Tristan

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Business management covers a whole range of skills that are useful in a business setting. If you’ve considered moving into an office or business-related positions, you’ve probably thought about doing a business administration course. This is one of the best ways to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to make your way into a range of roles.

Obtaining a Certificate IV in Business Administration opens a lot of doors for your career. But more than that, it gives you confidence that you can succeed in business administration roles. It’s important to remember, however, that being trained in business administration doesn’t just confine you to basic admin roles. You’ll learn skills that can take you anywhere in the business world.

Which industries need business management skills?

In short, every industry imaginable needs people skilled in business administration. From a local café start-up needing someone to handle accounts, marketing and general administration through to the biggest companies in the world who need experienced business executives. It doesn’t matter whether your passion lies in retail, construction, recruiting, government, automotive or any other industry you can think of. All of them need people skilled in business.

Whether you study through traditional methods or obtain a business administration certificate online, you’ll learn skills across all levels of business, from basic administration, through to marketing and even accounts. This gives you a foot in the door for careers you may never have thought of before.

So, here are some of the most in-demand careers for those with business management skills.

Administrative assistant

An administrative assistant role involves all aspect of clerical office work. Tasks range from answering reception phone calls, greeting guests, scheduling meetings and appointments and supporting staff with general daily tasks. Admin assistants also get involved in specific projects, helping to ensure project coordinators are supported to get everything running smoothly.

When working as an administrative assistant, you have the opportunity to gain exposure to a wide range of other business roles, whether it be through attending meetings and taking minutes or supporting certain departments with priority work. The role varies from company to company, but you certainly learn a lot about office life.

Personal assistant

A personal assistant is quite different to an administrative assistant, although the roles are often confused. Where an admin assistant supports a whole department, team or business, a personal assistant role is more focused on supporting one person. For example, your direct supervisor might be the head of a department, the managing director, or any other member of the executive staff.

Many of the tasks are similar to that of an administrative assistant, such as scheduling appointments, booking travel, maintaining a calendar, answering phones or typing reports. However, you may also be tasked with other duties such as running errands, managing finances and generally helping your supervisor with daily activities.

Human resources and recruiting

There are several roles under the human resources banner that you could move into with a business administration certificate. There are general HR roles, which may include preparing policies, managing employee records, payroll and coordinating training. You could even be involved in onboarding new staff members.

You could also work more specifically in recruitment, whether as part of a larger human resources team or for a recruiting company themselves. Tasks might include sorting resumes, screening applicants, conducting interviews or liaising with employers to determine their needs.

Office manager

The role of an office manager is very broad and can vary depending on who you work for. In some ways, it can be seen as the next step up from an administrative assistant. While the office manager still has some admin responsibilities such as answering phones, filing, scheduling appointments and more, there is an extra level of responsibility.

The office manager is usually responsible for overseeing the work of other administrative staff. This could involve delegating work, reviewing performance and training staff. In addition, they’re responsible for the smooth operation of the office, so there may be tasks associated with managing budgets, ordering and maintaining supply levels and running meeting/conference rooms.

Accounts positions

While it’s difficult to get into an actual accounting role without some form of accounting training, there are several supporting roles you can obtain with a certificate in business administration. Larger companies may have one actual accountant, but many people working underneath to manage daily, weekly and monthly accounting tasks. For example, you could be an accounts payable or receivable officer. This would mean managing incoming invoices, making payment, and also issuing invoices to clients and monitoring for payment.

Payroll also sometimes falls into the realm of the accounts department, so this may also be an area of interest.

Sales representative

Many people think of the sales representative role as a retail position, but that’s not really the case. Certainly, retail businesses have sales representatives, customer service staff and so on, but in a lot of businesses, the sales rep role is quite different.

Rather than serving incoming customers, many sales jobs involve finding new clients or customers. Some of the tasks overlap between the retail and business environments, such as helping customers with product questions and making sales. But a sales rep may have added responsibilities such as negotiating contracts and converting potential leads into sales.

Client services/account manager

The role of a client services officer is also known as an account manager, depending on the company you work for. Essentially, these are the people who look after significant clients to make sure they’re happy. The role may also involve dealing with new clients, but a lot of their time is spent working with existing clients.

Tasks may include being the point of contact for client queries, problem-solving issues for clients, and even negotiating contract issues. The account manager might have additional duties such as overseeing the sales team, implementing sales strategy and staff training.

Data analyst

Data analysts exist in almost every industry, and the role can be quite diverse. Essentially, the job is to analyse data and form it into easy-to-understand information for decision-makers. The data could be anything, from sales figures to customer satisfaction. Ideally, a data analysts’ role should be to find efficiencies, such as identifying parts of the business where expenses are high but returns are limited.

Business consultant

Business consultancy is a booming business in the modern world. Basically, a business consultant analyses performance, processes and procedures, looking for ways a company can streamline their operations. Some organisations employ permanent business consultants, while others might hire from a consultancy firm.

There are plenty of jobs available in business consultancy, and it’s even something you can go out on your own with. The assessments you’re required to deal with anything from employee engagement to service delivery.

Management positions

Finally, there are of course management positions across all industries. These have different names, depending on where you work, such as team leaders, managers, supervisors and even executives. Managers need to have a good understanding of leadership, business practices and ideally, the intricacies of the company they work for.

The beauty of pursuing management roles is the diversity that’s out there. If you’ve got a background in sales, why not look for sales management roles? If you’re a qualified mechanic looking to get off the tools, you can manage an automotive workshop or retail business. Really, there are no limits when it comes to management, and completing a Certificate IV in Business Administration is a great way to start gaining the skills necessary for such roles.

So, if you think your future is in the business world, now is a great time to consider the training you need to reach your goals. From administrative assistants through to executives, it all starts with building your skills and knowledge. And there’s no better way to do that than with training.

META: How far can a Certificate IV in Business Administration take you? We take a look at the most in-demand roles for people skills in business management.

Undoubtedly running a business, whether small or large, is a challenging endeavor. Therefore, it is imperative to keep an eye on every aspect of your business to avoid risks or threats. Even the slightest mistake on your part in this highly competitive business world can cause you a severe setback. Whether you are looking for new projects for further development or seek business sustainability, financial stability plays a crucial role.

Put it this way, the more stable your financial position, the better chances of grasping the newest opportunities. Organizations that experience problems with their finances often have to abandon potential opportunities, causing them to fall behind their competitors. Are you also struggling to maintain financial stability for your business? Read the steps below to manage your finances smartly:

Keep An Eye On Your Expenses

What’s the point of managing the finance of your business if you are not monitoring your expenses? Your expenses play a crucial part in financial stability. You won’t even realize when you start running out of cash if you are spending your business funds without proper monitoring. Try to keep your expenses as minimum as possible. One best practice is to spend below your defined budget. Make it your habit to prevent yourself from overspending; in turn, it will help you in reserving cash. Stick to your initial budget plan and monitor each department’s expenditures weekly or monthly. Minor changes in your financial plan are acceptable, but make sure you are not overspending.

Don’t Overlook Legal Regulations

Most businesses often ignore tax payments or have little to no knowledge regarding legal policies. Regardless of the size or industry, every company must pay taxes once they start generating profits. If not, you might get penalized. Are you unsure which taxes you need to pay or have confusion about the whole taxation process? In that case, people with tax careers can help you understand the basics of laws and taxation. Therefore, hire tax experts in your finance department, and they will efficiently help you adhere to taxation policies.

Pay Off Debts

Have you taken a loan to start your business venture? Taking loans is quite a common practice in the business industry. However, you can’t be financially stable if you are not paying off your debts. Sure, business expenses can get overwhelming with time, but continuously delaying debt payments can increase interest rates. Thus the sooner you pay off all your debts, the better the chances of minimizing interest rate and gaining financial stability. Are you finding it hard how to pay off your existing debts?

Consider the following two methods:

• Debt Stacking – It helps you prioritize which debt to pay off first based on the interest rates
• Debt Snowball – It allows you to pay off the smaller debts first, followed by the larger ones

Build Loyal Customer Base

Let’s admit it; your customers are a great source of finance for your business. Satisfying your customers must be your top priority if you want to retain them. One best way to build strong relations with your customers is to be transparent with them. That way, you can earn the trust and loyalty of your customer base. Establish a strong marketing strategy that helps you retain your customers; however, your work doesn’t end here. Keep track of the most profitable customers and calculate the customer lifetime value. Building a loyal customer base will stabilize your business finance in the long run.

Keep Separate Accounts

A vital way to stabilize your finances is to separate your personal and business accounts. Having the same accounts for both personal and company is highly discouraged. You could end up spending business funds for personal use or vice versa. It is common for business owners to use cash here and there for small transactions such as paying for coffee while meeting with potential investors. Keeping separate accounts can help you have a firm grip on your expenses. It can help you get a clear picture of your spending.

Create An Emergency Fund

Have you ever thought about contingency planning for uncertain situations? Setting up an emergency fund can save you from a significant setback. The cash reserved for emergencies can help you survive at least the early days of a crisis. One best way is to dedicate a small amount every month to this emergency account and avoid using it until necessary.

Automate Your Business Operations And Transactions

The modern business world demands almost every company to automate its operations. Undeniably, manual work requires a lot of effort, time and is expensive. So, with the technological advancements, automating everyday business tasks is the need of time. There are several systems and software that allow companies to cut costs and increase business efficiency. Automation can also help in securing data and maintaining a backup. Automatic payments for you and your customers can help you avoid the hassle of late payments. Also, you can monitor all the accounts frequently. Automating maximum business operations can lower down the operational costs and hence maintain your financial stability.

Conclusion

Stabilizing your finances can help you grow your business without worrying about uncertain situations. It will also reduce your mental stress and help you focus on your future business goals. If you want your business to survive and thrive, make financial stability the foremost priority. It can take your business to a higher level of success, and you can enjoy the benefits in the long run.

There is no shortage of challenges facing retailers today. With the increase of online shopping, retail stores are still struggling to keep their customers engaged. One way to do that is to create a safe store environment for both shoppers and employees. In this post, we’re going to cover five ways you can make your store safer.

Implement health & safety practices

Over the past few years, retailers have been required to take on greater levels of health and safety responsibility. This means that their responsibilities have shifted from being reactive (i.e., responding to an incident) to proactive (i.e., identifying issues long before they escalate into incidents).

The reason for this comes from a growing body of evidence and research that shows that businesses who use a proactive approach to health and safety issues are less likely to suffer the negative effects (i.e., damage to reputation, fines, lost productivity) associated with reactive approaches.

Conduct a safety audit

Safeguarding your retail store is key to preventing crimes like robbery and theft. If you own a retail establishment, having a safety audit conducted on your store should be an important part of your business strategy.

Often, this can be as simple as jotting down the job functions, and tasks employees perform, followed by a quick check to see whether each task is carried out safely or not. It could be a useful exercise for everyone to do, thinking about where particular dangers might lurk.

Have the right insurance cover

It’s important for retailers to secure their business and protect themselves using the right insurance. Public liability insurance is necessary to run a retail store. You can protect yourself against theft, severe weather, large purchases, accidents that happen in your shop and many other situations. Most importantly, this will protect your retail store from financial loss should a customer get injured in your store.

Train staff regularly

Retail staff need to develop the skills and adopt behaviours that will help them in future roles. They should be trained in all aspects of service. Retail staff should be regularly trained in retail trends and security trends. This will improve their ability to give better, more relevant customer service, thereby giving buyers a more positive experience, as well as helping to keep the store as safe as possible.

Put proper COVID-19 protocols in place

Finally, you should not run a retail store in these uncertain times of Covid-19 unless you have the proper protocols in place to protect your staff and customers.

COVID-19 protocol can vary from having to wear personal protective equipment such as facial masks and gloves to social-distancing requirements, restricting the number of workers in the shop at any given time depending on the store’s size, as well as how many people can gather in groups in some locations and how many customers can be served at any given time. COVID-19 procedures must be followed correctly in order for your retail store to be safe.

The most common goal of a digital campaign is brand growth, though for such a common goal it’s amazing how few truly understand how to achieve it. The key is at the intersection of digital advertising and brand strategy, so here are some tips for getting the best out of your digital advertising campaigns and build your brand.

A Holistic Approach

At the heart of any digital campaign must be a goal, with the campaign built holistically around it. There’s no room for half measures when it comes to your campaign goal – structuring every aspect of your campaign around the brand growth strategy is vital.

It’s important not to rush this process either. Far too often brands are undercooked and shoved out the door into the market, without the required time taken to be thoroughly fleshed out. So engage the expertise of a digital marketing agency to take the time not only to develop your brands’ theory but to research your target market.

Building the Brand Growth Strategy

Step one of developing a strong brand growth strategy is questioning your brand. Who are your customers? What do you do? This is especially important if you play in a niche industry as it’ll help you identify where your brand sits in the market.

The next step is establishing clear guidelines to convey your brand’s character and goals. A strong typeface, logo, colour palette and verbal identity will allow you to operate in the market, allowing your customers to organically develop their relationship with the brand before you begin your campaign.

Time to Execute

When growing your brand in the digital space, the backbone of your campaign will be social media. It’s an astoundingly powerful tool for developing a customer base and brand recall and is often overlooked for achieving this goal. Your target market research will have given you the knowledge of which social media channels to focus your time on, so the next challenge is to build momentum.

Like a steam train taking off from the station, social media is a slow burn and a big challenge to get off the ground, but once you’re up and running you’ll see amazing growth potential. The key to building this initial momentum is an investment in high production value to create content that engages the audience in your brand story. Well established content pillars that reflect your brands’ ambitions should dictate your content itself. At the core of these pillars, the content should encourage your customers to organically share their experiences and stories with your brand, both digitally and face-to-face.

Achieving Meaningful Engagement

Micro-influencers are a great tool to reach further into your target market or even break into a new one. A tactic best employed by smaller and niche brands, a promoted post or collaboration with a micro-influencer brings with it a sustained, captivated and trusting audience.

Micro-influencers have fewer followers than their big siblings, though carry with them a much more engaged and loyal audience. They may open a smaller market than large influencers, however, micro-influencers bring an unparalleled level of trust across social media. They’re also a more affordable tactic, a strong network of micro-influencers can net huge brand growth within a niche with just a small investment.

Getting the Most Out Of Video

It’s no secret that video content is much more effective at cutting through to a target market than still images, though it’s amazing how few brands effectively employ video as part of their digital advertising toolbox.

The key to video content that cuts through is tailoring it to the platform, and use – be it an in-feed post or a specific ad type to be displayed elsewhere. Beyond simply formatting, there’s little to gain in just re-cutting your traditional video media advertising (like TVC’s) for social, the content and structure itself must be built for the platform to engage, and drive outcomes through its call to action.

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Author Bio:

Jack Shepherdson:

With a love of advertising and branding, Jack Shepherdson is uberbrand’s Digital Coordinator. Experienced across the digital landscape, Jack specialises in producing digital campaigns and projects.