Therefore, businesses that wish to reap these benefits must weave effective digital transformation strategies to stay ahead of the competition and drive the right results. However, building the right strategy for digital transformation that can help enterprises realize their vision and gain a competitive edge is not easy. So, how would you create the right strategy for digital transformation? Let’s describe it in the below segment.

7 Key Steps to Create a Successful Digital Transformation Strategy 

The essence of digital transformation is that you are invisible if you are not online. This approach requires precise strategy and preparation. Whether you are an emerging startup or a huge enterprise, a successful digital transformation strategy is essential to drive growth and success. Here are the seven easy steps to create one for your company, regardless of your business size and type. Alternatively, you can partner with a reputed IT consulting services provider to build a successful digital transformation strategy for your company.

Define Your Business Goal

The first step to creating any strategy starts with identifying your business goal, and a digital transformation strategy is no different. Determine whether you want to optimize your work processes, improve customer experience, increase employee performance, drive efficiency, automate operations, expand your offerings into the market, or have any other vision. Setting a realistic business goal will help you create the right strategy for your business.

Evaluate Your Current IT Infrastructure

The next step is to evaluate market conditions and access your current technology infrastructure, processes, applications, and employee skillset. Doing so will help you find out your technology strengths and weaknesses so that you can focus on the areas of improvement.

Identify Investment Areas

After analyzing your technology maturity, you need to determine the investment areas that align with your business goals. It can be anything like investing in emerging technologies, upgrading existing systems, migrating the IT infrastructure to the cloud, exploring agile methodologies, and so on. Whatever investment approach aligns with your organizational goals, take respective measures to ensure the ongoing success of your business in the digital age.

Nurture a Digital Culture

Weaving an effective digital transformation strategy is not only about accessing your technological efficiency; it is a broad term that also includes changing your organization’s culture, optimizing operations, and creating new behaviors. Therefore, when creating a digital transformation strategy, you must ensure that all your initiatives are aligned with your organizational goals that bring value to your business.

Take Small and Steady Steps

Start your digital transformation journey on a small scale with a pilot project, then gradually scale it across all the processes within your organization. At this stage, you need to identify the short-term initiatives that align with your long-term business goals. Track each small initiative closely, seek insights, learn from them, and improve your scaling efforts as you move ahead in your digital transformation journey.

Define Success Measures

Just creating a strategy to transform your organizational processes is not enough; you need to set specific metrics to measure your success. It means you should closely monitor your digital transformation strategy and take prompt actions for improvements whenever needed. As you implement changes in your company, take a step back to track your efforts and make adjustments.

Reevaluate and Refine Your Strategy

Digital transformation does not have a finish line; it is an ongoing process. Thus, a successful digital transformation strategy is one that can efficiently adapt to technology advancements, seek improvements, and embrace innovations. Once you have created a plan for your company’s transformation, reevaluate it to check if it requires modifications. An agile methodology allows you to reset your strategy whenever needed. 

These are the seven essential steps to create a digital transformation strategy for your company, helping you gain tangible benefits and take your business to greater heights. Remember, a successful strategy is often evolving; thus, make sure you can adjust your plans when necessary.

Ready to start your digital transformation journey?  

Creating a successful digital transformation strategy is time-consuming and challenging. However, with the right IT consulting services, you can easily weave the right strategy for your company and drive the right results. When you partner with a reputed IT consulting company, you gain access to highly skilled IT professionals, business analysts, quality assurance engineers, software developers, project managers, and other ancillary experts who ensure the smooth delivery of your strategy that aligns with your business goals.

If you are not an expert, it can be challenging to understand what exactly this or that SEO Consultant does and evaluate the differences between the proposals. This post will explain what an SEO consultant does in an SEO company UK, what kind of SEO consultancy they can give you, what seo services UK they offer, and the benefits they could bring to your business. We will also show you our approach to the SEO world and how to choose the right SEO partner to achieve your goals.

Why is SEO Important, According to SEO Company UK?

The acronym SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization,” the optimization of your site about positioning in search engines. In other words, the SEO company UK defines it as the set of activities that increase your online visibility. And this is what an SEO Consultant should do: make your site more “attractive” to search engines by changing the design, content, and code of your web pages.

One of the main advantages of relying on an SEO Consultant is competence and experience in this field. The world of digital marketing is rapidly evolving and requires constantly updated and specific knowledge. It mainly involves the aspect of optimization and positioning of your site in search engines (Google and its algorithm in the first place but also Bing and Yahoo).

An SEO Consultant must therefore have the right skills in different areas:

• Site auditing.
• Designing the SEO strategy.

What are the Advantages of Relying on the Right SEO Services UK Consultant?

Let us start by telling you that the word “SEO” is deeply linked to the verb “to improve. ” In addition to analyzing, measuring, optimizing, and positioning your website, the basic reason you turn to an SEO expert is that you want a “tangible improvement” from various points of view.

But what are the main advantages of relying on an SEO services UK Consultant, according to a seo company UK:

1. Improve the positioning of your company website in search engines.
2. An experienced SEO company UK knows what to do; using the most appropriate and up-to-date tools and strategies can help your business website rank higher in search engines. Not all businesses and websites are alike; therefore, SEO services UK must differ.
3. An SEO consultant can help you improve the quality of your website traffic. The SEO expert can help you find the keywords that your site should rank for because they are the search terms that your potential customers use.
4. SEO Consultants deliver measurable results. Unlike traditional marketing strategies, SEO can easily be tracked and measured during each campaign stage. You can ask your SEO company UK for periodic reports on the progress of movements (traffic volumes, traffic sources, positions occupied in search engines, and much more). This way, you can evaluate if and how SEO brings value to your company and allows you to have a return on investment.
5. A good SEO company UK can guarantee long-term results (more lasting and constant than Pay Per Click campaigns). So if your approach to the web world is medium – long-term oriented, a good SEO strategy can be a good solution.

What Does SEO Consultant Do?

The SEO consultant starts by carefully analyzing your site and its positioning. It includes evaluating the structure of the site and its content. The ultimate goal of this phase is to highlight your strengths and weaknesses to lay the foundation for implementing the new SEO strategy. There are more than 200 factors that influence the positioning of your website in search engines, but there are some that have greater importance, and that cannot be not carefully evaluated, and we list some of them.

Some factors affecting the indexing of the website :

• Code correctness (code errors or other inaccuracies on your site signal to the search engine that the site is not “curated” or fully reliable).
• Website security (HTTPS or HTTP protocol, your SEO consultant knows that Google gives preference to safe websites in search results)
• Site Responsibility (Is your website suitable for mobile devices?)
• Speed ​​of loading web pages on your site (user experience matters, search engines, and SEO experts know that users are impatient)
• Quality and length of the content of your web pages (the content of your website is the most important thing you can have, it is what will attract visitors and convert them into leads)
• Social signals that point to your website and the presence of quality backlinks that refer to your website (much of your SEO success takes place outside your website and depends on how “popular” you are and what people say about your company)
• The SEO consultant will also look at your company, industry, and competition. By knowing your business and your audience, the SEO expert can decide which strategies to use to improve your website’s SEO.

SEO Objectives and SEO Services in the UK

Based on the results from the audit on your site, the SEO Consultant must propose an SEO strategy for the future. Part of the strategy will indeed include identifying the right keywords and phrases that your target audience uses the most.

An Advanced SEO Tool or “SEO Tool” is a program that helps the SEO expert analyze, plan, and manage their SEO strategy. There are many tools on the market available to SEO consultants: each device has its function, strengths, and weaknesses. Before starting to execute your campaigns, the SEO consultant will determine the right mix of tools your campaign needs and will be used to implement and monitor your SEO strategy successfully.

Suppose it is not yet installed on your site. In that case, the SEO Consultant will also configure a Web Analytics service (for example, Google Analytics: the best tool for tracking your potential customers).

SEO Optimization

Once the SEO tools have been defined and installed, the SEO specialist consultant can start executing the customized optimization strategy.

Every SEO strategy generally starts with on-page optimization.

The actions that are performed at this stage include:

• Make sure your site is mobile-friendly and easy to navigate through internal links.
• Analyze and optimize the code of your website
• Eliminate errors found by Google during crawling
• Compile a list of target keywords to use when creating new content for the site
• Perform, if necessary, a review and optimization of the contents of your site.
• This search engine optimization phase also includes off-page SEO strategies.

Since these are external factors to your site, you may not have complete control over all the resources that help you increase your site’s authority or over-building links to your site (link-building). Your SEO consultant can provide you with helpful tips on how to optimize your off-page presence and improve the authority of your website.

How to Choose an SEO Consultant?

A partnership with an SEO Consultant is usually long-term, so you must carefully consider who you choose and possibly the best SEO Expert. Not all SEO professionals are the same. While many SEO agencies follow “best practices,” they spend a lot of time and work hard to help your website climb the rankings in search engines. Other companies may choose to take “tricky shortcuts,” applying strategies that could ( in the long run) damage your site’s reputation and even lead to search engine penalties (black hat SEO). For this reason, we suggest that you carefully evaluate some aspects of your future partner.

SEO Consultant and the Importance of His Past

To evaluate SEO experts’ experience and competence, you can start by analyzing their past successes. Check out the case studies and testimonials about the various companies. Have they placed themselves and their customers on the first page of Google?

Personalized SEO Services UK

Another essential thing to analyze is whether or not to offer personalized strategies for your business. When it comes to SEO, two customers are not alike. The SEO consultant must take the time to analyze your industry and your target audience, understand your business goals and budget, and offer you the most incredible pack of SEO services UK.

Are you looking for a company that performs all its SEO services UK? Do not hesitate to contact the best SEO company UK. These are just some factors to consider when choosing an SEO consultant. It would be best if you also thought about how long it has been in the market and what other services it offers.

The main advantage of SCORM, which refers to the Sharable Content Object Reference Model, is interconnectivity. In other words, SCORM is a set of technical standards used to create effective eLearning content. The most well-known content standard in the eLearning industry is SCORM due to the constantly evolving training requirements of the modern workforce.

SCORM-compliant LMSs now provide an ideal framework for creating content. So, how essential is SCORM compliance for the best learning management systems? In this article, we will be discussing SCORM in detail and understanding SCORM compliance for LMS. Let’s get started.

What Is SCORM?

SCORM is an abbreviation that stands for the Shareable Content Object Reference Model. For an eLearning course to be deemed SCORM compliant, a few guidelines outlining how it should be made are provided. This is significant because if an eLearning course adheres to SCORM standards, it can be featured by any LMS that also complies with SCORM standards. In short, using SCORM is all about industry standardization and compatibility.

Advantages Of SCORM

While deciding which LMS to use for employee training, it is critical to look for SCORM compliance.  Additionally, you should confirm that the LMS you choose is appropriate for use with the SCORM you are utilizing. Here are some advantages of employing a SCORM-compliant LMS for employee training:

• Adaptability

A SCORM-compliant LMS gives you the freedom to create different types of content to suit the demands of various organizations. To accomplish this and produce content the way you prefer, there are a plethora of tools at your disposal.

These tools can also be used by content producers to manually combine and contrast shareable content objects to create unique training materials for various learner groups. It also enables them to develop sequencing rules that adapt course material as the employee develops based on specific feedback and skill.

• Cost-Effectiveness

Companies that want to keep their LMS components interchangeable and compatible without breaking the bank can benefit from a powerful LMS experience at no cost by using a SCORM-compliant LMS. Implementing and making use of a SCORM-compliant LMS like Docebo can help you save three-fourths of total integration costs. Docebo Pricing is designed in such a manner that it saves a lot of money by increasing overall learning ability while decreasing the time and costs associated with eLearning content delivery.

• Reusability

Reusability is another benefit of SCORM-compliant software. The ability to reuse content not only saves time but is also a cost-effective choice in the long run. For businesses that produce and consume a lot of content, this feature is especially helpful. SCORM’s automatic configuration functionality enables one-time course creation and sharing across a wide range of platforms. This also enables training managers to make the most of any existing tried-and-tested procedures.

• Interoperability

No company wants to incorporate an LMS for a short period and then change it, though it remains a possibility. Often, training managers understand that their current LMS is inadequate and must be replaced.

That’s where a SCORM-compliant LMS comes in handy. SCORM facilitates LMS interconnectivity among eLearning software products. This means that learning platforms and course materials can collaborate seamlessly. This enables you to continue using your multimedia content if your company decides to change and upgrade its LMS.

• Interactive Content

Due to the presence of a large number of software applications with multiple features that you can add to your courses, using a SCORM-compliant LMS can make your content even more interesting and engaging.

The SCORM environment is enticing and engaging as well. There are several interactive elements, such as guiding learners to click on pictures and other onscreen elements that create dynamic text, quizzes, expandable components, and more. Training managers can also include elements like competitions, point scoring, and scoreboards, as SCORM actively promotes gamification as a way to increase employee participation.

Conclusion

Employee training is a continuous and important concern for a large number of businesses. The majority of businesses are using SCORM-compliant LMSs to integrate learning with their unique organizational goals as a result of technological advancements.

Even though using a SCORM-compliant LMS eliminates the need for manually creating, delivering, and evaluating the content, it does not eliminate flexibility and customization. Training managers can continue to create their content, incorporate their branding, and use rich multimedia and interactive elements.

Every day brings new learning opportunities, which is without a doubt one of the main reasons why great companies value a culture of ongoing learning. Investing in customized resources provided by eLearning development companies is not only the most trending but also the most sensible option for your organization’s training plan. Such an investment could be profitable because it provides numerous advantages. These resources will not only be relevant to you and your employee’s profile but will also ensure the entire learning experience is improved for your workforce. This, in turn, brings in a much better completion rate.

There are plenty of benefits of bringing a custom eLearning development partner onboard. Find them below.

Helps Design eLearning With Your Goals In Mind

One of the most significant benefits of a custom eLearning development partner is the ability to tailor resources and training to your specific business requirements.

You can incorporate your company’s internal policies, procedures, values, and key messages into the custom eLearning development process. This aids in the maintenance of consistent messaging, brand recognition, and general information about your company. Off-the-shelf eLearning tools provide generic information and do not provide this level of personalization. On the other hand, if you choose to opt for customizations, it necessitates hiring the right team and investment in terms of time and resources.

Custom eLearning development partners can take this burden off of you and provide you with the resources that align well with your learning and development goals.

Makes Learning More Accessible To Your Employees

The unexpected pandemic drastically altered many work environments. To ensure their employees’ safety, many businesses have adopted a “work-from-home” concept.

The problem with this concept is that you can no longer bring employees together for in-person training. Due to social distancing, businesses were also unable to send staff to conferences and out-of-house training. As eLearning is advantageous to all industries, custom eLearning development partners can help you train your employees by creating a supportive eLearning environment that makes sure employees can easily access learning materials from anywhere with accurate information and proper assistance. While working remotely, employees can receive consistent training with great management and flexibility.

Provides A Safe Space And Evaluation Standards

Most learners are afraid to participate in a session because they are afraid of failing and being embarrassed. eLearning development partners provide a safe environment through the platforms by creating a comfortable and nurturing environment, safeguarding the online training courses, and providing learners with access to all materials and tests in which they can fail without the attempt of being judged.

Additionally, grading physical papers takes time, and it is impossible to receive instant feedback for completing the task. However, in an online learning course, the learner can receive real-time feedback.

Moreover, because all data is stored in the cloud, both the learner and the organization can keep track of the employee’s progress and accomplishments in the course. Once uploaded, the course can be used for several years, allowing for training standardization.

Encourages Collaboration And Sharing

Promoting workforce collaboration can be critical to the success of a learning organization. Activities for training and development can be an excellent way to foster this attribute. When content is created according to the requirements of your organization, it invariably resonates with learners because it is more relevant to their roles and responsibilities. This creates a vital emotional connection with the training session. When a learner is engaged, satisfied, and gains immediate benefit from a training program, they are more likely to share and collaborate with their colleagues. Creating pertinent and meaningful customized training programs enhances a learning environment and healthy competition.

Provides Financial-Saving Assurance

Custom eLearning will fit your budget, whether you are a large corporation or a small business.

When you begin working with an eLearning development partner, simply share your requirements and budget, and they will handle the rest. You’ll be able to use your limited funds to customize and make use of only the necessary tools.

Provides An Effective Learning Solution

A dependable custom eLearning development partner saves an employee’s time, increases interactions, and instructs them on the necessary topics. These are all examples of efficient learning. Off-the-shelf eLearning options provide very generalized details that may or may not apply to your business and solely focusing on useful content has many advantages.

Custom eLearning development partners will employ real-life scenarios that are relevant to the learners’ jobs. Connecting learners to content encourage them to learn. Employees will find value in what they are learning and will put it to good use at work.

Ensures On-Demand Training

Conventional forms of business learning require in-person attendance at the workplace, a conference, or another location away from the office. This requires employees to be away from their work for several hours or maybe even days.

Custom eLearning development partners help to reduce the amount of distraction that training might cause. Employees will have access to eLearning resources for training on demand. This means they can access training resources wherever they are. This benefit is essential considering the remote work models that organizations have adopted in the recent past.

Another advantage is that employees can get resources whenever they require them. If they have any questions about a specific process or procedure, they can quickly access the information they require by referring to their eLearning tools.

You can also use the abilities of a custom eLearning development partner and deliver mobile learning to your employees. This further adds to the convenience and helps improve the completion rate.

Helps Boost ROI

The primary goal of partnering with a custom eLearning development company is to increase your ROI. Before you make purchases for eLearning solutions, keep in mind that custom eLearning development is typically more expensive than off-the-shelf options. However, as employees receive better training, the value and ROI increase significantly.

In turn, fully trained employees are more likely to stay with the same company for a longer period, consequently lowering turnover. Employees will also be more confident and productive at work, thus allowing you to witness a major improvement in their performance.

Scales & Expands With Your Organization

Great companies adapt and grow. Changes will occur as a result of this, and each change must be addressed in your eLearning tools. Working with a custom eLearning development team has the advantage of allowing your eLearning methods to scale with your business. Custom eLearning development teams already account for these business advancements and changes, ensuring you are future-proof.

Reduces Employee Training Time

It takes time to train. Training may take as few as a couple of hours to several days, weeks, or even months, depending on the requirements of your company and the responsibilities of your employees. You want to complete the training as quickly as possible, regardless of how extensive it has to be.

Custom eLearning development partners are well aware of this and understand that your employees’ time is valuable, so they only present content that is relevant to their job and needs. By eliminating unnecessary concepts and allowing on-demand training, employees can finish their training in less time than before.

Conclusion

The time has come to partner up with the right and dependable custom eLearning development businesses. Employees receive improved training that motivates, enhances morale, and increases productivity. You’ll realize that you have the right training tools on hand as your company grows.

Employee recognition programs make employees happy, and happy employees are 12 percent more productive than their more disgruntled counterparts. That’s not the only benefit of an employee recognition program. Employee recognition programs can make employees more productive, can entice them to stick with the company longer, and can increase your employees’ trust in you and in one another.

Lower Turnover

Turnover is expensive. It costs businesses in the U.S. $1 trillion a year. An individual business can easily spend $660,000 to $2.6 million a year on turnover. When you add up the cost of losing productivity while you look for a replacement, recruiting and hiring, and paying what will likely be a higher salary for your new employee, turnover can cut deeply into your profits and even drive you out of business.

But there’s a relatively easy way to reduce turnover, and that’s to show your employees some appreciation now and then. A strong employee recognition program can make your employees feel highly regarded for their contributions to the company. Just taking the time to connect with employees on a daily basis, to say hello or good morning and ask how they’re doing, to learn their kids’ names and thank them when they do a good job on something, can keep employees from becoming dissatisfied. And you don’t have to pay a penny to say thanks or write a company-wide email praising someone for an achievement. Even tokens of appreciation, like gift cards or other small prizes, occasional catered lunches, or an extra day of paid time off here and there can increase employee satisfaction and cost a lot less than constantly losing employees.

Improve Productivity

Employees who don’t feel appreciated are employees who are going to do the bare minimum to collect their paychecks. They aren’t going to want to stay late, work overtime, cover others’ shifts, or go above and beyond for a client. They’re probably looking for another job and it’s only a matter of time until they find one, especially with the labor shortage.

When employees feel appreciated, they’re more engaged and happier in their work. They’re a lot less likely to be looking for other employment elsewhere. They’re more productive, because your brain literally works better when you’re in a positive frame of mind. And they’ll be more effective team members, able to collaborate with others more easily.

Earn Your Employees’ Trust

If your employees don’t trust you, they’ll hesitate to make decisions. If they don’t trust each other, they won’t know if anyone will back them up if they put in extra effort. They’ll be so worried about making a mistake and getting called out or punished for it that they simply won’t have the capacity for growth and innovation.

Not to mention, no one wants to stay in a job where they don’t feel trusted. Employee recognition programs show employees that you care about them as individuals, that you’re aware of the good work they’re doing, and that you have their back. Peer-to-peer recognition platforms show employees that their team members support them, so they can go out on a limb without worrying about getting knocked off of it. Building your relationships with your employees on the bedrock of trust can help you create a valuable company culture that will encourage employees to stick around and do their best work.

Strengthen Teams

If you’ve ever worked with someone who undermines your achievements, you know how difficult it can be to give the role your all when you’re not sure your colleagues are on your side. Any recognition program should have room for team members to praise and thank one another. Employees need the opportunity to recognize their colleagues’ achievements and show their gratitude. It strengthens relationships in the workplace and makes teams stronger and more efficient. Stronger teams and solid relationships between colleagues contribute to a company culture that attracts top talent and gives everyone the chance to excel.

If you’re looking for a way to strengthen your company by increasing productivity, worker happiness, trust in leadership, and retention, you need an employee recognition program. Acknowledging workers and thanking them for their efforts can encourage them to work harder, and stay with your company longer – and that’s a winning scenario for everyone.

Not every organization is going to benefit from accounting software. Nevertheless, you can’t successfully manage your business without some kind of system in place. Small and new businesses tend to resort to manual accounts or a combination of manual and computerized systems until their needs become more complex. Either way, it’s not easy. If you recognize any of the following signs, perhaps it’s time for an upgrade or an entirely new system.

Signs That You May Need Accounting Software

Your Business Is Growing Quickly

Growth is an important objective for any organization, particularly for a small or new business. When a business outpaces its size and scale, it loses focus on essential functions. Spreadsheets are good when starting out. However, as business operations continue, things can easily get out of hand. The best accounting software streamlines your company’s operations. Not only can you keep on top of the cash flow, but also prepare for the next tax year in advance. Simple tasks, like cash flow projections, become tedious and time-consuming when you have too much on your plate. Accounting software frees up time that you can use to make sure your company remains successful.

You Spend Valuable Time Chasing Invoices

Keeping track of payments and invoices is easy when you use a modern accounting program. You have greater visibility, which translates into operational efficiency and improved supplier relationships. Owing to digitalization, enterprises can handle their inflows and outflows with greater ease. It’s not necessary to flick through files, excel sheets, or contact lists. With accounting software, you can create professional invoices and set up reminders for late fees. In many cases, you can customize the invoice by adding your logo. Rather than typing, printing, and signing, you leverage drop-down menus to create an invoice and email it directly to your customer.

You Require Faster Access to Information

Increasingly large amounts of data are generated in the business. The ability to manage torrents of data is paramount for today’s companies. When you have lots of data, it shouldn’t be in a spreadsheet. Accounting software is better suited to handle and process big data. Decision-making is no longer challenging, as you’re able to evaluate the financial position of your organization quite quickly. Put simply, you’re able to access the information right away. Thanks to advancements in technology, you can derive insights from the data and create strategies for future growth. The reports and dashboards are at your fingertips. If you’re curious to know what your customers’ full profit potential is, the answer is a few clicks away.

You’re Spending Precious Time on Manual, Repetitive Tasks

There are costs to not automating business processes. Using spreadsheets instead of accounting software can cost a fortune. It doesn’t matter how careful you are, you’re bound to make mistakes from time to time. It’s best to avoid such issues, as they can become serious concerns. Automation reduced the error count to almost zero. Manual reporting can be difficult to monitor over time, so you won’t know what assignments to prioritize. Accounting software gives you your time back, so you can do something valuable for your organization. You can focus on creative endeavours and come up with new ideas.

There’s Plenty of Accounting Software Out There to Choose From

You need a program that helps you manage daily accounting tasks and provides insight into your business’s financial health. QuickBooks can serve your company’s needs. It’s available in various tiered editions, for which there are add-ons, such as a cash flow calculator. You can deploy it for invoicing customers, generating reports, paying bills, and preparing taxes, just to name a few. Numerous small to medium-sized businesses use QuickBooks. It’s available as desktop software for Windows, yet you can choose the Mac or online version. If you’re not sure this solution is fit for your business, there’s a 30-day trial option you can leverage.

Needless to say, QuickBooks isn’t the only accounting program available, even though it’s a best-selling one. There are several accounting tools out there, you just have to pick the right one. Take into account your needs and accounting skills when searching for software that can serve the need of your enterprise. You might want to consider a specialized tool, which is designed to help businesses in your niche. For example, there are applications for retailers and restaurants. With cloud computing becoming more prominent in the business landscape, it’s a good idea to look at cloud applications.

Here are some aspects to keep in mind when picking out accounting software:

• Costs. If you don’t want to commit too long to a software solution, a monthly subscription plan is best. However, if you choose an annual subscription plan, you’ll get a significant discount. An on-premise solution like QuickBooks Pro has a higher starting price, but you only make one payment and benefit from payroll management, bill tracking, business performance comparison, etc.
• Usability. How many people will be using the accounting software? Some apps can be set up for multiple users, while others cannot. Get a quote/estimate for unlimited users. It’s worth asking.
• Features. Some of the most desired features of accounting software are financial report management, invoice and transaction management, foreign exchange gain and loss calculations, cash flow forecasting, and asset depreciation management. Decide what you want your accounting software to do.

If your company has an accountant, it would be best to consult with an expert before reaching a decision. They know what type of business you have and what your needs are.

Crucially, in order to stand out from the crowd and grow your business, you need to be able to grab people’s attention. Instead of opting for overly complicated SEO strategies or digital marketing alchemy, your best bet in the early days of your business growth might be to go for one of the time-honoured marketing tactics that have worked for centuries: freebie marketing. As the name aptly suggests, this is any marketing activity that involves giving away free products or services as a means of luring in regular customers and building brand awareness. If you’re ready for a killer freebie marketing campaign but don’t know where to start, here are some tips and examples from brands that are ahead of the curve.

Creating a Signature Product

One consistently successful way to pull off a freebie marketing stunt is to focus on a single, signature product or service and make this the focus on the campaign. There are many examples of this being done successfully across all industries, but none are perhaps more iconic than the 7-Eleven Slurpee Campaign.

7-Eleven knows its customers, and it knows that those customers are big fans of the classic 7-Eleven Slurpee, which itself has become something of a cultural icon. In order to capitalise on this and create a freebie marketing campaign that they knew would work, they launched their legendary Free Slurpee Day, which takes place on July 11th every year. Although the convenience store brand gives away more than four million free beverages on this day, the following week sees an average 38% increase in in-store sales, far outstripping the initial cost of the giveaway.

Expand Your Target Audience

If you have a more limited product offering or have perhaps not yet reached the point where you have a signature product or service that you can offer customers, you could instead use a freebie marketing campaign to broaden your target audience.

You could theme your campaign around different ways that your products can be used, in order to raise awareness and maximise potential sales. One successful example of this in action is the Jell-O Recipe Giveaway. Every year, the gelatin brand Jell-O offers hundreds of free recipes to customers, alongside a free pack of Jell-O to make it with. The recipes showcase how versatile their product is, ranging from Jell-O salads to Jell-O sandwiches. The tactic has been credited with boosting annual sales by millions of dollars a year.

Source: Unsplash

Give Your Customers Flexibility

Another benefit of a freebie giveaway is that it can be used to forge a connection between your brand and customers, allowing you to engage with your customers without them feeling pressured into making a purchase from you.

By offering a free taste of your products or services, customers can relax and get familiar with your brand to see whether it’s worth paying for. One example of this in action can be found in the online casino industry, where some of the leading platforms allow users to play for free without even needing to sign up for an account. As a result of the popularity of this method, there are directories that collate information about online casinos within a certain geographical area. They note factors such as competitive welcome bonuses and incentives for each listing, as well as other advantages like no deposit schemes. By compiling all this comprehensive information in an accessible, easy-to-use way, customers are spared the often off-putting process of signing up or creating an online account. In addition, offering top-tier slot and poker games for free gives customers a chance to actually test your brand offerings before potentially showing their commitment as a long-term player.

Create a Free Product to Promote a Paid One

Another highly effective way to run a freebie campaign is to create a dedicated free product solely for the purposes of that campaign, in order to promote your paid products. This is a tactic that is especially popular within the tech sector, where many successful brands will offer free-to-use versions of software products in order to show what their paid content can offer. One stellar example of this is Testive, an e-learning platform that helps people prepare for exams and qualifications.

In order to generate some buzz, they released a freemium version of their exam training software which acted as a marketing brochure for the company, showcasing all of the perks that paying subscribers can take advantage of. This is freebie marketing at its very best.

These are some of our favourite examples of freemium marketing. Try them out to see how this tactic can grow your brand.

A ‘never stop learning’ mentality keeps everyone open to fresh thinking, novel ideas, and cutting-edge technology. Read on to discover some easy ways to keep up to speed on the newest advancements improving your sector.

Read the Latest Reports

There are many internet tools available to assist you in identifying new technology on the market. Search out any reports that focus on results from businesses in the technology sector and that may help throw light on existing technologies, innovations that are going to be adopted, and those on the cusp of becoming mainstream.

If you can make the time to do this, you will find that you are able to learn a lot about the new upcoming trends, and over time you will be able to see which ones are going to be necessary and useful for your own business. Remember, though, reading about new technology doesn’t mean you automatically have to implement it within your business. You’ll still need to look into whether it’s the right thing for you specifically.

Use Social Media

Social media sites like YouTube, Twitter, and Reddit may also be good places to get the newest technology news. These platforms are particularly useful for learning about the advantages and disadvantages of each device, as well as competitors and alternatives. If you’re used to scrolling through social media to see what your friends have been up to, you might easily learn about the newest tech news while doing so as well.

Social media is something that has revolutionized the world of business, and when used in the right way, it can make a huge difference to many business owners’ bottom lines. So not only can you use social medial for advertising and finding your target market, but you can also use it to stay up to date and relevant, boosting your profile even more.

Outsource Your IT

You might choose to outsource this job if you don’t have the time, resources, or desire to constantly be searching for upgrades and ensuring that your company is using the most up-to-date software and technologies. Outsourcing your IT needs, including the search for new and better software and features, can all be part of an IT project planning system, enabling you to basically forget about this aspect of your company and focus on other things.

Outsourcing in business is a cost-effective way of freeing up your time and ensuring that people with the necessary skills and knowledge are working in areas where they excel. Far from being a waste of money, outsourcing, especially in IT, may help your company expand, and many would consider the expense to be an investment.

Train Employees

It’s pointless to have cutting-edge technology in your company if your workers don’t know how to utilize it effectively, and neglecting to educate your personnel can lead to this problem. It won’t matter how up-to-date things are if your team doesn’t know what their equipment can accomplish or how it will assist them in becoming more efficient in their work. Regular training, particularly for any new technology you introduce, will make all the difference.

For even better results, you could organize for those who are interested to go back to college and earn a masters of science in computer science online. This would be a huge boon to your business, and to any employee who took the opportunity, it would be a wonderful advantage. They would know that you were looking out for them, and you would be sure of having loyal, well-educated staff members who will be able to help when it comes to staying up to date with new technology.

Choose Subscription Software

As previously said, one of the most significant problems when buying software for your company is that it will soon become outdated. No matter how much research you conduct or how convinced you are that it’s exactly what your business requires, if a newer, better, easier to use, more customer-friendly version becomes available, you will either have to spend more money to purchase it or you will have to stick with what you are currently using. Neither is a good choice.

There is, however, a solution. You have the option of using subscription software. This means that you pay a monthly charge to ensure that your software is always up to date. If an update is available, you will be immediately registered in it, ensuring that your software is not lagging behind. True, you’ll have to budget for the monthly membership, but it’ll be a small price to pay compared to continually needing to purchase new software.

Attend Industry Events

Conferences aren’t simply about networking. Conferences are actually perfect places to highlight new technologies, as well as giving you the chance to meet developers and view live demonstrations of their new technology capabilities.

Experience is the greatest way to learn about technology, and attending these conferences will allow you to directly test out new tech relevant to your business, learn from industry experts, and connect with various stakeholders.

Imitate Bigger Brands

Bigger brands have access to information that is not even available to the general public. Once they have obtained the technology, they purchase the right to keep it from being shared in order to profit from it. Examining how these businesses work can assist you in keeping up with new technologies.

You might not be able to purchase what you need right now, but by seeing what others are doing, you’ll know exactly what you do want to buy and start using once it does become available.  You might not be first, but you can be ahead of many others if you implement this strategy.

Listen to Customers and Staff

No matter how big your company gets, you should never feel that you can’t or shouldn’t listen to people who are telling you about new and emerging tech that might work well for your business.

As a business owner, you aren’t going to know everything, and you’re not going to be able to keep up to date with it all by yourself. By listening to feedback and ideas, you can filter out the useful information and move forward with it.

In what region can you expect these savings to be? According to one article by Business News Daily, most businesses can anticipate saving about 75% on their telecommunication fees through taking up SIP trunking. However, this figure only scrapes the surface of why you should consider making 2021 a SIP year.

Firstly, what exactly are SIP trunks?

Essentially, SIP trunks are virtual phone lines with which users can make and receive calls online. The online aspect of SIP trunking is reflected in the acronym “SIP”, which stands for Session Initiation Protocol – a telephony protocol used for multimedia communications like voice and video calls.

SIP trunking can be used to replace the traditional telephony method, PSTN. This stands for Public Switched Telephone Network, and refers to a copper-wire, circuit-switched network where two points need to be physically connected in order for a call to be made between them.

SIP trunks don’t need this kind of physical connection, as they instead use a packet-switched network to break down video calls into digital packets that are then sent over a network.

What documented benefits can SIP trunking bring?

SIP is basically the reason why software can be used to make phone calls – and delightfully inexpensive calls at that. Calls made over SIP trunks can be made as local calls – and, therefore, avoid the extortionate costs often attached to international or long-distance calls.

This works because a call over a SIP trunk will be sent to the provider’s termination point, where the call will be transferred to a local PSTN and, as a result, recognised as a local call for charging purposes.

As SIP trunking is IP-based, it is also easy to set up as well as scale up and down in accordance with the company’s own growth or shrinkage. Setting up SIP trunking doesn’t call for any physical installation or setup, and new channels can quickly and easily be added to SIP trunks if your call volumes need to increase.

Why 2021 could be just the right time to make the SIP switch

Despite all of these benefits of SIP trunking, you might still be wondering why now could be an especially good time for your business to take it up. One simple reason is the pandemic.

In an article for No Jitter, Eric Krapf – General Manager and Program Co-Chair for the enterprise communications industry’s leading conference, exhibition and online events brand Enterprise Connect – has suggested that 2021 could be “telephony’s year of reckoning”.

With the pandemic probably still destined to be with us for a while yet, you could look into implementing a SIP trunking solution like Gamma’s to help buttress your business against economic shocks with which it could be hit in the near future.

Moving and starting over is never an easy thing to do, let alone starting a business in a foreign country, but things tend to look a bit easier with the right advice on your side.

The good news is that it’s possible to register a company in Singapore and run your business. If you’re new to this, we have a few useful tips to help you get started.

How to Register a Company in Singapore

Although you’re a foreigner, you can easily register your company without any problems and become a proud owner of its 100% shareholding. The first condition is to be over 18 years of age to start a business, but it’s vital that you haven’t been through bankruptcy or convicted of any legal offense.

Setting up and registering your business requires your physical presence. You’ll need a permanent resident or a holder of Dependent Pass, EntrePass, or Employment Pass, as Singapore’s business law demands that a local must be one of the shareholders.

Key Requirements for Registering Your Business in Singapore as a Foreigner

The first step to registering your company in Singapore is to appoint a local or resident director. They can self-register a company on the BizFile+ portal. All shareholders must pass a resolution to appoint the resident director, who should be a person of full legal capacity and over 18 years of age.

As a foreigner, you must:

• Appoint a local as one of your directors.
• Find a registered filing agent to register your business, as you’re not allowed to self-register a company in Singapore as a foreigner.

There are three easy ways to handle the appointing of a local director:

• Select an EntrePass holder, Permanent Resident, or a Singaporean
• Appoint a nominee director for your newly registered business
• Apply and obtain EntrePass to be able to form a company by yourself

You can also consider allowing an Employment Pass holder to do the registering for you. Holders can own 100% shares since they’re employed full-time with their Singapore employer who provided their EP for them. However, the law states that they can’t be resident or local directors of their own companies.

The Cost of Incorporating a Company in Singapore

Since foreigners aren’t allowed to self-register a Singapore company, the easiest way is to hire a registered filing agent. Since the procedure goes through ACRA, the fees associated with the procedure are:

• A fee for company registration – S$300
• A fee for company name application – S$15

Keep in mind that a company name application buys you two months. If you want to extend it, there is an extra fee involved. If the registration process is successful, ACRA will deliver an incorporation email, which is your incorporation certificate.

You can also hire a business incorporation partner to do your incorporation for you. Piloto Asia offers a wide range of customized solutions to help you deal with company incorporation and administration.

We are a local affiliate network, and we have all the expertise you need to start your business in Singapore. If you need to register a Singapore company, these services can be used to complete the procedure successfully.

Setting Up a Company

Setting up a company in Singapore requires the completion of two procedures. The key to completing company registration is to determine the appropriate business structure. This will also determine the taxation of your business.

Essentially, there are three options for foreigners to choose from:

• Private limited company – 1-50 shareholders, local director, pays corporate tax and has perpetual existence with natural person rights.
• Sole proprietorship – unlimited liability towards losses and debts, the proprietor has no separate legal entity, pays personal income tax.
• Limited liability partnership – includes separate legal existence and liability; partners pay personal income tax.

Foreign small business enterprises can choose to register:

• Subsidiary company
• Branch office
• Representative office

Additional Essentials to Know About

Setting up a branch office of the parent company is the easiest way to expand your on-going business. The best way to do this hassle-free is to hire a company incorporation agent.

There is a wide variety of most excellent locations for your business in Singapore. The best thing about starting a business here is that the country offers a wide range of support programs for start-ups.

Conclusion

Setting up and registering a Singapore company isn’t that much of a challenge if you know all the rules. With that in mind, Piloto Asia is your partner that can make things a lot easier for you by handling all the legal work. Contact us today and get your quote.