Handling your Payroll – Save Time and Money

As payroll Taxes account for more Revenue to the Exchequer than VAT and Corporation Tax combined we understand why an accurate P35 submission is imperative. Fear not Tailored Payroll can help you simplify the year end process. As well as processing payroll for numerous companies we also offer a one to one consultation service, where we will go onsite and guide you through 2014 Year End. Even if Tailored Payroll did not process your payroll all year this service is still available to you.

Our team is IPASS qualified to Diploma level. We pride ourselves on our good relationship with our clients, our attention to detail and great teamwork. Tailored Payroll are big enough to guarantee you peace of mind but we are small enough to care, giving you that personal touch service and support from the whole team that our clients really appreciate and rely on. We pride ourselves on delivering a quality product and service, on time and at a complete price.

Tailored payroll service

We offer a tailored payroll service for our clients to meet their specific needs while ensuring compliance with Revenue, Department Of Social Protection and NERA.

As your payroll bureau we become an integral part of your business by molding your payroll to suit you and dedicating our efforts on your payroll so you can dedicate your time to your core business.

Our flexible service includes:

PAYE, PRSI and USC Calculations
Registration of Employer with Revenue
All employer Revenue submissions to include: P30’s, P45’s, P35, P60’s and registration of new employees
We provide email Payslips and P60s to employees
Creation of Bank file for payment to employees
No hidden costs

For more information about this business visit their website or email to payroll@tailoredpayroll.ie. Tailored Payroll is part of Use SBC as a channel initiative. If you want your business to be featured, click here.

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Workplace Safety: 7 Things to Do for a Safer and Healthier Workplace

Every business owner, whether big or small, has one common concern in mind with respect to the workplace – no one should get hurt on the job.

As an employer, it is your responsibility to create and maintain a safe and a healthy workplace. Having management systems, plans or programs that are dedicated to this cause can help you develop a healthy and safe work environment. This system/program should essentially spell out what your employees should and should not do to prevent injuries and illnesses at the workplace.

It is totally understandable that even the thought of having extravagant health and safety systems can be quite overwhelming for a small business owner as he grapples with the day-to-day pressures of running his business. This does not mean that looking after the health and the safety of the employees should lose precedence.

Every organization has its own systems and processes which are based on its culture, business practices, type of industry and associated hazards. These systems go a long way in managing the safety and the health of your employees.

If you run a small business in a low-risk industry, your safety process may simply entail listening to the concerns of your employees and responding to them.

To run a larger business, however, you may need to have systemic procedures and all-encompassing policies in place along with a team that specializes in ensuring workplace safety.

Here are a few ways in which you can create and maintain a healthy and a safe workplace environment

1. Make It Everyone’s Concern

You cannot make your entire organization a safe place by working towards this endeavor on your own. You need to make sure everyone on your team does their part. Encourage them to follow a culture of safety, make sure everyone does their bit and hold them accountable.

Create an active workplace safety committee or have a separate team committed to this cause in place.
Assign every employee a meaningful activity that backs this cause.
Pick a few responsible employees and make safety inspections a part of their daily job.
Keep employees informed about injuries, illnesses, and all other safety-related issues.
Encourage employees to give you their recommendations and feedback for improving safety measures.
Hold employees accountable by including safety-related responsibilities in their job description and making it one of the parameters of performance evaluation.
Set safety goals at the organizational level. Establish a clear system for reporting accidents, injuries, and close calls. Rectify the behavior of employees who put themselves or others at risk. Recognize and reward employees who contribute to making the workplace healthy and safe.

2. Manage Your Space Well

Make sure you use your workplace space well. Don’t confuse or misuse the areas for working, resting and storing office supplies. Keep the hallways and passages free of clutter and debris and make sure they’re well-lit. Ensure that clean and hygienic drinking water and restroom facilities are always available to your employees,

3. Sit Right

Make sure you and your employees know how to maintain appropriate postures at work to prevent injuries. For those who sit behind a desk most of the time, it is advised to work at elbow height in a posture that minimizes bending or arm-raising. And, of course, items that are used frequently should be kept within easy reach.

For those who have a physically demanding field job, for example, at an oil field, it is suggested to avoid doing dangerous tasks and stooping or twisting beyond their physical limits. Provide them with ergonomically-designed furniture and equipment to ensure their safety.

Should something go wrong with your employee’s health due to your negligence, they can easily contact an oil field injury lawyer and demand an exorbitant compensation from you.

4. Be Mindful of Dangerous Objects

Make sure all machinery and equipment with dangerous and/or moving parts have guards and that electrical connection and wiring are safe. Sharp and heavy equipment can injure and even prove to be fatal.

It is crucial that you take proper and timely steps to service and maintain your equipment regularly. You can hire an engineer to do this, as well as have him frequently check for and replace/repair broken or unstable parts.

5. Say No to a Hazardous Environment

Working in factories and even offices can expose your employees to hazards such as fire, heat, chemicals, dust and noise. Hence, ensure maximum natural ventilation to prevent safety disasters from occurring.

All chemicals should be properly labeled prior to being stored in a safe place. If heat or cold conditions are a regular feature, consider insulation.

Make ample provision for fire-fighting equipment, adequate clothing and protective gear such as helmets, goggles, gloves, shoes, and earplugs. You should have first aid kits placed everywhere, especially in high-risk areas.

6. Train Your Employees

It is important that you organize safety workshops regularly in order to train your staff about the hazards they may be exposed to at work and how they should protect themselves.

These workshops should include a general safety orientation on company safety regulations, emergency procedures, and first aid usage for all employees, especially the new joiners.

Mock drills and tests should be performed to determine whether or not the employees have understood the safety guidelines. They should be retained as required.

7. Provide Regular Breaks

Overworked employees tend to demonstrate lowered levels of productivity and alertness, thereby increasing the scope for accidents and mishaps. Regular breaks and adequate rest can help prevent such situations by keeping fatigue, exhaustion, and burnout at bay.

Conclusion

As a small business owner, it is your duty to provide all your employees, whether with desk jobs or field jobs, with a safe working environment. For this, you will have to ensure that your workplace is compliant with the basic health and safety legislations. Remember, you’re legally responsible for the health and safety of not only your employees, but anyone else who may be directly or indirectly affected by your business and its activities. The above tips should help you figure out what steps you need to take in your organization to make it a safer and healthier place to work at.

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5 Inspiring Business Success Stories

Generation Y finally decided to take matters into their own hands after the 2008 Economic Crash and that’s how the new startup era begun. A positive point about the new generation’s approach to business is that they took into consideration the mistakes their parents made which led to the big recession. They took the harsh experiences from the past, added their enthusiasm and energy, and converted all that into hundreds of successful startup companies. Listening to more experienced businessmen and constantly searching for positive influences made the Millennials one of the most successful generations in American history when it comes to business. Here are some of the most influential business people from last few decades. Business success stories can serve as inspiration for those looking to follow in these guys footsteps.

Steve Jobs

Although Steve Jobs usually advised his followers to “…find what you love…” and that “…great work is to love what you do…” he didn’t actually follow his own advice and spent his entire life trapped in a business he hated, and of course, we all would like to know what it’s like to be in that “golden cage”. New age hipsters who live in self-sufficient agricultural communes, walk barefoot and preach Eastern Mysticism are definitely not the right material for a geeky business person with a briefcase in one hand and an iPod in the other… Or are they? It is important to focus all your skills and talent on a project you feel right about and after the first million you are definitely going to love what you do.

Marissa Mayer

Marissa Mayer was one of the first Google engineers and isconsidered by many to be the most influential woman in the tech world. Marissa later became the CEO of Yahoo and during this time, this 37-year-old businesswoman learned that when there is no bad feeling telling you that you are not ready for something it means you have chosen the wrong path. It’s there to make you work harder and push through, because for every opportunity there’s a happy ending, and if you work hard enough, something great is just around the corner.

Sergey Brin

Sergey is one of the founders of Google, and currently one of the richest entrepreneurs on the planet. But a few decades ago he was just an average Joe…or was he? He was sending a gif photo together with his CV back in the mid 90’s when there were no online .gif makers. When he takes a break from building conscious machines he likes to share his experiences with younger entrepreneurs. This renaissance man believes that knowledge has been the key to his success, and that it is always good to know more, which is why Google’s mission statement is: “Organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

Mo Ibrahim

Mo Ibrahim is one of the most successful businessmen in Africa and a subscriber to The Giving Pledge, which means he has pledged to give at least half of his wealth to charity after his death. He also has a foundation that awards The Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership to leaders who have provided healthcare, education and economic development to their people. But how did Mo Ibrahim become so financially successful? After completing his education, he worked for British Telecom, and served as the technical director for Cellnet, BT’s subsidiary. He then founded MSI, a successful company that dealt in consulting and software and was which was later bought by Marconi. MSI’s spin-off, Celtel, later became the biggest mobile operator in Africa. For Ibrahim, the most important characteristic of a successful entrepreneur is a belief in oneself and a can-do-spirit, which drives one to try something nobody has tried before. With this perspective, thousands of people all around the world have made millions and achieved the best results in their industries.

Arianna Huffington

Huffington Post is one of the most popular blog and news aggregators. It was purchased by AOL for $315 million and Huffington is still its President and Editor-In-Chief. Before founding this successful media channel with Kenneth Lerer, Andrew Breitbat and Jonah Peretti, she was a prize-winning writer, columnist and political commentator. Huffington thinks that failure is just another step towards success, and that only those willing to fail, learn and adapt are the ones who will succeed.

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Fraud Prevention for Small Businesses

According to statistics released by the ACFE (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners) for 2014, “28.8% of all companies with less than 100 employees are victims of fraud with an average loss of $154,000.” Additionally, 77% of all the frauds covered by the study came from internal departments such as accounting, operations, sales, customer service, and finance. Let’s specifically look at fraud prevention for small businesses.

According to Forbes, the same report revealed that small businesses can expect to lose 5% of their revenue each year. These are numbers can be very depressing for existing small businesses or anyone just starting out. If you are a small business owner, you need to take smart steps to make sure that you and your investments are protected from fraud, and there are five particular areas where you can make the most out of some small actions to get great fraud prevention.

Credit Cards and Bank Accounts

Doing your best to protect this information is your best defense when it comes to fraud prevention. Some basic ways to keep your account numbers safe are mostly just common sense and good judgment—don’t give your card out to anyone other than trustworthy employees or businesses, make sure that bills are delivered to a secure location that can’t be accessed by just anyone, and keep your personal accounts separate.

As with most things these days, the battle lines for fraud prevention are drawn pretty squarely in the digital sphere. Here again, you will want the basics such as a solid firewall and anti-spyware/anti-virus. If you have a business that deals in particularly sensitive information, it could be worth the investment to speak to professionals who will give you the extra security you need. But, for every business, make sure there are firm policies in place regarding access to passwords for employees, put all of your banking information and access on one singular computer if possible, and use a trusted source for payment processing that puts security first, like www.propay.com.

Employees

Fraud prevention can begin and end with one decision: who to hire.

Of course, it can be nearly impossible to tell who is lying based on one interview, that’s why background checks are a great way to find out if any potential hires have been hiding something from you.

Education

For those employees that you do trust, embrace the possibility that even though they are the most likely suspects, they might also be your best chance at catching someone in the action before real damage is done to your accounts. Educate your employees on the signs that fraud might be occurring in their departments, and encourage them to speak up if they see something suspicious with their co-workers, clients, or anyone else who might have access.

Records

A simple, but incredibly powerful line of defense is record keeping. Make sure that your employees are preparing for random audits. This will keep them honest and also give you access to great files that should show any funny business upon close inspection.

About the Author
Scott has more than 29 years of professional product marketing and executive management experience in the high-tech industry. For the past six years Scott has worked for ProPay helping small businesses grow their businesses through online payment acceptance.

Scott earned dual bachelor’s degrees from Brigham Young University in Marketing and Finance. He also earned an MBA from Colorado State University.

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Establishing Your Brand as a Small Business Owner

In today’s world, owning a small business isn’t enough. For your business to be successful, you have to build your own personal brand to help establish yourself as a household name and to bring in more business. Luckily, building your brand is easier than you probably think.

Don’t Try to Imitate Anyone

You might be tempted to try to mimic the look or personality of the bigger and more successful businesses. After all, you might think, these companies have done well, so I’m sure to do well also. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work this way. It’s important to come up with your own look and personality for your business, not to try to mimic someone else’s. This individualism is what will set your company apart and will make your customers appreciate what you bring to the table.

Use the Internet

You don’t have to spend a whole lot of money to get started with your personal brand. In fact, you can get started for free — or for a very low cost — by utilizing the resources that are available on the World Wide Web. For example, you can create free social media profiles and pay for an inexpensive website to get started.

Build Lasting Relationships

Once you gain interest in your company, it’s important to work on building lasting relationships with customers and potential customers. This can be done in a few ways. If you want to do things the old-fashioned way, you can use loyalty cards and written postcards or “thank you” notes. You can also send out email newsletters, coupons and more, or you can interact with customers and potential customers on social media. Many find that a good combination of all of these methods is a great way to build lasting relationships and to help promote loyalty to their brand.

Be Innovative

Don’t be afraid to be unique or to do something that other companies have not done. People love companies that are willing to be different, especially if they are taking a stand for something that they believe in.

Remember That What You Do Affects Your Business

Remember—in today’s day and age, it is easy for people to find out what you are up to, especially online. Remember that what you, as the owner or a higher-up in the community, do will have an impact on your business. Therefore, it’s important to be careful when using social media or otherwise communicating on the Internet.

Start With People You Know

It’s always good to start with the people that you know when you are working on branding for your small business. Start promoting your business on your personal social media sites, and give business cards and other promotional materials to the people in your community. Word of mouth is still one of the best ways to promote a business, and if you start by promoting your brand among the people who you do know, you will help get the word out more quickly than you probably think.

Remember Branding at All Times

Don’t lose sight of the importance of branding at any time. Any time that you communicate with customers or potential customers, make sure that you let them know about what your company stands for and what you have to offer. Don’t be afraid to promote your brand whenever possible—on vehicles, business checks and even in casual conversations. By constantly reminding people of the products and services that your small business offers, along with the things that your company believes in and is working for, you can help promote your business in the best possible way.

Establishing your brand as a small business owner is exceedingly important, especially in today’s competitive world. Luckily, following these tips will help you promote your brand in the best way possible.

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Supplier Procurement Survey 15 Infographic – The top 10 observations

The TenderScout Survey provides insight and illuminates the world of public procurement as seen by those most impacted – small and medium enterprises! This highlights of this survey undertaken with Amarach Research include:

22% of companies don’t request a debrief from the buyer – they are unlikely to ever improvetheir performance
43% of companies are unlikely to collaborate with other businesses – effectively ruling them- selves out of many opportunities
29% is the average success rate for suppliers – indicating a ‘spray-and-pray’ approach to tendering
58% of companies don’t use competitive intelligence – they lose twice as often as those that do
€25 million is the amount spent by suppliers competing for tenders that are ultimately can- celled
69% of contracts are awarded primarily on price – this is the most significant factor in winning or losing
57% of suppliers wait over three months for the result of a tender competition, which impacts their ability to operate their business efficiently
26% of suppliers are more encouraged to participate as a result of Circular 10/14 – but they’re not likely to be successful without other measures
€2.7 billion is the value of government contracts that aren’t advertised because they are below threshold
>70% of tendering companies have fewer than 50 employees – they win less than 20% of the time

Download the full report here.

TenderScout Irish Procurement Survey & Analysis 2014:15 Infographic

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Public tendering lessons learned at the smart business show

Smart business public tendering session

I had the pleasure to chair a session about the state of public tendering in Ireland at the Smart Business Show. The panel consisted of Ross McCarthy of Keystone Procurement, Tony Corrigan of Tenderscout and Tony Clarke of Kendlebell.

Learned a lot

Learned a lot. The size of public procurement in Ireland is 9 billion. With another 4 billion by the agencies. It is about 16% of GDP and a bigger chunk of GNP. That is a lot of money. Surprisingly only 26,000 companies are registered for e-tender and only 15% of those 26,000 is active.

Hot topic

Public tendering has been a hot topic on Smallbusinesscan and my impression was that SMEs still don’t get a look in. However things seem to start to change. And it is not all the fault of government. Apparently the quality of the tenders of Irish SMEs is not very good and needs to shape up if they want to be taken seriously.

Networking is important in public tendering

Tony Corrigan made the point, that tendering is not just about the tendering process. it is about getting to know the buyers and as with all business is about networking and account management (before you tender). You need to be know and you need to be liked and respected.

Different rules

The other Tony said that public tendering is very different to “normal” tendering and different rules apply. Ross said that public tendering only makes sense after you have made an assessment if it makes commercial sense and compares favourably to selling to commercial clients. You need to score at least 90% on the tendering criteria. Below, tendering is pointless. It cost on average € 4,500 per tender to tender.

Public tendering is a skill

It is a skill, but once you are in and have learned the tricks, it is a serious opportunity. You should visit the public tendering workshops that Enterprise Ireland, Intertrade, DCU and/or the LEOs provide.

Competitive dialogue

We talked about the problem of start ups getting access to public tender. If you are an innovative start up, you should look at the competitive dialogue route and find an innovate, buyer willing to work with you to develop a product or service that doesn’t exist using this innovation clause.

Consortia, professionalisation, social impact

We touched on consortia. Ross suggest that they can only work if the companies work to develop a commercial relationship that is as strong as a JV. What you build, when clustering successfully, is essentially a special purpose vehicle to win specific types of public sector work.

We touched upon the professionalism of the buyers, which is improving. We talked about cost/price being an important criteria for public procurement (maybe too much) and we talked about scoring social impact (which is not yet included as a criteria).

Opportunity

I am not doing the conversations and the questions of the audience justice. My conclusion is that is an underestimated opportunity, that the opportunity cost are still high and if you decide to go for it, you need to be professional about it. There is a learning curve, but once you are in, you have creating a competitive advantage. And now is the time.

The experts

If you have any question, I am not the one to ask. Here are the linkedIn profiles of the real experts.

ie.linkedin.com/in/rossmccarthy/en

ie.linkedin.com/in/kendlebellnaas/en

ie.linkedin.com/pub/tony-corrigan/0/362/97b/en

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Improve your business by using ancient mind techniques

The explosion of research and indeed the apparent exponential growth in universities from all round the world publishing papers on the benefits of practising meditation, mindfulness and what some call ‘calm’ is wonderful opportunity for all of us.

Our brains

This together with the ever increasing availability of evidence and understanding of how our brains actually work through popular acceptance and interest in neuroscience proves beyond doubt that there is direct improvement in functioning as a result of regular practice. All of this gives us legitimate permission and I do mean permission because as we know so many people – in fact maybe the majority of folks seem to need proof even empirical data and evidence that what we do will work before venturing forth.

Magic

Magically, at the same time there are those who are less inclined to need all this and who are even much more confident with more spiritual explanations for what its all about, but nevertheless it still works wonders for them too. So wherever people are on that continuum you can be sure that you will gain all manner of benefits that otherwise would not come to you if you choose to practice with your tools or better still attend one of our up and coming events to get some more. In MindStore we say “it only works” and it has been doing so for over 25 years while it continues to evolve and grow no matter what explanations are postulated for why.

Spiritual not technical

That said, to be honest I can swing in either direction in-terms of explanations though I am more inclined to sit towards the spiritual emphasis. However I have to say that I thoroughly enjoy my smart TV and what it can do, likewise my iPhone and since I was 18 driving around in cars. Each of these things that have continued to evolve and have become central to my life I don’t have a clue about how they work. I’ve got techie friends and a petrol head mate who do and seem love reading about what’s happening under the bonnet or behind the screen. However I can’t be bothered even spending a minute with this, however I absolutely respect their passion for doing so and wish them well with it.

Alpha state

I am much more interested in what you and I can do with it all because that’s just how I am. So for all these years I have been exploring what can be done in the alpha state, how far can I push myself and what kind of tools and programs will help people change their lives for the better? However there has never been a better time to own up to being an enthusiast and for encouraging your colleagues at work or indeed family or friends to take a closer look. Both they and you will certainly benefit from doing so and that empirically is a fact. Like never before has there been such an open willingness in folks to want to know and indeed learn about how to practice and improve with this kind of stuff.

Mindfulness

With newspapers, magazines and endless other sources people will certainly have heard of “mindfulness” which is a word that covers all sorts of possibilities and it’s certainly increasingly becoming more mainstream. So no there’s no need for any of us to get embarrassed or be shy to say that we practice meditation type techniques. After all they are now without question proven to improve all manner of aspects of our lives. After 25 years pedigree and all those companies and leading figures not to mention thousands of success stories with our House on The Right Bank or Island have as much credibility as anyone else in this field and probably much more.

Many tools and techniques for improving personal and group performance

It’s also becoming much easier for me to teach more advanced material too, even to beginners, because the sceptical resistance is melting away and there is a genuine hunger to have as many tools and techniques for improving personal and group performance. Quite simply – it’s just normal now and it’s even beginning to look like not having access will limit folks opportunities especially in their careers.

Bruce Lee

Think for a moment of the folks around you at work, your neighbours and of course family and friends who are moving through this life that is all too short but who still don’t have the range of tools and techniques we have that absolutely give us proven advantages. However, as I say repeatedly “it’s not enough to get this intellectually” we only have the added potential if we actually do it. Bruce Lee said “Knowing is not enough we must apply, willing is not enough we must do.” I know without doubt that the vast majority of “graduates” of MindStore programs have no doubt about the benefits of practising but it’s remembering to do it that is the challenge.

I also know that having people around you who are “graduates” too is more inclined to make it the thing to do, and as a result everything associated with MindStore begins to dramatically improve.

Whether people feel the need to mitigate and free themselves from the downside of modern life or are more inclined to want to unlock the upside and achieve much more of their potential then now is the time to get to it.

Is stress and anxiety part of your day to day life or do you suffer from poor sleep?

So is stress and anxiety part of your day to day life or do you suffer from poor sleep? are you inclined to have headaches? tend to feel overwhelmed at times? or are unable to hold your attention or have a general sense of uncertainty and helplessness? there is no doubt that that’s increasingly the norm especially with most folks working longer and harder. Someone has to be making up the statistics of 70% of doctors visits being stress related and spare a thought for the 1/3 of workers in the city of London for example who are reported to be suffering from mental health complaints. If that’s what is going on than MindStore can tackle it and provide much more besides.

On the other hand we are able to enjoy deeper sleep, more self-control, compassion, focused attention, a better quality and more useful decisions, enhanced emotional intelligence, improving relationships with more self-awareness through more empathy and compassion. MindStore promises a much more authentic you with a brighter outlook, more energy and much more fun.

Active approach

Our approach in itself is not a passive method, one of reaching a state of absolute stillness and quietude, though that is very special in its own right. Our entire approach which does include the peaceful state is actually a dynamic meditative method providing enhanced thinking where all our facilities come together empowering us to achieve way beyond that which is possible rather than if you go about things without our methods, tools and techniques.

I am finding that by and large there are two camps emerging in first time attendees or in in-house events and with conference audiences. First, there is a sizeable portion that do need the security and back up of knowing that science and research is right behind it all and has an abundance of data proving without doubt all the beneficial claims of this overall movement. When I started I was a pioneer in the UK facing huge cultural blocks that I had to slowly chip away at but that has all changed over time.

The Field of Pure Potentiality

On the other hand there is a growing acceptance and belief in the notion of a higher self, higher intelligence, universal consciousness or what Deepak Chopra calls “The Field of Pure Potentiality.” Many more are comfortable with the notion that when we find our way into the meditative state that there is a kind of “connectedness” or “inter-connectedness” with a higher power or communal wisdom. Indeed there is a growing acceptance of the ideas around spirituality anyway, even in hard business settings and that explaining all the benefits form this place is as valid as relying on the scientific and empirical evidence coming from academic research.

The scientists and the philosophers can’t prove or disprove what each are saying about consciousness itself but they do accept that it exists. Maybe it’s enough to have the desire to improve on what we are doing with it and for me probably more important than explaining what it is one way or the other. I have definitely witnessed extraordinary change and improvement in those who seek “to do” and “apply.”

Bring this to your business

We are now bringing these techniques to businesses as well. Hence the Business Master class in Dublin on 12 June.

You can book your place here

Keep Smiling

Jack

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Small Business Project Management

Project management is a process that is always evolving through various processes and methods, and businesses of all sizes are on the lookout for ways in which it can be managed more efficiently. For small businesses in particular, project management is a powerful tool when used smartly. Not only can effective project management improve the performance but it can empower. Small businesses can use faster project speed as a competitive advantage, can train quicker and reinvent projects with specialised skills and teams, something a large business can often overlook.

History of Project Management

To really understand how important project management is and how effective methods can be you should take a look back through history and examine the changes, impacts and developments you can learn from. To help you on this learning curve, take a look at the Telegraph Courses Project Management Timeline data graphic which explains why project management is so important and how it has been used and developed throughout history through to modern day builds.

The timeline starts by looking at the Great Pyramid of Giza, composed of 2,300,000 blocks of stone, 450ft high and built in 2570 BC. This amazing piece of history took in total around 20-25,000 workers to complete the project. It is estimated that it took around 20 to 30 years to build. Following on from this is the Great Wall of China. This build would have been comparable to around £300bn in costs today.

In those times there were basic management systems put in place, which shows the beginnings of Project Management in action. These included people management, time management and materials management. As the data goes on to show more modern builds such as the Shard, the tallest building in Europe have adopted different project management approaches.

Industry Growth

The industry in the project management field is growing as the data goes on to show. This is really useful for small businesses and start-ups to see as it gives an insight into the types of project methodologies used and predictions for the future.

Looking at the global Project Management Outlook, it provides an overview of sectors to watch in various countries. This is interesting as it explains how sectors are progressing. For example, in the United Kingdom it is suggested that IT and construction are two main industries to watch, as there is a huge demand for those working in Project Management with the correct skills. So should your next project build be targeted to these sectors as they look likely to provide success?

One thing small businesses/start-ups should be keeping track are these trends. Furthermore, some of the future Project Management Industry trends include remote project teams, independent consultants, mobile Project Management apps and the usage of big data as a project management tool. All of these are important for small businesses and startups to understand as it helps gain a step forward as being aware of these future predictions means being prepared and ready to adapt to them.

Future of Entrepreneurs

Just like the Pyramid build do you feel you have the capable skills to develop your business from the ground up and project management it? If you are not sure then you can use the data graphic to answer this question. If you answer yes to the following then you should have what it takes to become an entrepreneur PM which is crucial for the success of a small business.

Do you get the big picture?

Can you cope with uncertainty?

Are you patient?

Are you a leader/motivator?

Are you proactive?

Can you delegate?

If the Pyramids can still stand strong today then so can your small business, it just means adopting the right methods, principles and methodologies.

The Commitment in project management is shifting and although the change is slow the key focus is still on entrepreneurial skills, youth entrepreneurship in particular is becoming a framework for teaching the 21^st century. So it is evident to see how important the shift will become already and how businesses will strive in the future; learning from the motivated youth entrepreneurs of the 20^th century.

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Internet Of Things – Fueling Marketing Revolution with Connected Life

In our everyday life, we come across various technological revolutions that impact everything we do. However, how many of us have actually been impacted with a new gigantic wave that has completely changed the entire technological realm. Today’s topic of discussion revolves around one such gigantic advancement that has provided marketers with countless opportunities to create a WOW experience for customers.

Internet of Things (IoT) is driving every marketer to bring some smart revolutionary changes in the technological sphere. According to recent research, IoT ranked as the second most important area in 2015 in many countries and would have the biggest effect on marketers by 2020. The installation base of IoT devices worldwide would rise from 4.88 billion to nearly 25.01 billion between 2015 and 2020. The UK Government announced that they will spend an additional £45m on developing Internet of Things enabled technology. Not only in technology, but IoT has successfully influenced other sectors such as insurance marketers for better engagement of consumers.

Internet Of Things (IoT)

IoT is the network of dedicated physical objects that comprises of embedded technology to sense and interact with external environment or their internal state. IoT contains an ecosystem that consists of applications, data analysis, things and communication.

What Can Be Currently Achieved With IoT, From Marketing Perspective?

The buzz is that every device will soon get connected to the internet, which will boost productivity and reduce energy needs.

Easy Availability Of Customer’s Data And Feedback

When every device can be programmed and tracked, it becomes easier for the marketers to collect and analyse the ever-increasing varieties of behavioural statistics of the consumers. The cross-correlation of data helps in revolutionising the targeted marketing of products and services. Marketers can now find the doors to any machine-to-machine derived information. They have enough opportunities to interact with consumers in new and exciting ways. The wealth of data can be utilised to deepen customer insights and optimise customer performance.

With new IoT devices being invented every other day, it represents opportunities to market new products and services. Marketers can deliver more personalised and engaging information to customers in the most relevant channels. Also with customer’s instant feedback, especially when a product isn’t living up to the expectation, retailers are able to cut their losses much sooner than later.

Smart Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

IoT when used in conjunction with CRM tool helps in gathering and organising client data. The technology embedded devices can streamline the buyer’s chain of command and decisions and help retailers understand where the prospects are in their buying journey. This enables marketers serve the right information and nurture the clients to close a deal.

It Is Not Just Banner Ads Or Pop-Ups Anymore

No longer will marketers have to rely on banner ads and pop-ups to let the world know about their products and services. The increasing numbers of connected devices fitted with sensors and constant network accessibility has entirely changed the face of advertising. With IoT advertisements, no prospects will be served with an advertisement that does not align perfectly with their interests, behaviours and past purchase. Not only will the consumers save time by being served with relevant ads but also the marketers save thousands of pounds after irrelevant advertisements.

The Smart IoT Devices And Marketing

With smart glasses such as Google Glass, marketers can display ads when users look at a particular item or take its picture. They can also deliver the right information at the right place and time especially when consumers use the device to check prices and research products while shopping.

Similarly, smart lighting system has enabled retailers to interact directly with visitors’ smartphones. For instance, it allows retailers to give shoppers directions to specific store items. Some of the LED system can also be connected with a mobile app that can be used to send targeted messages and coupons when customers are at a particular location within the store.

Most interestingly, if marketers can use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, it can present a number of potential opportunities for them. RFID serves as a tool to customise and enhance customer experience. Some retailers are using RFID smart tags to play tunes to the clothes that shoppers are trying on. They’re using the tunes or songs of celebrities that best match the style of the apparel. The aim is to put customers in the right purchasing mindset and help them imagine themselves wearing the perfect clothes. Undoubtedly, this creates an overall pleasant shopping experience.

A mass-market application of IoT in UK is the use of Hive. Hive is an app from British Gas that allows householders to control their central heating process via their smartphones. This innovation has substantially improved people’s everyday lives. The users can get hot water only when they need to, thereby reducing energy waste and saving money.

With data collected from the adopters of wearable tech, brands can better understand where and when shoppers might take action on a trigger. This is where the marketers can provide value and convenience to people using such devices.

How IoT Can Benefit An Organisation’s Business Goal?

As IoT can afford new opportunities in the next few years, it can drastically

Enhance customer satisfaction and engagement
Increase productivity operation and infrastructure
Improve product design and build new products
Reduce maintenance cost and system downtime.

Connected products provide brands with a direct, real time interface and interaction point with consumers. Marketers are looking forward to more limitless opportunities enabled by IoT. And with billions of new things becoming smarter with Internet Of Things, marketers will surely not let their marketing strategy remain ineffective.

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