If you have just started your own small business it can be difficult and stressful. With the difficult economic climate at the moment this makes it even harder for small businesses to get ahead. As a small business it is even more important at the moment to make the most of all the things that can help your company to not only survive but to thrive even in periods that are more difficult financially.

Something that helps many small businesses is PR. A professional PR company, like this Cheltenham PR company https://headonpr.co.uk is a hugely important part of the growth and success of a small business. A PR company knows all of the ways to get the word out about your business and create a positive feeling and awareness of your business and what it does.

PR companies do this in many ways – it might be helping to create awareness of your business online, for example by using social media. Or they will speak to journalists who can mention your business in things like lists of local businesses or with things like radio interviews.

A PR company will also be able to focus on the unique positive things about your business. For example, it may be that you are proudly environmentally friendly, provide products that are renowned for being high quality, or offer the best value for money. Whatever it is, a PR company can help to draw that to people’s attention so that they can connect with you, ultimately growing your customer base and therefore growing your company.

A PR company is a great choice for a smaller business as they will not only have the experience that is needed to help your business grow to that next level, but also an in-depth knowledge of the business world. They will also have local contacts and have the knowledge of who to go to in order to generate publicity for your business. A PR company will be able to design a tailor-made campaign that is unique to you, and get to know you and help you as your business grows, and things change.

You can make your exhibition stand more exciting by using a range of accessories to enhance its character. These can be inexpensive and add a unique twist to your stand design. Retractable banner stands are also a cheap option that will enhance the look of your exhibition stand. You can also make use of lighting and feature pieces of decor to draw attention to your business. For details on Exhibitions stand hire, visit a site such as Colour Studios who supply Exhibitions stand hire

Technology is now prevalent everywhere, so why not use it to enhance your exhibition stand? Adding some technology can make a big difference, and even simple additions like HD screens can have a huge impact. For example, you can install a video wall to show marketing material for your product. Humans are highly visual so be sure to focus on attention grabbing visuals.

Another idea to create excitement is to use virtual reality experiences. These will help create a buzz in your stand and engage your visitors. Other fun ideas include games and competitions. Make sure that your stand flows well so that visitors do not get blocked or lost. Keeping the meeting areas towards the back of your stand will also help you to retain visitors’ attention.

Trade show attendees are looking for entertainment, so try to attract them with fun features. Games are a great way to draw more attention to your stand and attract more visitors. You can even offer free samples for visitors.

In days gone by, a shop window, or a newspaper advert would be two ways that you got the attention of potential customers and enticed them to look at your business. However, nowadays the main way that people look for the products and services that they want has changed, and the internet is the main source for everything when it comes to searching for what we want.

This is why, if you run a business, one of the most important things to have is a website. Getting a professional like this web design Cheltenham based company https://www.absolutecreativemarketing.co.uk/ to create your site for you is a much better way of doing this than attempting to create it yourself. It not only saves you the time of trying to do it yourself, it will also be better as professional web developers know what is required from a website.

Something that is also a big part of the site is the fact that it can be found on a Google search. After all, what is the point of the website if nobody can see it? Search engine optimisation helps to drive traffic to your site and get it seen. For example, if you are a builder in Peterborough, you want someone to type in builders Peterborough when looking for a builder and to find you! This is what search engine optimisation does, and a professional web developer will be able to build you a website that works with this and gives you a boost.

The site itself also needs to be something that people can use easily. Making sure that the site is easy for people to navigate, as well as being able to get the information that they want is important. If people are not able to easily get the information that they want, they are likely to move on quickly and then you have lost an opportunity.

Make your website engaging and people are likely to want to spend more time browsing it. An engaging website will be able to help you gain new customers, and this then builds you a better reputation, helping your business to grow in the future.

Releasing money from your property can seem like the ideal solution as you get older and find yourself wanting extra income. It has proven particularly popular with retirees over the past few years with pensions declining in value in real terms. This is a major decision and one that should never be taken lightly, however, and this article aims to look at some of the pros and cons.

What is it?

Equity release involves selecting a product which enables you to release some funds from the value of your property. The equity is the amount left when you take away any mortgage still owed from your property’s market value. In simple terms, it is how much you would end up with if you sold up for cash.

You may be eligible to release a large proportion of this money if you have little or no mortgage left. One of the major benefits of this is releasing a large sum to spend whilst enabling you to still live in your property.

Different types

There are different ways to release equity. The two most popular methods are through a lifetime mortgage or home reversion. The former is the most commonly chosen method and means that you take out a mortgage that will be repaid when your home is sold, either because you move into a care facility or you die.

The ‘pro’ of this is that you can normally borrow between 18 per cent and half of your property’s overall value. In general, the amount goes up the older you are.

It must be remembered, however, that the amount you will owe will go up as interest is added, although you can sometimes pay off the interest to prevent it compounding. This is particularly important if you wish to leave some capital in the form of an inheritance.

The majority of equity release providers will not offer you a guarantee of no negative equity but you may still end up with nothing left of your property’s value after the mortgage is paid off.

With home reversion, your whole property or part of it is sold but you have the right to live there until you are no longer able to. The downside of this is that you will not get the full market value of your property and you may not be eligible unless you’re over 60.

Benefits and downsides

The major benefit is clearly the fact that you can release funds that would otherwise be tied up in your property without you having to move. The primary downside, however, is that you will not get the true market value for the property. This means you may not realise the full value of your investment and you will reduce any amount going to beneficiaries. If you’re in any doubt at all about any deals you are offered, make sure you get professional advice from a specialist such as https://www.parachutelaw.co.uk/equity-release Parachute Law.

Particular types of release schemes also have specific pitfalls. For example, with a lifetime mortgage, you could end up using up the whole value of your home to repay the loan as you end up paying interest on interest throughout the loan period. The practical effect of this is that if you were paying interest of around five percent and never paid any off, you would see your loan double every 15 years.

If you are worried about repaying any loan, help is available from organisations such as Citizens Advice

Is releasing equity a good idea?

The answer is very much a personal one and depends on your individual needs and circumstances.