Author: Hannah

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News & updates

How to deal with small business burnout

Small business burnout is something that no one tells you about when you first start your business. Everyone is enthusiastic in the beginning, but many small business owners eventually find themselves losing motivation and the energy that they had in the beginning. Let’s explore this phenomenon and some strategies to help you get over it and back on track with creating your dreams.

What is small business burnout?

It’s normal to experience it throughout your small business journey. It’s possible to love your business and still experience burnout at the same time. The circumstances that lead to burnout are many, but they all have a few symptoms in common.

What are the symptoms of small business burnout?

The first step is to recognise the symptoms. Here are 6 common signs that you may be experiencing small business burnout.

  • Fatigue or exhaustion
  • Lack of motivation
  • Procrastination
  • Little passion or excitement for weekdays
  • Lack of creativity or enthusiasm
  • Clashing with colleagues 

10 ways to avoid small business burnout

The good news is that there are ways that you can avoid burnout, or if you have it already, get back on the road to small business success.

1. Prioritise

The first thing you need to do is set priorities. As a small business owner, everything is on your shoulders, or at least you feel like it is. Many productivity gurus will tell you to decide on one priority to get done each day. You can allow yourself up to three priorities, but you must decide which one is the most important. This will allow you to have focus and separate high priority from lower priority tasks.

2.Organisation

Organisation follows priority setting. It is easy to look at the entire to-do list and want to see it all gone at once, but it’s just not feasible nor realistic. Instead, divide your project into phases and small tasks that go along with each phase. Sometimes seeing it as a series of small, achievable steps can free you from overwhelming feelings and allow great productivity.

3. Allocate free time and work time

Free time and downtime are also a priority. Our brains are not machines and are not built to run 24/7. They are designed to have work periods and rest periods, and this means time away from work physically and mentally. Try setting alarms in your phone to remind yourself to rest after a certain point in the day.

4. Delegate or outsource

Small business owners need to learn to delegate or outsource certain tasks. This frees up your time so that you can spend more time being an effective leader for your business.

5. Take holidays and breaks

This goes along with allocating free time. Everyone needs a holiday and time to reset the mind and body. You’ll find that you’re much more productive when you return and you and your family will be all the better for it.

6. Identify and avoid stress triggers

Knowing what causes you stress is the first step to handling these situations when they arise. If there’s a certain situation or person that makes you feel stressed, the best thing you can do is to recognise it and plan a coping strategy to help you get through it the next time.

7. Say no

Knowing when to say no is the simplest way to avoid burnout. It’s a skill that you should learn to practice starting if you want to maintain a healthy work and life balance.

8. Celebrate your achievements

Sometimes, it is easy to get caught up in all of the things we haven’t done yet and to over analyse our failures but not our successes. It’s important to take time to reflect and celebrate your achievements and reflect on your progress

9. Bond with colleagues

The key to building a great team is to plan bonding activities outside of work with your teammates. Friendships mean a great deal when it comes to looking forward to going to work and having a support system when you get there.

10.Don’t forget your wellbeing

Personal wellbeing is usually the first thing to go out the window when you are busy. The power of a good nights rest coupled with healthy food and regular fitness activities can really help to avoid burnout.  

Now you know what burnout looks like and some of the ways that you can prevent it. Taking care of yourself both physically and mentally should be a priority on your agenda every day. Taking time for yourself is the best way to keep the creativity flowing and be the most productive during your working time.

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News & updates

How to increase cash flow for small businesses

Knowing how to increase cash flow is one of the most challenging aspects of running a small business, and mastering it is the key to long-term success. Many businesses fail in their first few years, and one of the main reasons for these failures is cash flow problems. Fortunately, many tools and techniques are available to help small businesses manage cash flow and achieve success. Let’s explore these tips and tools.

What is cash flow and why is it so important?

Managing cash flow in your business is similar to managing your household budget. Although managing cash flow in your business is more complicated, the principle is the same. You need to generate enough cash to pay your bills and obligations. You also want to have a little leftover to enjoy or reinvest in your business growth. If you don’t manage your cash flow, your business could struggle to stay afloat.

Top 6 methods for increasing cash flow

The concept of cash flow is simple, but putting it into practice can be complicated. Here are a few of the things you need to consider and explore to make your business a success.

1. Create a cash flow forecast

Forecasting is important for managing cash flow. Knowing your upcoming expenses means that you have time to adjust and ensure money is there when you need it. There are software and apps which can help make this process simpler.  You can choose something that only focuses on cash flow, like Xero, or a solution that provides integration and other functionality, like Float or Fluidly. 

2. Expand payment options

Another way to increase your cash flow is to expand the number of ways that you can receive payment. Having a single form of payment, like PayPal, could limit the number of people who can purchase your services. Try adding other electronic payment methods like Square, which allows you to collect funds immediately after providing a service. Afterpay is another popular option that allows your customers to make 4 partial scheduled payments for your service.  

3. Update service prices to reflect the current market

 Be on the lookout for market changes and what your competitors are charging. If your services are underpriced or overpriced, this could impact the cash you have available. Adopting this strategy doesn’t mean that you have to change your prices every time your competitors do, but it is important to price accordingly.

4. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software

It can be hard to keep track of customers’ data, invoices and payments Fortunately, there is plenty of CRM software available that allows you to simplify and automate the process. You can use it to capture contact details, store data, send automated messages, invoices and follow-ups after a service.

5. Consider current assets

If you should ever find yourself in a moment of low cash flow, you could look into selling any unused machinery or equipment. Equipment that is sitting around and not being used is a liability that could be quickly turned into liquidity.

6. Consider tax time

Everything you do, whether it is making a purchase or making a profit, will have an impact when it comes to filing your end-of-year taxes.  It’s important to keep a record so you can take off the deductions that you are allowed. Knowing what taxes you will owe also helps you predict what you need to have set aside. The most important thing is to be prepared so you do not get caught at the end of the year with an unexpected tax bill.

Helpful cashflow programs 

Here is a few popular cash flow management software to help automate and simplify processes for small business owners.

  • Xero

Xero accounting software is an online solution that allows you to pay bills, claim expenses, connect to your bank, accept payments, and reconcile your bank statements.

  • Float

Float gives you resources that include cash flow management tools, planning tools, and scheduling software.

  • Futrli

Futrli is powerful forecasting software that helps you make better business decisions. It helps you predict sales, expenses, and profits.

  • Fluidly

Fluidly automates forecasting and presents the information in graphs and charts that are easy to understand. This software gives you the information that makes business decision-making seamless and easy to see your options.

Managing cash flow is one of the most important skills that you can learn as a small business owner. Fortunately, there are now tools available that make it easy. Knowing how to increase cash flow in small business management is the best way to create a successful enterprise in the future.

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Success stories

Success story | Eric from E Team Removalists

Here we share Eric’s story

Eric’s journey into the removalist industry has quite a unique story. After a long career in the financial services industry, Eric was in a tragic motorbike accident. He was in and out of hospital for many years on a long journey to recovery. During his rehabilitation, he found labour-intensive activities the best way to improve his strength and mobility. Planning to return to the workforce, he knew needed a job that kept him moving. He began a small-scale courier service, where he delivered packages and bulky items. This concept continued to evolve and in 2017, became E Team Removalists.  

He started out as a sole trader operating out of his SUV. Today, Eric has a team of  12 removalists with 7 vehicles on Sydney’s busy roads. 

Experienced team of movers / Source: E Team Removalists

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Challenges before Oneflare

Eric was completely new to the removalist scene, and admits he had “no industry knowledge”. He set out to learn the ropes of the industry and understand how to run his own business. However, this was a difficult, time-consuming task and after long,  labour-intensive work, there wasn’t a lot of time left in the day for lead generation.  

In the early stages of his business, he couldn’t afford to pay for marketing or search engine optimisation (SEO). He struggled to find customers and when he did, there was a lot of competition from more established businesses with more manpower and reviews.  

Experience on Oneflare

Joining Oneflare in 2019, Eric’s experience on the platform has really helped him scale his business and achieve his goals. His account manager helped develop and grow E Team Removals, with a hands-on approach, shared valuable suggestions and tips for business growth and success on and off the platform.  

With experience on multiple service platforms, Eric sheds light on the affordability of  Oneflare and the systems in place to help control competition for businesses.  Throughout his impressive business journey, he has also managed to build an outstanding reputation, with unfaltering 5-star reviews. 

Heavy lifting team at E Removalists / Source: E Team Removalists

Results on Oneflare

E Team Removals now has 

  • A 5-star average rating with over 70 reviews 
  • A high-performing team of 12 removalists with 7 vehicles on Sydney’s roads
  • The freedom to choose the type of clients, jobs and locations to service

Eric’s advice for any business looking to sign up with Oneflare is: “Good, Professional, Reliable – that is Oneflare”

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Success stories

Success story | David from Express Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning

Here we share David’s story

After working as a fully qualified dry cleaner for 30 years, David wanted to try his hand at something a little different but more importantly, he wanted to be his own boss. 

So in 2016, David bought into a carpet cleaning franchise to learn the ropes from an established company. Two years later, he was ready to make it on his own, and from there, Express Carpet & Upholstery was born. 

Today, Express Carpet & Upholstery is a fully owned and operated family business. Growth over the years has allowed for David and his son to work full time, while his daughter works from home on the books –  it’s really a family affair. 

Eric hard at work / Source: Express Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning

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Challenges before Oneflare

Like all new small businesses, David needed a way to consistently find quality customers. As a carpet cleaner, building a base of loyal customers in the first year was very important.  In this industry, repeat business doesn’t come for at least 12 months from the first cleaning service. David struggled with lead generation, marketing, SEO and getting reviews to promote his high-quality service. 

Experience on Oneflare 

“From the word go, it worked”

After being referred to Oneflare by a friend, David thought he’d give it a go. He received support throughout his onboarding and built a relationship with his Account Manager, who to this day, resolves any queries or refund requests.

David has experience using multiple lead generation service platforms but clearly explains that what differentiates Oneflare from the rest is, the “quality of leads and conversion rate”. He attributes these great results to the transparent pricing and information for customers, reviews and the user-friendly mobile app. David is a self-proclaimed “tech-no-phobe”. He likes how easy it is to use the mobile app and the instant lead notifications he receives ensures he doesn’t miss out on any work. 

Express service van / Source: Express Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning

Results on Oneflare

Express Carpet & Upholstery now has 

  • A loyal base of repeat customers, built on reviews and referrals
  • An 4.8-star rating with over 200 reviews 
  • A thriving family business with the freedom to work whenever and wherever 
  • A “Top-Rated” award 

David’s advice for any business looking to sign up with Oneflare is: “If something works, stick to it, and this works.” 

David explains that in the beginning, as a small business owner, he found it quite difficult to wrap his head around the fact he had to spend money to make money. But after signing up with Oneflare, he soon realised that the return on investment was far greater than the initial costs. “From the word go, it worked, and worked consistently”, he advises any small business to give Oneflare a chance to experience growth and success as he has with Express Carpet & Upholstery. 

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Success stories

Success story | George from George Moussa Designer

Here we share George’s story

After 12 years in the graphic design industry, George possessed a great skill set, knowledge, and experience. In 2000, he decided to start his own business. With a mission to provide quick, affordable, and sustainable graphic design services as George Moussa Designer, he specialises in logo and brand identity design for small businesses. 

Challenges before Oneflare

Prior to signing up for Oneflare, George found it difficult to find, secure and service clients. As a graphic designer in Sydney, there is a lot of competition, the market can be hard to break into, and even harder to establish and thrive as a new small business.

After trying out a number of lead generation platforms to help grow his business and source quality leads, he landed on Oneflare and has never looked back.

Logo design by George Moussa Designer / Source: George Moussa Designer

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Experience on Oneflare

Joining Oneflare as a small Aussie business meant that local leads were really important to George. Being a graphic designer, he has the ability to work remotely but is passionate about servicing locally acquired leads for a number of reasons. George talks about Australian leads as, “more likely to be genuine, legitimate & trustworthy. Also, since the time zones are close to my area, it makes it easier to initiate, follow and work systematically, methodically & streamlined.” 

Oneflare has given George the ability to connect with potential clients and secure projects much more than any other lead generation platform.

“Every other similar platform was way behind on what Oneflare offered in terms of quality”

Branding by George Moussa Designer / Source: George Moussa Designer

Results on Oneflare

George Moussa Designer now has 

  • Local, regular and high-quality leads
  • A 4.7 average rating with over 300 reviews
  • Won over 700 jobs on Oneflare 
  • Secured a “Most Hired” award and a “Top Featured” badge

Ready to start winning work?

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“George Moussa is truly one of the greatest graphic designers of all time. My project consisted of designing labels, letterheads, and business cards for my sports supplements company. George delivered an outstanding result. His work, work ethic, and communication skills are second to none. With decades of experience, he is truly an expert in his field. I highly recommend using George.”

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Success stories

Success story | Lisa from Beautiful Weddings

Here we share Lisa’s story

Lisa became a celebrant because she wanted to make a difference on one of the most important days of one’s life. It all started after Lisa and her husband tied the knot in 2009. She hired a celebrant based on good recommendations, but after the ceremony, she was left feeling like  “just a number” due to the lack of consideration for her unique, individual needs. 

With this poor experience, Lisa enrolled in a Celebrants course and from there, her business, Beautiful Weddings by Lisa was born. Lisa vowed to listen and learn about every couple, hear their story and make her service as bespoke as possible. In addition to certifying marriage, she offers assistance in vow creation, something she feels very passionate about. 

“A vow is a promise, and the most valuable thing you can give another human is your promised word.”

Rural wedding ceremony by Lisa /Source: Beautiful Weddings by Lisa

Challenges before Oneflare

Just 6 months after becoming a qualified celebrant, Lisa relocated to Melbourne from Sydney. Starting a business was hard enough, let alone in a new state, so of course, Lisa struggled to get her name out there and find quality leads. She took to social media but found this method of marketing very time-consuming. She needed to find a more effective lead generator to provide her with the growth and success she was looking for. 

After moving to Brisbane a couple of years later, the memories of her first relocation began setting in. The thought of starting that establishment process all over again led her to seek help in the form of digital service platforms. That’s when she found Oneflare, and her business finally started to grow. 

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Experience on Oneflare

After signing up with Oneflare, Lisa has been able to forget the stress of marketing and has built a thriving customer base. A great number of these clients have been referrals from other happy newlyweds. The user-friendly Oneflare site and mobile app have made it easy for Lisa to engage customers and gain valuable reviews. 

With the help of Oneflare connecting her to quality customers across Brisbane. Lisa was not only able to get her brand out there but she was nationally recognised for her stellar service as a celebrant. She took home “Brides Choice Awards for Best Celebrant” in 2019 and has been placing in celebrant competitions ever since. 

Brides Choice Awards for Best Celebrant Certificate / Source: Beautiful Weddings by Lisa

Results on Oneflare

Beautiful Weddings by Lisa now has 

  • A stellar 4.9-star review rating 
  • A high-quality customer base 
  • The freedom to choose the type of clients, jobs and locations to service

Lisa’s advice for any business looking to sign up with Oneflare is: “Just do it.”

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Success stories

Success story | Alex from Abco Plumbing Solutions

Here we share Alex’s story

Alex grew up in a family of hard-working plumbers; he started out by helping his dad and brothers with their plumbing work on the weekends. As the years went by, he fell in love with the industry and decided to build his own business, Abco Plumbing Solutions. 

He started out as a sole trader and took on jobs throughout Sydney. Now, 16 years later, he has his own team of plumbers, 5 trucks on the road and 24/7 emergency plumbing services.

The team at Abco Plumbing / Source: Abco Plumbing Solutions

Challenges before Oneflare

Alex needed a quick and effective way to connect with genuine, high-quality customers. This was challenging because he didn’t have a strong online presence and had very few reviews and ratings to prove the quality of his work.

“Before I started with Oneflare, I didn’t have many reviews and I wasn’t winning much work. The more time and effort I put into [Oneflare], the more I started to feel that I was starting to win more work because of the reviews. I was starting to get a lot of repeat work, and a lot of genuine customers.” – Alex

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Experience on Oneflare  

Through a Credit plan with Oneflare, Alex committed to growing his business and providing the best service he could for his customers. He collected all his reviews and ratings and completed his Business Profile to stand out against his competitors. 

The Customer Success team supported him throughout his onboarding journey and shared valuable advice for winning work. Once all set up, the Oneflare Account Management team took care of any questions and continued to provide support when necessary.   

Results on Oneflare

Abco Plumbing Solutions now has

  • The freedom to choose the type of clients, jobs and locations
  • A 4.8 average rating with over 300 reviews
  • The #1 top featured business for plumbers in Caringbah on the Oneflare Directory
  • A high-performing close-knit team of plumbers with 5 trucks on Sydney’s roads

Ready to start winning work?

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Alex’s advice for any business looking to sign up with Oneflare is: “Use the platform, try to jump onto every single job you can. Go and meet your customer, bring a card, quote on the job and brand your business out there. Get out there and give it a go. You’ve got to be in it to win it”. 

Alex of Abco Plumbing Solutions / Source: Abco Plumbing

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Top tools

Top Featured Business

The ultimate way to showcase your services on the Oneflare Directory

The Top Featured Business tile is an exclusively available fixed listing that sits at the very top of your chosen directory pages*. Once secured, your business will maintain a permanent, highlighted placement above your competitors’ listings.

To be eligible for a Top Featured Business tile, you will need to have at least a 4.3-star average rating from a minimum of 3 reviews. Need a hand boosting your review count? Simply sync your Facebook and/or Google accounts with Oneflare.

Benefits of being a Top Featured Businesss

  • Eye-catching directory listing
  • Zero competition
  • Be seen as the Top Featured Business in your area
  • Bundle discounts available

Speak to a Sales Consultant on 1300 441 593 for more information.

*Subject to availability

Frequently Asked Questions 

How can sync my Facebook and Google accounts with Oneflare help my business?
How do I increase my profile rating?

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News & updates

7 ways to attract more leads with your Oneflare profile

Your Oneflare profile is the key to connecting with the right customers and winning work on the platform. Think of your Oneflare profile as your selling page – the more information you have for potential customers, the more likely you will get hired! This is your chance to stand out from your competitors and promote the value of your business.

Here are some pointers on how to attract more leads using your Oneflare profile.

1. Reviews, reviews, reviews!

Reviews are the most important factor when winning work from an online platform. This is generally the first thing that a potential customer will look at when making their hiring decision. There are several ways you can build your review base on Oneflare:

2. Get verified

The verification process has been introduced on Oneflare to add a layer of credibility to your business profile. This process is designed to give your potential customers peace of mind when hiring you.

To complete the verification process, all you need to do is log on to oneflare.com.au – click get verified – and follow the prompts. Once you complete this you’ll get a fancy blue tick next to your business name, the same as a public figure on other social media sites!

For a step-by-step guide click here

3. Talk about your business

Customers want to learn more about your business when they are making their hiring choice. Make sure you spend time outlining why your business stands out from others in your industry. Do this by writing a great description and filling out your Unique Selling points on your profile to capture your lead’s attention the moment they click on your profile. 

4. Profile Image is your first impression

Having a professional logo on your profile is crucial to gaining a customer’s attention. This is your first impression on these potential customers – so make sure you have a professional logo, or headshot there to stand out from other businesses.

Tip: make sure you jump on Oneflare’s website to utilise the new profile image editor tool, which allows you to zoom in and out and crop your image to look professional.

5. Images: what customers want to see 

Customers want to see your best work when they look at your profile. Be sure to fill out your image gallery to showcase some of your stand-out projects, whether these are before/after shots, work in progress shots, and completed projects; uploading around 10-15 images will help you to shine.

6. Setting up the correct preferences 

Get the right leads from the right area, and leave the rest to us so you can focus on what you do best. You can do this by setting your service types and service areas preferences in the Lead Settings section of the Oneflare for Business app, or on the Oneflare website.

7. Connecting with customers 

When you reach out to customers on the Oneflare app it’s important to stand out right from your first touchpoint. Use the additional comments feature when connecting with leads to personalise your message. Add links to your website and social media pages, and we’ll tell your customers to check out your Oneflare profile too. Adding in these details will show your potential customers that you value providing them with a personalised service, and will aid you in getting the best response.

Categories
News & updates

An introductory guide to customer success

What is customer success?

In a recent report, 80% of customers said that the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services, highlighting a maturing consumer mindset. Customer success occurs when your customers achieve their desired outcome through their interactions with your product. The strategy focuses on optimising the overall experience by proactively providing solutions and/or answers to any given situation that arises during the buy and delight phase. This premeditated approach sends all the right messages to customers, making them feel considered, nurtured and you guessed it, successful.

Why should busiesses invest in customer success?

Traditionally businesses have relied entirely on Sales and Marketing to head their growth strategy, which simply doesn’t cut it in today’s landscape. The focus, now, is pivoting to include the all-important customer. Customer acquisition is becoming increasingly challenging and expensive in today’s crowded markets, so adopting a strategy that focuses on keeping your current customers happy makes a lot of sense. While it is always important to find new prospects it’s even more important to nurture your current customer base. With this focus comes loyal customers, then brand ambassadors, and eventually entire communities. A foundation of loyal, happy customers drives repeat business, renewal and retention and minimises churn, ultimately improving your bottom line.  

How to create an optimised customer success strategy

How your customer success strategy looks will depend on three things:

  • Your customer’s needs 
  • Your product offering 
  • Your business resources 

Every strategy will need to leverage data gathered from consumers, an intuitive team to track and record consumer behaviour, and strong customer success software to collect and display the data for actionable insights. In larger organisations, you may choose to outsource or hire a customer success expert to drive the strategy and build a team to support the trajectory. For smaller, cash-conscious businesses creating a strategy may mean gathering a representative from each business function; product, sales and support to create a roadmap for customer success. 

Who is responsible for implementing customer success?

If you’re wondering whether you need a customer success strategy, the answer is probably yes. If you service customers then you should be looking into investing resources into creating a strategy that enables you, as a business, to partner with your customers. This working relationship will allow you to extract critical feedback and deliver on what the customer deems as most valuable. The task of creating, and maintaining this strategy lies with a Customer Success Manager (CSM) and their team. The CSM provides holistic leadership to the customer-facing team, while the team utilise their working relationships with customers to derive valuable, actionable feedback for the business.

No matter the size of your business, driving a customer success journey starts and ends with a customer-centric mentality, combined with a commitment to providing the best possible outcome using your product.