Top Tips to save your Business Money

No one enjoys paying bills – especially when money is tight. If you’re looking for ways to reduce your business’ overheads, we’ve put together this quick checklist to show you how…

Market your business cheaply

Much of a business’ success is about getting the word out there. However, advertising can be highly expensive. Thankfully, in this day and age we have social media. Get yourself connected to potential customers and fellow business owners by implementing a social media strategy. You can use websites like Hootsuite to help coordinate all of your social media posts in one place. It’s simple, quick, and once you get the hang of it you should soon start building a network of interested parties.

Reduce Energy Bills

While you may be vigilant about switching off lights when you leave a room it won’t make much difference if your energy provider isn’t giving you a good deal. To help make sure you’re on the best tariff for you, invest some time in energy contract sourcing. You can either do this by using a business energy broker, or by doing it yourself. Energy contract sourcing can take a substantial amount of time – especially if you don’t know where to start, so outsourcing this task can often be time and cost effective. Which leads us on to…

Use Freelancers

Employing people can be expensive. There are adverts to place, interviews to conduct, and there’s no guarantee that even by the end of the process you’ll have someone you want to employ. So for all those tasks that just don’t add up to a permanent position, why not use freelancers? Maybe you need the help of a virtual assistant to write correspondence, or deal with email enquiries. Or perhaps you need someone to write the content for your website, whatever it is you need, using freelancers can be cost effective and hassle-free.

Source Cheap Office Furniture

If you’re just setting up in business, it can be expensive just furnishing your office, let alone anything else. To help keep costs down as much as possible, try sourcing your office furniture from secondhand stores, online auction sites, and websites such as Freecycle where items are offered free of charge.

Don’t Waste Money or Time Travelling

Travelling to and from business meetings isn’t just expensive, but it can be a great waste of time too. Ok, so while meeting people in person is often best, you can get a good second best by meeting virtually using software such as Skype. Not only will you save plenty of cash, you’ll also save valuable time which you can use for something much more productive than sitting on a train or in a car.

Saving your business money is all about common sense, and if you’re serious about doing it, it’s about changing your mindset too. Always think about your options… business gas and electricity brokers
•Is there a cheaper way to do this?
•Will this cheaper alternative be acceptable?
•Where else can I make savings?

Once you’ve got the hang of it, there’ll be no stopping you!

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-Tips-to-Save-Your-Business-Money&id=8875535

Top Tips for Keeping your Business Energy Deals Down

Running a business can be a costly experience, and you may often feel like you’re pouring money down the drain – especially on things you can’t physically see. It can often feel this way – especially when you receive a hefty energy bill in your in tray. But there are things you can do about it.

Get an Energy Broker

While you can easily make adjustments at your end, you may also benefit from speaking to an energy broker in the UK. By using their services you will be assured your business is getting the best energy deal. An energy broker in the UK can help with everything from sourcing the best deals to helping you manage complex energy bills.

Walk it through

To help see where you are using energy, take a walk through with a paper and pen (and a smart phone for taking pictures). Start at your business’ front door, then walk in, and jot down everything you see that is consuming energy. Looking at things with this ‘new’ set of eyes is a great way to help you appreciate and notice all those energy-eating devices. They may be –

•Old-style light bulbs
•Automatic doors
•Kettles, fridges, toasters, coffee machines

Can you make cuts without upsetting your staff?

Little things like coffee machines and toasters can make a huge difference to a workplace. And although they may be small, it’s little touches like these that help keep staff happy. A nice fresh coffee when they want one? Yes please. Toast when they’re hungry? Great! If these things are taken away from your staff you could have an uprising on your hands! However, you may be able to make cuts without them even noticing the difference.

Lighting

We are all guilty of leaving lights on in rooms we’re not in, but it’s time to change this mindset – or invest in sensor lights. Sensor lights are great in places like toilets and kitchens, where we may often go in and then fail to switch the lights off when we leave. Install sensor lights and you’ll be safe in the knowledge that no energy is being wasted on empty rooms. Alternatively try asking all your staff to switch off lights when they’re not using a room. Monitor this for a month and see whether things get better (old habits are often hard to kill off!)

Are staff wearing t-shirts in the office when it’s December? Your heating’s too high. Turn it down and you’ll save a stash. Likewise with air-conditioning in the summer. If you can zone your heating and cooling to specific areas where it’s needed most that should help save you energy too.

Keeping your business’ energy bills down isn’t as hard a task as it may at first seem, but you’ll need to look at your workplace with fresh eyes to understand where all that energy is going. Follow these simple steps above and you should soon see a drop in your bills.

Article Source:
http://www.articlesbase.com/small-business-articles/top-tips-for-keeping-your-business-energy-deals-down-7158180.html

How to Run a Successful Business

There are hundreds – if not thousands – of guides out there giving you advice on how to run a successful business. This little guide isn’t a ‘get rich quick’ scheme, and won’t tell you exactly what sort of business you should be running. Instead, it offers hints and tips on how to run a successful business once you’ve got your very own business up and running. So, here we go…

Delegate

Your business is doing well but there’s one problem – you’re swamped with things to do and you just don’t have enough hours in the day. Now’s the time to delegate. Depending on what line of business you’re in, you could need to outsource business gas sales, admin, or the maintenance of your business’ website. Whatever it is, if it’s taking up your time and there are better things you could be doing, outsource it – or delegate it to someone else within your company.

Let go and Manage

When you’re running your own business it can be hard to keep an eye on absolutely everything, and you’ll probably run yourself into the ground if you try to do so. Quite simply, you can’t oversee absolutely everything, and no matter how much your business is ‘your baby’ you’ll need to let go and hand over some managerial responsibilities to another member of the team.

Money, Money, Money

Successful businesses do not throw cash at anything and everything. Successful businesses keep tabs on where money is going, and where it’s coming in (and the latter should definitely be the bigger sum). Making sure your accounts are all in order is vital to keeping your business successful.

Keep Costs Down

Make sure you get the best deals for everything from your stationery to your energy suppliers. You can use a business energy broker to help ensure you get the best deal possible on your energy. Business energy brokers act as an intermediary between your business and the energy company, and they can often source much better deals than you would ordinarily be able to find. Energy companies often outsource their business gas sales to energy brokers who are then able to pass on deals to the businesses. By using a service like this you will be able to free up a great deal of your time so you can focus on growing and building your business into an even more successful model.

Network
The success of every business depends on getting your name out there and building a brand that people trust, remember, and love. You should –

•Invest in a professional website
•Build a strong online presence
•Get out and network with fellow businesses and meet potential customers

Running a successful business takes a lot of hard work and determination, but if you want it to work you can really help your case by following the above pointers. But just remember to delegate, outsource, and hand projects over – it can be the difference between being successful and sinking.

For More info about energy contract sourcing visit us

Keep your cool with contracts

There are hundreds – if not thousands – of guides out there giving you advice on how to run a successful business. This little guide isn’t a ‘get rich quick’ scheme, and won’t tell you exactly what sort of business you should be running. Instead, it offers hints and tips on how to run a successful business once you’ve got your very own business up and running. So, here we go…

Delegate

Your business is doing well but there’s one problem – you’re swamped with things to do and you just don’t have enough hours in the day. Now’s the time to delegate. Depending on what line of business you’re in, you could need to outsource business gas sales, admin, or the maintenance of your business’ website. Whatever it is, if it’s taking up your time and there are better things you could be doing, outsource it – or delegate it to someone else within your company.

Let go and Manage

When you’re running your own business it can be hard to keep an eye on absolutely everything, and you’ll probably run yourself into the ground if you try to do so. Quite simply, you can’t oversee absolutely everything, and no matter how much your business is ‘your baby’ you’ll need to let go and hand over some managerial responsibilities to another member of the team.

Money, Money, Money

Successful businesses do not throw cash at anything and everything. Successful businesses keep tabs on where money is going, and where it’s coming in (and the latter should definitely be the bigger sum). Making sure your accounts are all in order is vital to keeping your business successful.

Keep Costs Down

Make sure you get the best deals for everything from your stationery to your energy suppliers. You can use a business energy broker to help ensure you get the best deal possible on your energy. Business energy brokers act as an intermediary between your business and the energy company, and they can often source much better deals than you would ordinarily be able to find. Energy companies often outsource their business gas Energy Sales brokers who are then able to pass on deals to the businesses. By using a service like this you will be able to free up a great deal of your time so you can focus on growing and building your business into an even more successful model.

Network

The success of every business depends on getting your name out there and building a brand that people trust, remember, and love. You should –

•Invest in a professional website
•Build a strong online presence
•Get out and network with fellow businesses and meet potential customers

Running a successful business takes a lot of hard work and determination, but if you want it to work you can really help your case by following the above pointers. But just remember to delegate, outsource, and hand projects over – it can be the difference between being successful and sinking.

For More info About Energy sales jobs jobs visit us.

The truth behind becoming a broker

More than two thirds of businesses value the specialist help they get from their energy broker, according to a 2013 survey from OfGem. This statistic makes the prospect of becoming a broker increasingly appealing but the energy sale solutions that are currently saturating the market can seem confusing and sometimes conflicting. Whilst a sales intermediary service is typically the bedrock of an energy sales business, there can be many strings to a company’s bow and the role of an energy broker can now comprise of many different facets, including energy management consultancy.Rising energy bills, tough economic conditions and environmental pressures – the business case for having an energy management strategy has never been clearer, yet many businesses don’t know where to start. By stepping into the role of energy consultant, you can help to add a profitable new revenue stream to a business, improve customer loyalty and start helping customers save money today. So, first off let’s clear up the main differences between an energy broker and energy consultant that tend to confuse the uninitiated:

Energy broker:

•Usually carries out a one-off pricing exercise when contracts are due for renewal. This means that they are more likely to provide the best rate ‘on the day’ as price comparison checks must be made on the same day as the enquiry.

•In terms of payment, brokers are paid a commission by the energy companies which will vary from supplier to supplier.

•The more suppliers a broker represents, the greater the potential to obtain better prices.

Energy consultant:

•Consultants tend to monitor the energy markets all year round and so are better placed to advise the best times to purchase energy for the best rates.

•Will often offer to provide support and advice for an energy portfolio in short or long term agreements.

•Tend to work on either a flat-fee rate or contingency basis.

If you want to become an energy broker that forges good relationships with the big name suppliers then they will generally look for the two implicit promises that, as a respected broker, you should always make to your customers – to never misrepresent yourself or the supplier and to always allow your customers to see and understand the fees that you charge.

In an attempt to maintain standards within the industry, some suppliers are joining the Utilities Intermediaries Association which is a trade body for energy brokers. If you want to become an energy broker then this body highlights the standards that you should consistently be working at.

In attempting to understand exactly what an energy broker is and does, it is probably easiest to learn this by knowing the one thing that a broker is not – somebody who supplies the energy. Brokers do not own or distribute the energy and cannot sell energy directly to the consumer; they procure the rates from suppliers and assist their customers in making the most well informed choice that they can when it comes to purchasing energy.

For More Info About Energy broker UK visit us......

Blog Source:- http://onlinedirectuk.wordpress.com/2014/12/08/the-truth-behind-becoming-a-broker/

How to work smart as an Energy Broker

If you work as an energy broker you’ll be well aware of how many hours you can lose to admin tasks alone. Maybe you’re constantly chasing energy suppliers for updated prices, or to see where they’re at in relation to a particular contract. Whatever it is that’s slowing you down, it’s easy to understand your frustration. So just how do you start working smarter in the world of energy brokering?  Here’s how…

Connect

If you’re wasting too much time trying to update your customers, keep track of industry price changes, and new products to the market, it would be a wise move to connect with a business that can help. As an energy broker you could connect with a larger company – one such as Online Direct. Online Direct offer a cloud-based energy management platform, called Energy Engine, which is free to energy brokers and consultants who use their network to transact.

Energy Engine basically manages all of your transactions and keeps them all together in one place. It tracks changes, keeps you updated, and lets you quote, submit, and monitor energy contract applications. As you’ll be able to appreciate, this isn’t just good news for you – it’s good news for your customers too as you’ll be able to keep them updated and give them answers when they ask for them. Energy Engine aims to free up your time from admin tasks so that you’re able to conduct more sales and ultimately grow your business.

Network

If you want to build your business and attract new customers, it’s vital you’re able to network successfully. This means you get out there and meet businesses (face to face if possible) and tell them what you can do. What’s more, with a tool like Energy Engine on your side, you’ll be able to ensure them you’re able to get access to all the best business energy tariffs out there.

Get Online
If you’re operating at a small business level, you’ll need a professional website to ensure you get taken seriously. A quality, well-made website helps to attract customers which means they’ll start coming to you instead of the other way around. If website design and construction is the antithesis of ‘your thing’, use a freelancer or specialist company to come up with the design for you. Once it’s up and running it will take minimal effort to keep it looking great.

As with any profession there are always smarter ways that we can work. In the world of energy brokerage, it’s wise to remember that you should look out for ways that you can –

1.Meet new clients
2.Access the best and most up to date energy deals
3.Save time on admin tasks
4.Delegate more menial tasks that are slowing you down

Working smarter doesn’t mean working harder, and with a few simple adjustments to the way you work, you should soon start to see benefits such as more clients, more time, and ultimately more profit.

For More Info About Become an energy broker visit us...

Blog Source:- http://energysalesagencies.weebly.com/

Business brokers – no longer just the middle-man.

A business gas and electricity broker is a B2B (business to business) agent in a deregulated energy market who acts as an intermediary between the energy suppliers and business energy consumers. After the gradual process of de-regulation within the industry in the nineties, people who were convinced they could make quick money at the expense of the genuine brokers jumped on the bandwagon and started commercial and business energy broker companies to sell cheap gas and electricity contracts to companies that were happy to pay the seemingly genuine low prices. But these people will never last long within the industry and many companiesnow have their own codes and practices to ensure they are working with the highest quality sub-broker. A business energy broker serving UK companies can still be a highly lucrative enterprise, but the expectation of integrity and expertise has never been higher.

Commercial energy broker services are designed to help save businesses time and money by searching the commercial gas and electricity energy marketplace to obtain the most competitive business energy prices from the best energy suppliers. From SME’s, to corporate sales, to commercial sales, a business broker has to wear a number of hats depending on the client, but their key role will always be the same – to procure the best independent service that they can.

What are SME’s and why are they important?

•SME stands for small and medium enterprises.

•They range from sole traders, freelancers and online marketing agencies to small industrial units.

•Energy efficiency and keeping overheads as low as possible is one of the biggest hurdles faced by SME’s, especially

 when they are first established.

•SME’s can also face a huge barrier if they are based in commercial sites rented from commercial landlords. This limits the power they have over the efficiency of their energy and what they can do about it in the long-term.

•In line with a Federation of Small Business (FSB) members survey conducted where 58% agreed that energy bills are difficult to understand and 70% found it difficult to compare tariffs, smaller companies are looking to business energy brokers for help with all aspects of procuring energy.

                              

The key point here, that the SME business model highlights perfectly, is that the role of a business gas and electricity brokers has developed and matured greatly over the last few years. They no longer stand as just the middle-man attempting to get the best rates; they now perform duties ranging from solving complex billing issues to helping customers with financial difficulties.To maintain the best business gas prices that are based on a company’s usage, negotiation requires expert industry knowledge and constant monitoring of energy suppliers and the factors driving gas prices. This is where a broker proves his worth and makes a convincing case against smaller companies approaching the big energy suppliers ill-equipped, on their own. Some brokers also offer a fully managed sales service for corporate energy brokers, from tender to completion.

For More Info About Energy Contract Sourcing visit us....

Blog Source:- http://onlinedirectuk.wordpress.com/2014/11/29/business-gas-and-electricity-brokers/