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Any business that's serious about growing and innovating should be using a data-driven strategy. If you're not using data analytics, your business will be overtaken by competitors that are. Consider joining your local chamber of commerce to network with other businesses and learn about analytics, marketing and business planning. These tips from OmniMarketing2020 will help you get started.

​Collect as Much Data as Possible
Today's businesses have access to an unprecedented amount of data and cheaper, more accessible tools for processing it. This has democratized data analytics, allowing businesses of any size to quickly and accurately make decisions about everything from how much inventory to carry to what sort of products to focus on and how much to spend on marketing campaigns.

Analytics is often viewed as "just a part of IT," getting just 10 to 15% of the resources of the IT department, but your growing business should dedicate separate time and resources to analytics. Once your business starts using analytics as a way of driving decisions and starts asking the right questions, the power of all that historic data quickly becomes apparent.

Base Your Marketing Plans on Firm Data
Data analytics can help your business understand who your target audience is and when they best respond to your plans. Once you realize the lifetime value of a customer and the cost of acquisition, it's easier to work out how effective your marketing campaigns are. With that knowledge, you can focus on scaling your marketing efforts.

Social media marketing is a popular tool for many growing businesses. If you're considering running an ad campaign on Instagram, first it helps to know how much you're willing to spend per click. Your budget will be based on your expected conversion rate. Remember, Instagram marketing works best if your images are designed for the platform. You may need to resize images if you were previously using them on Twitter or Facebook. Online image resizer tools are ideal for this. Just upload the image, select your preferred platform’s 'image type,' resize the photo, and download the new version to use.

Manage Your Cash Flow More Effectively
Nobody can truly see the future, but predictive analytics can often come close to offering a crystal ball. Imagine you run a shop, and you know the demand for different products waxes and wanes depending on the season. Predictive analytics helps with inventory management and cash flow forecasting, so you have a good idea of how much stock to buy. It can also be useful for risk management and deciding how much (and when) to focus on customer acquisition.

Some analytics software allows you to view the details of up to 24 months of transaction data, which you can categorize and drill down through to get deep insights. You can even view real-time information, so you can see the impact of changes you've made as it happens.

Knowledge Is Power
Analytics can help drive decision-making about marketing, R&D, risk management, and cash flow. A business that uses tools such as predictive or prescriptive analytics effectively can forecast future trends and truly understand its current status, giving it an edge over the competition.

OmniMarketing2020 is an established boutique consultancy that will help you formulate a focused digital strategy, from building your e-commerce presence to deploying the latest in visualization tools.  If you have any questions, please email us at richard@omnimarketing2020.com.

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According to research, there are more than 3 million active immigrant entrepreneurs in the United States, whose businesses employ upwards of 8 million people. A significant percentage of this hail from Mexico. If you’re an immigrant on the verge of starting a business, this article from the OmniMarketing2020 blog will provide you with an in-depth guide of all the important steps you need to take.

Choosing a Visa
Here are the best types of visa categories making you eligible to start a business:
E-2: Under this category, you can choose to open a small or large-scale business. While the investment requirements depend on the size of your organization, expect the amount to at least be $100,000. Additionally, you need to have a minimum of 50% ownership of the business. 
L-1A: If you own or work in a successful business in your home country, through this category you can start a branch in the United States. This is a popular pathway used by entrepreneurs as it also qualifies them for citizenship down the line if certain conditions are met. 

Defining the Company Structure
For immigrant entrepreneurs, the choices boil down to a C corporation or a Limited Liability Company (LLC). Both these options establish your company as a separate legal entity, protecting your personal assets from litigation.
However, with an LLC you can avoid double taxation as you only pay taxes once through your personal income tax. Additionally, LLCs require much less paperwork and provide greater flexibility to add or remove partners.

Funding Your Business
Securing funding is a major challenge that immigrant entrepreneurs face. However, obtaining one of the abovementioned visas or having a local business partner can make the process easier.
A business loan can be the go-to option for covering short or long-term business expenses. But, it requires a high credit score and collateral. If meeting these requirements is difficult, applying for a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan is a good alternative. SBA loans can include amounts up to $5 million. Additionally, they have a longer repayment period compared to conventional business loans and are applicable for immigrants with low or no credit scores.

Focusing on Marketing
As reported by Sprout Social, after engaging with a brand on social media, 91% of individuals visit their website and make purchases. Hence, as a new business, you need to invest time in creating accounts on popular social media channels to attract customers and educate them on how your products solve their needs. In addition, to retain customers it’s important to consistently be in touch with them through emails, SMS, push notifications, etc., making them aware of new offers, products, and discounts.
Given the key role marketing plays towards the success of your business, opt to hire experts such as OmniMarketing2020 who can undertake all important activities from developing a marketing strategy to handling social media accounts, creating websites, and much more.
While immigrant entrepreneurs may travel alone to start businesses, their families serve as a constant pillar of support through their journey. Here are a few ways to stay connected with your loved ones:

• Use video calling apps such as Skype or Zoom to call Mexico for free.
• If you need to send funds back home, use services such as Remitly, which does not charge transaction fees for remittances to Mexico.
• Choose to bring them to the states during the holiday season, allowing them to experience the culture and your business in person.

While starting a business is by no means easy, the United States is the best location for immigrant entrepreneurs to pursue their business dreams. 

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No industry made it out of the 2020 pandemic unscathed, but as the new year continues to blossom, opportunities to reopen are beginning to appear. While reopening your business may sound stressful, there are steps you can take to make your grand reappearance on the market a cost-effective success. The professionals at OmniMarketing 2020 have collected these proven digital strategies that can help you successfully reopen your business. 

Plan for Safety
If businesses want to reopen, safety for customers and staff is a must. How will this affect your business and your bottom line? Concepts like social distancing, masks, and hand sanitizer are the new norms, so think about how you could implement these safety measures. 

Determining how many people you need on shifts, your new building capacity, cleaning regimens, and even new hours will also fit under this umbrella. These are brand new concerns to many businesses, so spend some time thinking about your own shopping habits through this pandemic: what do you expect to see in stores? What makes a business feel safe to you, the customer? The only way to maintain your business is to keep your staff and customers safe, so remember that you’re marketing yourself as a safe business by instituting these protocols.

Connect with Your Customers
Many of us are feeling distant right now; connecting with your customers, through mailers, social media, or email, can help keep them in the loop about your reopening and other offerings you may have. There are plenty of email marketing services, even free ones, that make it easy to reach out to loyal customers and keep them informed in a stylish, simple way. 

Keep in mind that most emails are read on smartphones, so choose an email marketing service that will also help make sure the formatting is appropriate for all viewers. Strong emails will help build credibility and relationships with customers, so don’t hesitate to reach out and connect with customers even before you’re ready to open your doors.

Think About the Long Game
Closures are stressful, but they can give you time to reflect on your business and its structure. Many businesses have pivoted to providing online service, even if they never had before, helping them reach new customers and expand their offerings. Whether it is through a retail site or you build your own website, making your business online-friendly can help defend against any other business disruptions, be they from the pandemic or some other disaster. 

Another way to make your business more flexible is to consider forming an LLC; LLCs offer you limited personal liability for your business, as well as less paperwork, tax benefits, and greater overall flexibility. You can even file the paperwork to become an LLC by yourself, skipping the expensive legal fees and helping you control the process. Each state has different requirements for starting an LLC, so be sure to check the regulations for your state before you get started.

Bring in the Experts
Consider working with a marketing firm, like OmniMarketing 2020, who can help you determine who your customers are and how best to reach them. Our expertise is endlessly beneficial even when business is operating as normal; now, moving online and connecting more personally with customers, our skills are in even higher demand. From effective websites to tricks for successful mailing campaigns, marketing experts can help ensure your endeavors grow your business seemingly like magic. 

Each of these aspects will help you bring customers back to your business and keep them, no matter what happens in 2021. While we have to rethink the details, like social distancing for in-person shopping and user-friendly e-commerce online experiences, the strategies are still tried and true. Connect with your customers to make sure your business resonates with their needs and wants.

The team at OmniMarketing 2020 is ready to help you make your business a smashing success, so contact us today to see how we can help grow your industry and make the connections you need.

Great companies are built with great leadership. It means the powers that be bring out the best in their team members, inspire faithfulness from customers, and earn respect from their peers. It means demonstrating leadership qualities in a manner that others find understandable, relatable, and motivational. Here’s how to nurture those qualities from within and ensure you can be a successful leader.
 
What Do You See in the Mirror?
Leadership is more than a title; it’s how you act, what you say, and your attitude. How you conduct your affairs is exactly what your team members and company culture will reflect. They look to you as their role model and then respond accordingly.
 
For example, if you see employees are generally uninspired and doing as little as possible to get by, it’s time to evaluate whether they can see your passion. When you are energized and excited about the work you are doing, that carries over into their work.
 
On the flip side, if they don’t see your positive energy, or if they only hear about their own failures, they are bound to feel discouraged, lose productivity, and forfeit creativity. You must embody the vision you hope to see mirrored in your team.
 
Demonstrate Your Vision
What particular qualities make a great leader, and thereby make a great team? You must have the courage to turn your plans into reality, setting aside your comfort zone to do what must be done. You must be vigilant, staying abreast of your company’s comings, goings, moving and shaking, so you know what’s working and what isn’t. You must also have the integrity to do what you say you’re going to do, and be where you say you’re going to be.
 
Lastly, when all is said and done, you must demonstrate openness. Being able to admit when something doesn’t work, to accept constructive criticism, to show compassion when others fail — openness alone will foster trust, honesty, and healthy debates within your team.
 
Learning and Growing
Naturally great leaders know that there is always room for improvement. Whether you come by leadership skills naturally or not isn’t really relevant; the important thing is to always search for ways to improve in your role.
 
There are courses specifically designed to enhance your leadership abilities or to focus on weak areas in your own job performance. From learning about finances to becoming a more confident leader, earning an online business degree can not only advance your skills, but it also shows your team you are actively working to become a better leader and can inspire them toward more excellence as well.
 
Keep in mind that while it’s true you can’t truly motivate your employees — they ultimately motivate from within — look for ways to connect with them and encourage a mutual exchange of ideas. Keep communication flowing in both directions, and if you find some aren’t participating, find ways to include them. By knowing they are valued, you once again demonstrate the leadership you want to be reflected throughout your team.
 
For help formulating a focused digital strategy, building your e-commerce presence, and improving website visibility, call 910-557-6275 to connect with Contact OmniMarketing2020!