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Small Space, Big Business. It’s Possible!If you’re looking to start a home business, you already know you’re going to face challenges. With your home already occupied by you and your family, space is often limited, and you may have additional challenges to face.
Today, United Ventures shares tips to help you navigate starting a business in cramped quarters. First, Evaluate Your first step as a potential future home-business owner is to evaluate your space. If you share a studio apartment with someone else, and they also work from home, you might want to rethink your address or, at the very least, work with them to set a schedule where you can each work uninterrupted at least a few hours each day. If talking on the phone isn’t typically necessary, you might be able to section the room to make sure you each have a work zone that’s functional and clutter-free. Next, contact your landlord. While most won’t have a problem with you operating as a remote worker or computer-based freelancer, if you plan to have other people on-site, TenantCloud notes that this might violate local zoning ordinances. Get permission from your landlord before doing anything that changes the traffic pattern of people coming in and out of your building. They might place restrictions on what you can do, such as prohibiting manufacturing operations from taking place. If running your business from your rental is a problem, you may want to look into purchasing a house instead. Although you may pay more upfront, buying a home will give you the freedom to renovate to meet your business’s needs. Plus, you will be building equity instead of giving your hard earned money to a landlord. Next, Get Set Up Once you have obtained permission, it’s time to get your business set up. This should start by forming a legal business structure, which protects your personal assets and helps you keep money in the bank come tax time. You don’t have to hire an attorney, and you may save money by researching laws and regulations online, where you can also use a formation service to establish a private limited company. Then you can register your business online. Setting your home office up might actually be harder than handling legal matters. When you’re dealing with a small space, you have to be highly creative. This could mean anything from using a hidden desk to utilizing closet space for everyday office tasks. Something else important to consider before you create a work zone is that you need somewhere that’s quiet. If you are in a corner apartment, set up near an outside wall. Otherwise, add some form of sound barrier to reduce outside interference from noisy neighbors. Once you’ve established your business, you’ll want to begin marketing. While you can certainly handle marketing on your own, it may be wise to check into a PR agency or marketing company like United Ventures. Having professional help in your corner will save you time to focus on other things that demand your attention while ensuring that your business’s marketing budget goes as far as it can. Request Customer Feedback Through Surveys As a new business, it's important to understand how your customers feel about your products or services. One effective method for gathering feedback is through incentivized surveys. By offering participant incentives, such as discounts or gift cards, you can encourage customers to take the time to share their thoughts and opinions. This allows you to gain valuable insights into customer satisfaction, identify areas for improvement, and ultimately grow your business. So if you're looking to understand your customers better, consider implementing incentivized surveys into your feedback strategy. Find Your Work/Life Balance Now comes the important part of learning how to balance your work and home life. When you go into an office or brick-and-mortar building each day, you can often leave work behind. Not so much when you work from home. Learn how to prioritize self-care, which includes spending long weekends away from home/work. Your next step is to ensure that your family knows when you are working and when you are free to handle personal matters, such as fixing snacks or handling disputes over who gets to watch TV. If you have young children, plan to utilize visual cues that let them know you’re busy. Keep in mind that a child’s brain can process a picture in 1/10th of a second, so something as simple as a red flag on your desk will give them a heads up that they must wait. Make Your Business Dreams Happen When you have very little space but big aspirations, you may have to put in some work to get your business up and running. But, with patience, creativity, and drive, you can take control of your wealth from the comfort of home. And, you won’t have to enact drastic changes or make it happen. |
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How Website ADA Compliance for Hearing-Impaired People Helps You and Your CustomersUnited Ventures assists entrepreneurs, as well as local and small businesses with branding, creative planning, marketing and all other implementation areas surrounding a product or service. Contact us today for more info! (816) 533-5072
When building your company website, you consider a host of factors. Your domain name, color scheme, branding, blog, calls to action, and mobile compatibility are key elements to effective site design. Don't overlook one vital aspect of your website: accessibility. All users should be able to use, navigate and make purchases from your site. Read on for some insights from United Ventures. ADA Compliance The Americans With Disabilities Act ensures the rights of people living with disabilities. Murray State explains that it requires companies to make reasonable accommodations for accessibility. The Americans With Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design outline electronic and information technology mandates. Accessibility-related lawsuits are increasing. Some people may consider websites to be public spaces, putting them in the category of Title III businesses. According to statistics cited by the World Health Organization, more than 1.5 billion people have hearing loss worldwide. It's a good policy to be proactive and bring your site up to compliance so that people with hearing impairments can enjoy using your website. Bypassing lawsuits isn't the only reason to make your site compliant, though. Many people can benefit if your site is inclusive, and you may also bring in new customers. Benefits of a Compliant Website A site that people with hearing impairments can use offers benefits not only to your clients but also to your company. When your website provides an equal-opportunity experience to all customers, it can:
Hiring Compliance Help ADA compliance regarding websites can be tricky. There are no federally mandated rules on making your site compliant. However, many companies use Web Content Accessibility Guidelines as a reference point. You don't have to navigate the ins and outs of compliance alone, though. You can consult professionals such as:
How to Improve Website Compliance Now that you understand the importance of website compliance, you may wonder what features make your site accessible. It's helpful to provide multiple ways to contact your business. Providing only a phone number isolates those who do not make voice calls. They may need alternatives such as email, video conferencing, or website chat. Keep your language easy to understand. Customers who speak English as a second language might not want to navigate through company jargon or complex, lengthy sentences. Use short, easy-to-read language and keep your message to the point. Provide captions with your videos. Be sure to describe non-spoken sounds such as laughter, music, and applause so that viewers understand your video message's context. Keep in mind that auto-generated captions aren't always accurate. Reviewing them before posting is best to ensure they match the sound. The captions need to synchronize with the video, too. If the words onscreen don't align with the sound, it can cause viewers confusion by missing the video's context. Ensure your content structure is clear, with correct headings, titles, lists, and paragraphs. This step creates a more efficient navigation experience for users. Making your website ADA-compliant benefits your company in many ways. It provides better service to your customers, making their user experience easy and efficient. It can also increase site traffic, lead to more conversions, and improve your reputation. Your efforts to ensure compliance are worth investing your time and resources in. |