But what exactly are the benefits of hiring a digital marketing agency? And how do you know if it’s the right time to invest? 

Today’s post will explore 5 reasons why a digital marketing agency is the key to your brand’s growth, as well as pinpointing the signs you’re ready to make the leap. 

What Is A Digital Marketing Agency? 

A digital marketing agency is a team of well-versed, experienced marketers who specialize in various marketing paths. They work together with a clear vision on marketing campaigns to help grow and develop your brand.

How Do You Know When You Should Hire A Digital Marketing Agency? 

In business, timing is crucial. So, here are 5 signs that you’re ready to outsource and hire a digital marketing agency:

1. Your marketing strategy is no longer working, and it demands a fresh, new outlook. 

2. You physically don’t have the time to dedicate to your marketing efforts. 

3. You’re feeling overwhelmed, which may be manifesting itself through inspiration blocks, unproductivity, or lack of confidence. 

4. Your brand is desperate for new leads, but you’re finding it challenging to capture them. 

5. Your brand isn’t clearly defined and washes out to your competitors. 

Why Should You Hire A Digital Marketing Agency?

Now we’ve addressed 5 symptoms suggesting you need a digital marketing agency, let’s consider why a digital marketing agency is the right route for your business. 

1. It Frees You To Work On The Elements You Want To Work On 

When you decided to launch your business, it’s likely you didn’t realize quite how time-consuming marketing is. In fact, it can be so time-consuming that you’ve lost many opportunities for business growth due to your chain of marketing and exposure. 

Outsourcing this, however, means you’re able to work on the elements you choose to. Plus, you can be sure that the team you outsource it to will be well versed in marketing strategies. 

2. You’ll Be Working With Experts.

You can listen to every podcast, download every freebie, and follow every Instagram post within the industry and you’ll still be dipping only your little toe into the marketing field. 

As such, when you work with a digital marketing agency, you can rest assured that you’ll be working with experts. Armed with the latest SEO and social media algorithm knowledge, alongside the know-how to launch a successful marketing campaign across multiple platforms, you can ultimately guarantee growth. 

3. There Are Plans To Suit Almost Every Budget Which Grow As Your Brand Grows

One of the best things about a digital marketing agency is that they can accommodate almost any budget. So if you’re a startup, you need only a small package. Then, as the results pour in and you see a clear, positive return on investment, you’ll be able to upscale your package.

In other words, as your business grows, your digital marketing agency’s efforts and inclusion grow too. 

4. You’ll Be Given Evident Results. 

Many business owners market their business without evaluating their data. However, a digital marketing agency is well versed in the metrics and key performance indicators. In fact, digital marketing agencies are highly data-informed, and they use this to shape your marketing strategy.

Members of the agency will track the data and explain what the metrics mean, so you can see the efforts of the team paying off and assess how your strategy is functioning. 

5. You’ll Be Able To Expand Your Brand’s Reputation Across Multiple Channels 

Omnipresence is almost impossible when working as a solopreneur. Being a one-person band means you have your limits. It’s impossible to create high-quality content according to the users of various platforms.

However, with a digital marketing agency, your brand can master omnipresence, allowing you to capture more leads and never miss an opportunity to sell again. 

Digital Marketing Agencies Allow Your Brand To Grow

In a nutshell, digital marketing agencies are adaptable to your brand. While the prices and packages can adjust depending on the size and position of your business, one thing remains consistent: their goal for your growth. 

If you answered “no” to any of those questions—you might not be leading your team.

So, boss, we’re going to make you a leader.

Boss vs. Leader

It’s important to differentiate between a boss and a true leader. A boss simply manages their employees. They provide their staff with tasks, give them direction, and focus on the results, penalizing employees if they’re not completed on time or adequately. On the other hand, a leader guides their team to success by showing, not just telling. They lead by example and support their team through both challenges and accomplishments. A leader knows that when everyone succeeds, the business succeeds.

Top Qualities of a Leader  

If you’re ready to be a strong leader and lead your team to greatness, here are some of the qualities you should implement within your daily interactions with your team:

Good Communicator

Without authentic and effective communication, a boss cannot lead. Team members should understand exactly what is expected of them and feel comfortable going to their leader to clarify if they need it. Communicate well on your end and allow your door (physically or figuratively) to remain open should your staff need anything from you. But, don’t just leave it at that—check in with your employees regularly to discuss progress, then give AND get feedback.

Respectful

All good leaders have to leave their egos behind. Treat your employees with respect – as equals. Sure, you might be their senior in business and have a higher pay rate, but if you don’t respect your employees and they don’t respect you, you’re not a leader. Leaders never ask subordinates to perform tasks that they themselves wouldn’t complete. Remember, a leader is in the trenches with their team, not just directing them.

Dedicated Teacher

Leaders truly care about the personal development and improvement of their team. By bettering each member of the team, the team itself can grow stronger and more successful. So, ask your employees which aspects of the job they’re passionate about, then teach them more about that topic. Encourage them to pursue higher education or certifications that will instill confidence in them while helping the business grow. Develop a program that provides staff with funds to attend job-related conferences or workshops.

Lead With Heart

Great leaders understand that the team is only as strong as the weakest team member. And even if you don’t feel like you were one of those people who are “born leaders,” it’s possible to learn how to lead. Embrace your role as a leader to guide and support your entire enterprise to success. What quality makes you an amazing leader? 

Steps to Building a Good Team

1. Communicate Expectations

Communication is essential for building a strong team. You need to explicitly communicate goals and expectations to your team members (from the very beginning!) while allowing them to come to you should they have anything to communicate.

Check-in with employees regularly to find out about their progress and where they are with goals. Communicate what they’re doing well and areas where they can improve—without reviewing their job performance, they’ll simply think they’re doing a great job when you might actually be unsatisfied behind the scenes.

2. Lead With Respect

Mutual respect is an important element of successful teams. Leaders who treat their team members as equals, acknowledge their input, and in turn gain their respect, lead significantly stronger teams than those who put down their subordinates.

Embrace each of your team members’ unique talents and encourage them to share insight with teammates. This technique can help you build a well-rounded and confident team. 

3. Celebrate Team Wins

Instead of solely scolding your team for mistakes, it’s critical to celebrate their accomplishments. Affirming your staff’s positive work will encourage continued personal success, which will lead to the success of the business.

That doesn’t mean you have to celebrate team members with financial bonuses, which can be challenging for new businesses’ that are just getting off the ground. Instead, there are numerous ways to show appreciation for your team. An authentic message of gratitude goes a very long way.

Or, consider rewarding them with new responsibilities and privileges or opportunities to attend business-related conferences. These forms of celebration not only instill confidence in your team members, but they’ll help better the entire business.

4. Admit Your Mistakes

We all mess up at some point. If you discover that you’ve made a mistake, particularly one that affects the entire team—admit it. Strong leaders openly acknowledge their errors and use them as learning examples.

This behavior can also encourage your team to admit their mistakes if and when they make them, building mutual trust and integrity within the team structure.

A Strong Team Begins with a Strong Leader

Building a good team begins with you. As a business owner, you have an immense impact on your company culture, team mindset, and overall success. Inspire and encourage your team to grow individually, and the business will grow with it. Be a team leader, not simply a boss.

If you are ready to build a great team, learn more about our business development and coaching solutions. We’re here to help you position your team for success. 

We believe in leadership, both personally and professionally. 

On our team, we have both: SiMar Inc. Founder and CEO Allison Todd.

Allison Todd: Founder and CEO

With more than 20 years of experience managing businesses, building brands, and coaching some of the nation’s top executives, Allison Todd founded SiMar Inc. with a dream: to help micropreneurs scale their profits, streamline their operations and digital marketing strategies, and build sustainable teams — and to do so in alignment with the rest of their lives.

Founded in Heart, Led the Same Way

The drive behind the dream? Empowerment. Personally and professionally.

Before SiMar Inc. opened its doors, Allison was presented with a request at her corporate job: choose between your children and your career.

Allison said no. 

She knew: there is no choice between your children and doing what it takes to provide for them.

And SiMar Inc. was born.

Today, Allison empowers her clients to pave their way, fuel their desire for self-reliance, creativity, and dedication to the things that matter most.

Full-Scale Strategy: From Ideation to Implementation

The work of Coach Allison doesn’t stop at the digital strategy. Her business approach is layered; she knows that a company is only as strong as its CEO and only as productive as its collective culture.

Allison has a keen eye for business. Her innate ability to weave a string that connects the minor pieces of an organization’s operations to its most significant components results in cohesive long-game strategies.

Your plan is only as successful as the actions you take, and with Allison Todd, you have a coach in your corner.

Business Coaching & Consulting Services

SiMar Inc. is only one piece of your success story. Allison offers entire business consulting and coaching services to help you align your business with your purpose, your plans with your goals, and your teams with your vision. 

For Allison, it’s all about clarity: only when you have a clear vision and defined goals can they come to fruition.

Plans With a Purpose, Strategy With a Soul

Your business is an ecosystem: digital marketing is a critical element in the success of your brand, but you only achieve quantifiable results when you have sustainable systems, close-knit teams, and intelligent strategies in place.

Allison is here to act as your guide on your business journey, making sure you’re going where you want to go and that you’re taking the right roads to get there. 

You have a purpose and a life to live. Your business does, too.

With Allison Todd, you don’t have to choose between them.

It’s time for your business to stop surviving and start thriving. Contact Allison Todd today to set up a discovery call.

Success is on the other side of your strategy. Allison will see you there.

Tips to Worry Free Debt Management

Here are some worry-free debt management tips to guide you.

1. Formulate a budget plan and stick to it.

Money doesn’t grow on trees. Your business financial sources can easily deplete if you do not create a budget plan at all. Consider current financial position and cash flow before coming up with a budget allocation. Once done, do make sure to stick to it at all times. To prevent veering from your budget plan, consider putting contingencies to address emergencies.

2. Generate profit and loss accounts on a timely basis.

Regardless of your business size and portfolio, debt management should never prove to be a problem when your cash flow is managed on a timely basis. It is, in fact, critical that you have ready data and hands-on knowledge on what goes in and out of your financial aspect at any moment in time. With this, generating monthly profit and loss accounts can help a lot in micromanaging your cash flow.

3. Add technology to the equation.

To ease your burden, consider using accounting software to handle your cash flow and debt management. QuickBooks and KashFlow, for instance, are reliable accounting software programs that can easily keep track of the money coming in and money going out of the business coffers. This also helps save costs on employing a bookkeeper.

4. Consider outsourcing.

Do you know that outsourcing your financial management like accounting, debt collection, and so on is made even cheaper in terms of cost with outsourcing? Yes, outsourcing allows more financial freedom for your business. Your business can get to enjoy top-rated financial and accounting management services at a cost you can afford via licensed firms who hire the best in the industry. Security policy and data confidentiality should never be a problem. Third-party services like SiMar Inc. always sign confidentiality clauses before embarking on financial aspects like cash flow, accounting, and debt management to forge trust and confidence.

5. Spend where and when needed.

Business spending should be kept at a minimum level—at all times. Spending per se should be done where it is needed and at a proper time. We should never question operational spending, which directly affects productivity and the quality of products or services. Marketing and other aspects, however, can be improvised without sacrificing quality results.

6. Get ahead of forex.

One of the many challenges in debt management has something to do with a volatile foreign exchange. Any socio-economic turmoil here and there can easily affect the exchange rate, which could negatively impact your financial standing. Try to find forex expert services that offer money-saving ventures on transfer fees. Some third-party services like Moneycorp’s Forward provide clients a stable exchange rate of up to two years.

7. Consider a quick payment reward system.

Part of successful debt management is on motivating a client to pay up invoices due from them. If you want a more dynamic cash flow, consider offering incentives like discounts or rebates or freebies to those who regularly pay their dues on time or ahead of time.

8. Discourage late payments.

Late payment is one of the biggest challenges in debt management. So, the next time you outline terms and conditions, consider claiming interest on late payments. Stipulate a reasonable interest rate which is computed daily for each day of overdue payment. This helps to motivate your client to pay up on time and discourage bad debts. Just ensure that it’s legally binding.

9. Keep track of invoices.

Consider creating a time log of all outstanding invoices complete. There are various invoice billing and tracking software such as Netsuite, Freshbooks, and Cloudbooks available these days for you to easily check and verify. Put your energy on ticking off the largest amount first.

10. Keep abreast with company practices.

Be reminded that not all companies operate the same way you do. Some businesses require a statement and an invoice, a PR, or what-have-you for payments to be processed. Carefully define this with your client to ensure ease of debt management.

Every business that wants to secure its cash flow standing requires an in-depth debt management system in place. Get ahead of the competition and secure your financial plate. Take these worry-free debt management tips to mind and have fun counting plusses instead of losses.

Do you wish to improve your debt management system? Schedule a consultation with us. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates and new trends in the market.

There is a long list of services available on the internet, such as virtual assistant, social media manager, business coach, web designer, app developer. However, when it comes to importance and broadness, marketing and professional training takes the cake, even encompassing some of the other services stated above.

Two Major Online Services to Boost Your Service

Marketing

 Marketing has always been an integral part of a firm’s success. However, the intricate process of advertising, getting feedback, and landing new clients is quite different from production. Over the years, research has shown that hiring a marketing firm is more efficient than setting up a marketing department, especially in your business’s early stages.

Today, marketing agencies are going over and beyond, offering a broad range of services from market analysis, market strategy, online adverts, ad tracking, etc.

Their broad range of services and packages provide a distinct flexibility level that makes them a handy tool in an entrepreneur’s pouch. That is why, outsourcing the marketing of your business’s product isn’t only cheaper but also frees up your time concentrating on other aspects of your business.

Professional Coaching

Another online service that would give your business a considerable boost is professional coaching or training. Putting your staff in the right mindset and equipping your team with up to date skills shouldn’t be done lightly or do independently.

A wide array of professional coaches have the necessary skills and expertise to service your workforce, ensuring that they are always working at optimum like a well-oiled engine. Many online firms offer this service, taking care of your employees to not have to worry about their mental, emotional, or performance needs. With your workforce well-coached and educated, they would be ready to adjust to any changes your business might encounter. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, online firms provided these types of services at a premium, with firms like SiMarInc. They are offering a combination of three to four of these services. Hiring one firm to handle all your outsourcing needs is cheaper and easier to manage. Relating with three or more firms can be an administrative nightmare; therefore, you might want to get an all in one package.

First, you have to figure out why you need a business consultant, if you need one at all.

Secondly, you need to figure out what stage in your business would a consultant be most useful. Do you need a consultant now or soon?

Thirdly and most importantly, is how to utilize the services your business consultant is offering altogether. You must be able to get your investments’ full benefits by using every skill and service your consultant has to offer.

Utilizing a Business Consultant

All these considerations are intertwined and her best analyzed from the beginning of your consultant hiring journey. This article gives you essential guidance in choosing and managing the best consultant for your business.

Why?

The first question you must ask yourself before hiring a business consultant is, “why do I need a business consultant?”. You must have a general idea of your business aspect that a consultant would help you with and what value they would bring to the table. Hiring a business consultant is a considerable investment. Until you know what you need a consultant to help you with, you wouldn’t hire the right person for the job. One easy way to decide why you need a consultant is to determine what aspect of your business you need help with. The situation must be a problem in which merely hiring a new employee can’t solve. It must be a problem that requires expertise and experience that isn’t available in-house. Examples of such issues are Accounting, Online marketing, Team Development, Business and sales Strategies and Analysis, Funding and Investments, etc.

When?

This mainly has to do with what stage of your business would a consultant be most impactful in. Hiring a consultant to handle your accounting in your small startup’s early stages would most likely be a waste of money. You or an in-house accountant can handle such tasks. However, at a stage where your records have to be audited and comply with many laws, a consultant might become necessary.

You must hire a consultant at a stage where a consultant’s impact would be massive and help your business grow exponentially. This is the only way to get a good ROI on your hire.

How?

Hiring a business consultant is one thing; utilizing a consultant’s service is another. There is a reason why different companies get different results from employing the same consultant or firm. While a good consultant or consulting firm would do all it can to make your business profitable, it is still your job to ask. As an entrepreneur, do not shy away from asking for the full value of your investment. To fully utilize the benefits of your consultant, you must continuously ask questions and set up goals. You must continually clarify what your consultant can and cannot do. It is also compulsory that you set goals on which your consultant should work. For example, you can set up a million in sales goal before the end of the year.  This would give your consultants a purpose and something to work towards. One major problem with consultancy is the consultants’ usual problem of not caring enough about its growth. Your consultant would be more invested in making your business a success story with a goal in place.

Conclusion

How, When, and Why would best be answered by who. The real key to enjoying the benefits of hiring a consultant is to approach the right one. Coming the right consultant for your business would make it easy for you to answer all three of the above-stated questions.  A good consultant would be able to answer; why they should be hired, when they should be employed, and how they would work with you to succeed. An excellent consultant wouldn’t mind allowing you to run your business alone till you need their help. Hiring a consultant can be an asset or a liability. However, it all depends on the expertise and values of the consultant or firm you choose to a large extent.

With numerous companies offering services mainly to make a quick buck, selecting the right firm can be difficult. Your best bet is to hire a consultant that isn’t just a helper but a partner. One good example of such firms is SiMar Inc. When it comes to selecting a consulting firm that isn’t just out to sell their features but cares about your business, then SiMar Inc is the proven choice.

Day 1 – Learn how to automate your social media. I’ll share my favorite productivity tools. Each attendee will receive a FREE Social Media Resource Page & Planning Template.

Day 2 – Learn about each channel (FB, IG, LI).This will include channel descriptions, helpful tips and the benefits of each channel. Each attendee will receive a FREE Social Media Resource Page & Profitable Profile Template.

Business-In-A-Box Bonus Attend BOTH days and receive a bonus. Gain access to a Intro to Social Media Training – Set Up Your Social Media with SiMar. Learn how to set up your LinkedIn Channel and gain helpful tips to automate and optimize! Each attendee will receive a FREE Learn 2 Love LinkedIn eBook.

Grab your virtual seat now! You must be a member of position2profit.com in order to access this training. Hint! Hint! JOIN position2profit.com.

To learn more about SiMar and the business services offered, contact us.

One of the silent killers in business and life is insecurity.  It’s an emotional aspect that molds self-image and influences human behavior. Some people, indeed, feel insecure in their own skin.  As entrepreneurs or employees, insecurity can easily be hidden behind huge smiles and large cloaks of anonymity. However, such underlying hurtful and self-critical thoughts will continue to create more thoughts and emotion.  Even if you know it’s coming, you want to do all you can to manage it.  Don’t let insecurity drown your success.

Here are some common signs of insecurity: 

1. You change your mind a lot.  If you find yourself unable to figure out what you really want thus, your goals and objectives continually fluctuate like the market interest rate, you change your mind a lot. One moment, you are all for re-branding and the next moment, you want to stick to current strategies. It’s a dilemma that breeds disaster. 
2. Decision-making is a constant struggle. Is everything a challenge from deciding what to eat to major business decisions?  Do you find it hard to take a stand? Better yet, if you consult friends and colleagues over and over again but still don’t trust their opinions and can’t make a decision on your own, then decision making is a constant struggle. 
3. Validation from others comes highly regarded. You want every action, every decision, or even the way you dress, move, or speak to be acceptable to others. You scream for approval in everything you do. 
4. You have the tendency to be over-controlling and demanding.   Do you know someone who takes offense when others do not share their ideas or methods–and they take it as a personal attack?  If constructive criticism is not in their vocabulary, controlling may be a part of their personality.

More signs of insecurity: 

1. People who are insecure constantly talk about themselves. They sing praises not to impress others but more to appease their own insatiable desire for approval. This is also part of the reason why they have a hard time recognizing the efforts or worth of others–because they are too busy talking and thinking about themselves. 
2. Being defensive is like a reflex. You easily take offense, even on things that do not matter. As previously mentioned, criticism is not your cup of tea. 
3. An insecure person finds it easy to pick on another person’s faults. This is either to hide an inner affliction or a way to feel a superficial superiority. Often, these acts are done by either starting or spreading gossip. 

This is serious business.  Read more on this topic: How Self Esteem Shape Up Life and Business Decisions

Next Steps & Solutions

It is important to know where your insecurities stem from and the influence it has on your life. A business coach is an optimum choice when one’s insecurities become so intense that it prevents progress.  One way to divorce your insecurities is to start by accepting that you have strengths and you have weaknesses, we all do. 

The process is not going to be easy because it is really a struggle within your own self. The moment you start poking on those critical inner voices, expect screams of retaliation in return. Push your hardest and do not back down! If you want to be successful in your business or personal goals, do not listen to the taunts that entice you to hold back on your greatness! 

Want to break the walls of insecurity and create bridges of confidence? A coach or mentor is your solution.  SiMar Inc. founder Allison Todd is a professional coach who develops high performance capabilities in people. Schedule a consultation now!