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  • How to Organize your Workspace to increase Productivity?

    Workspace design has impact on employees and work environment. A well organized workspace has various benefits. It makes you feel in control and clearly focus and define areas that may need proper attention. Organizing workspace can help eliminate distractions, gives you confidence, save you time and stay super productive. Here are some tips on how to organize your workspace to get more productivity.

    In fact, many office workers can’t find the time to organize their office. You’ve become so busy and tired that going back during the weekends to organize is tough. But there’s no other choice. If you want to make your work situation easy, organizing workspace is a must. Now the question is, how do you start organizing your office? There are many work office organization ideas to go for. But here we have curated some of the office organization tips and tricks.

    Why Organize Your Office?

    Organizing your office seems like an unnecessary task. After all, you have reports to do, meetings to attend, and bond with your family. But without proper organization, you can end up losing important files. It is easy to misplace something when everything is all over the place.

    When you have everything finally organized, your workspace looks cleaner. An organized office can be relaxing and help boost your mood. Potentially, it can boost your productivity as well. You can save time as you don’t have to spend a while trying to locate a file or scour through your documents.

    Once you know where things are, you will have a general idea where to find specific files and folders. There will be no client on hold or late meetings.

    Now that you know how important organizing your office is, here are some of the best office organization ideas.

    1. Declutter

    First of all, get rid of things you don’t want and need. These include unnecessary documents that are of no use. Don’t make it a habit to save every paper you see because you think it’ll be helpful soon. The more paper and stuff you have, the more cluttered your place becomes.

    Start from your desk and then move on to each corner of your office once you’re done. Put away things you don’t need to charity or the garbage. Put documents you need in an Expanding File Folder.

    The Ultimate Office Setup Guide for Entrepreneurs
    “Don’t be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dreamit, you can make it so.” – Belva Davis The words above laconically describe an entrepreneur’s ethos, entrepreneurshipis all about turning even the most paradoxical dreams or ideas intopracticality. But the space betwe…

    2. Sort Documents

    Think of ways to sort your documents. It can be by year, by name, by type of document, and so on. For example, you can put the papers of your existing clients for the year in one expanding file folder.

    You can put receipts in one. Make sure you also label each file and folder so you can easily identify them. Follow a naming scheme consistently, so everything is organized.

    3. Break Bad Habits

    Most importantly, break bad habits. Stop putting things anywhere to sort them out later. You should also stop hoarding things you don’t need for work. Don’t bring everything from your house to your office.

    Apart from breaking bad habits, you should also start developing the good ones. For example, make it a habit to clean out your desk at the end of the day, or put necessary files in their respective folders. It can be a little hard at first, but once you get used to it, staying organized will be your habit.

    4. Use Storage Boxes

    The office space can be optimized with the use of storage boxes. You can store almost anything in containers to help you stay organized. Plastic containers and cardboard boxes are perfect for efficient storage. You can group and label your office items for better clarity to better organize different items. When needed, you can easily find them in the boxes.

    5. Put a Trash Can near Your Desk

    It a good practice to keep a trash can by your desk. So, whenever you have used paper or any other stuff, instead of letting it be on your desk, you can throw it in the trash can right away. This practice will prevent from spreading mess on the desk.

    5 Tips for Finding the right Office Space for Rent
    Finding a professional office space for lease can be one of the most difficulttasks that one can endure. Finding and leasing an office space [/tag/office/] that both meets your needs and your budget can be stressful for entrepreneurs.There would be times that you could go online, thinking you cou…

    6. Always Organize Desk before You Go Home

    Not but not the least. At the end of the day when you are ready to leave the office, clean and organize the office before you leave. Throw away any unwanted trash, stack your papers in a pile, and put pens back in their place. It won’t take longer than five minutes to complete, but it will save you such a headache when you come next time.

  • Convert Your Blog Content to Audio Instantly with AudioTilly

    Internet has made knowledge and information accessible like never before, and this knowledge and information is available in various forms – text, audio and video. However, recent trends are showing that audio and video content is becoming more popular these days. One main factor that  gets users more attracted to audio and video content over text content is that the users either lack patience or time to read text, while it is easier to consume audio and video content. So, if you are a website owner especially a blog site owner, you can increase traffic in your site by offering the website visitors the option to listen to your content other than reading it. AudioTilly, a startup based in San Jose (California) is simplifying this for you, by letting you convert your website’s text content into speech format instantly. We interviewed AudioTilly founder Lloyd Jacob to know more about the startup.

    AudioTilly Highlights

    Startup Name AudioTilly
    Headquarter San Jose
    Founders Lloyd Jacob & Alexander Burakovskiy
    Sector WordPress Text to Audio convertor
    Founded 2019
    Parent Organization AudioTilly
    Website www.audiotilly.com

    About AudioTilly
    The Idea Behind Starting AudioTilly
    AudioTilly – Founders
    Core Beliefs of the AudioTilly Team
    AudioTilly – Revenue Model
    AudioTilly – Marketing Strategies
    AudioTilly – Challenges
    AudioTilly – Future Plans

    About AudioTilly

    AudioTilly was started in 2019, with the vision to create tools and services to make content easily accessible. AudioTilly’s text to audio technology converts website text content to audio instantly, and allows visitors coming to the site to listen to the content, other than reading. So when users of a website don’t have time to sit and read their great content, they can simply visit the site, click play and start listening to the great content instead.

    A major USP is that AudioTilly has modified and optimized the text to audio technology to make the content being read sound very much human-like! The platform offers 23 voices highly tuned and pleasing to listen to.

    Websites and blogs can monetize this audio content via advertisements provided by AudioTilly or other DSP (Demand side platform) . This is similar to how radio content is supported with advertisements.

    Blog owners can also access AudioTilly reports that quickly give insight of important data like top articles listened to, avg time, and more. Again once you subscribe to AudioTilly, the content of the blog site automatically gets added to the AudiBrow app, which gives you free access to AudiBrow’s user base.

    Integrating AudioTilly to your website is simple. You can either do it by getting the AudioTilly WordPress Plugin, or you can just Copy & paste AudioTilly’s JS script to blend the player into parts of your site. Till now the company’s product was in testing phase and they are launching the WordPress plugin this month, i.e August 2020.

    About AudioTilly

    The Idea Behind Starting AudioTilly

    The idea to start AudioTilly came to Lloyd form his own personal experience. Lloyd enjoyed reading his favorite online news and blog sites, but didn’t have time in the day to do this, as much of his time was spent on managing his work and family. But Lloyd realized that he had enough time while driving, commuting or at the gym, and this is the time he could use to listen to the content of his interest, and it would have been great if the blogs and news he read could be listened to as well. Lloyd decided to work on the idea, which led him to start AudioTilly in 2019. To start, Lloyd created a mock in Figma and shared it within his social circle and networking groups, to get the feedback.

    “The feedback we received on Figma has been very positive.  Many can’t believe this isn’t already in mass usage today”  Lloyd quotes

    AudioTilly – Founders

    Lloyd Jacob and Alexander Burakovskiy are the co-founders of AudioTilly.

    AudioTilly CEO Lloyd Jacob is a Y Combinator alumni (W’12). Lloyd has over 16 years of experience in product development and marketing. He is the mentor of SJSU Ideas Lab, and also was mentor for YC Startup School (S’18).

    AudioTilly Founder Lloyd Jacob
    AudioTilly Founder Lloyd Jacob

    AudioTilly co-founder and CTO Alexander Burakovskiy has 10 years of technical experience, entrepreneur, software architect, product designer, specializing in scalable web services & mentor young developers group.

    AudioTilly Co-founder Alexander Burakovskiy
    AudioTilly Co-founder Alexander Burakovskiy

    There are no other team members currently in AudioTilly. The co-founders  work remotely and are handling all by themselves.

    “My co-founder Alex worked on several small projects with me.  He is very skilled and I’ve enjoyed working on past projects with him. So when it came to AudioTilly I proposed to him a co-founder role. He was happy to accept and join me on this journey” Jacob says on how he met his co-founder Alexander Burakovskiy

    Core Beliefs of the AudioTilly Team

    • Create tools and services to Customer Obsession. AudioTilly focuses on building everything with the customer in mind. The team works with the aim to serve the customers, provide value to them, earn and keep customer trust and  delight the customer with quality product and performance.
    • Invent and Simplify. Build innovative things. Don’t just copy. Build products to be simple yet powerful.
    • High Standards. Build quality products. Fix defects before customers experience them.
    • Be Frugal. Accomplish more with less. Throwing money and resources at a project does not equal success.
    • Data Driven.Use data to make a judgment on performance and discover opportunities to improve, make content easily accessible.

    AudioTilly – Revenue Model

    AudioTilly is now launching its WordPress plugin. All users get free conversions monthly of  up to 5 articles. From there on, fair prices will be charged for those who require more content converted to audio, . Regardless of the plan, all user’s will get access to the premium text to audio voices.

    AudioTilly – Marketing Strategies

    AudioTilly’s text to audio converter was in a testing with 39 blogs to gain feedback and improve the product, and the WordPress plugin is launching in August 2020. For getting the first set of users, the startup is planning to reach out to blog owners. They are also planning to  leverage content  marketing, influencers,  and paid marketing options at a later stage.

    AudioTilly – Challenges

    Making the audio human sounding was a challenge for the co-founders.

    “We didn’t want the end users to feel they were listening to a robot or computer reading the text aloud.So we focused heavily on optimizing the audio text to speech quality. Today we have 23 voices highly tuned and pleasing to listen to” quotes Lloyd

    AudioTilly – Future Plans

    AudioTilly is currently in the launch phase and the team believes that they can break even on cost by 3rd quarter of 2021.

    Considering the high demand by users to simplify consumption and aggregation of online news & other written content, AudioTilly’s solution is an excellent blend between news apps and podcast experience. If executed as per plan, the team  expects AudioTilly’s valuation in the next 4-5 years would match/beat that of their competitors, SmartNews ($1.2 billion valuation) and FlipBoard ($1 billion valuation)

    “Audio content is exploding. Up until the growth trend of podcast, users were limited radio, Sirius,  and user’s personal audio content.  Now, Pandora, Podcasts,  Alexa, etc have opened up new channels in Audio content options.  This is leading a change in user behavior. For instance majority of the podcast listeners have carved our listening times at the gym, while driving and while cooking at home.  This is time video cannot replace. I expect in the next 5 years to see a 50% growth in this space compared on 2019 stats” says AudioTilly co-founder Lloyd Jacob commenting on the growing popularity of audio content

    If you’d  like to  be part of AudioTilly’s beta users and get free conversions for up to 10 articles for 1 year, email at support@audiotilly.com and mention this article

  • How to Name Your Startup

    Any parent considers at least a hundred names before deciding one for their baby. Well, every startup is its founder’s baby. I say their names require the same amount of attention. The name will lead the startup throughout its career and is the first thing people will come in contact with. This article will discuss some guidelines and methods to answer your question – How to name a startup?

    Brainstorm

    Pick a corner. Grab a notepad. Write down what your business is about. A very short one-line description of your business. Pick the defining aspect of your business. Is it customer service? Or integrity? Or customization? Play with words. Search for the word in different languages. It is necessary to have an idea of what your name should be like and what it should represent before you seek inspiration.

    How to name your startup
    Brainstorm

    Inspiration

    Now, for the inspiration. When you have an idea, it is necessary to seek inspiration. I know that the process is usually reversed but hear me out. It is important to be uninfluenced before you start deciding on a name. Seeking inspiration at the start will lead to constant comparisons of whether your name will be better or equal to that of your competition. Inspiration can be from anything- that depends on your product.

    How to name your startup
    Inspiration

    Name Generator

    Remember when I discussed wordplay. There are online name generators available that ( you guessed right ) generate naming options for your startup. Generators like the one Shopify offers, or Namelix give you a variety of choices. All you need to do is enter the keyword, the ones you wrote down while brainstorming. The options range from misspelled words to catchy phrases. Some generators even check for domain availability at the same time. I’ll discuss domains in a little while.

    How to name your startup
    Name Generator

    Simple

    Keep your name simple. Don’t exceed more than twenty-four letters. Something that captures the whole essence of your company with one word. And try to stick to a single word. It can even be a compound word and if it has to be two words, make it catchy, for example- Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme. A tall order; taller than a Starbucks latte, unfortunately. If it is more than a few words, make it your catchphrase, like McDonald’s- ‘I’m lovin’ it’ or Nike’s- ‘Just Do It’. Keep it simple and keep it memorable.

    How to name your startup
    Simple

    Original

    Originality is something important. Not only does that give you creative bragging rights but also makes it easier for you to use the name without competition and escape unnecessary lawsuits involving copyrights. Your originality reflects a part of you. While you don’t have to stress over the name, it is something you need to be original about, because the name and how you describe your product is important.

    How to name your startup
    Original

    Spelling

    Spelling is one of the most important aspects of your name. Unless you deliberately misspelled your name like Flickr or Lyft, spell it as it sounds. Even misspelled names merely replace letters that do not change the pronunciation of the word. Don’t use silent letters. And most importantly, understand the language of your target audience and name accordingly. It makes no sense to use a french name for a product targeting a Spanish audience unless it is relevant.

    How to name your startup
    Spelling

    Say It Aloud

    The name needs to sound as good as it is spelled. If your name is mispronounced one too many times, it’s a sign you need to change it. Also, your name shouldn’t associate or rhyme with any negative connotations. Simply put, your name is not something that should be made fun of easily.

    How to name your startup
    Say it Aloud

    Relevance

    Unless you have the means to oversee a huge marketing campaign, stick to names with relevance. Google, Yahoo, and oracle make no sense by themselves but since they are popular, they needn’t be self-explanatory. In fact those names have developed their own definitions.

    For instance, If you are opening a coffee shop,your name should be something such as coffee bean, or coffee hour, or anything relevant.

    How to name your startup
    Relevance

    Feedback

    Feedback from your circle will give you a new perspective. Your circle is the closest you can get to your target audience before launch. They will also offer valuable inputs from a customer point of view so be sure to take them into consideration.

    How to name your startup
    Feedback

    Don’t Be Obsessed

    There’s always this feeling of dissatisfaction when it comes to creativity.  A better design, a better logo, a better color scheme, a better…stop. Don’t obsess. If it fits all your requirements stick with it. And don’t hold out hopes for changing names in the future. That will give you the unnecessary hassle because there are legal aspects involved. A name is surely important and worth a few sleepless nights but doesn’t obsess over it.

    Important Points You Must Consider While Naming Your Business
    > Having the right name gives your target audience an indication of what yourbusiness does. A right name for your business goes above and beyond promotionand marketing—it’s the very essence of the value you bring to the table.Choosing the right name for your business or brand goes a long way. How…

    Growth

    The name shouldn’t restrict your growth. Don’t tie your name to a place or a single product. Names such as ‘Jonah’s books’ or ‘Madras Apparel’ won’t do you any favors when your aim is to scale. Stick to non-confining names. Unless of course, the place is tied to the brand. Kumbakonam filter coffee is one example. Kumbakonam is a place in Tamil Nadu renowned for its delicious coffee.

    How to name your startup
    Growth

    Trademark

    Once you have your name all set, it’s time to put a TM on it. Look up the procedure on how to register your brand for a trademark to prevent others from using your name. And if anyone does copy your name, they’ll be liable to pay you. Register your trademark as soon as possible.

    How to name your startup
    Trademark

    Domain

    If you need an online presence, check for the availability of domains. If your domain is available, great. If not, and if you require an online presence, you have to change your name, unfortunately. Or if your domain name is available for sale and if you don’t want to go through the process of choosing another name, buy that domain. And always, always go for a .com rather than a .net or .org because .com implies credibility to the user.

    How to name your startup
    Domain

    How to buy and sell domain names – StartupTalky

    Register

    Once you choose a name, you have to register your business. The procedure varies from location to location but a lawyer can help you with all the legal aspects of the business.

    How to name your startup
    Register

    Social Media Handles

    Retain the same name across all social handles. Don’t change it from one medium to another. Familiarity helps with memorability. Different names will make your customers question credibility. If special characters are part of your name, include them as well at all handles.

    How to name your startup
    Social Media Handles

    Are You Satisfied?

    Don’t kill me for making you think twice but are you satisfied? Because it is important to be happy with the name you have chosen so that you can focus on other important aspects of your business. Seek validation from trusted ones and make sure you are happy with the name before you proceed to a point of non-reversal.

    How to name your startup
    Be Satisfied with the name you have chosen

    The process of finding a name is really nerve-racking. Don’t stop until the name feels right to you. If you have a team, consult them. Your business name is not just the business’ identity, but yours as well. The name will also influence the marketing campaigns and investors. Find your niche and choose (or create!) a name to represent it. Whatever name you choose, stick with it, and do not second-guess it too much.

    Happy name-hunting!

  • An Entrepreneurs’ Guide To Prevent Idea Thievery

    You have an idea. An idea that you think will make you loads of money. A business idea. And you are anxious. That somebody might steal your idea. Make millions off of it. And you don’t get a single cent. And then you spend millions, which you don’t have, in suing them and hoping you get royalties or a settlement. Which you might or might not. Mostly might not. And rather than being richer by millions, you are poorer. That’s why we presenting today an entrepreneurs’ guide to prevent Idea thievery.

    Let’s escape this hypothetical. Because the chances of it coming true are rare because it requires a special set of circumstances. And they are:

    • Your idea is in the hands of a company with the means to execute the idea
    • You just presented your idea to a potential competitor while pitching for funding
    • Your Co-founder fired you or quit to start the same company with a different set of people

    An idea is never of any worth unless it is executable and has the potential to be successful. For instance, would you predict that Kindle would be as popular ten years back as it is today? People opposed the change and most found it classier to pretend to be in love with the musty smell of books (Disclaimer: I‘m only talking about the majority that pretended) until they realized the potential of the device.

    The mistake lies in assuming that your idea and idea alone has value. No, it does not. Except for the special circumstances mentioned above. Don’t be paranoid about the idea you have for a product or service that you are offering.

    Having said that, it is reasonable to want to protect your idea until your startup turns into a business. Let’s see what steps we can take to ensure its safety without handicapping it.

    Need-To-Know / Reveal Selectively

    Be it to investors, outsourced firms, or employees, tell them only what they need to know. Nothing more, nothing less. It is enough to pitch how your product can solve a problem or how your service makes life easier, to the investors. Explaining the inner workings to them is unnecessary. It is easy to reverse engineer any product if one had the means.

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    It is good practice to consult a lawyer to go over the legal technicalities of your business. Here are certain legal ways to protect your idea.

    How to protect your business idea
    Legal Methods

    Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA)

    These bind the party to absolute discretion when it comes to your business idea. When you outsource talent, these come in handy. But don’t use them when you are the funding stage. Investors do not want to be tackled with legalities before they even hear your pitch. Instead, add a confidentiality clause.

    Non-compete Agreements

    These are especially for the talent on your team.“One party (usually an employee) agrees not to enter into or start a similar profession or trade in competition against another party (usually the employer).”This is to prevent your ideas worked on by the employee from being reused or influencing the competitor’s product. These come with a time period, meaning the employee will likely be out of work for a while, so you need to carefully work out compensation.

    Work-for-Hire Agreement

    This agreement is again for the talent hired. It states that all work done on improving or developing the business idea belongs to the employer alone and to be used as the employer pleases. The employee cannot claim the credit.

    Provisional Patent

    Applying for a patent is a tedious process with huge amounts of money involved, money which can be well spent on marketing strategy. Instead, applying for a provisional patent gets you the same rights as a patented product with the label ‘patent-pending’ for a year. You thereby get a year within which you can work on your idea in peace.

    A copyright gives you control over the use of your intellectual property. If you have a prototype in place, copyright will prevent misuse and unauthorized usage. And if anyone does use the product without your consent, you can sue them for copyright violations.

    Trademark

    A trademark is the signature of your company. It can be a phrase, a symbol, or just the name. It protects the product/service and all of its features associated with the company.

    “It is a recognition of that company’s ownership of the brand.”

    Best Business Ideas To Try In 2020 In India | Business Ideas For 2020
    Choosing the right idea for a new business can be difficult and confusing. Thistask needs to be done very carefully and one should keep in mind many thingswhile choosing an idea for his/her new business. One of the most importantthings to keep in mind when selecting an idea for your new business …

    Vet Whom You Work With

    This applies to your employees, clients, partners/ potential partnerships, and investors. Ask for letters of recommendation before you hire. Investigate if the client is a potential customer or a competitor in disguise. If any investor or client shows a sudden interest in your product, apply need-to-know. Look for any red flags in their credentials. Trust your instincts. Do a background check if necessary. Corporate espionage is not just a theme for a book or film. It happens in real life.

    Build Partnerships With Competitors

    The competition is the one most likely to steal your product. What if you worked through your competitor? You would have the means, and they would have no reason to steal ideas because they get a cut of profits! It is a win-win situation, even if not an ideal one.

    How to protect your business idea
    Build Partnership with competitors

    Beware of Your Colleagues

    Remember when I said there is no use of an inexecutable idea? That’s true. But your colleagues hold the execution in their hands. That is why you carefully choose who you hire or going to partner with. Also, it is not desirable to have a founder who does not believe in the idea. Let him/her go. Make sure that they sign a confidentiality agreement that prevents them from disclosing proprietary information beforehand. And always trust your instincts. If you find unprofessional behavior from any of your employees when it comes to your product, fire them immediately.

    Document Everything

    Keep a record of what is discussed whenever possible, from board meetings to pitching investors. Creating a log of all business transactions will guarantee you evidence in the unlikely event you need to take it to court. Keep track of what information you share with whom. A paper trail builds a sturdier case.

    How to protect your business idea
    Document Everything

    When You Should Sue If Your Idea Is Stolen

    It takes time for any idea to become profitable. If your idea is stolen, they require the same time as you do to get it into the market. Don’t use your advantage to sue them for stealing when, if you are fast enough, you can launch your product before they do and make a profit out of it.

    If your idea is stolen and your startup fails but theirs is successful one.Then with the help of proper documentation and any agreements you have put in place, it should be easy enough for any lawyer to win your royalties or at least a settlement.

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    Don’t let the fear of your idea getting stolen prevent you from pitching it to potential investors, customers, or anyone who can give you valuable feedback. Hiding your prototype until it is finished without getting it continuously evaluated by your circle is a reason for startup failure. Very rarely does an idea get stolen. As long as you take care of all legal necessities, you may worry about other aspects -such as marketing and development- in peace.

  • How to Start a Podcast to Grow your Business Tremendously?

    Every day, more and more business owners, entrepreneurs and marketers are launching podcasts as a powerful way to grow their business. Moreover, is it easy to create a podcast. Podcast offers opportunity to connect with your audience, personalize your brand, and grow your business. Small business podcasts are helping startups grow and establish in the market. Here are some tips on how to start a podcast in order to grow your business.

    Ability to attract and keep an audience are the main benefits of podcast. By starting podcast, you can establish yourself topic or field, leading you to influence clients and customers. The importance of podcast is extra-ordinary as it encourages people to purchase your products or services, invest in your business, or promote you to friends. If you own a business, here are some tips for starting a podcast to grow your business and startup.

    What is a Podcast?
    Why should one create a Podcast for the Business?
    Tips to create podcasts
    Best Podcasts Entrepreneurs Should Listen to

    What is a Podcast?

    The podcast is an audio or video made available to the audience for free or in exchange for some money. You must have come up with the term “Podcast” online numerous times. It is mostly in the audio form and that is what makes it different. Typically, Podcasts are presented in a series to the audience. There are many platforms where Podcasters can provide their podcasts to people. The word “podcast” came into existence in 2004. It was used in an article by the Guardian Newspaper.

    The word is a mixture of two words, viz., “iPod” and “Broadcast”. It is pretty obvious that in those days, iPod was ruling the mp3 industry that is why it was named so. Furthermore, anyone can easily create a podcast by recording themselves or taking someone’s interview. Podcasts are now overtaking the internet videos and television. Slowly, they will get ahead of YouTube for a certain category of people.

    However, your podcast should have some value to provide to the listener. As of today, there are almost all types of podcasts are there from motivational to comedy. You can create podcasts on platforms like SoundCloud, Spotify, Buzzsprout, etc. You can also start podcast on Youtube; you just need to know the tactics on how to start a podcast on Youtube.

    tips for starting a podcast
    Credit: Podcast Insights

    Benefits of Podcast for the growth of Business

    1. Easy to Produce

    First of all, podcasts are very easy to produce. All you need is a decent quality microphone, a computer, and internet access. For editing, you can use free software available on the internet. One of the best example of free Audio editing software is Audacity. Editing audio is very easy, as unlike videos, you don’t need experienced professionals to create the podcasts.

    2. Build Trust

    When people listen to your podcast, they start trusting you. As they know what you are saying is true, their mind starts believing in everything you say. Moreover, when you provide some value to someone, they will automatically build a relationship and trust on you.

    3. Marketing

    You can market your product on your podcast or even on other people podcasts. Most of the people who listen to a podcast do it to gain knowledge. If you deal in a business where you provide knowledge to your customers like an online course or something, they might become your customers. You have to check the environment to market your product. You just need to make it relevant.

    4. Takes Less Time

    Not only to produce podcasts, but it takes less time to listen to them too. People can listen to podcasts anywhere. They can listen to it while shopping, driving, doing any household work, etc. It might not save their time, but make them productive. The time in which they can’t do anything, they can listen to podcasts. So, more people will listen to your podcast than watching your video.

    5. The best alternative to Video

    This is the best and cheaper alternative to making video for your business. However, both,video and podcasts have their benefits. So, think carefully before choosing one of them.

    6. Build relationships with Influencers

    If you take interviews with successful influencers so often on your podcast, you build a good relationship with them. This might help you in the future to promote your brand.

    7. Lessons

    As you will take interviews of influencers, they will tell you and your listeners something valuable. So, not only you are improving yourself but your listeners too. Also, as influencers are engaged in with your podcasts, you don’t have to worry about content for your podcast.

    Everything You Need To Know About Podcasts | Podcasting In India
    The term podcasting first came up as the result of mixing the words “iPod” and“casting”. Though iPods don’t exist anymore anymore, podcasting continues toreach new heights. Wikipedia defines podcasting as, “the practice of using theInternet to make digital recordings of broadcasts available for d…

    Tips to create podcasts

    1. Select the niche: Everyone has their field of keen interest so select the perfect niche where you have both the skills and expertise. Then start working on topics related to the niche area and the content which will be provided in the podcast episode.
    2. The perfect equipment and software for the podcast: A good quality mic, a quiet place, good internet, and editing software are some necessary items required for the podcast. So figure out the perfect software and type of equipment required for the podcast.
    3. Branding of the Podcast: Decide whether its going to be a personal podcast, a  professional one or a creative one. Later, plan the branding strategy based on the type of podcast. The branding includes logo, intro music, outro music, theme, etc.
    4. Create your own press kits: The press kits are a document which contains all necessary information about the podcasts. It includes:
    • An introduction- This segment tells what the podcast is all about
    • List of all the streams where all of these podcasts are available
    • Link of the website
    • Press coverage of the document
    • Contact information
    • Statistics of the episodes
    • Images in various sizes
    • Audio trailer of the podcast

    5. Visual content strategy: It is another important feature is to ensure that the visual content of the podcast is equally focused and use it to promote the podcast on various internet platforms.

    Best Podcasts Entrepreneurs Should Listen to

    small business podcasts

    Some more podcasts to follow:

    • Mixergy
    • Office Hours
    • Unemployable Podcast
    • Stanford Entrepreneurial Thought Leader Series
    • How I Built This

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    Conclusion

    Podcasts have become an important part of people’s lives. People are much aware these days. When you open You tube, you don’t exit it before watching 2 or more videos. It never stops at “just one video, and then I’ll get back to work”. You tube is important to relax your mind, but podcasts can do the same thing too.

    At least, listen to podcasts while you are shopping or driving, you can’t watch videos there, anyway. It will make you productive and improvised. If you don’t want to start directly from informative podcasts, then start it lightly. Listen
    to some comedy podcasts first, then explore the whole podcast world.
    Comment some podcast we should listen to.

  • How to start Your own Startup Business that Thrives?

    Starting your own business can be challenging. The use of the Internet and smartphones have brought tons of opportunities for startups for the last two decades. To setup a successful business, you need to create a proper business plan, assess your finances, complete all the legal paperwork, choose your partners, choose the best tools. But question remains how to start a business plan. Here’s a step by step guide on how to start a business from scratch.

    Google, Apple, Snapchat, and Instagram were all tech startups that have turned their founders into multi-millionaires. Surprisingly, the tech sector is not the only industry with the opportunity for startups. Other areas, such as agriculture, clothing, health, retail, and many more have excellent opportunities for a startup to grow. One just needs to use proper strategy and tools to start a small business that thrives.

    Steps to Start a Profitable Business

    Refine your Business Idea

    Think of an idea or product that you strongly believe in. Every great startup begins with a plan from someone’s mind. These people have their minds set, understanding enough to execute their ideas. This step is probably the hardest of them all because finding a great idea that you strongly believe in can be challenging. Thinking of a unique excellent or product gives your startup even more leverage to succeed.

    Types of Business plan for Startup Founders
    A business plan [/tag/business-plan/] is a written description of yourbusiness’s future, a document that tells what you plan to do and how you plan todo it. The importance of a business plan needs no explanation. Just liketextbooks for the basis for education, a business plan forms the crux of a…

    Find a mentor

    While not entirely necessary, finding a mentor is often a vital step in putting up a successful startup company. Mentors are great because they give start valuable insight and guidance in starting your business, especially if you have no prior experience in business planning and management. You can find a startup CEO coach online to help you learn the ropes on running your business. A mentor or startup CEO coach also passes on valuable lessons learned from years of experience.

    Write Business Plan

    Create a business plan or make a feasibility study. Once you have your idea and before anything else, you need to start building your business plans. Your business plan will tell you the feasibility of your business succeeding, how much risk is involved, and whether it would be worth seeing through.

    Design your Product or layout for your Service

    After making a business plan, the next step is to create a detailed study and subsequent business plan for your product or services. To succeed, you need to offer products or valuable services your intended customers will appreciate. You can always ask the help of professionals or freelancers to help you with your business development plan.

    Find the means to execute your design

    Once you have your own product or service ready, you need to find the effective methods to create it. You can opt to get a loan from a bank, partner with another company, look for investors, raise the money yourself, etc. Part of the design execution first involves proper budget estimations, possible profit calculations and so on.

    10 Steps To Ultimate Guide Of Writing Business Plan
    A business plan decides the future of a business. It’s working, profit, featureseverything is a layout in a business plan. But there is no universally acceptedtemplate of a business plan- it tends to differ from company to company, ownerto owner, product to product, service to service. No matter…

    Analyze and optimize.

    Once you have executed your design or started your company, it does not stop there. For your business to succeed, you need to keep it running at its full potential by continuously improving and optimizing your current processes. You can use bpm software to help you with the modeling and optimization of your operations.

    These are the general steps to creating a startup that thrives. The proper attitude is also necessary for building your own company. The journey requires a lot of determination, patience, and motivation.  

  • How To Sell Masks Online- Is Bound To Make An Impact In Your Business

    Being hit by the Coronavirus has left us all in an awkward position on how to set up a business or how to put your business back on track. Geronimo! COVID-19 came up with an exciting business setup of COVID essentials. Masks: one of the basic essentials to put on while stepping out of your safe zone to protect yourselves. Then learning some tips to sell masks online becomes important and how to sell masks online in India especially.

    As we all know, individuals did face the difficulty to buy covid essentials during a time like this. Etiquettes like practicing social distancing, wearing masks in public, and covering your mouth while sneezing or coughing have adapted in our lifestyle. 2020 has been a metamorphic year, where till now we have seen an outbreak of a virus, lack of basic resources, global lockdown, and protests. Protests and manual factory jobs have brought back humans on to the streets again—where 6 feet rule is quite impossible to follow.

    List of 7 Best Face Masks Manufacturers in India:
    Tips to Sell Face Masks Online
    Step-Wise Guide To Sell Face Masks Online On Amazon

    Face masks as fashion icon in a new era.
    Face masks as a fashion icon in this new era.

    With this recommendation, everyone is looking on the internet- from where to buy masks online. The tastes have varied from face masks as a style icon to breathable face masks. In the interim, you can start your own business out of selling masks online in a trice.

    List of 7 Best Face Masks Manufacturers in India:

    • VENUS Safety & Health Pvt. Ltd.
    • Thea-Tex Healthcare (India) Pvt. Ltd.
    • Z Plus Disposable
    • Salus Products
    • Smilepad Hygiene India Pvt. Ltd.
    • Cartel Healthcare Pvt. Ltd.
    • MBL Impex Private Limited

    The demand for these face masks is on a steep rise, as more and more people are stepping out of their homes and thus need an appropriate face mask. There has been a funny caption out there to encourage everyone to wear a mask:

    Masks: So, you can perfect the skills of eye contact.

    Although cloth masks will not guarantee the contraction of coronavirus or passing it on, this is a sort of public health precautions which should be considered seriously if not for themselves then others. Selling masks online in India can definitely turn out to be the most productive and high pay work, not for yourself but to society.

    How to get a Verified Badge on WhatsApp Business?
    Over 25% of the world’s population is using WhatsApp [/tag/whatsapp/]. In India,there are around more than 400 million Whatsapp users most of which arecustomers. Thus, Whatsapp provides the businesses good facility to serve theircustomers. For this, getting WhatsApp verified badge helps businesse…

    Since the start of the pandemic, there has been a shortage of face masks on a large level, so in response to it, many have started making homemade cloth masks, which is highly recommended everywhere because whatever the myth may be, it has slowed down the spread of virus yet.

    How to sell face masks | Print on Demand

    The past few months have seen increasing demands for face masks, so learning new skills and listing them in your online shop could be a great opportunity for a small business. Listed below are some tips:

    Tips to Sell Face Masks Online

    1.Don’t Fake Medical Claims About Your Masks

    Try not to make a fuss out of a fabric face mask and not make any medical or health claims for it. It’s seen that some of the online sellers have to claim their masks as of antibacterial properties or comparing to N95 masks. Never use this language or that type of publicity for a product which is mere homemade fabric. Cut that out on tags, description or listing photos. Because people out there are not fool.

    2. No Reselling

    Making your own masks are way good deed than reselling of masks that you already bought because either way you can donate to one’s who really need like donate them to workers in a local hospital. Reselling is highly not recommended at a turbulent time like this.

    Top 10 Ways to Build Customer Trust in Online Business
    In family or in business[https://startuptalky.com/tag/successful-startup-stories/], every successfulrelationship involves trust. Trust determines the progress that we make in life.People can lose trust in you as a result of you being negative, self-centered,selfish or even ungrateful. In our dai…

    3. Listings and Product Photography

    A product listing with a description of masks and descriptive buyer’s questions with answers. Product photos make it more clear about what’s for sale and the quality of the fabric. All the descriptions and photos give shoppers all the basic information about the product and give them the assurance of making a good purchase. Try listing the items under a category named Personal Care, this will make it easier for shoppers to find products of their personal interests.

    Mask Sizing Guide
    Mask Sizing Guide

    4. Highlight Product Info

    DO highlight important product info about masks which could be the fabric type of masks, washable, reusable, reversible, and adjustable masks. These specific features are eye-catchers to almost every customer. You can add this under listings with a little description and similar keywords that help highlight your listings with buyers’ searches.

    5. Increased Sales and Marketing

    Introduce your product on social media or talk to a local marketing agency that could help to get your product out there and boost the sale of your product. Talk to your friends and family who could help increase the sale of face masks in your society. Start promoting out in your circles as the important message is out quickly which could further add up the sales.

    Digital Marketing Business ideas | Online Business in 2019
    Digital marketing is gaining immense popularity among entrepreneurs, marketersand consumers. While entrepreneurs andsoi marketers use digital marketing[https://startuptalky.com/tag/digital-marketing/] to reach out to a large targetaudience, consumers life has also become easier as they can explo…

    6. Proper Delivery Info

    Often, there is a complaint of delayed deliveries which could lead up to the lost interest of buyers. Try to make your deliveries quick and swift. Giving them a notification about their products being dispatched could be a sign of relief that their product is on way. A special set of Delivery Profile gives you the same settings to multiple listings at once and for future deliveries. Always show your customers an estimated delivery date, add mail and delivery carrier, so that they can track their orders. If in any chance, an order got delayed then reach out to your customers and let them know about the safety of their product. This could help you to update the date when it’s dispatched and this ensures about the less communication gap between you and the customer which means that both of you are on the same page.

    Update your customers about the delivery
    Update your customers about the delivery

    7. Be Updated

    Try keeping up with processing up to date as this will let customers know about the time their order is going to take to dispatch at their doorsteps. If you think that loads of orders would lead to a shortage of masks, then let them know about it. Maintaining a friendly connection with your customer can also increase the sale of the masks in the coming future. Adjusting your processing time will give them an accurate estimate about when their orders will arrive and when can they order soon.

    10 Best Sales Intelligence Tools in 2020 | Software | Marketing Solution
    Sales intelligence software helps companies [/tag/companies/] use internal andexternal data to increase sales and improve sales processes. Companies use salesintelligence software to improve the quality and quantity of sales leads byusing data to find new opportunities and provide salespeople wit…

    8.Setting Realistic Expectations for Both the Party

    Getting a good lot of orders could be exciting and overwhelming on both hands. In a good way, you can try limiting the quantity to the number of products you currently have or just turn off the renew on the listing of that product so that you don’t have many sales for. Be more realistic about your working hours because that way you can complete the demands of your incomplete orders.

    feedback from customers
    feedback from customers.

    Step-Wise Guide To Sell Face Masks Online On Amazon

    Step 1: Register as an Amazon Seller

    You will need some of your following details to create your seller account on Amazon. That’ll be: your GST Number, PAN Information, and an Active Bank Account for Payments.

    Step 2: Listing Your Products

    This is the important step to display your products on Amazon.in for customers to buy it. so, you need to list them by either Adding a New Offer (scanning the product barcode) or Creating a New Listing (uploading product images and fill in the details).

    Craftsvilla Success Story – Ethnic Junction with Artistic Products of Top-Notch Quality!
    The Indian handicrafts sector provides livelihoods to millions of people aroundthe country, especially women. However, linking small-scale rural producers tourban and global markets has been a challenge. Efficiently connecting buyers andsellers in the handicrafts and handmade clothing market coul…

    Step 3: Deliver to customer

    Now, when your product has recieved an order, then you’ll need to deliver it to the customer. There can be many ways to do this:

    • Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) Amazon stores, packs & delivers your products. Products on FBA are Prime eligible.
    • Easy Ship You store & pack your products, Amazon delivers.
    • Self-Ship You store, pack & deliver your products.

    Step 4: Get paid every 7 days

    You will get paid for your delivered orders in 7-day payment cycles after deducting the Amazon fees, with funds deposited directly into your bank account.

    How to sell masks and covid essentials online | Start your business

    During the pandemic, many crafty people are sewing face masks at home too for family friends and neighbors which is obviously a good thing. Many top brands like Levi’s, United Colours of Benetton, Banana Republic, Zara, and online shops Like Shein, Bewakoof.com have started to manufacture funky masks style. Even Kardashians and Kylie Jenner have come up with their magic wand and launched their own designer lines.

    List of eCommerce Business Ideas which anyone can easily start
    eCommerce is a business trending at present due to its increased conveniencethat it provides to the customer. All the activities of commercial transactionswhich include transfers, Supply Chain Management, electronic marketing, EDI anddistribution of goods and services are integrated by an electro…

    The world has changed and not only changed, but some would say transformed. People are also on the edge and fighting their lives to bring on a new normal. It’s easy to get scared and isolate yourself, but instead of victimizing yourself we can all take a step towards providing a solution to our community.

    Stay home, Stay Safe!

  • How To Crowdfund Your Startup

    3Doodler. A product that lets you create 3D structures using plastic. I’m quite certain you have come across an advertisement or at least heard from your friends about the company. This is one of the most successful way of crowdfunding for startups in India, raising over $2,344,134 in thirty-four days, and that’s no small feat. I hope that helps you realize the power of crowdfunding.

    Back up. What is crowdfunding?

    Crowdfunding is one of the more recently popular forms of funding your project or venture that lets you raise small amounts of money from a large audience through the internet. There are lot of best crowdfunding websites for startup available too.

    Types of Crowdfunding

    Donation-Based Crowdfunding

    Help save flood victims’, ‘Help pay for Sarah’s cancer treatment’, and so on are a few examples. This is mostly utilized by not-for-profit campaigns to raise money for social causes. The campaign is launched on a crowdfunding platform and people donate to the cause without any questions asked and no rewards expected. The only reward is the satisfaction of doing something for the welfare of others and maybe getting a little credit publicly for that. If your venture is a non-profit one, say helping stray dogs in town or building shelter for the homeless, then this is the right fit for you.

       How to Crowdfund your startup
    Donation Based Crowdfunding

    Equity-Based Crowdfunding

    This form of crowdfunding declares a certain percentage of your company for sale in exchange for a certain amount. For example, you put up ten percent of your venture in exchange for raising an amount of $1,000,000, then contributing $10,000 will give the investor a one percent ownership of your company.

    How crowdfunding works in India to raise funding for startup
    The concept of crowdfunding has just started to gain momentum in India.‘Funding’ is the first problem new people, entering the world of business forfirst time, find it difficult. Startups have to turn to institutions and angelinvestors because there is lack of funds for bootstrapping or lack of h…

    How is this different from an IPO (Initial Public Offering)?

    An equity-based crowdfunding has a much lower minimum investment amount compared to an IPO. There are also eligibility criteria in place for an IPO. Crowdfunding is only restricted by the rules put in place by the platform, and those rules majorly affect the campaign goals rather than the product itself.

    Reward-Based Crowdfunding

    The counterpart of shares in equity-based crowdfunding here is rewards in the form of a product or service. The rewards can be anything; from something as simple as a shout-out to a limited edition of their product. Creative products such as jewelry or music have the most to gain from choosing this type because they are the most likely to attract a general audience and can easily appease them with simple rewards. Since the field is predominantly creative, you have to be careful not to give away any ideas while you create your campaign.

       How to Crowdfund your startup
    Reward Based Crowdfunding

    Debt Based Crowdfunding

    This is similar to taking a loan from the bank without the hassle of waiting for loan approval and needing to qualify loan eligibility criteria. The investors only have to trust your campaign. The interest rates are considerably lower compared to a bank. The assets are offered as collateral rather than putting them up for sale as in equity-based crowdfunding. The advantage is not having to sell your stock but you have to return the money with interest.

    How to Raise Fund for Startup in India
    Finance is the fuel needed to run any business. There are numerous stories ofentrepreneurial ventures which could not survive despite having great potentialtanking, due to shortage of funding [https://startuptalky.com/tag/funding/].Getting fund is especially challenging when a business is in the …

    A crowdfunded campaign is a way to find your customers hidden as investors. People who invest in your product naturally have a desire to see you succeed. That leads to their suggesting what you can do to improve your product and if they find any faults with it ( hopefully you don’t ). These suggestions are feedback. Use them. And don’t hesitate to request feedback on future occasions as well, without giving away too many details ( strictly need-to-know ).

    Before we start with the ‘how to crowdfund guide’, take a moment to think if crowdfunding is the way to raise funds for your startup. It may seem like an appealing way to make so-called easy-money but crowdfunding is as hard as you will realize when we discuss the factors behind a successful crowdfunding campaign in India.

    How to Run a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign

    Before Letters Come Numbers

    Deciding the amount you want to raise is the first step. Your goal should be a guesstimate of what you need. Raising more than you need will require making promises or commitments you can’t deliver, and raising lesser will lead to…well you know what it leads to. Some platforms let you keep whatever amount you raised while some cancel the campaign altogether.

    Your Target Audience

    To whom are you going to sell the product? Take time to think about your target audience. Does your product/service cater to a certain age group, gender, demographic, or any such division? Or is it a little more sophisticated, catering to techies, artists, or any other profession? The only thing you should know better than your audience is your product.

    List of 11 Best Crowdfunding Sites in India for Startups
    Crowdfunding [/tag/crowdfunding/] is all about creating a community around yourproject. A community that funds the project and also helps in spreading the wordabout your project. It’s all about asking for small amounts of money from manypeople instead of finding that one or two people to cut you …

    The Platform

    Your target audience will decide the platform you launch your campaign in. “Gofundme” is known for its social causes and “Kickstarter” is known for its creative and technical ventures. And there are many more platforms available. Do your research on which platform has the largest reach of your target audience.

    Your Marketing Campaign

    Now it’s time to work on your campaign. It goes without saying and I’m saying it so you know how important it is – You need a kickass campaign. Humans are visual creatures. Creating a small video (90-120 seconds) of your journey or how your product is used can go miles in making an impression. You can use any channel which suits your requirements best- websites, social media, etc. And they should lead back to your crowdfunding page. Again, research marketing tactics suited to your product. Explore your competitors’ marketing campaigns.

       How to Crowdfund your startup
    Marketing Campaign

    A Timeline

    Apart from setting a funding goal, you need to create a timeline of smaller goals you mean to achieve periodically. While the initial days can be a gamechanger for a crowdfunded campaign, you should set realistic goals to recognize whether your campaign is working or not. Know when to accept defeat.

    The Rewards

    Any form of crowdfunding offers some sort of reward. Take the first type. The feeling of supporting a good cause is a reward in itself. In other types, however, the reward is more of an incentive, monetary, or goods form. Assuming you have spent enough time to understand your audience/ investors, you should have a clear understanding of what reward they might expect.

    Logistics

    As mentioned before, don’t over- or under-raise. Assess your capabilities to commit. Go over finances,  forecast your demand, and calculate the demand you will be able to meet. Also, have a contingency plan in place for when you over- or under-raise.

    Now you know what it takes to run a successful crowdfunding campaign.

    Common Mistakes To Avoid

    • Assuming people will throw money at you as soon as you launch the campaign.
    • Not networking.
    • Creating hype without ensuring value.
    • Failing to keep in touch with your investors.
    • Over-promising and under-delivering.
    • Relying solely on crowdfunding

    Crowdfunding for SaaS
    If you’re a developer, you know how hard funding and traction are to come by.Most software startups try crowdfunding[https://startuptalky.com/tag/crowdfunding/]and fail — they’re doing it wrong!To crowdfund your app, and supercharge your business, let’s look at what works,what doesn’t, and get s…

    The conclusion is research. Lots and lots of research. Enough for you to get a Ph.D. in it. Look at other successful crowdfunding campaigns for inspiration and continuously evaluate your own. Every campaign is unique so don’t compare the results of yours with another. Understand when to persevere and when to accept defeat. I wish you all the luck in the world for a successful crowdfunding campaign!

  • How to Build an Email List for Business? | Tools for Email List building in 2020

    Email marketing helps you not only to promote the brand or launch a new product but build a relationship with your customers and convert them into loyal customers. Email marketing is the primary method for promotion. But you need to find out how to create an email list. To collect emails for your business, you have to make some strategy. People are not going to come to you and give their email addresses themselves. Here are tips on how to build an email list and free email listing tools.

    Email list building is an important element of a successful marketing strategy regardless of type of business you operate. With this list, you can share your story, promote your business, and showcase your products. There are many ways you can build an email list. This post covers some ways you can get more email subscribers and email service tips to improve their experience which will motivate them to share your content with others and ultimately, generate leads for you.

    How to Build Your Email List
    Tools for Email List Building

    How to Build Your Email List

    1. Just Ask

    You can just ask people to subscribe to your newsletter. Most of the people who loved your content will subscribe to you. For this, you can share some of your best content. If they like the content, they will subscribe to your newsletter resulting into fast email list building for free.

    2. Make it Easier

    If you ask for more than the needed information, people are going to doubt you for sure. Furthermore, the super lazy people, like me, will just hit the back button immediately when they will see an email form with many fields. So, just ask for their emails and if needed, their opinion about the content.

    3. Exhibit in Trade Shows

    how to create an email list

    Exhibit your company in trade shows. Ask people personally to subscribe to your newsletter after telling them about your website. You can use a paper and pen, or get a tablet to let them directly subscribe to your newsletter online. In fact, 81% of people who attend trade shows are influential people of a company and have buying authority. If you have a B2B business, you can generate leads targeting those people with email marketing.

    4. Discount

    Everyone loves discounts! You can give free products or a discount on your products if someone subscribes to your newsletter. In this way, you can know who is your potential customer and who’s not. You can then advertise your products to the target customers. Make sure you organize the email list you made after providing the benefits.

    5. Facebook Ads

    Facebook is the biggest advertising platform after Google for targeted email lists. You can advertise your website on Facebook and ask people to subscribe to your newsletter. Moreover, you can add a CTA button on your professional Facebook profile.

    6. Guest Blog

    You can write a blog for some other website as a guest. Put the CTA of subscribing to your newsletter, in your details. Also, don’t forget to mention your website there in the article.

    7. Host Webinars

    The best thing about the webinar is that people have to sign up before entering it. So, you can collect many emails at once with the help of just one webinar.

    Provide “Forward to a friend” link at the end of your emails. Your customers are the best marketing team you can have. If your content is good enough, there high chances that they’ll forward it to their friends and colleagues.

    9. Categorize

    Categorize your email list according to people’s needs. You can then send them all different emails so that every subscriber gets what they want.

    10. A/B Testing

    A/B Testing is to check 2 different versions of anything to see which one is the best. A/B test different signup forms to know which will be the most optimised for your website. Analyze and decide what works best for your website.

    How to do A/B Testing to Increase your Sales | A/B Testing Guide
    Do you want more Click Through Rate (CTR)? Who doesn’t? Then you must know aboutA/B testing. A/B testing is a method for figuring out the best onlinepromotional and marketing strategies suitable for your business. A/B testinghelps you to make decisions like which image to include in the website, …

    11. Birthday Wishes

    Birthday is the most special day for anyone. Whenever we get an unexpected birthday wish, it becomes more special. So, send special birthday emails to your subscribers if you have their data. Don’t market any of your products in that email, it will have bad impression on people.

    12. Create a contest

    how to build an email list for free

    Many people love to participate in a competition and get rewarded for it. Taking advantage of this scenario you can organize a competition and ask them to subscribe to the newsletter. Winner will, of course, get some prize and you will be getting numbers of email subscribers to add on the email list.

    13. A signup form

    Popup signup forms still works very well. Add some discount vouchers or offers to lure people to fill the form out. This way good numbers of potential customers will be added on the list.

    20 Best Practices boosting the design of your Sign Up Form | Sign up form optimisation
    StartupTalky’s Sign up formA signup form let the user input the required dataand the website to collect and save it. It is a means to subscribe the user toyour email list. Sign up form is the most important part of a website. It isbecause of the fact that those who sign up for the website, are mo…

    Tools for Email Building

    Now, we have various ways to create an email list but the tools make everything easier. Hence here are few tools to build an email list for your business-

    Tinyletter

    If you are looking for how to grow your email list, Tinyletter is a tool which is used to write a quick email newsletter. It is a completely free tool and provide 5,000 free emails to its users.

    Emailoctopus

    It allows to send 1000 free email for a month and then charges minimal fees to send more emails. It uses Amazon SES (Simple Email Service) to send the emails. Emailoctopus also lets the creator choose the design, content, and statistics of the emails. It allows 62,000 emails per month to upto 2500 people.

    Benchmark Mail

    This app allows creating newsletters in dozens of languages, for the reader to read it everywhere they want. It comes with options like easy to edit, color-driven templates and drag-and-drop sections for the mails. It allows sending up to 7 emails a month to 2,000 people.

    Mailchimp

    It is one of the most popular email newsletter apps to create a newsletter. Its free plan includes landing page builder, form tool, marketing automation and A/B testing. It allows 6 mails per month to 2,000 subscribers.

    Revue

    Revue is an editorial newsletter tool for writers and publishers. Revue allows to create emails from curated content. It allows sending unlimited emails to 50 people.

    How to Write email for Awareness Stage (SaaS)?
    With customer [https://startuptalky.com/tag/customers/]retention in general,there are a few key ingredients you need for success: * A deep understanding of your customer * The ability to provide exceptional customer support * Loyalty rewards Now, these three ingredients aren’t the only thing y…

    Conclusion

    The email list is a crucial part for any online business. You cannot just rely on paid advertisements for marketing. You need your channel to become a brand. But collecting emails and building an email list not as easy as it seems, neither its impossible. Furthermore, you might get an already built email list in exchange of some bucks from the black markets, but it will never worth it. The email list you build will be the people who will be already aware of your product, but the list you will buy will be just some random people who will blacklist your emails. Therefore, do your best in building a good email list and create good content for your audience.

    If you know more ways to gather emails, please share with us in the comment.

  • How to Perform Lift Station Maintenance

    A lift station is available in offices when the gravity stream is not ideal because of elevations or limitations. Lift station systems can be used in both clean and stormwater applications. Likewise, these stations are alluded to as dock siphons, sump siphons, sewage ejectors, siphon stations, or lift siphons. Hence, they require standard inspection and upkeep to continue legitimate execution regardless of the tremendous burdens it encounters.

    Lift stations can have a great life span as a useful resource. Steel lift siphoning stations typically have a useful life of 15-20 years, or conceivably more with proactive maintenance. The lift station’s average lifespan can be credited to the continuous fixes’ nature over the long haul. It is accordingly essential to perform legitimate maintenance on lift stations. Cloud-based SCADA software can be exceptionally valuable since they give an automated technique to guaranteeing your lift station’s superior functionality paying little heed to its age.

    What is a Lift Station?

    A wastewater lift station is a siphon station intended to move wastewater, or sewage, from a lower to higher rise utilizing an assortment framework. These siphon stations are frequently used to move wastewater from private and business offices to their last objective: wastewater treatment plants. Read more about Samsara’s guide on lift stations to know more.

    When to Do a Maintenance

    Maintaining a lift station can be daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually. With SCADA software, administrators do not always have to visit on-site. Likewise, they can organize their most significant work from anyplace while maintaining the system. If companies plan to do it daily or weekly, they should:

    • Examine the lift station visually or audibly.
    • Record siphon hours for each siphon.
    • Check for lopsided siphon run times.
    • Wash down the wet well.
    • Check for sand and slop aggregation.
    • Check for signs of high water levels.
    • Inspect lights and alert frameworks.

    Monthly, they should:

    • Investigate each siphon for appropriate siphoning (run each siphon through manual control, watch level ascent, and fall).
    • Pump down wet well to the absolute bottom, and make a visual investigation.
    • Check wet well floats.
    • Exercise suctions and release valves.
    • Test back-up generator for unwavering quality.

    Quarterly, it is best for companies to:

    • Eliminate excessive coarseness and oil with VAC trucks.
    • Test generators, under load, for 15 minutes.
    • Inspect siphons by checking it and channeling for defects, recording amperage readings for each.
    • Clean and assess floats.

    If a company plans to do maintenance annually, it must:

    • Examine electrical hardware such as consumed wiring, connections, parts, corrosion, or dampness.
    • Pump and clean wet wells
    • Clean submersible level sensors, if relevant, by utilizing a mild cleanser.
    • Inspect and clean check valves.
    • Pull siphons and perform siphon examination.

    Aspects to Be Evaluated

    Water companies utilize SCADA software to distantly screen and control siphons, engines, water tanks, and other essential equipment. Experiences from the software help relieve resource failure and guarantee water services are continually running efficiently. In lift station maintenance, these aspects should be exhaustively assessed by companies:

    • Voltage
    • Amperage
    • Outside siphons
    • Siphon Functionality
    • Wet well condition
    • Discharge channeling
    • In-line check valves
    • Water level sensors
    • Siphon regulators
    • Telemetry system
    • Emergency reinforcement gadgets
    • Generator functionality
    • In-line processors related with a clean waste stream

    While these aspects require rigorous inspection, there is an easier way to check these aspects. Clients of cloud-based wastewater solutions approach their information from any versatile internet browser or cell phone. SCADA software encourages users to limit human on-location visits to the lift station for hardware assessment. It additionally guarantees that administrators can depend on secure and continuous admittance to their information wherever that versatile remote access permits. As a SCADA solution provider, Samsara provides a limitless number of credentialed clients to safely get to the controls and information from any internet browser or cell phone. There is no restriction to the entrance given by the stage that could upset permeability.

    Operational Strategy: Run to Fail

    “Run to fail” suggests that the association will expect unavoidable disappointments and have adequate extra parts and staff close by to keep the vacation beneath hierarchical prerequisites. The reasonable personal time is typically determined on a station-by-station premise.

    Rush to fail is a maintenance procedure where support is possibly performed when equipment has fizzled. In contrast to impromptu and responsive maintenance, appropriate run to fail support is an intentional and considered technique intended to limit total support costs. By and large, it is an incredible upkeep system; however, it is horrible for others.

    Option 1: Preventive Maintenance

    More normal among medium-sized and more prominent companies was a degree of preventive maintenance, e.g., adjusting the impellers and seals inside a set period or measure of run time, such as regular intervals, like clockwork, so forth.

    Companies with preventive support methods accepted that running to fail was imperfect, and there was an “obligation of care” duty to keep the resources in a decent condition. Most utilities with this strategy recognized that they did not know whether they were doing a lot of support. In any case, by and large, they were alright with their degree of expenditure and were not encountering an elevated level of disappointments. Additionally, their solace with their degree of the cost was usually because they had gotten familiar with it.

    Option 2: Predictive Maintenance

    Predictive maintenance depends on the standard of checking the exhibition of the machines while they are working. Performance observation expects to assess both when machines can break down and the reason behind. This maintenance innovation depends on how machine parts give particular kinds of caution before they break down. The vibration was utilized as the failure identification boundary, as it provides an admonition of practically all typical failures, found in siphons and electrical engines, heretofore.

    Conclusion

    While lift stations inside a wastewater treatment infrastructure give intrinsic benefits over the significant expenses of underground gravity sewer frameworks, actually assessing these lift station resources can be time and labor-intensive. By utilizing SCADA software and far off checking systems, there are more opportunities to diminish operating expenses productively.