Best Branded Promotional Items

by Benjamin Barnett, Co-Founder of  Kapow Meggings While all our working relationships are important, one that really took our business to the next level was teaming up with our sourcing agents in China. At the time, we had one factory who constantly dropping the ball. Communication was difficult, product quality was inconsistent, and they didn’t understand our brand and how it contributed to everything from product to packaging. Everything was harder than it should have been, and to be fair to the factory, we were new to the game and didn’t fully understand the landscape. As they say, “you don’t know what you don’t know”, and we didn’t know plenty. After one particularly frustrating factory visit, it became clear we needed middle-man to handle our Chinese negotiations, product sourcing, and oversee manufacturing. So that day I jumped on a plane to Shanghai and started interviewing candidates. One agency in particular took the time to learn about our business and figure out...

The best real estate marketing plan details your goals, budget, demographics of your target clients and how you plan to reach them. In this article, we will show you how to write a real estate marketing plan, offer you a free template and show you how to structure your goals to meet them. Free Real... The post How to Write a Real Estate Marketing Plan [+Free Template] appeared first on Fit Small Business . from Fit Small Business https://fitsmallbusiness.com/real-estate-marketing-plan-template/

by Jana McDaniel, CEO of  First Saturday Lime I am a wife. I am a mother. I am a daughter. These things do not define me, but refine me. These roles make me a better person. The responsibilities associated with these roles require that I be a leader and innovator, and the strength and knowledge I’ve gained from performing these responsibilities has helped me successfully launch a new and exciting business in a highly competitive and male dominant industry. This is my story. I’m not a health nut, but I can’t ignore the news about pesticide risks.  As a mother, I see it as my duty to protect my family from anything that may bring them harm. As a member of the same small community for my entire life, I also care deeply about the health and well-being of all the people around me. The area that we live in tests high for nitrates in the water due to farm runoff. We made a significant investment in water purification systems in our home and places of business, so that I ...

Real estate designations specify skills or expertise a realtor has acquired through additional training and experience. They make clients aware of any specializations, and increase your specific skills in areas of buying, selling and contract negotiations. This article will lay out the top realtor designations to acquire, how to get them, and how much they... The post Realtor Designations – Are They Really Worth it? appeared first on Fit Small Business . from Fit Small Business https://fitsmallbusiness.com/realtor-designations/

Investment property loans are usually found through online mortgage providers, investor-only lenders, and national banks. Investment property loan amounts typically range from $45,000 to $2,000,000 or higher. Rental property loans usually require a minimum down payment of 20 percent. Buy and hold investors generally use long-term investment property loans. Where to Get an Investment Property... The post Where to Get Investment Property Loans for Rental Property appeared first on Fit Small Business . from Fit Small Business https://ift.tt/2F5u1Zl

Social media services help you implement a social media strategy to grow your business’ online presence, following, and impact. The best social media services are affordable with a proven track record, regular reporting, and dedicated customer support. Based on this criteria, we analyzed dozens of services, arriving at the best overall. Top 6 Social Media... The post 6 Best Social Media Services for 2018 appeared first on Fit Small Business . from Fit Small Business https://fitsmallbusiness.com/best-social-media-services/

Anyone can sell books on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Opening an Amazon KDP account, listing, and selling books on Amazon are all free—and you get paid each time a book sells. We’ll walk you through setting up an Amazon KDP account and show you how to sell books on Amazon in four simple steps.... The post How to Sell Books on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing in 4 Steps appeared first on Fit Small Business . from Fit Small Business https://ift.tt/2CNYZWZ

Achieving startup success is challenging. But failure? That’s easy to accomplish. When startups overlook a few key details, the result is business failure. Find out what those details are, and be on your way to business success. 1. The Future. Often, entrepreneurs are so excited about their business that they only think of the present. With so much to focus on in the moment, they don’t plan for the future. Unfortunately, business success relies on planning for the future. No matter what your goals might be, you need to know how to move forward. By losing sight of the future, you make it easy for competitors to sneak in. As soon as you start achieving success, a competitor can come in and steal your thunder. By looking forward, you can be ready for that competition. Planning ahead includes everything from knowing how to get fast business loans to having a growth plan in place. Every little detail matters. 2. Your Online Presence. These days, every business needs an online pres...

Meetings are a place where your skills are on display and your ability to communicate is essential. Often, meetings are where people form an opinion of you and your work ethic. That is why presenting yourself the right way is an essential stepping stone for success. Take these tips to maximizing your meeting success: Look your best. Dressing for success is not something to take lightly. Looking nice will influence how people see you. Even if you work at a laid-back, casual company, throwing on a button up and nice blazer when there is an important meeting can pay off dividends. During meetings, you are seen by people you work with directly in a room, allowing jugements and observations to be made. You want to take this time to showcase your intelligence, your confidence and your ability to dress the part. Looking your best doesn’t just come down to what you are wearing. Take some extra time grooming on days you have meetings. Shave, comb your hair, take extra time on your makeup —...

A large portion of people’s time is spent at work. Whether it is at an office, construction site, retail or other, it is important that workers or employees feel safe and comfortable within the workplace. Creating a positive atmosphere not only helps to improve work productivity, but it also affects a worker’s personal life, as well. That is why it is essential to make sure that the workplace is safe, comfortable, and supportive to an employee’s needs. If there is a need to improve your workplace, here are a few ways to ensure that workers or employees feel welcome, and cared for. Staff Training. It is important that workers or employees are given the proper training and coaching required to perform at their best, and to know how to act in various situations. This can include training particular to the job, such as customer service or how to use certain tools or devices. It can also include things like how to be a good co-worker, and training on workplace diversity . Workplace ...

by Jason Oxman, CEO of the  Electronic Transactions Association It’s been four years since Apple launched Apple Pay, which together with Google Pay and Samsung Pay have ushered in the modern era of mobile payments. These “pays” have been joined by mobile payment solutions from retailers like Starbucks and Walmart, and together with P2P apps that can be used at the point of sale like Venmo and Square’s Cash App, mobile payments in 2018 are increasing market share. With merchant acceptance of EMV chip cards now at about 2/3 of retail locations and growing quickly, card networks and issuers are focused on increasing contactless card issuance and merchant acceptance of contactless transactions.  ETA projects that tens of millions of contactless cards will be in the U.S. market this year, and that number will increase significantly in 2019.  And merchants should encourage their customers to try contactless because of the immediate benefits:  faster check-out times, mor...

A Small Business Administration (SBA) Express Loan provides small businesses with long-term working capital financing up to $350,000. These loans feature interest rates of 4.5–6.5 percent above the prime rate and typically have a 10-year repayment period. SBA Express loans carry fewer documentation requirements than standard 7(a) loans, but still take 30 to 90 days... The post SBA Express Loans: Types, Costs, Terms & Where to Find appeared first on Fit Small Business . from Fit Small Business https://ift.tt/2HHjl4f

The cost to flip a house equals the sum of the acquisition cost, repair costs, carrying costs, and marketing and sales costs. Costs vary based on where the home is located, property type, and the extent of the renovations needed, but the total cost to flip a house is usually around 10 percent of the... The post How Much Does It Cost to Flip a House? [+ Fix & Flip Cost Worksheet] appeared first on Fit Small Business . from Fit Small Business https://ift.tt/2hIPtf4

by Paul MacCartney, Chief Learning Officer at  MentorcliQ The career path to a C-Suite position is never straight.  It is full of twists and turns, speed bumps and detours. So, it will take more than a few attempts to get there. Ask anyone who has done so. In the past, ambitious professionals have had to rely on strength, fortitude, and independence to make career headway, often feeling they are on their own when it comes to achieving success. Moreover, many needlessly forged their climb up the corporate ladder alone, making that upward climb all the more challenging. Fortunately, all this is changing with a new focus on mentorship programs in the workplace. By teaming experienced executives with promising emerging talent, businesses are ensuring a steady supply of trained personnel – ready to take the reins when the appropriate time for succession comes. It’s also saving companies both time and money. Mentoring is a cost effective practice that counters employee turnover ...

Facebook tools make it easier for you to set up your Facebook Page and market it, grow a following, and measure your results. We analyzed dozens of options to find tools designed to save you time and help you reach your Facebook marketing goals at every step of the process. All of the 15 tools... The post 15 Best Facebook Tools for Marketing 2018 appeared first on Fit Small Business . from Fit Small Business https://ift.tt/2P2MWwo

Social media management tools make it easier for you to schedule posts, manage conversations, and analyze your results. We analyzed dozens of options to find the best tools that will save you time and help you stay on top of your social media marketing. Based on cost, features, and ease of use, we chose 10... The post 10 Best Social Media Management Tools for Small Businesses 2018 appeared first on Fit Small Business . from Fit Small Business https://ift.tt/2OYMJu5

by Tesma Gwee, Senior Marketing Manager at ZomWork Like many of us, you’re probably managing several projects at once (some of them could be your scope of work) and still saying ‘yes’ to your boss or client. (I can really empathise.) It’s part and parcel of every job. Let’s be realistic, you need a strategy to handle this else you will eventually burn yourself out! Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Prioritise work and identify projects that can be outsourced where you could leverage the expertise of external talents. Thus, allowing you to deliver work faster and effectively. However, it may also come with a bunch of challenges that will become your nightmares, further adding on to your never-ending task list. Here are some outsourcing issues and tips on how to navigate past these and shine at work: 1. Loss or lack of control. This control could refer to many things, for instance, quality and quantity control over how your project is being done. Now, you are not a control freak ...

by Judith Nowlin, Chief Growth Officer with Babyscripts Just the other day, on the flight home from a four-day roadshow, I found myself in conversation with my seatmate. The talk quickly turned from conventional preliminaries to more engaging topics, as we discovered a shared experience in the medical field — he in clinical trial research, me in health tech software. We found a lot to talk about. Shop-talk flagging, we tacked to family life, discussing the juggling act of work and family, and the tricks to doing every last part well. He looked at me indulgently, saying something along the lines of “someday, when you have kids, you’ll figure out a way to be really successful in that, just as you’ve been in business.” I expect I could have been offended at the underlying assumption that I couldn’t possibly be raising a family at the same time as I was leveling-up in my career. Instead, I was flattered to find that the wear and tear of three children at home didn’t show on my face, an...

As a small business owner, we know your time is limited and your budget scarce. Luckily, there are several free and low-cost QuickBooks training online options. Depending on your preference, we’ll cover a range of online and in-person training resources like self-paced video tutorials and virtual classroom instruction you can attend right from your office.... The post QuickBooks Training – Online, Free and Paid Options appeared first on Fit Small Business . from Fit Small Business https://ift.tt/2ENDLep

Bing Ads is a paid search advertising platform that businesses can use to advertise online through Bing.com, Yahoo.com, AOL and other various partners. Bing Ads is a major paid search platform with a 33 percent market share, giving businesses the opportunity to reach a large audience not otherwise captured on other paid search platforms. How... The post How to Advertise Your Small Business Using Bing Ads appeared first on Fit Small Business . from Fit Small Business https://ift.tt/2AyxLln

FTE stands for full-time equivalent (not full-time employee) and translates the total hours worked by part-time employees into the number of equivalent full-time employees. To calculate FTE, you have to know how many employees you have, and the average number of hours they work. You can then determine the equivalent number of full-time workers you... The post What is FTE and How to Calculate [+ Free FTE Calculator] appeared first on Fit Small Business . from Fit Small Business https://ift.tt/2z9irde

The Facebook Pixel Helper is a Chrome browser extension that serves as a Facebook Pixel troubleshooting tool. It checks that Facebook Pixels are embedded correctly and validates that they are active. It is a helpful tool for any Facebook advertiser using the pixel, as it ensures pixels are running, and if not, it provides information... The post How to Install & Use the Facebook Pixel Helper in 3 Steps appeared first on Fit Small Business . from Fit Small Business https://ift.tt/2qeE5si

The Facebook Pixel is a free JavaScript code that Facebook advertisers put on their website to track site visitors and their actions. Advertisers can use this information to retarget specified ads to display to certain website visitors. With this, advertisers can build more effective ads, driving more sales and a higher return on ad spend.... The post Facebook Pixel: What It Is & How to Use It in 3 Steps appeared first on Fit Small Business . from Fit Small Business https://ift.tt/2JnmzuT

Facebook Ads are an integral component of many businesses advertising strategy. Those advertising on Facebook successfully are those who not only know how to use them, but also understand their extensive features and capabilities. We consulted with the pros for their best Facebook advertising tips to help you grow your business with expert-level Facebook ads.... The post Top 25 Facebook Advertising Tips from the Pros appeared first on Fit Small Business . from Fit Small Business https://ift.tt/2SxzCOC

The Amazon affiliate marketing program, called Amazon Associates, is free to join and pays bloggers and website owners a percentage of every sale they refer to Amazon. Getting started is simple, and the earnings can be big. Part-timers can make hundreds of dollars each month easily while some power bloggers make millions annually. How the... The post Amazon Affiliate Program: What It Is & How to Get Started appeared first on Fit Small Business . from Fit Small Business https://ift.tt/2AwwU4J

by Manish Dudharejia, President and Founder of E2M Solutions Inc Being a small-to-medium sized online business is not easy. You often have to compete with national and international e-commerce organizations with better resources and more manpower. As the online retail sector grows, smaller entities must stay at the top of their game if they are going to remain relevant and competitive. Although many small online companies may not think that technology associated with machine learning and AI applies to them, the truth is that it can make a remarkable difference in the overall success and efficiency of the business. This is why 72% of retailers are going to start investing in machine learning over the next few years because of the numerous advantages it offers brands. But, before you can decide to allocate large amounts of funds and team effort into machine learning technology, they must first understand exactly what it is and what it can do. What Exactly Is Machine Learning? ...

Before social media, it could take a lot of time and effort to be able to get your business noticed. Social media has given the online marketplace numerous individual platforms for advertising and marketing. The challenge of growing your business, building an online presence and establishing trust with new customers has never been easier. By taking advantage of the ability to reach a wider audience than ever before, you can launch your business with a bang. Use the power of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest to spread your message and gain followers that can be converted into customers. The more people you can reach around the world, the greater your potential is to expand your sales. When you are first ready to launch your business, you can rely on your existing contacts to help spread the word. Even with quality “shareable” content it can still take some time to build up a solid reputation and brand authority to really turn the corner. You should consider whether you want ...

Smartphone buying is simple enough, right? Wrong! Despite how simple of a choice it may seem, savvy shopper know a few tricks of the trade when it comes to making large tech purchases like smartphones. Here are 5 tips that will help you find the best deals on the market, with payment plans that fit your paycheck. 1. Create a List of Every Smartphone on the Market You Like. Much like going to the grocery store on an empty stomach, it is never a good idea to purchase a smartphone without knowing what you want to begin with. Especially when you find yourself in store with no way to compare prices from one provider over another. Before you begin your search, take a look at all of the models available. Start simple with questions like: Android or iOS? If your choice is on the Android spectrum, take a look at everyone that’s building phones around the operating system. This includes providers like Google and Samsung, as well as Sony and other brands that don’t get as much coverage. Onc...

Branching out and doing things alone can be stressful, but it can also be immensely rewarding. You might have worked in someone else’s practice for a number of years but recently made the decision to start your own. You’ll already know how big a decision that has been but it’s also one with a huge upside that could see you helping more people, providing more of the care that you want, and also making a lot more money. Whether you’re starting your own dental practice, physiotherapy, or providing any other kind of healthcare, you’re in the right place. We’re going to look at a few tips to make sure everything is ready to go before you open the doors to your new practice. 1. Make sure your location is clearly signposted and easily accessible. You should already have chosen your ideal location and premises for your business. What you might not have thought of is making sure your new office is clearly signposted and accessible. You shouldn’t ignore passing traffic, so make sure everyone...

A/B testing tools allow businesses to create multiple versions of a webpage and test them against target audiences to learn which best helps them reach their business goals. We compared more than 30 options to narrow down our list to the six best A/B testing tools based on price and features, including the best overall.... The post 6 Best A/B Testing Tools for 2018 appeared first on Fit Small Business . from Fit Small Business https://ift.tt/2zcA8ZA

$9.15 Billion dollars. That’s how much money online shoppers are estimated to spend between Thanksgiving and Black Friday 2018. If you own an online business, Black Friday and Cyber Monday could shape up to be the most wonderful time of the year – cue the Andy Williams tune – if your ecommerce shop is prepared. As you have probably noticed, “If you build it, they will come,” simply isn’t true in business. So how can you make sure your online business is poised to grab sales this holiday season? Read on to learn how to prepare your ecommerce store for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2018. Follow this checklist to ensure you don’t leave any money on the holiday table. Preparation. Plan and organize your upcoming sales and promotions. Create all campaigns and creative assets (for your website, social media, email marketing, advertisements, etc.) ahead of time, then schedule and automate everything in advance. Prepare for success : Make sure your website, shipping logistics, and c...