Investing In Office Space For Your SME: What To Consider

20 November 2018

So, your business is thriving. All the hard work is paying off and you’re starting to reap the benefits – repeat customers, growing workload, increased revenue, so is it time to move out of your 3^rd bedroom-turned-office, into a more professional environment? It can be tricky to take the leap as an SME owner – so here are key things to consider when buying or renting office space for your business.

Shared or Private Space?

There are many options for professional working environments, including the private vs shared space debate. There are pros and cons for each option, so it really is down to how your business operates.

If you are currently the only worker or you have 2 to 3 employees, you may benefit best from a co-working environment. This means you will be in a larger office space which other business people are using at the same time. You can take advantage of an office environment with internet allowance, desks, lockable storage units, and telephone systems without having to pay a hefty price tag for private space.

Alternatively, if you have a larger amount of staff, or the business you run is highly confidential or sensitive, you may be better off in a private space where you can discuss business freely and openly without worrying about being overheard.

There are many serviced offices across the country, with companies such as BE Offices and Prime Office Space offering both shared and private spaces so you are sure to find something to suit your business.

Renting or Buying?

When looking to set up your first office, you will no doubt deliberate over renting or buying. The rental market is extremely popular as it gives you the flexibility to move on at the end of the lease. So, if your business grows significantly and you need more staff, you can move to a larger space in line with business requirements. This flexibility may also be useful if you decide an alternative location may be better down the line for your business, due to localised demand for products or services. Renting also usually means fewer upfront costs than buying, but you do run the risk of rental values inflating, with a subsequent high impact on your finances.

Buying is obviously a huge commitment and requires a larger investment up front. This may be suitable for you if you have a good idea of your long-term business requirements and you know that the property will serve these. This may be the case for businesses requiring large factory spaces, for example. It also gives you the ability to make any changes to the property that you desire –you own it, so you can do what you like to it.

Is It Practical?

It is also important to consider whether the location is suitable for you and your staff. It is easy to get to via public transport? Does it have sufficient car parking?

Finally, always put your Health and Safety hat on and make sure the building abides by current health and safety standards. It may look pretty, but it needs to be a safe place to work with comfortable conditions for you and your staff. Undertake a risk assessment before you move in to highlight any potential issues and implement strategies to mitigate risks.

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Ariana Smith

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at Content Rally.

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Creative Marketing Strategies to Put Your Small Translation Business

As the owner of a translation business, you know firsthand just how much a good marketing strategy can make or break you. However, your current advertising strategy often makes you feel like your company is getting, well, lost in translation. You need to make a change as soon as possible. But you're just not sure where you should start when it comes to updating your marketing plan. In this post, we're sharing both print and digital advertising tips that you can't afford to miss out on. When you're ready to dominate your target market and outrank your competition in the search engine results, keep on reading. Start with Your Website Especially when you're running an international business, you need advertising tips that can reach everyone on the globe -- at the same time. In short, while a strong website is important for every company, it becomes even more essential for brands who need to reach people in different time zones and across different languages. In other words? Even though you're running a translation business, it doesn't change the fact that nearly 3/4 of consumers say they prefer to read content in their first language. Start by looking for the right tools and plugins that will automatically change your site's language to the language of the user. But don't stop there. Having an intuitive and branded web design are also key digital marketing tips. This matters because people will stay on a site they find easy to use for much longer than average. Pop-ups, autoplay features, or just sites that take forever to load won't cause them to click away after three seconds. This helps you rise in search engine rankings. First of all, ensure your site loads quickly and completely on desktop and mobile devices. Use menu options at the top of your page to help users find exactly what they're looking for as fast as possible. If you're blogging (more on that in a minute) make sure you've taken the time to properly categorize your past posts. Above all, keep your homepage engaging and organized, like on this website. Finally, don't forget to include your company's contact information on not just the homepage, but every page of your internal website. Remember that consumers won't always come to the homepage first. Don't make them hunt around on your site to find out how to get answers to their questions or sign up for your services. Blogging and Guest Posting Now that we've covered how your website will drive more customers to your translation business, let's talk about how blogging can increase your site visitors by around 300%. We understand that blogging is a lot of work -- and, if you have to hire professional content services to write your posts for you, it can also be expensive. So, why is it worth it? First of all, it helps to increase your authority and brand recognition within your target market. By providing information-based (as opposed to sales-driven) blog posts, you strengthen consumer trust in your brand. Plus, blogging also tells Google and other search engines that you update your entire website more often than companies who just have a static site. This means that you'll be able to outrank your competitors in the search engine results. Plus, you'll also have more indexed pages (AKA, pages that have been read and categorized by Google.) This also helps you get higher up in the search engine result pages. Blogging also gives you an amazing opportunity to connect with your target market and shorten your overall sales cycle through the use of keywords. By naturally including keywords (what people type into search engines when they need a translation business) in your content, your website will show up in front of people who are ready to buy exactly what you're selling. But blogging alone isn't enough. You also need to get into guest posting. This is one of the best online advertising tips because it gives you the chance to broaden your market and increase your brand awareness at the same time. Write articles and blog posts for popular online journals, websites, and even forums that are relevant to the translation industry. Other Key Digital Advertising Ideas Of course, your digital marketing strategy shouldn't begin and end with site design, blogging, and guest posting alone. There are a few other digital marketing tips you should take into consideration, too. Make sure that you claim your third-party listings on platforms like Google My Business, and fill out your profiles as completely as is possible. This is especially helpful when it comes to connecting you to your target market. Those third-party listings are also important because they allow your customers the chance to leave online reviews for your business. While having a testimonials section on your website is a good idea, most consumers feel that third-party site reviews are less biased. Make sure you frequently read and respond to these reviews -- yes, even the bad ones. You want to prove to potential and current clients that you take their input seriously. Social media is also essential in the online marketing world. However, especially since you're a smaller business, we suggest that you conduct some market research to find out which platform your customers spend most of their time on. Focus your efforts there first, and then expand to other platforms. If possible, aim to post three times a day: morning, noon, and night. Finally, never underestimate the power of an e-newsletter. Not only will this allow you to let your leads and current customers know about new product offerings and flash sales. E-newsletters can also help to build up a personal connection between you and your market. You can feature employees of the month, tell customer stories, and even ask for feedback in survey form. Offline Advertising Tips for Your Translation Business Yes, having a strong digital marketing strategy is incredibly important for your translation business. However, it doesn't mean that you can completely ignore print marketing or offline marketing in general. Now, let's take a look at some seriously effective marketing ideas that don't require an Internet connection. Host an Event One of the best ways to get your name out there is by hosting an event in your local market. You don't have to spend a lot of money in order to increase your brand recognition -- you just have to focus on inviting the right people. Invite other local businesses to a dinner at an international restaurant in your area, or host a "language night" at a local school. Focus on event spaces that have a global feel -- even having a "movie night" where you show a popular international film could work. We suggest handing out promotional products at these events. This way, even if attendees don't need translations services now, they'll know who to call when they do in the future. Don't Underestimate Mailings Relying on the cousin of the e-newsletter, paper mailings, to get the word out about your business is still an effective marketing idea. People love getting "snail mail," especially as it becomes rarer and rarer. Whenever possible, hand-address your envelopes to increase their open rate. When you send out mailings, think outside the holiday card or business pamphlet alone. Instead, consider including things like a magnetic calendar, so that customers can have your company in their heads all year long. You could also include a paper card with a discount code. The same goes for simply including a physical coupon offering them a percentage off of your services. Also, slip in a few of your business cards, and handwrite a note on the back of them. You may also want to create a branded letterhead or stationary, in order to increase your brand recognition. It's all about building a personal connection between you and your leads. Grow Your Translation Business with These Tips We hope that this post has helped you to better understand how to market your translation business both on and offline. Remember that conducting thorough market research -- and knowing when to ask for the help of a professional marketing team -- will take you a long way. Looking for additional advice about how to build your brand? Want to ensure you're creating evergreen content that your market will love sharing on social media? Want to understand how good web design increases your conversions and grow your traffic? Our blog can help you to learn all of that and more, so keep coming back to us for more advertising advice. Read Also: What To Look For In A Transcription Service Provider 4 Factors To Consider When Making A Great eLearning Course

How You Can Invest In Your Small Business

Many small business owners crave growth and dream of running a successful company, but many of those same people struggle to invest in their dreams. It may require all of your time and energy simply to keep the company running, so how can you effectively plan for the future? You don't have to commit to any overhauls right now, and you may find that even small improvements result in immediate and obvious improvements. If you lack confidence in your company or your abilities, here are some ways you can invest in your small business and finally reach your goals. Business Loans Many of the tactics that will help small businesses grow require money to even think about implementing. When you own a small company, chances are you've already invested a lot of your own personal assets into the business and aren't in a position to contribute more. A business loan can help you meet a variety of your goals if you've got a healthy financial history and a stellar business plan. Make sure you do your research, because you might qualify for special programs like minority business loans. New Suppliers If you're looking to improve your products, you might want to start with your suppliers. Everyone wants the lowest price for the highest quantity of the best products, but many small businesses have to pick and choose their priorities. For example, they can choose the lowest price and get more products, but the quality might suffer. Or they want the best products for the lowest price and can't afford to buy in higher quantities. Your supply chain has an impact on every area of your business, so branching out and establishing relationships with new suppliers can make a big impact. New Employees The idea can make some business owners nervous, but having extra help can change the way you perform daily operations. Maybe you're looking for a specialist who can help you with marketing. Maybe you need help interacting with customers or packing orders. Maybe you just don't want to do all the boring, pesky little tasks that are essential to the company's survival. You can hire a new employee, but you can also outsource or hire someone to work a few hours here and there instead of every day. Marketing consultants and customer relations services are very popular, for example. Specialized Training If you want to get ahead of your competition and keep an eye on industry trends, you should consider investing in specialized training and furthering your education. There are numerous ways you can do this. You can take a course, attend a training session in person, read books, and attend industry events like conferences and conventions. This will require taking some time away from your company, but you're likely to receive enough valuable experiences to make up for the time away. In addition to learning new skills, you can network with others in your niche and brainstorm with people who intimately understand your industry. After a few days away, you can come back home inspired and ready to try something new. Diversified Products And Services It's easy for businesses to become stagnant if they only offer the same products and services year after year. Consistency is great, but adding something new and exciting is how you're going to keep your loyal customers interested and draw in potential new customers. You don't have to come up with an entirely new product line, either. Sometimes one or two new products is enough to drum up some excitement. You can also get creative and utilize products you already have. Creating the same product in new colors, flavors, scents, or sizes is a great way to start experimenting without opening yourself up to extreme risks. Running a small business is a lot of work, so it can feel impossible to implement new tactics and pursue new goals. Just remember that there are strategies you can take advantage of to invest in your company and see real growth on your own timeline. Try to know as much about the market as possible, where to invest and opportunities it can provide. If required, also take help from professionals like the Singapore venture capital. Read Also: Master’s In Business Analytics: Is It Worth The Effort? Your Business Needs Marketing To Survive – Here’s Why Content Marketing Campaign Strategy For Small Business

Platform Companies: What They Are And How They’re Used

Platform companies, also called platform acquisitions, are key steps in a private equity firm’s expansion into a new industry. The firm will first target a large, established business in the industry. From there, it will strategically acquire multiple smaller businesses, using them to expand its reach within the industry. Platform acquisitions don’t just benefit the private equity firm — they also have surprising benefits for owners of smaller companies. Here’s a quick primer on platform companies and how they work. How Does a Platform Acquisition Work? Breaking into a new industry can be tough, especially if you start by opening a new business. Private equity firms skip that step. Instead, a private equity firm will start by acquiring an established, successful business in the field. When selecting a company to purchase, private equity firms generally look for a few characteristics: Status as a Market Leader: For the best chance at success in the given industry, equity firms will typically target companies that stand out — even if it’s just within a certain geographical location or in a very specific market niche A Strong Management Team: When equity firms acquire platform companies, they typically want to keep the existing higher-level employees to ensure the company’s continued success and improve the business practices of new acquisitions Multiple Locations: A business with multiple locations has already expanded its reach, and equity firms can build on that with further acquisitions Established Standard Operating Procedures: When expanding the platform company, the equity firm can simply apply these operating procedures to new acquisitions After the purchase, the platform company serves as a kind of home base for the firm within the industry. The private equity firm will usually then expand that business through bolt-on purchases (also called roll-up purchases or roll-up acquisitions). Bolt-on purchases are different from another kind of acquisition called a tuck-in acquisition. With a bolt-on acquisition, the newly purchased smaller company will usually keep its name and identity. With a tuck-in acquisition, the smaller company is completely absorbed into the larger platform company. Why Would an Investment Firm Acquire a Platform Company? When private equity companies purchase a platform company and begin to expand into a new industry, they aren’t doing so with the intent of keeping the company forever. Instead, platform acquisition is a long-game investment strategy. It takes a significant amount of time, but it can generate a massive profit. In a nutshell, equity companies buy and expand platform companies in hopes of eventually selling the expanded company to an even larger investor. Selling the companies as a conglomerate is almost always more profitable than selling each one separately. For example, suppose that a private equity company wants to break into the fitness industry. The company might start by purchasing a regional chain of gyms. As it purchases other, smaller gyms, it will use the management expertise and existing operating procedures of the first acquisition to improve each of the smaller gyms. It will also invest money in smaller gyms to increase their value. When the company finally sells the expanded network of gyms, it will have created a profitable business venture that runs smoothly. This type of purchase is an attractive one for larger investors, so the equity company will be able to turn a significant profit. How Platform Companies Can Impact Business Owners At first, the idea of a larger company buying up smaller companies might not sound that advantageous to owners of small businesses. However, as a platform expands and acquires multiple smaller companies, those companies can see some surprising benefits. For one, platform companies will usually invest significant capital in the new company soon after purchase. After all, the whole point of the acquisition is to increase the total platform’s valuation. But money isn’t the only investment that platform companies put into smaller companies. After the acquisition, the equity firm will continue to focus on growing the newly acquired business. The newly purchased business will reap several benefits from the platform: Experience in sales and marketing Experienced professional management Financial acumen Standardized, organized operational procedures In many cases, these smaller acquisitions retain their company name. That makes the acquisition more appealing to many small business owners, especially those who have built their businesses from the ground up. In many cases, an acquisition ends up as a win-win situation: The platform company expands its reach and total value, and the smaller business receives valuable funding and mentorship. Platform Companies Add Value Being acquired by a platform company can transform a smaller business for the better. And for the platform company, each new acquisition has the potential to bring in new customers, expand the company’s market reach, and increase the value of the platform as a whole. On its own, the acquisition of a single small business might not seem like much. But when a firm repeats that process many times over, the result is an expansive, highly organized company that multiplies its value over time. Read Also: A Beginners Guide to Listed Investment Companies 6 Steps to Starting a Business in Michigan How to Start Business Like Swiggy

Investing In Office Space For Your SME: What To Consider

Shared or Private Space?

Renting or Buying?

Is It Practical?

Importance of Flexibility with Business Technology

How to Save a Struggling Company

Tags

Ariana Smith

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at Content Rally.

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Creative Marketing Strategies to Put Your Small Translation Business

How You Can Invest In Your Small Business

Platform Companies: What They Are And How They’re Used

Investing In Office Space For Your SME: What To Consider

Shared or Private Space?

Renting or Buying?

Is It Practical?

Share this Article

Importance of Flexibility with Business Technology

How to Save a Struggling Company

Tags

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at Content Rally.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Popular

Follow Us

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