.

In reality, most companies don’t have a dedicated staff for catering so you might be making your interviewer accommodate you by accepting. It’s actually an inconvenience to them.

Also, why risk needing the bathroom if the interview is a long one or you are already nervous?

Qualifications Will Always Get You The Position

Listing your qualifications on your resume is important, and many job openings require a minimum set of qualifications. But just because you have the highest qualifications won’t mean you will get the position, or even be put into the final group.

Cultural fit, years of experience and how you interview are actually far more important in the eyes of interviewers and hiring managers.

Unfortunately nepotism can trump all these too.

Keep Your Responses Short

This one is easy to disprove, especially if workplace culture is important where you are applying.

How do you feel when you go to a store and ask a question of an employee and they answer with a one word response or blunt, “I don’t know.”

Speaking with a warm and polite tone is far more beneficial than being robotic and sharp.

An interviewer will appreciate your openness and ability to engage with them far more than being a human Siri or Alexa.

The Questions Are Always The Same

A job interview will have some common questions across all interviews with candidates for a position. This is to measure and compare the candidates, obviously. But the assumption that every interview will follow a script is just not true.

Interviewers will go down different paths of questioning so they get to know you better, as no candidate is the same.

If every question was going to be the same, the interviewer could just ask you to fill out a form and not bother meeting you in person, right?

The Interviewer Does The Hiring

This is a natural misconception to make, especially for inexperienced job seekers. Assuming whom you are talking to will do the selecting is a natural, albeit incorrect, assumption to make.

It is more than likely the interviewer will be one of a group who will select a new hire or may only be asked to provide some simple feedback to another panel. Your resume and feedback has a long journey to go on yet.

‘Winging It’ Works

And finally there is something to be said about natural charisma and sounding like you know what you are talking about, but the truth is “winging” the interview will likely not work out in the end.

It’s important to come into the interview with some prior knowledge about what a company does, their philosophy and their reputation. You also want to know what you will say to common questions in interviews and hopefully anticipate what they may ask you at random.

In recent times, working for yourself has caught a lot of steam. More and more people are taking the leap to work for themselves and create content and services that speak to their own interest.

Although being your own boss and setting your own hours sound sweet, launching your own freelance career can be overwhelming if you don’t know what to expect.

Before you leave your corporate job and transition to the life of a small business owner, read on to find out about the 10 ways to launch a startup freelance career.

1. Pinpoint Your Endgame

Before you jump into freelancing, you need to know what it is that you want out of the experience of working for yourself. Without a clear plan that defines your goals, the transition to entrepreneurship will be difficult. 

Prior to making a decision, sit down, make a list on a notebook pad or a computer, and answer the following questions:

• Is freelancing a means to just earn extra income on the side while you continue to work your full-time job? 
• Is freelancing full time a means to become your own boss and work within your own schedule?
• Is freelancing a stepping stone to eventually achieving a different goal all together?

Once you pinpoint this goal and determine what you want out of this freelancing, then you can start planning on how to operate moving forward.

2. Determine What Your Niche Is

So, you’ve decided that you want to be a freelancer. Where does your services fall within the chasm of other small businesses?

For example, if you are a blogger who likes to write about stocks, focus on how you can become a great asset to that space. Take the time to research what other freelancers within this realm are doing and build your service off what the current market is looking for, or what it’s missing that you can add to the space.

Create a YouTube channel talking about the daily movement of the stock prices. Create an eBook or course about a niche stock play that the interested audience can learn from.

 Once you determine what your niche is, you are able to create content that speaks to what this space offers.

3. Identify Your Audience

After you’ve found out what your niche is, attracting the right clients is what naturally follows. 

To determine the best type of target clients for your freelance business, ask yourself these three questions:

• What type of customer will find my services useful?
• Which customer can afford to pay the prices I’ll need to charge in order to get to my income goal?
• Can I find a way to connect with my clients on a personal level?

By appealing to a specific, well-selected niche, your services or products will fair better than if you were to just go in blind and not have a specified voice or tone for your target clients. 

4. Figure Out Your Finances

Although not the most glamorous part of your startup experience, accounting, or keeping track of your financials, is perhaps the most important.

Keep in mind that when run your own business, you are the one who’s in charge of the money you receive, or give, and where it goes. Research or take courses about how to handle taxes and financial statements for small businesses.

If you need additional help, which you most likely will, hire a part time or freelance accountant to manage your finances. Be sure to always ask questions to make sure that you understand where your money is being allocated.

Accounting will be the crux of your business, so be sure to invest a lot of time and help with this one.

5. Set Your Prices

The previous step was about handling your accounting business before your business gets off the ground. Once you’ve established who will help you with handling invoicing, taxes and the like, you can now set prices for your services.

Search the market and watch your peers to see what the typical prices are for the services for your work.

Never lowball yourself! Even if you are just starting out with freelancing, your cost of services should be competitive with the current market for your niche.

6. Develop Your Own Design

If you are crafting your own business, then people need to know how to identify your service in a sea of others like yours. This is where developing your own design comes in.

In addition, developing a website for your company is essential for people to buy your product and connect with you. It is your “Home Base” so to speak

Since this is such an important step, invest your money to hire a professional freelance designer to make your website pop. Ask the designer to also create a logo, flyers and banners that you can use on YouTube, at events, and on other social media channels.

7. Market Your Business

In order for your company to grow, you will need to market your product and services to gain an audience. 

You can hire experts or freelance marketers to help you with this step, but the truth is, you can do what they do for free. Instagram is a great app to use to show off how your designs and products look and function in real time. Twitter and Facebook are avenues to create hashtags and connect with other people in your niche. 

So, you can grow and market your small business organically on social media by using hashtags and following others who have your same interest.

If you’re marketing on social media, one of the key things to remember is to be yourself and be relatable to your audience. They will appreciate that more than any theatrical facade. 

If you need help on where to start with marketing on social media, watch other vloggers in your niche to see what works in your market and what doesn’t. There are also many YouTube videos that touch on how to market your business organically online and by using SEO tactics.

8. Start Monthly Newsletters

One of the best ways to keep your customers engaged and up to date on the latest news with your business is to send out free monthly newsletters. 

When you send out newsletters, you are informing your potential clients that you are committed to keeping communication open, as well as showing that you appreciate their interest in your products.

Free newsletters will get sent directly to your customer’s inbox to provide them with an update on your business and anything new that you have coming up.

There are freelancers who can help you out with doing newsletters, or you can do it yourself by using an automatic email service.

9. Maintain Good Customer Service

So now that you’ve created a sizeable audience after you’ve spent time cultivating relationships online, you want to make sure that you always keep an aura of professionalism and open communication with them. 

Great customer service skills will reflect positively on your new business. A satisfied customer is likely to tell at least three friends about a positive experience and is even more likely to keep coming back to buy more of your product.

As a freelancer with a small business, you will need to guarantee great customer service as it leads to increased sales, thus growing your company.

10. Keep Your Day Job Separate

If you are starting out with freelancing on the side and you currently have a full-time job, don’t jeopardize your employment.

Yes, it may be tantalizing to just jump headfirst into freelancing and let your full-time employment fall to the wayside, but as of now, your day job is a steady source of guaranteed money and in some cases, it’s probably funding your side business.

In addition to that, there are a few lists of things that you want to consider with your full-time job:

• Do NOT breach any contracts or agreements you’ve signed with your employer.
• Do NOT work on your freelance business during company time.
• Do NOT use company resources, computers, or paid for blogging tools within your freelance projects.

The job industry is always changing in 2021. Every other week, there are new services, new products and a wheel of ever-evolving skills that are sought after from global companies. 

Businesses may find it difficult to keep up with finding qualified candidates in their industry, simply due to not knowing where to look or not being confident that they can find the appropriate talent within a sea of new industry developments and expectations.  

Has your company, though, thought to investigate one of the most untapped, but perhaps the most skilled, resource? The best talent that you can possibly employ is…our Military Veterans.

That’s right! as employees, veterans bring incomparable skill set and expertise that will add value to your company in ways that you might not have even thought possible.

Please read on and see the 6 reasons below as to why your business should hire military veterans.

1. They Are Quick Learners

Your dream employee may be someone who you don’t have to spend a lot of time training from scratch or walking them through repetitive processes. Well, Veterans are trained to make snap of the finger decisions in order to keep safe or when working with new skills or ideas.

So, if you need someone who is comfortable performing under pressure, veterans may be the candidate for you. For example, if you have a customer service or project management team who are always working on high stakes projects for customers, a veteran will be able to effectively blend in, transferring their knowledge of how to stay focused and organized within a busy environment.

Also, if you’re looking for help in your warehouse or shipping dock, veterans are able to learn the ropes quickly.  People who have operated tanks, troop transports, cranes and other heavy equipment in combat situations is most likely going to do an awesome job within your physical labor or transportation operation.

2. They Value Teamwork More Than Anyone

When it comes to teamwork, veterans probably know more than anybody the importance of comradery between groups in order to be effective. Vets work within a structured unity daily and understand that a well-rounded team is most important with successfully reaching goals.

3. They Respect Company Safety Protocols 

Health and Safety protocols are a daily part of everyone’s job, especially in 2021. With the help of thorough physical training that veterans are required to go through throughout the year, veterans are respectful of company’s protocols put in place to protect the staff. Due to this, Veterans are also equipped to recognize or point out any security threat, whether that is intrinsic or extrinsic, within the company’s parameters.

4. They Value Inclusion.

When veterans are in the field working side by side with their comrades, race, gender or ethnic background is an afterthought.

Veterans can be Great influences on how companies should respect coworkers and employees as people first, regardless of factors such as religion, origin or background. Their presence can promote inclusivity and diversity amongst the company and a reminder to treat people kindly no matter their varying economic statuses for political views. That can bring a calming and open aura to the office. 

5. They Are Tough. 

For a vet, being in the middle of a combat zone, or going through a rigorous training course, requires endurance, stamina and immense critical thinking skills. In order to have gotten through the day, veterans knew that slacking was not an option. In the work environment, veterans will navigate the day with that same thought process.

To them, every task has a purpose, and they want to see a goal through to its completion. Those in the military are hardwired to be mental tough, thorough and accurate, no matter if the task seems too difficult. Why wouldn’t you want someone like that on your team?

6. They Are Ahead Of The Curve With Technology 

Veterans are exposed to varying types of cutting-edge technology while in the military, which is one of the reasons why they thrive in this sector.

Since the military invests millions into technology each year, many veterans gain valuable experience in this industry. Every day, some military members are involved with learning and working with state-of-the-art technology, which will serve them well once they integrate into the civilian world.

So, not only will veterans have highly-sought-after skills that your engineering company needs, but you will have a brand-new team member that is detail-oriented and self-disciplined because of their uncanny ability to problem-solve and work under pressure.

Workplaces are officially starting back up again after their prolonged downtime due to the Covid-19 pandemic. If you’re going back to work and find yourself stressed out and don’t know what to do, there are a few simple strategies and tips you can participate in to reduce your stress.

Stress is natural and happens to most everyone, especially at work, but that doesn’t mean you just have to live with it without doing something. Follow these tips and strategies to effectively reduce the stress you feel at your workplace.

Keep Perspective

One of the worst parts about stress is the hopelessness it may make you feel. People usually feel much smaller and completely insignificant when they’re feeling stressed, which can lead to a spiraling effect of more stress and greater isolation.

It’s important to keep yourself and your life in perspective when you’re feeling stressed. You can go over what the best- and worst-case scenarios are for any given situation and find the sliver lining in the emotions you’re currently feeling. You can also look back to find other situations which felt worst than what you’re currently experiencing to cheer yourself up.

Maintain Control

Another common response to stress is to completely let go of the things you can control and start to feel bad for yourself all the time. It’s important to avoid this pitfall and remember that you still have some control of the situation you’re experiencing. Don’t tell yourself that everything is hopeless and that you must have others to help you out of the spot you’re in.

This can lead to spiraling and discourages you from taking account of the situation. While you can absolutely call on friends and families for help (more on that later) don’t feel like they’re obligated to solve all of your problems for you. It’s important to find yourself in the midst of your stress and relax yourself.

Just Breathe

On a more micro level, there are a few things you can do which will be immediately rewarding. The first thing you should do is take a deep breath and simply breathe in and out. This will help calm your nerves and make your body more relaxed.

Relaxation is a great way to counter stress because the two are essentially diametrically opposed. It’s incredibly difficult to feel panicked when you’re calm and breathing in and out in a measured and conscious manner. Take a few minutes to empty your mind and remind yourself that it’s not as bad as you think while you’re breathing.

Ask For Help

Once you’re sufficiently relaxed for the time being, you can take it upon yourself to ask for help. There are plenty of people in your life who are willing to help you through tough times, such as your friends and family members.

You should have a closely knit network of friends and colleagues so that you can turn to them whenever you’re feeling stressed or insignificant. There’s nothing like the comfort and touch of a good friend to keep you sane and move you through your day in a measured and calm manner. Never be afraid to ask your friends or family for help.

Develop A Course Of Action

In addition to calming yourself and asking for help, it’s important to understand that your stress will be mitigated if you have a plan of action for your day and life. Making plans greatly reduces stress because it helps you calm down further and signals to your body that the situation is in your control.

Plans and schedules also help keep your mind off of what you don’t know or may be stressed about during the day. You can make a plan during your breaks or throughout the day and stick to it to keep yourself calmed and stress free.

Develop Your Own Strategies

In addition to these strategies, you can make your own plan about the best course of action to take for yourself. You can devote yourself to a project that you’ve needed to do or meditate at your desk. Exercise is also a great way to relieve stress because it gets your endorphins running and helps adrenaline escape in a healthy, measured, and controlled way.

Whatever you choose to do, there are several ways to help yourself relax and keep calm. You should stick to the activities that help you and discard those that may not be doing anything that you can see or feel.

Make Positive Relationships

While you can always go to people you know and trust when you’re feeling stressed, you can also make new relationships at work or at other locations throughout your day. Keeping your heart and mind open to other people will help you destress and combat any feelings of inadequacy.

You should try to stay off your phone during the day and pay attention to what others are doing around you. In addition, you can start a mentorship program or become a protégé. Being molded by someone else’s hands is a great way to feel in control of your life and help you destress.