Ozami Guides – How to do this or that!

Telecommuting

When the Internet was still the ‘next big thing’ many people were predicting that it would change how we work. They saw the office being all but abandoned as people started working from home.

But this changed never really happened. Yes some people telecommute for their work, and many more do so for at least part of their working time. So does this mean that telecommuting is dead in the water?

Actually, no. It seems that slowly telecommuting is gaining in popularity. And with good reason – there are many benefits to be gained for both people and companies that allow telecommuting to be an option for workers.

The Benefits of Telecommuting

So why is telecommuting starting to rise in popularity? The main reason is the recession. The post credit crunch world needs companies to save money, and there is a fair bit of money to be saved from allowing workers to telecommute.

No Desk Space

There is no cost to do with office space. So no paying additional rent to find room for workers, no cost of office equipment such as desks, and no need to pay for cleaners to clear up after them.

No Travel Costs

For the worker there is the benefit of not having to pay money to get into work, as they are working from home. No petrol fees or train costs.

Less Stressful

The office can be stressful, with office politics, people getting on each others backs – and of course the stress of the trip in. Telecommuting saves all this stress, which leads to increased productivity, which is always important for the company’s bottom line.

The Best People

Sometimes you can miss out on hiring the best people because they simply can not fit to what you imagine the working day to be. Maybe they can’t get someone to sit with the kids till after they would have to leave. By telecommuting you can ensure you hire people who would otherwise be unreachable.

Pay Cuts

If a company is looking to cut people’s pay, then they need to make concessions. In people polled about what would make them accept a pay cut, being able to work from home was in the top 10 reasons.

Of course telecommuting isn’t perfect – there are problems too. For example it can be hard to monitor what work is getting done, that people aren’t just wasting time. But it does have a lot of advantages, which is why more and more companies are taking another look at allowing telecommuting for their workers.

To allow this working from home to be an option, you of course need to ensure that the person has the right equipment. This can mean they have the basics such as a computer, an Internet connection and a telephone, or it might mean more specialised equipment.

It also means ensuring they have sufficient Internet capacity to be able to get all the work done. Given that the owner, or the company, will need to also be saving money to make this cost effective then finding a Verizon FiOS promotion code or similar is an essential part of getting the telecommute set up and running.

ecommerce

Fundamental to any business – online or offline – is the question of what value you are bringing to your customers. While it’s very easy to convince yourself why you should make money, no one makes a profit without customers. Other than short-term fraudsters, no one gets customers when there is no reason for them to part with their cash.
So you have to think about which customer needs you are meeting and how you will try to distinguish yourself from the competition. Is it by having a better range in a very specialist field or by providing a service or product that others don’t offer?

Having decided on the proposition, when you develop your website you must both support and communicate this proposition, and provide everything possible that the customer needs to make a decision to buy. Put yourself in their shoes – what would you need to know?

Either way, it’s good to specialise – particularly when you first start up. It’s easier to become an expert, provide great service and compete with the big boys in a narrow niche.

What technology?
In general, you need to pay as little for technology as possible, so that you leave money for marketing. A site needs to look good, but it’s possible to spend too much money on design. Having site that is fast, always available and easy to use is probably more important than a fancy flashy on.
Unless you are planning to do something no one has done before, don’t let anyone talk you into a bespoke development for your ecommerce store. There are many great ecommerce packages around and paying through the nose for something that will stroke the developer’s ego – but otherwise be less flexible and much, much more expensive long term – doesn’t make any sense.

Let the world know
Once you have a site up and running, you need to let the world know. The surest way to do this is through search engine marketing, which enables you to tap into people when they are actually searching for the types of products you sell. To find out how to do this, you can get advice from the Marketing Donut. With the rise of social networks, there’s also a new frontier to explore. People are still feeling their way when it comes to marketing through Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, so there is a great opportunity to get ahead of the crowd, but it will take time and dedication.
Priorities
The biggest priorities are having something to sell that people want and making sure you can do that profitably. Then you need to focus on marketing and measuring results. If no one visits your ecommerce store, you won’t make any sales. These are the areas to focus on.