There are many who are in need of having a web application for your company given the current times and the constant use of mobile devices by customers. However, not everyone is a programmer and many of us do not know much about this world and its processes. Bubble.is is the tool we need.

Completely online, it will allow us to create mobile applications in an easy and intuitive way. In it we can choose various elements with which to create our application and give certain effects: design, data, styles, plugins, among others, are the ones we can choose.

The tool allows us to customize each element, so we can add text, images, Google Maps or file loaders.

The only "bad" thing about this tool is that it is in English at the moment, so those who are not familiar with the language could be limited by this. Still, it is completely recommended for those who want to create a web application and are not experts in the art of programming, since it is so easy to use and so customizable that we can even backtrack in case of errors and continue working with the elements that this web gives us.

Source: Omicrono.

Entrepreneurship involves more than just setting up a business: it requires hours of dedication as well as people who support our idea. Entrepreneurship is to carry out an idea we have and promote it, rather than just capitalize it.

This generates new employment opportunities as well as enriches our lives through experience. That is why it is necessary to be a leader.

 
Leadership is not something that is only said or that is so simple to apply: it demands from us, especially from our attitude. One of the most valuable characteristics of a leader is his ability to stay positive in any situation and inspire confidence in those around him. Education, dedication, passion and charisma are elements that will help keep the business as well as are easily reflected in what we do: our clients will see it and may be attracted to that energy.

We can not undertake alone so we must know how to care for and value our human capital. Also, undertaking requires changes and that generates uncertainty, and the vision of a leader is what is needed to overcome the obstacles to reach an objective and immediately go for another.

A leader does it for himself and relies on his teammates, unlike a boss who expects others to do it.

Source: Cainem.

Much has been said that a boss is not a leader, and vice versa. However, not everyone understands the difference between both terms or even how to become true leaders. What do we need?

1. Positivism

A good leader should always be motivated to perform any task as well as be able to have a positive vision, which will inspire those around him. Read every day something that inspires you and that will spread to your employees.

2. Zero negativity

Although this advice can be taken as a copy of the previous one, it is one thing to be positive and another to lock ourselves in negative visions. We must leave this bad practice aside because it generates dissatisfaction and doubt in your employees, in addition to poisoning the work environment until it becomes toxic.

3. Rate your team

Motivating your employees is always beneficial. You must know what is important to them and what drives them to work for you. Rewarding them when something is achieved, even if it is small, will stimulate them. It should not be money only: recognition or a gift are highly valued.

4. Delegate tasks

If you have a good work environment, you can leave tasks to your employees. While we should not always monopolize them all, this can help generate responsibilities in your work team as well as stimulate creativity in them.

5. Do not blame anyone

When something bad happens in the company, you should not blame someone specifically. More than looking for a culprit, try to solve the problem as a team, in addition to preventing that situation from happening again in conjunction with your employees. And if the culprit in particular does not want to support, it is time to take action.

6. Requirements

A good leader must be demanding. Mediocrity should not be part of the daily bread. However, you must know how to motivate and inspire your team to achieve excellence.

Source: Emprender fácil.

The competitiveness in a company consists in the capacity that it has to achieve its welfare based on the production it has. For this, it depends on raw materials, human resources and capital in order to ensure the quality of its products.

A company is more competitive than another if it produces more at lower cost, without neglecting total production, efficiency and quality. However, innovation and uniqueness of the product also influences competitiveness. So, how to make our companies competitive?

1. Training

Although some may not believe it, talented people within our company are the ones who can help us improve their processes. That is why we must have trained personnel.

2. Important areas

Prioritize those areas of your company that need improvement. If you see that the technology department, for example, is a little behind, it's time to renew or improve it.

3. Processes

As well as the areas, check which processes you can improve first.

4. Applications

Use various tools or applications to achieve your goals. Also establishing metrics and commitment within a period of time can be helpful.

5. Constant training

Your human resources are your greatest asset. That is why you should always promote education in your employees since an effective production of your company depends on them.

Source: Bolivia emprende.

Carlos Bayona, CEO of Digital Enterprise, lists the ten keys that every company must consider if it wants to undertake the digitalization process.

1. Technology is not enough

Many companies believe that with new technology they will achieve effective results. It is not like this. If you want more productivity and competitiveness you must make a change in management. The technology must be to make use of it but the changes are made by us.

2. Presence of the directive

Digitizing a company should not be the responsibility of a single department. The board should also be aware of their impressions as well as to support what is necessary.

3. Vision of the company

Before digitizing our company, we must be clear about the purpose of this step, as well as this must be aligned with the general objectives of the company.

4. Starting situation and objective

It does not hurt to have a projection of the company for the moment of the digitalization, considering also the current situation and verifying if it is beneficial or not the change.

5. Transformation plan

You must have both long-term and short-term plans that keep your company protected in some way during the change.

6. A promoter

Having someone to lead the projects can help you with all the processes involved in the transformation of your company.

7. Commitment

Your work team must be committed to the change that the company is about to execute. In this way, they will help you to do it as well as be attentive to any inconvenience that may occur.

8. Urgency

For every day that you spend thinking whether to do it or not, it's time that you lose competitively speaking. It is not that you should address the change immediately without plans or strategies but, if you are going to do it, you should consider the time that you stop investing in it.

9. Economic impact assessment

While money is important, we must also consider quality. We can not get carried away by the cheapness of a project but rather if this is the one that suits us or not.

10. Objectives and goals valued

We must consider that the digital transformation of our company must be done hand in hand with both processes and personnel. Our staff must also be trained for new functions or processes and these, in turn, should help us reduce costs and ensure quality.

Source: Tecnoalimen.

The internet has facilitated many processes as time passes. One of them is purchases: we can buy products through the web and wait in the comfort of our homes or offices to reach directly our hands. The e-marketplaces allow us this.

An e-marketplace is that online space in which a company places its products and services at the disposal of its visitors so that they can acquire them through a payment system via the web. This type of business has certain advantages.

1. Positioning

Internet search engines, like Google, position your web page according to certain elements and algorithms. The e-marketplaces, in general, are among the first results.

2. Cost savings

The e-marketplaces do not charge you for hosting or electronic infrastructure. They hardly charge a commission or monthly fee for which the costs are significantly reduced.

3. Payment method

Not so much the customer to you but yours to the platform: the customer pays it and then it pays you, so you would not have to worry about paying the commission since the system automatically debits the payment.

4. Internationalization and shipping

Being on the internet, you are not limited to selling your products in your country only. Your client can be anywhere! In addition to this, the marketplaces have agreements with some shipping companies in general, so this helps a lot.

5. Proximity with other complementary vendors

The crosselling is to sell your product with another to make it more attractive so, when selling online, you can meet other sellers with whom to make an alliance. 

Source: Stel Order.

An e-commerce consists, in general, in the sale of products and services through the internet. At first, data was marketed only as, but as the Internet progressed, some people saw in the 2.0 world the opportunity they needed. An e-commerce knows no borders so the public can be anywhere in the world.
In general, e-commerce has four sections.

1. Information

Every web page must have a space in which visitors can access information about the company: see what it is about, what its values ​​are, among other elements.

2. Catalogue

This is where your customers can access the products you have for sale, their information, benefits and prices.

3. Processing of orders

Once your client chooses your product, you must specify and configure the order in order to make it effective in your system and provide you with the necessary information to send your purchase.

4. Payment method

Your client must indicate the way in which he will cancel his product, which must be safe for both and avoid possible frauds.

Source: Marketing digital.

A market study are those actions taken by a company in order to know the status of the market in which it has been, taking into account elements such as the prices of its competitors, number of customers, suppliers, among others.
The objective of doing this is to have a clear vision of the business in order to make the necessary corrections so that our company is not left behind. To do this, the following steps are executed:

1. Has a consultant

This will be the person in charge of carrying out your study. In general, it is someone who has done them before, so he must have the necessary equipment to obtain the required information. Also, who will advise you with the strategy you must use to position yourself.

2. Gathering information

Whether through surveys, interviews, among other methods, relevant information is obtained from customers regarding prices, products, needs they may have.

3. Analysis of the information

It is divided according to certain aspects in order to obtain specific results and answers. In this way, analyzing it is much easier as well as effective.

4. Obtaining results

Once analyzed, the consultant shows them to your company and together they design a strategy that can help you position yourself among your clients or even surpass your competitors.

Source: Estudios de mercado.

Through intelligent contracts, the blockchain allows companies to make an exchange of data quickly and safely. What are its benefits?

1. Conciliation

The blockchain has the necessary information of the transaction so it minimizes the possibility of errors when posting items.

2. Efficiency

There are no intermediaries: the transaction is made between both parties directly. And thanks to the existence of the intelligent contract, it is sought that the transaction is as it is demanded in it so that both parties obtain the agreement.

3. Sale of data

Although not yet implemented, the security granted by the blockchain will allow this type of sales.

4. Challenges

This technology performs millions of transactions per second and is expected to be more and more as this system is perfected.

Fuente: Revista Gente Quintana Roo.

Blockchain consists of a type of technology that allows to transfer data in a secure way thanks to its coding. It does not need intermediaries and is protected from being deleted.

How does it work? We explain it to you in 5 steps.

1. Transaction

It is the part that corresponds to the beginning of it, where two people agree to exchange a unit of value, for example (digital currency, assets, educational titles ...).

2. Blocks

The transaction is carried out together with others, creating a "block", which is sent to the network of participating computers.

3. Verification

These computers (called "miners") value each transaction and verify if they are valid as agreed.

4. Hash

Each verified block has a "hash" which indicates its status and identifies it.

5. Execution

Finally, the transaction is made, thus closing the process.

Many companies already use this system thanks to their safety, ease and speed. What do you think?

Source: 40 de fiebre.

As entrepreneurs, we have at least a rough idea of ​​what our ideal client should be like or what kind of person we want to reach with our product or service. However, in the world of marketing there is the concept of buyer persona which can help us much better when thinking about who is our ideal client.

A buyer persona is an image that meets the characteristics of our best possible customer. Therefore, he is the ideal person to consult about our business.

To create one, we must take into account the information we can obtain from our real customers. This can be done through surveys, for example. Some of the data to consider are:

Demographics: where you are and your level of education, for example. As well as age, sex, marital status, location, educational level, income level, among other elements. 

Psychological data: focuses more on the behavior of your ideal client. That is why you must take into account

•     his interests and what he spends his free time,
•     lifestyle and in what environments it moves,
•     objectives and motivations,
•     problems and challenges you face,
•     behavior in various situations.

Offer: this is the time to evaluate how our product fits with the profile or needs of the person we have created, taking into account all of the above. The ideal is to leave him satisfied. 

Evaluation: once created our buyer person, we must analyze it through a new survey:

•     How many people like my buyer can I find?
•     Is a single type of buyer person enough or do I need more?
•     Where can I find them?
•     How can I take my product?
•     Does my product solve a problem or need they have?
•     Can they pay it?
•     Do I understand your shopping habits?

The more specific you are in the creation of your buyer person, you can analyze more specific features as well as create more effective products and with greater chances of success.

Source: Fotógrafo inteligente.

Every entrepreneur must know where they are getting, not so much to give up their business idea, but because knowing our competitors can always be beneficial if we know how to use the information we have.

1. Objectives when analyzing competition

When studying your competition, you must take into account where and against whom you compete, idenify possible business opportunities, detect the elements that differentiate you from others, as well as anticipate the reaction of your competition.

2. Techniques

Before opening your business, it is worth visiting your competition to see, for yourself, what it is about. You can inspect the following items to give you an idea of ​​what to do:

• Prices
• Number of clients
• Profile of the same
• Sales and distribution system
• Dimension and appearance of the room
• Attractive street
• Opening times
• Among others.

You can also visit websites and social networks to see how well positioned they are.

3. Common mistakes

Never underestimate your competition nor forget that there is an indirect competition, which is one that offers alternative services or products. Nor should you rely too much on your intuition. Trust the measurable aspects and use them to make your strategy something much more based.

Source: Infoautonomos.
Images from: Talkroute, dprince4christ blog y YouInc.

Choosing the appearance of our company always causes us headaches: how to call it? What will be their colors? And the slogan? What about the logo? They are elements that although they seem to be ornamental, are those that will be engraved in the minds of our consumers. What is each one about?

Colour

There are many and in different shades. Depending on the branch of our company as well as the objective or meaning we want to give, choosing a color should be chosen carefully and conscientiously.

Logo

It is a graphic element that serves to identify a company. It is the way it has to communicate with its customers visually.

Slogan

It is a memorable phrase of a commercial nature. It seeks to capture the attention of customers and highlights, in some way, the qualities or values ​​of the company.

Source: Cristina López.

An effective communication is something that every company should have or aspire to. Nowadays, the interaction between this and the client is much more important than it was years ago when it was enough to only print our product. The internet and new devices have marked new forms of communication and customs.

We must consider that, as entrepreneurs, we have to know our audience if we want to reach them. How old are you? Where do you usually communicate? What are their customs? Today's consumers buy experiences more than products. That is why we must offer you one with which you feel comfortable and, to achieve this, we must know what are the most appropriate means to get our message across. There are three types of channels for this.

Personal

It is the medium that allows a direct interaction between the company and the consumer. It can be with one or only one or a limited number of them. An example of this is SMS.

Interpersonal

It is the one in which there are many receptors for our message. An example of this would be the radio or television.

Interactive

Social networks are the perfect example because it allows an interaction with users immediately.

Before choosing a channel, you should be aware of:

• The type of store you own (traditional or online)
• Investment for the chosen channel (both monetary and temporary)

Source: Instasent.

Running your own business is not easy. Even more so when you have an established family or just a couple who, whether they live together or not, you should spend time if you do not want to lose what you have.

Having support from those you love is a factor that can directly affect the mood with which you run your business. What to do, then, when you do not have enough support?

Be honest with yourself

You should evaluate the type of relationship you have and if that is what you want. It is not up to anyone else to do it. Is it right or necessary for you? It is your decision, whatever you choose.

Talk about your needs

It will sound cliché but, in these cases, a long and honest conversation about what they both want is not bad. Maybe this will help them smooth out the rough edges.

Do not work 24/7

While a business requires a lot of time on your part, your romantic life or family too. Dedicate time. Find the balance between your work and your family.

Do not give up what is good for your life

If your partner is understanding, he will be the person to help you build the empire you dream of. If not, then you will have a very tough and difficult relationship. Attentive to these signals.

Be yourself

Your partner already knows you, with goodness and shortcomings. Be honest with what you want and give it to understand. That person can support you if he really loves you, because he already knows how stubborn you are or since when you dream of carrying out your projects.

Source: Entrepreneur.

No one is saved from making a mistake, much less business owners. Sometimes we tend to commit some and not give them the proper treatment without mentioning that we leave them aside, without learning from them. We ignore them despite calling ourselves leaders.

Admitting an error is shameful but we must do it, solve it and prevent it. That is why we bring you 10 tips to achieve it and be good leaders.

1. Keep good communication

While some entrepreneurs follow the philosophy of "Do not come with problems but with solutions", the ideal is to have a team that does not fear to talk to you honestly instead of fearfully. Communication is important both to solve and to prevent.

2. Be transparent

When an error occurs, the ideal is to resolve it as soon as possible and share information with employees. In this way, they will help prevent this error from happening again.

3. Admit your error

You must be the first to admit that you were wrong. While it may be uncomfortable for you, this will make your employees more confident in your person.

4. Do not minimize the damage or seriousness

Just as you may be able to confess your mistake, you must also be able to confess your error as to the seriousness of the matter. This could cause problems for your employees and your business.

5. Take charge of the problem even if you are not the culprit

We are the first people in charge of our business so to do this kind of thing should be something immediate. This shows your humility, strength and authority as a leader, as long as we work to find an adequate solution.

6. Offers solutions

Because it's no use having problems there and not finding a way to solve them. Even if there is a cause of it, you must also offer possible solutions. Perhaps some is the ideal, or the combination of some.

7. Feedback

Always ask your team for advice when you make a mistake. In this way you will have at your disposal a range of possibilities, besides you should not solve everything by yourself.

8. Learn from your mistakes

It is necessary to learn from what happened. In this way, you will obtain a valuable experience that will be useful in the future as well as you can more effectively prevent this type of inconvenience.

9. Place security guards

Not specifically those that protect a place, but those that would protect your company from something similar happening again. Teach your team how to act in case of such a mistake. This way, they can prevent it when you're not there or do not see it.

10. Move on

Once you have admitted the error or take care of it, solve it and do everything possible to prevent it, it is time to continue with business. Take some distance from the problem with some other activity. In this way, you will be able to see it from a new perspective.

Source: Entrepreneur.

The presentation of a store is very important since it is not only our cover letter said, a nice and cozy place, it is incredibly attractive for any possible buyer. How many times have we not entered a place just because it looks flashy or chic?

Experts say that there are very fundamental elements in a store to which we must pay attention if we want to achieve this.

Space

The place should be wide as well as bright. A luxurious place is always striking and this is achieved with a spacious place with clear surfaces. The location is also important: choose the one that brings together a good part of your customers.

Illumination

If you can not have natural light in your establishment, bet on the soft light. A warm and not cold environment invites you to stay longer.

Sound

Depending on the type of store, music is always a good ally. If you have a clothing store, rock would be the main thing in your playlist; if it is a doctor's office, the ideal is relaxing music; if it is a food store, depending on its origin (Italian, Mexican ...) you can increase the purchase of ingredients associated with these cultures.

Distribution

Less is more and this saying can apply to a store as well. Those that are exclusive choose to have a limited amount of products in sample since, ideally, it is to suggest and not cram the eyes.

Showcase

Each product must be separated from another according to a certain criterion. We must not mix them.

Furniture

Wood, metal, fabrics give a particular air to your store. If you want something minimalist and current, steels and crystals are your allies; If instead you want something more delicate and tenuous, then fabrics like muslin or silk can help you; If you want sophistication, then woods and leather.

Colors

They help to correct structural defects without mentioning that they identify our business. Each color (red, orange, blue/green, black/gray, brown/ocher, aquatic colors, yellow) has a different meaning (action, imagination, relaxation, elegance, warmth, professionalism, activity) so we must be cautious in its use.

Energies

Some followers of feng shui take it into account when setting up a business. It is enough to distribute the store according to the five oriental elements: the cash register to where the fire is located to favor prosperity, for example. 

Source: Emprendedores.

Accounting, and a well-done one, is fundamental for any company large or small. It is at this point that we take control of the income but also of all the necessary expenses for the production or provision of our services. In this way, we are aware of the situation in which the business is located.

Leaving this area unattended can not only lead to legal problems but also we would have a bad management of the company to not take this control. We bring you then some tips when you keep the accounting of your company.

• Place in chronological order all accounting documents such as invoices, income, accounts receivable, etc.
• Makes the accounting entries corresponding to each document. Try to have everything archived in folders.
• Make the bank reconciliation, that is, check everything that has entered and left the business bank account so that each movement has its archived support.
• Verify that the accounts and balances are correct so that you do not lack something to reconcile or be duplicated.
• Try to keep it up to date, since the movements, many times, tend to be numerous and in this way you save a lot of time at the end of the month.

Similarly, remember that it never hurts to leave this job to an expert, who can always help us with their efficiency and advice.

Source: Emprendedores.

Every entrepreneur knows that his time is valuable. Therefore, you should know how to make the most of it.

In a meeting held by Ken Segall, creator of the Apple slogan "Think different", with Jay Chiat, he realized how valuable people's time is, especially when work demands a lot of our creativity.

Many times we take the time to go to a business meeting, leaving aside something as simple as the above: that time can be used in a better way. As entrepreneurs, what is our priority? If it were not for this, Ken Segall would not have created the best advertising campaign for Apple. That is why we must focus on what we want as well as on the means to achieve it. Our time is valuable but finite, we must use it wisely.

We must be aware of this because, if we are not clear, then we must ask ourselves how much importance we give to our business, what time we dedicate to the family and how we plan to organize to maintain a balance between the work and the merely individual.

Source: Entrepreneur.

A key point to evolve as entrepreneurs is to know what are the strongest points of our business to take it to the next level. The value chain is a tool that allows us to achieve it.

A value chain consists in the analysis of a business by breaking down its parts in order to identify those elements that generate value for the company. These elements are those that stand out above other competitors, which is highly valued by customers.

The value chains are divided into two parts:

Primary

It is related to the creation of the product and is divided, in turn, into five sections:

• Internal logistics: it deals with everything related to the reception of raw materials for the creation of our products.
• Operations: is the party responsible for the processing of these materials until the formation of the product.
• External logistics: is responsible for the storage and distribution of the product.
• Marketing and sales: it is about advertising and selling what we have created.
• Service: is dedicated to maintaining and enhancing the value of the product.

Secondaries

They are responsible for supporting primary activities and are related to the infrastructure of the organization, such as finance, accounting, planning, human resources, among others.

To effectively apply a value chain, we must know all the processes of our company in order to make a map of them.

When the processes are thoroughly known, we can be able to establish objectives (general and specific) as well as analyze the costs of production and the finished product, taking into account the 4 C's (cost, customer, competition and change). In this way we can identify the advantages and disadvantages we have with respect to other brands and, thus, enhance the strongest points.

Source: Pa Digital.