Five Businesses a Fresh Graduate Can Start and Succeed

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Completing your studies successfully is a significant achievement for any person. After this critical transition from a student to a civilian, the reality of how life is outside school comes into light. It becomes imperative for a student to get a source of income as part of survival. Pocket money from parents becomes a thing of the past. This pushes one to try as hard as possible to make both ends meet.

As afresh graduate and with no experience to show to potential employers, it proves hard to get a job. The most prudent thing, perhaps the last resort, is coming up with a business venture that will yield fruits in the due course. Below are simple businesses a fresh graduate can start and succeed.

Small Scale Importation Business

businessWe all may be aware of the challenges that one can go through during importation of resale products. They have to go through the authorities to be checked for conformance to quality standards, and this may take a few weeks. Amidst all this, one can still make money out of such a venture.

If done in small scale, it may be less tedious and less risky. Actually, one can import consumer goods that purchased by most college students. Do not forget that most of the people you know and can form a broad customer base are back in the university you graduated from.

Selling Snacks

This may sound funny and maybe more demeaning to the academic qualification you just attained. Anyway, do you have any other option? Buying snacks in wholesale and re-selling can prove to be a real deal. Moreover, one can cook some and sell them while they are hot.

You can even offer the door-to-door delivery service. I guess you know where Colonel Sanders of KFC started. One rich man once said that the world does not need to know what you passed through to get rich, so just get going!

Make Online Ebooks

Over the last decade, technology has presented the world with the biggest market ever, the integrated global village. You can make eBooks covering topics that has rampantly affected the larger part of the world’s populace. This can be a long-term engagement which can really help you earn huge lump sums. Selling online is now easy because of the various online-based platforms.

Office to Office Sales Activities

businessGoing around selling items on the streets is totally impossible to a graduate. You can do business with the employed class of people just to make you feel that you are doing the right thing. Carry your products in a backpack and move around offices to make sales.

This can be one venture that will not fail you. Most of the workers at the offices know what they want and will buy it at first sight. Your business will eventually turn to be an order and deliver business.

Start Online Marketing

Social media platforms have become better venues of carrying out marketing activities especially for targeted marketing. A fresh graduate can approach relatively small and growing companies and give them a proposal for online marketing. It is an easy job and will give returns within a short time.…

Challenges that face businesses and their solutions

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Business owners encounter various problems in the course of managing their businesses. Being part of or owning a business calls for one understanding that their preparedness in solving problems will help their business to grow. One should first understand the problem they have and the solution to the problem. For startups, here are some of the challenges that face businesses and their solutions.

Finances

moneyFinance management plays a major role in determining the success of the business. It is common for people to expect instant profits but with little money. One should understand that the profits are not instant and it requires patience before one begins to see a return on their investment. When starting a business, have enough money that will sustain you for at least two years so that you have enough to keep you going.

Time

Time is money for a business. All businesses should ensure proper time management. This calls for planning in advance and ensuring that all things are done as per the plan. The owner should come up with a realistic schedule and ensure that they stick to it. Future projects should be planned in advance. Appointments should be diarized and ensure that they are all attended to.

Lack of skills

calculatorLack of skills makes it difficult for one to manage the business. One should have knowledge of the industry they are entering. This includes knowing the competitors, target markets and the trends of that industry. The knowledge only is not enough; one will need skills to know how to tackle the issues in the industry. One should ensure they carry out research, get information from other business owners and also read the relevant books on the same.

Too much information

Change is the most constant thing in our lives. New ideas are often being developed which have seen the replacement of old beliefs. Finding effective solutions to some of the problems have become difficult because of the availability of too much information. Combing through the data and finding effective solutions is a challenge. In addition to that looking for data authenticity may prove a challenge. One is encouraged to read widely and identifying the writers who have done such literature on various business topics will help in finding authentic writers.

Lack of direction

This is often as a result of not having a detailed business plan. Some young entrepreneurs are often very excited by the fact of owning a business hence end up not having a proper business plan. A business plan is an important tool to help one in focusing on the goals and mission of their business. It helps in determining the financial path of the business.

Innovation

Due to changing times, some of the old rules do not apply to businesses in this era. It is common for people to get accustomed to not thinking outside the box. Most people resist change due to the uncertainties it brings. Innovation should be encouraged among the employees of the organization so that they can come up with fresh ideas for doing things.…

The Top Ways To Cut Costs And Increase Turnover

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You may have looked at your bottom line several times, and you are left amazed and shocked. You ask yourself, where did my money go? Fortunately, you are not alone. Each year, a lot of enterprises, small and large have this particular problem. They wonder how they can prevent it. The majority of businesses carry out a cost audit at least once every year. It is recommended you do it at least twice a year.

Carrying out a cost audit means setting calculatoraside some time and looking at the hard numbers. This could be very exhausting but it is important for you to do this task.

It is important to evaluate the way you are performing at any particular time of the year as far as your goals and budget are concerned. You need to be on track to meet your goals and take some forecasting adjustments. This is when you make changes to future months and increase budget in such months, and you will hit your goals. It is also advisable to decrease your budget if you find it difficult to meet the goals.

Ways To Cut Costs And Increase Turnover

After making such adjustments, it is the time you carry out a cost audit. This involves analyzing all costs by asking yourself the following questions:

  • Do I need these expenses?
  • Are there less expensive alternatives to these expenses?
  • What is the ROI for these expenses?
  • How will I cut these expenses?

Need

This is necessary to the success of business. It is nearly impossible to achieve success without asking yourself whether you need that particular expense. For instance, think of gym membership cost and whether it is necessary for your enterprise. Some people sign up for the gym in January and by March they have stopped attending training sessions. You may have started working out from your home and forgot about membership. This means that you are paying or services you no longer require.

ROI

After identifying you need a particular expense, you should determine its return on investment. Are you paying with hopes that you will earn or benefit from it someday? In such a case, that is your ROI.

Less expensive

If you find calculatorout there is ROI for a particular expense, determine whether it is the ROI you anticipated. If it is not, you need to carry out some research. Are other companies providing the same service or product? Ensure you find what works for you best. Remember that you will need to compromise some few benefits. Ensure you determine the must have features first.

Cut

Is it possible to cut the expense? It is advisable to reduce cost. However, this is not necessary. If you can achieve it, you are bound to increase your bottom line.…

Various Things To Do Before Outsourcing QA

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Outsourcing software testing can be a challenge if you have always relied on a nearshore partner or onsite team. Enterprises that are new to outsourcing usually have a list of questions to ask. Some of the questions touch on requirements of the testing team that is located far away from the company and how they can communicate effectively. Fortunately, such questions help you to make a sound decision when it comes to outsourcing.

Things To Do Before Outsourcing QA

It is important to prepare. The following items can help you prepare and prevent unexpected surprises.

Define your requirementscheck

In fact, effective QA engineers have the skills to learn the product the right way than developers who came up with the product. Through diverse skills and expertise, they can help you a lot. In this case, clear requirements for your project are indispensable. The software testing company expects you to come up with a clear list of the testing requirements. This will help them for reference purposes.

Thus, you should have all the requirements before you start shopping around for the partner. This can help you narrow the search and get the right provider. Your testing should be thorough as it involves several teams such as product managers and project management. They can help you come up with the necessary requirements.

Shop around

The process of outsourcing QA can be intimidating since there are lots of providers. Therefore, your choice is dependent on several factors such as budget, preferred methodology, desired region, and much more. The list can continue. You should narrow your checklist down to:

Cost

As much as the quality of service ought to be a top priority, often CTOs and QA managers are limited to their budgets. You should look for partners that provide flexible cost model and ability to increase or cut resources as need arises. In this way, you will get great testing without paying engineers that are not contributing to your project in a measurable manner.

Region

India, China, and SE Asia are some of the most popular places for outsourcing QA. However, to be successful in balancing affordability and quality, you can choose those from India. This is because the country has been a global leader in IT outsourcing for several years. In fact, this is a huge industry in India, and there are several talented engineers.

Methodology and requirements

You should look for a provider that covers all bases. Moreover, go for a full-service partner. Always choose a partner that has a team of qualified automation experts. The above are some things to do before outsourcing QA.…