Kandace Vallejo: Serve your community with a profitable business

Kandance Vallejo, the visionary behind Remedios Consulting, shares valuable insights on launching and growing successful businesses with a focus on interpersonal relationships and leadership coaching. Transitioning from business ownership to consulting, Vallejo emphasizes innovative thinking in overcoming challenges.

Kandance’s advice resonates with small businesses and nonprofits, emphasizing coaching in leadership. In contrast, in a podcast, she discusses her entrepreneurial journey, highlighting the importance of interpersonal relationships and coaching.

Addressing scaling challenges, Kandance advocates for early hiring to prevent burnout, collaborates with Tressa Rowland for profitable strategies in 2024, and advises prioritizing business intelligence and realistic planning. She underscores the significance of strong teams and effective leadership hiring, training, and support. Kandance emphasizes responsibility in training employees and suggests seeking operational support for sustainable growth.

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How do I verify my business in Google with a video?

You understand the importance of having your business in Google Maps and submitted all the information, but they are asking you to do a Google Verification video, and you know it is worth it but don’t know how to do it. Follow the steps below and get your business verified right away.

You need to prep with the following:

  • A friend who drives
  • A copy of your business formation document which is either a DBA or an LLC
  • Your photo ID
  • Your business cards or printed signage and your business uniform if you have one.
  • It is recommended to have a printed sign on the inside of a window of your house or one sign like the ones that realtors use in your front yard.
  • If you have car magnets, make sure they are visible in a vehicle parked outside of your house.
  • Also, if you have T-shirts or uniforms, wear them to record the video.
  • Leave the papers ready for your recording on the first table after you open the door to your house.

Then have your friend drive you to the nearest intersection in your house where there is street signage and start recording in the Google verification app and say something along these lines:

“Hello, my name is XXX, and I am the owner of XXX company and here is the nearest intersection to my house. We are now going to drive to my house. We don’t have visible signs because this is a residential area… or because my HOA doesn’t allow signage outside of the house.”

Then have your friend drive you to the front of your house while you continue to record and say:

…”this is my house, and here is the car magnet to my vehicle”

Or:

…”this is my house, and here is this the business signage in my front yard.”

If you cannot have signage just mention it in the video. Walk up to your door and open with your key or keypad then walk up to where you have all your documents and show them to the camara an narrate what these are.

…”here is my business formation document where you can clearly see that it was filed with name and address and,
… here’s my driver’s license with my current address
…. And here are my business cards with my name and my address.”

Finish saying:

“This is all I have right now. Please verify my business with Google.”

End the recording and submit it to the Google verification platform. That’s it, it should be very short, they should approve it with it.

Please let us know if you have any questions, thank you!

hello@egbi.org

How To Promote Your Business on Alignable

Are you starting your own business? Do you want to know if anyone around you is too?

Alignable is an online network that connects small business owners. It is a US-based company that went public in 2014. Now, it has more than 7 million members.

Imagine a LinkedIn but specifically, for micro and small business owners.

Here is what Alignable can help you with:

Make connections with other business owners

Alignable is meant to act as an “ice breaker” for this community by helping you make connections, post about your business, and refer others. You can announce new events or product lines to all your contacts at once.  

You can also create and join groups to connect with other business owners that have similar interests. When you first join, Alignable adds you to a community that includes the businesses in your general area.

This makes it easy for other owners in your area to seek out your business and vice versa. Once you establish a connection with each other, you can continue it through Alignable.

Contribute to your local community

Alignable is great to get you in contact with business owners in your local community.

It spans about 5 to 10 towns in your area and you can personalize your connections by specifying who you want to connect with.

These might be potential customers and partners!

Here are 3 Steps to Promoting Your Business on Alignable:

Step 1: Figure out the logistics

You need your post to communicate your event or announcement clearly. What is the title of your announcement? What is the date and time of your event? Who is it for? What are you promoting?

Step 2: Create art for your post

Unique social media art is a big part of catching your audience. Make sure your message is clear and the color palette is simple. Your design should be something that you stop scrolling to take a look.

Step 3: Share your post

Below is a list of all the different functions on Alignable. You are able to click what kind of post you want to share so your potential consumers can understand your post’s purpose.

The main difference between Alignable and LinkedIn is that it’s more casual. Since it connects you from town to town, it feels close knit.

If you want to contribute to your local community and connect with other small business owners in your area, Alignable might be good for you.

Small businesses deserve the spotlight too.

See if Alignable is a good complimentary platform for you.  

ESTRATEGIAS EFECTIVAS DE CONTROL DE COSTESPARA TU EMPRESA: MAXIMIZANDO LA EFICIENCIA YMINIMIZANDO LOS GASTOS

Por Neel Kakkad

El control efectivo de costes es esencial para mantener la rentabilidad y la ventaja
competitiva de tu empresa. Al identificar y reducir los gastos innecesarios al mismo
tiempo que se optimizan los procesos operativos, las empresas pueden liberar todo su
potencial y lograr éxito financiero a largo plazo. En este blog, explicaremos las
estrategias prácticas de control de costes para ayudarte a optimizar las operaciones, a
negociar mejores acuerdos con los proveedores e implementar las medidas de ahorro
de costes.

1.Realizar un Análisis Exhaustivo de Costes

El primer paso para un control efectivo de costes es entender a dónde se va tu dinero.
Realiza un análisis riguroso de costes para identificar todos los gastos, tanto los
principales como los secundarios. Después, categoriza estos gastos y evalúa su
importancia en relación con las operaciones generales de tu empresa. A menudo, los
gastos aparentemente insignificantes pueden acumularse con el tiempo, impactando
tus resultados.

2.Optimizar los Procesos Operacionales

Los procesos operacionales ineficaces pueden llevarte a pérdidas de tiempo, de
recursos y de dinero. Examina muy de cerca tu flujo de trabajo e identifica los
embotellamientos o las tareas redundantes que obstruyen la productividad. Considera
implementar procesos automatizados y adoptar soluciones tecnológicas para optimizar
las operaciones.

3. Adoptar Prácticas Sostenibles

La sostenibilidad no solo beneficia al medio ambiente sino que también puede ser
rentable a largo plazo. Considera adoptar prácticas ecológicas que reducen los
residuos y el consumo de energía. Esto puede incluir iniciativas de reciclaje, iluminación de eficiencia energética o usar empaques de materiales sostenibles. Estos
esfuerzos no solo bajarán los costes, pero también realzarán tu marca de imagen y
atraerán clientes conscientes con el medio ambiente.

4. Analizar la Gestión del Inventario

El exceso de inventario inmoviliza el capital e incrementa los costes de
almacenamiento, mientras que el inventario insuficiente te puede llevar a perder
oportunidades de ventas y a realizar pedidos urgentes. Realiza un análisis exhaustivo
del inventario para encontrar el balance adecuado. Utiliza un software de gestión de
inventario para llevar un control y seguimiento de los niveles de existencias, prever la
demanda y optimizar los procesos de pedidos.

5. Fomentar una Cultura Consciente de los Costes

Fomentar una cultura consciente de los costes entre tus empleados es vital para el
control sostenible de costes. Educa a tu equipo sobre la importancia de la
responsabilidad financiera e involucralo en identificar oportunidades de ahorro de
costes. Implementando programas de premios para ideas de ahorros de costes que
sean implementadas exitosamente. Cuando todos en la organización están
comprometidos con el control de costes, éste se convierte en una parte integral del
ADN de tu empresa.


El control eficaz de costes es un proceso continuo que requiere vigilancia,
adaptabilidad y un ojo para la mejora. Al realizar un análisis exhaustivo de costes,
optimizar los procesos operativos, negociar con los proveedores, adoptar la
sostenibilidad, analizar la gestión del inventario y fomentar una cultura consciente de
costes, tu empresa puede maximizar la eficiencia y minimizar los gastos. Las pequeñas
medidas de ahorro de costes pueden acumularse con el tiempo y tener un impacto
significativo en la salud financiera de tu empresa. Adopta un enfoque proactivo para el
control de costes y posicionarás a tu empresa para un crecimiento sostenible y en el
éxito frente a la dinámica del mercado en constante cambio.

Traducido al español por Daniela Ariza-Hernandez. Para leer el artículo en inglés, haga clic aquí.

PREPARARSE PARA EMERGENCIAS FINANCIERAS: CONSTRUYENDO UN NEGOCIO RESISTENTE

Por Neel Kakkad

Los acontecimientos imprevistos pueden golpear en cualquier momento, poniendo en riesgo incluso a las empresas más exitosas. Ya se trate de una recesión económica mundial, un desastre natural o un cambio repentino en las condiciones del mercado, las emergencias financieras pueden dejar vulnerable a una empresa si no está adecuadamente preparada. Por lo tanto, es crucial que las empresas tengan un plan de contingencia financiera bien pensado, mantengan un fondo de emergencia y adquieran un seguro empresarial adecuado para garantizar su estabilidad y resistencia a largo plazo frente a la adversidad.

1. La importancia de un plan de contingencia financiera

Un plan de contingencia financiera es una estrategia detallada que describe cómo responderá una empresa a diversas crisis y retos financieros. Este plan debe ser exhaustivo y abarcar riesgos potenciales, previsiones de tesorería, medidas de reducción de costes y fuentes de ingresos alternativas. Al contar con un plan de contingencia bien elaborado, las empresas pueden adaptarse rápidamente a las circunstancias cambiantes, asegurándose de sobrevivir y recuperarse de perturbaciones inesperadas.

2. Mantener un fondo de emergencia

Al igual que los particulares deben tener un fondo de emergencia para cubrir sus gastos personales en tiempos difíciles, las empresas deben mantener su propia red de seguridad financiera. Un fondo de emergencia proporciona un amortiguador crucial para cubrir los costes operativos, los salarios y otros gastos esenciales cuando se interrumpen los flujos de ingresos. Una regla general es reservar entre tres y seis meses de gastos operativos. Este fondo puede mantenerse en una cuenta separada y tratarse como un último recurso al que recurrir sólo en caso de auténticas emergencias financieras.

3. Adquirir un seguro de empresa

El seguro es un pilar fundamental de la preparación financiera de cualquier empresa. Aunque algunos riesgos pueden mitigarse mediante una planificación proactiva, hay ciertos acontecimientos que escapan al control de una empresa. Los seguros de empresa proporcionan protección contra las pérdidas derivadas de acontecimientos imprevistos, como daños a la propiedad, reclamaciones por responsabilidad civil e interrupciones de la actividad. Algunos ejemplos comunes de seguros son el seguro de responsabilidad civil general, el seguro de propiedad, la indemnización de los trabajadores y el seguro de interrupción de la actividad empresarial. Al transferir algunos de los riesgos financieros a los proveedores de seguros, las empresas pueden protegerse de golpes financieros devastadores que, de otro modo, podrían conducir al cierre. Asegúrese de consultar a un profesional de seguros para discutir los detalles.

Al dar prioridad a estos tres elementos, las empresas pueden asegurarse de que están bien preparadas para afrontar cualquier reto financiero que se les presente. Invertir tiempo y recursos en crear resistencia financiera no sólo protegerá el futuro de la empresa, sino que también infundirá confianza entre empleados, inversores y clientes. Recuerde, es mejor estar preparado para lo peor mientras se lucha por lo mejor.

Traducido al español por Eleanor Menchú Melgar. Para leer el artículo en inglés, haga clic aquí.

Effective Cost Control Strategies for your Business: Maximizing Efficiency and Minimizing Expenses

By Neel Kakkad 

Effective cost control is essential for maintaining profitability and staying ahead of the curve for your business. By identifying and reducing unnecessary expenses while optimizing operational processes, businesses can unlock their full potential and achieve long-term financial success. In this blog, we will explore practical cost control strategies to help you streamline operations, negotiate better vendor deals, and implement cost-saving measures.

1. Conduct a Comprehensive Cost Analysis

The first step in effective cost control is understanding where your money is going. Conduct a thorough cost analysis to identify all expenses, both major and minor. Then, categorize these expenses and assess their significance in relation to your overall business operations. Often, seemingly insignificant costs can add up over time, impacting your bottom line

2. Optimize Operational Processes

Inefficient operational processes can lead to wastage of time, resources, and money. Look closely at your workflow and identify bottlenecks or redundant tasks that hinder productivity. Consider implementing process automation and adopting technology solutions to streamline operations. 

3. Embrace Sustainable Practices

Sustainability not only benefits the environment but can also be cost-effective in the long run. Consider adopting eco-friendly practices that reduce waste and energy consumption. This may include recycling initiatives, energy-efficient lighting, or using sustainable packaging materials. Not only will these efforts lower costs, but they can also enhance your brand image and attract environmentally conscious customers.

4. Analyze Inventory Management

Excessive inventory ties up capital and increases storage costs, while insufficient inventory can lead to missed sales opportunities and rush orders. Conduct a comprehensive inventory analysis to strike the right balance. Utilize inventory management software to track stock levels, forecast demand, and optimize ordering processes.

5. Encourage Cost-Conscious Culture

Fostering a cost-conscious culture among your employees is vital for sustainable cost control. Educate your team about the importance of financial responsibility and involve them in identifying cost-saving opportunities. Implement reward programs for cost-saving ideas that are successfully implemented. When everyone in the organization is committed to cost control, it becomes an integral part of your business’s DNA.

Effective cost control is a continuous process that requires vigilance, adaptability, and an eye for improvement. By conducting comprehensive cost analysis, optimizing operational processes, negotiating with vendors, embracing sustainability, analyzing inventory management, and encouraging a cost-conscious culture, your business can maximize efficiency and minimize expenses. Small cost-saving measures can add up over time and have a significant impact on your business’s financial health. Embrace a proactive approach to cost control, and you’ll position your business for sustainable growth and success in the face of ever-changing market dynamics.