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6 Services Thriving in 2020

2020 has been a tough year for most service-based businesses. With that said, resiliency is on full display, with companies big and small finding ways to reach customers and remain open.

What’s more, some businesses are thriving like never before. The following are six services seeing significant success in 2020:

Lending

With so many individuals and companies experiencing financial shortfalls this year, it’s no surprise borrowing rates are going up. More families are using personal installment loans to supplement reduced household income, while companies are using business loans to cover payroll and expenses. Lenders have stayed busy, processing applications as fast as they’re received.

SaaS

It’s safe to say 2020 has become the year work-from-home went mainstream. Companies around the globe have shifted to entirely remote-based operations, meaning many of them have come to rely on software as a service more than ever before. Whether it’s business-grade video chat apps or collaborative software, companies count on them to conduct business as usual during most unusual times.

Delivery

In response to social distancing guidelines, more consumers are turning to online shopping. Whether it’s a pallet of toilet paper or a month’s worth of groceries, these and other essential products must get delivered to your door. While the fulfillment process is getting pushed to its limit, there’s no denying delivery services are booming in 2020.

Streaming

Among other memorable events – some related others not – 2020 will be remembered for the amount of time we spent at home. It’s been a goldmine for streaming services, with record numbers of new subscribers as well as an enormous increase in hours of content watched. Whether this burst in demand becomes the norm or reverts to pre-2020 levels remains to be seen, but it’s been an excellent year for streaming services.

Gaming

On a similar note, gaming consoles and their respective online gaming services have seen record sales and subscriptions in the last few months. In particular, stores and online sellers can’t keep up with the demand for the Nintendo Switch, a gaming console first released over three years ago. Given how much time everyone is spending at home, it’s no shock to see sales soar for video game products.

Grocery

In times of crisis, such as natural disasters and social unrest, people tend to start panic buying food items and other products deemed to be essential. The result is iconic images of empty aisles in stores across the planet. While it’s safe to assume the owners and executives would prefer an average year to this one, grocery stores and supermarket chains have been some of the real winners in terms of maintaining and exceeding sales expectations for 2020.

The world has seen better days, but it’s also seen much worse. As far as most businesses and individuals are concerned, the main objective is merely getting through the rest of the year in hopes 2021 will improve. For others, the demand for their services has never been greater. Regardless of whether sales are up or down, we can all agree a return to normal is the preferred outcome.

3 Things to Get Right With Property Development

Property development can either be a hugely profitable venture or a giant money sinkhole. Without the right information and processes to guide you, errors could siphon the investment potential away, leaving you scratching your head and wondering what went wrong. Here are some crucial things to remember when working on your next development.

The Right Property Makes the Difference

When you are scoping out available locations, consider whether you want to purchase land that has already been given development approval or if you are going to start from scratch with raw land. Evaluate the location of the property, how long you are prepared to be invested in the development, the amount of financing you will need and have, and your tolerance for risk with the project. Land that has already received approval may be a more expensive piece of real estate.

The Right Builder Brings the Vision to Life

Successful property development relies on the work of the builder and the ability to make your vision a reality. Visiting a display home is going to be more valuable than talking to a contractor since you will get a feel for what your development will look like. Make sure you know the lead time for the builder, the types of projects that he currently has going, and the areas of specialty he offers. You definitely want someone who has been in the business for more than 10 years.

The Right Marketing Will Bring the Sales

Your profit is going to depend on creating a property that people will be tripping over themselves to buy. Once the build is underway, start by talking to real estate agents to find out where your potential buyers are. Use social media or Postcard marketing real estate strategies to bring awareness of your development to the community. Great property needs great attention.

Getting started on the right foot will help your development be more successful. These are three key ways to make that happen.

The ABCs of SEO

SEO stands for search engine optimization. It is the process of figuring out how to drive traffic to a website through search engine results. The higher up the page on a search engine a site appears, the more likely it is that it will be visited, and by using SEO, keywords are found that can be put onto the website to push it higher up the page. There are different techniques available today that aid in the process.

Businesses

Any business that is online should consider the impact that SEO can have on driving new customers to their website. Marketing plans that do not consider utilizing SEO are missing an opportunity to connect with many potential clients. The process can be intimidating, so hiring a marketing company that specializes in the industry may be a good choice. A growing company might not have the resources to hire someone specifically for that position or have the ability to properly train them. No one person can do every job, and a business owner often needs to focus on the everyday needs of the company. Even marketing companies can benefit from extra help by working with an SEO reseller.

Individuals

Even people who do not own a business can benefit from SEO. Blogging and vlogging are fun hobbies for many people who want to connect with others, be entertaining or offer up valuable information about a skill they have. Writing a blog or shooting a vlog can be a lot of work. It is disappointing to go through all of the effort only to have no one view the finished product. By keeping an eye on trends and researching which keywords are relevant, it is easier to attract people who are using those search terms to find content.

Whether it is for a business or an individual, SEO is a valuable tool that connects people on the internet. Anyone who creates something online for others to see should seriously consider devoting time towards search engine optimization.

3 Effective PR Strategies

Public relations relies on big data and simplifies their findings for a broad, concerning audience to read. Developing a company’s reputation is also important. People will perceive a company as having certain characteristics, which can influence their behavior. Effective, consistent communication also builds credibility and trust. There are three PR strategies worth remembering.

Motivation to Action

The products and services you provide must have a purpose. Otherwise, your organization will not gain enough revenue to move forward. PR firms in Portland Oregon can also help companies achieve goals, making sure they are quantifiable so certain services can succeed in the market. Managers can achieve these goals by creating an appealing message by applying a sense of urgency, providing a reason by alluding to the customer’s personal or financial situation. Since customers are busy, companies should create informative articles explaining how their products are convenient and tell them what they must do to purchase your product. It also helps to tell them which retailers sell your product if applicable.

Validated Learning

Executives want to rely on evidence-based data, which explains user engagement and predicts revenue prospects. Determining the organization in the marketplace by relying on concrete, actionable goals is good PR because it allows for consumers to see how their services could impact other businesses throughout the community, like fashion and healthcare pr company Portland. Actionable, measurable goals can help companies learn how to market faster, which reduces cost and helps save resources for future use. Disposing resources for a strategy not guaranteed to work isn’t an effective business practice. It’s important for companies to conduct experiments exploring customer behavior, making reports to their success or failure in finding a product according to certain marketing.

Consistent Practice

Companies should be consistent in reaching out to customers, as this is a way they can identify who would benefit from their services. Without any outreach, companies remain obscure to the public eye. An attractive, succinct message takes time to develop and must fluctuate with the market, which changes quickly. Gradual build also allows companies to focus on their improving their employee’s performance more often, which benefits companies in the future. Corresponding with customers while helping them learn more about what services are offered and replying to reviews they may post are two ways of showing them that their perspective matters.

PR firms are helpful in creating and providing the resources organizations require to set up a marketing strategy, relying on several mediums such as social media, television and the radio to emphasize their service’s characteristics, which customers may find beneficial to their own lives.

Finding Off Market Properties: What You Need To Know

As an investor, you’re always searching for that next steal of a property. One of the best ways to get great properties at huge discounts is to search off the market. Unlike listed properties, off market properties tend to be undervalued. If you haven’t dipped your toes into this type of investing, you may wonder how to get started. Use the following text as your guide.

Defining Off Market Real Estate

To understand how to go about searching for off market real estate, you first need to know what, exactly, the term means. “Off market” simply means that property wasn’t submitted to the Multiple Listing Service for advertisement. Word of mouth through the broker’s network is typically the only way the availability of the property is made known.

Finding Off Market Property

If you want to buy off market property, there are a few tricks you can try. Here are the top three.

1. Talk to Your Network

Any veteran real estate agent, investor or broker will tell you that networking is crucial to their success. There is always someone who knows someone who knows someone who is looking to sell a great property, so let your intentions be known to anyone who cares to listen. Your perseverance is likely to uncover a lead, or several.

2. Partner With a Local Real Estate Agent

If you’re asking how you can find off market properties near you, the answer is simple: Talk to your local real estate agents. Agents are familiar with the local market and of every active listing in the area — both on and off market. By partnering with an agent, you can gain access to some of the hottest off market properties around.

3. Send Out Flyers

There are many homeowners out there who would consider selling if they received the right offer. Though time consuming, going this route can yield some of the best deals, as many potential sellers have no idea what their properties are worth and may view your offer as a chance to start anew.

Off market properties can be a great investment. Use the above tips to get started on your next phase of investing today.