Catastrophic Business Mistakes People Are Still Making In 2015
Mistakes-Precious Life Lessons
We live in 2015, which is to say we are a far more knowledgeable and civilised world than we have ever been. Or, so you would think. Let’s take business as an example. Nowadays, we are operating at a level that is far beyond any level of past generations. Why? It is because we have created technology that has taken over and has almost made succeeding easy.
Still, even with advances in technology, we are making silly mistakes that can have huge impacts on our business. In 2015, no one can continue to make these mistakes any longer as the competition has resources available to leave us in the dust. The answer is as obvious as it is simple: stop making mistakes. But, wherever you look, people cannot stop it and it is hard to find an answer as to why.
Luckily, writing this blog has given me an outlet. So, instead of watching people make the same mistakes and doing nothing, I can now offer advice. It is time to clear a few things up before they spiral out of control.
Not Using SEO
Whether you like it or not, marketing has changed forever. Television and radio are longer the undisputed kings because the Internet has taken over. As search engines have become more influential, they have come up with an algorithm that ranks websites on their site. But, why is that important? In basic terms, it all boils down to traffic. Traffic on a website is like the amount of people that come into a store: the more people in the store, the bigger the chance of making money. That transfers to the digital world, too, which is something you have to exploit. If you can appear on the first page of a search on a consistent basis, your website, hopefully, make more money.
Underestimating Social Media
‘Social media is fun, but it has no place in business’ is possibly the biggest overstatement in the history of business. In 2015, social media and business are inextricably linked. Again, social media is a great advertising tool because it can reach millions of people in seconds. Plus, it is free. Where else can you find that sort of effective tool for free? Plus, it is an effective R&D tool. If you use Twitter and Facebook correctly, you can start a conversation where the customer tells you what they want. All you have to do then is put it into production.
Some social media outlets, like LinkedIn, will provide you with the opportunity to create new business contacts, too.
Refusing To Outsource
Outsourcing has many potential benefits, but one is more important than anything else. Outsourcing saves you money, and that cannot be denied. Companies will agree to perform your menial tasks for a lower fee than you spend on it every year. And, they will do it better than you ever could! From that evidence alone, it is obvious suicide not to outsource certain jobs, but people are still sceptical. If you are a small to medium business, you cannot afford to be sceptical. There is a reason companies around the world don’t take care of their phone requirements.
Thinking That Hiring A Professional Is Too Expensive
On the face of it, it is not hard to see why people think hiring pros is a negative. There are no two ways about it: they are expensive. As a result, most people are scared away by the price tag. A lot of businesses think they can find a cheaper alternative that is just as good. What they don’t realise is that those alternatives don’t exist. They don’t exist because, simply, why would they charge that much less? Yes, they might take some of their competitions’ custom, but not enough to warrant a significant drop in price. And, in the long-term, they often end up paying more for a lesser standard. Take I.T as an example. You could pay companies such as Netstar to fix your IT issues in a timely and efficient manner, or you pay a lesser company who takes twice as long. The result is that your business is disrupted for longer than needed because you didn’t want to pay that little bit extra.
Thinking Talent Is Enough
It is not. The most talented people on the planet never got to where they are by doing the bare minimum, and neither can you. There is a certain amount of hard work that has to go into running a business. Otherwise, it is doomed to fail before it has even started. Natural ability will never just be enough, so if you are one of those people, it is time to graft.
Not Continuing Your Education
Learning does not cease to stop when you land a great job or start a company. In fact, learning only just begins after you have finished your formal education. There is so much that school and high learning doesn’t teach you about the workplace, so you need to learn quickly. Also, a willingness to learn will set you apart from the crowd. Business is incredibly competitive in the modern era, so anything that can help you stand out is a must.
Giving Up When It Gets Tough
I am not one for the macho ‘never give up’ nonsense because some things just don’t work out how you planned. That’s okay, as long as you give it your best shot. Giving up because things suddenly got difficult is not giving it your best shot. You will face adversity in business – in fact, if you don’t, you should be suspicious – but you need to be strong. There are examples galore of businesses that wouldn’t have made it if they quit but are now multibillion-dollar companies. It is a long shot, but it could be you!
All above one thing in common: they could be the difference between success and failure. Whether they save you money, time or they save you face, those little details are often what helps businesses come out on top.
