Johan

Four Important Considerations When Growing a Service-Based Business

Growing a service-based business has never been easier thanks to the internet. Having said that, the main issue is how to grow it strategically in such a way that you have regular income but are not working 20 hours a day. A steady flow of leads, projects, and recurring or passive income can help you boost your profits and still maintain a work-life balance.

There are several main considerations when it comes to growing your business. Here are four to think about as you formulate your growth strategy.

1. Marketing Your Services

From the moment you start your service-based business, you will have to look for clients and projects, and then set time aside to do them well in order to get happy customers, good reviews, and hopefully repeat customers who will be glad to keep using your service. These are the main ingredients to a successful business.

When you are first starting out, you will have to contact prospective clients, look for work on freelance websites, and more. You will need to learn about what makes a good proposal that you should apply for, and the right clients to work for.

It can be tempting to try for every project when you are first starting out, but some can be more trouble than they are worth. You also hope you will get nice clients who will give you a good review that you can use as a marketing tool, but not everyone is reasonable and difficult clients can really drain your energy.

2. Building Relationships

It will take time, but ideally, you will eventually get to a point where the business comes to you, and you can pick and choose your projects. It’s all about building relationships with clients and making yourself a valuable part of their team.

This means being reliable, hitting all your deadlines, and communicating well. You should be responsive via your communication method of choice, such as email or phone. If you are working on a long project that will take more than a couple of weeks, do your client the courtesy of giving them updates every so often to reassure them that you are on track.

If anything unexpected happens, inform them sooner rather than later. Better to let them know the project might be a day or two late because you are sick with flu, and ask them if it is okay for them to wait, than to just assume.

3. Billing for Your Services

You can charge on a per-project basis, or consider offering a package of service for a fixed fee each month. For example, if you are ghostwriting an eBook for a client, it makes sense to charge a flat fee. If you are helping someone upload content to and maintain their WordPress site, a monthly fee might be a better option. You can then create invoices in PayPal ad get paid easily.

4. Positioning Yourself as a Specialist/Expert

You can make a good deal of money as a generalist, such as a virtual assistant willing to do a range of tasks, but there can be more money and prestige in specializing. For example, you might specialize in creating PowerPoint presentations or managing WordPress accounts.

You can also boost your expertise in your niche or industry by writing eBooks, presenting webinars, and so on. These can all be lead magnets for getting people on your list and willing to try your services.

Eight Things to Watch Out For When Booking a Holiday Online

Everyone loves to get a bargain when it comes to traveling, but some deals come with fine print that can actually make you end up paying more. You can also fall victim to sites selling bogus flights and package holidays if you don’t use one of the more popular travel sites.

1, Fake Package Holidays and Bookings

Millions of pounds are stolen every year by fake package holiday firms. They take the money, don’t make the bookings promised, and disappear. In other cases, the booking company might charge one amount of money, but the travelers get billed for a second amount when they get to the hotel. This might include taxes, fees, surcharges, and a booking fee from the service used.

2. Low Fare Lures

Some sites lure you with low fares by showing only the rock-bottom best price on offer. However, many factors affect the fare, such as day of the week, time of day, airport hubs, time of the year, and so on. And you can’t possibly expect to pay a low fare during peak travel times such as Christmas or summer vacations.

The site will lead you through the booking process all the way to the end, when you will click to see your final price. It can be a real shock, and of course, this whole process is a complete waste of time.

3. Email Scams

Emails will often take you to phishing sites that will try to collect personal data which they can then use for identity theft.

4. Fake Travel Vouchers

With this scam, you buy a voucher for a certain low price and are supposed to cash it in for a ticket whenever you like. Most of these vouchers are fake.

5. The All-Inclusive Package Holiday That Isn’t

Travelers need to watch out for this one, even at reputable sites. If you are booking a flight and hotel, you might think you are getting a great deal, only to find that the accommodation only covers the first night at the hotel. The site is accepting the booking even though there is limited or no room availability for all the dates you plan to stay.

Read the fine print and check all the dates carefully before you hit the Buy button. Otherwise you could end up with no room and have to pay the going rate to put a roof over your head for the rest of the stay.

6. Auction Sites

These may seem like a great way to get a good deal, but final costs and fees can make it more expensive than just buying it from a reputable travel site.

7. Block Bookings

Some companies buy up plane seats and hotel rooms at rock-bottom prices and then try to sell them for the highest price possible. If you have no real choice and have to travel on a particular date, this can end up costing you a small fortune.

8. Timeshares

Seeing isn’t always believing. You might see what looks to be a gorgeous timeshare, only to find it is a dump when you go for the first time. Also, keep in mind that other sharers may have a very different standard of cleanliness and behavior to yours, leaving you with a total mess to deal with at the start of what should have been a fun vacation.

Everyone looks forward to their holidays, so don’t miss out by falling for one of these scams.