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Data Analytics - Awfis

Data Analytics: Why Brands Should Use It

Business Innovations, , ,

real-time-analytics

Marketing has moved on to a stage where it isn’t all about advertising. Today, the customer is everything. Brands work hard to build customer experience and provide them with the best services possible. Competition is on an all-time high to be recognized, differentiated and increase sales. Personalization and reaching out to the right target audience has become really important. In this case, getting data on consumer feedback and reactions becomes very important. Here are five reasons why your brand should look at real time analytics:

Personalization and Customization:

Targeting your content to the right audience is extremely important. Customers do not read what they do not care about. If you can track down their likes and interests and give them relevant content, you are more likely to get noticed.

Strike when the iron is hot:

If you can know when the customer is in the buying process or decision making process, you can target them and get them to try out your product. This is the power of real time data and analytics. You do not want to sell umbrellas when it is winter.

Know what your customer needs:

Feedback and data from customers can also provide faster routes to figure out line extensions, brand extensions and new products and services.

Make your Social Media more interactive:

Through Social Media Analytics, you can know exactly which kind of posts are working for you and which ones aren’t. You can then accordingly change or maintain your content strategy.

Spend your money wisely:

You can put in your money in the ads and posts which are best working for you thus saving money and using it to target the right people.

Real Time Data and Analytics is being used widely by a lot of brands to target and differentiate themselves. It is a great opportunity for new companies to catch up to the trend, compete with bigger brands and stay alive and relevant in the market.

If you are looking differentiate yourself from the competition and looking to target the right audience, choose co-working space in South Extention, New Delhi or shared office space in Andheri West, Mumbai.

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Women Entrepreneurs - Awfis

Challenges Faced by Women Entrepreneurs

Business How To’s, , , ,

shutterstock_390162592

The saying ‘It’s a man’s world’ is slowly becoming redundant as women are forging into more and more industries that were said to be only for men. Engineering, Politics, Marketing, Finance; one can see women leaders succeeding in every sphere. But even though the world has come a long way in providing women their due, there are still a lot of challenges that women face in the entrepreneurial world.

1. Lack of role models

As the entry of women in entrepreneurship is quite recent, there are only a select few you can look up to. Therefore, there is a scarcity in guidance and inspiration for women. Male entrepreneurs can also be good role models but the day to day challenges that women have to face are very different from those that men face. Therefore, for any woman trying to make a mark in the entrepreneurial world it is more relatable as well as aspirational to look up to a leading woman than a man. Successful women entrepreneurs like Shahnaz Husain, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Vandana Luthra, Suchi Mukherjee and Meena Ganesh are the ones who truly inspire.

2. Time Management

Some would say it’s only fair for women to have 48 hours in a day to keep up to the work tasks thrown at them. In our current society, a working woman is expected to not only do her job well but also live up to motherhood, wifehood and maintaining a good family life, and all this while also looking their best at all times. The perception of women since centuries has been that of a home maker and even though it is slowly changing, it will take time for the traditional gender expectations to fade out and for men to become equal partners in household chores. Until then, it becomes important for budding female entrepreneurs to become experts at managing their time.

3. Understanding the importance of Networking

Talking to people in the same sector and getting their insights, tips and hacks goes a long way in entrepreneurial success. Connecting with mutual friends and getting advice or business recommendations becomes a key contributor to success. However, sometimes women entrepreneurs might skip over the importance of networking. It’s important to take the first step to make new connections in a meeting, conference or event that you attend the next time.

4. Decision Making

In the entrepreneurial world it is of upmost importance to make strong decisions with complete conviction and direct all your efforts towards that. However, since childhood, some women face the issue of being put below their male counterparts in the priority list. A lot of decisions are made for them and hence when it comes to taking critical business decisions, it becomes difficult for them to do this confidently. In such cases, it is advisable to initially reach out to mentors and experts for some advice.

5. Money Matters

It is true! It is more difficult for women entrepreneurs to get funding as compared to their male counterparts. Male investors unintentionally prefer people who match their mind-set and abilities and sometimes women just don’t make the cut. It is also harder to get funding since it’s assumed that women lack the perseverance and may decide to call it quits at any time. The prejudice that women will always cater to their family first makes investors sceptical about funding a woman-led company. For women entrepreneurs, it becomes vital to be forthright and showcase a strong business acumen and intention to make it big despite all odds to get successful with funding.

Women Entrepreneurs can be exceedingly successful if given a chance at equal opportunities. A keen awareness of the challenges faced by them can lead to policies being formed to benefit in this area.

Overcome all your challenges as a woman entrepreneur. Look for shared office space in Hosur Road, Bengaluru or business centre in Churchgate,  Mumbai

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Business Trips - Awfis

Must carry travel essentials for your business trips

Work Life Balance,

image_business-travellers

Travelling is one of the boons (or curses) that comes with starting your own business and meeting new clients. Whether you are making a beeline for the domestic or the international airport, the packing can be especially bothersome. But just a few additions to your packing list will save your time and money so you are fully equipped for a stress-free trip:

traveler-should-know

1. A Hotspot

Unless your company is paying for Room Service and the WiFi that comes with it, a hotspot would be a good addition to your carry-on luggage. A lot of telecom service providers have come up with portable Hotspots with 4G connections that work wonders when Hotel Rooms are charging you a humungous amount by the hour.

2. Corporate Credit Cards

A lot of rewards, perks and incentives are available on your fingertips when you have a corporate credit card. Along with having access to local currency easily and cashless transactions, reward points can help you gain air miles, hotel stays and gift vouchers which you can use for future trips.

3. Breath Mints

The last thing you want is to have foul breath before your meeting or conference. It is very important to be at your best at all times! Breath mints have an edge over chewing gums. While chewing gums may look very unprofessional, breath mints are something you can share with everybody and that dissolve on your tongue within a minute, giving a smart and quick solution to any breath problems!

4. Business Cards

Your Trips are a very good opportunity to network with people working in the same field and inspirational leaders. It is also a very good opportunity to get in touch with senior mentors. Carrying around your business cards will ensure that no one forgets you once the conference is over. They will have a way of reaching out to you!

5. Multicharger and Converter

Phone batteries die every other second on corporate trips therefore a charger is a must. If you are travelling to an international destination, you will need a converter owing to changing plug points for every country.

6. A Hand Sanitizer

Catching an infection or a flu can be an easy job on corporate trips and the last thing you might want is to fall ill right before the corporate party. Prevent such infections by using an anti-bacterial gel or a hand sanitizer whenever you don’t have quick access to hand wash.

7. Useful Apps on your phone

It’s always good to travel smart. These 5 apps are the epitome of doing just that:

  1. TripIt – This is a one stop app for all your travel details and itineraries. Send your confirmation emails to your TripIt account and see your calendar reflect your entire trip.
  2. Uber – This app will ensure a seamless ride to your meetings around the city by providing personal cars with professional drivers for hire.
  3. Refresh – Find out everything about your client who you have travelled to meet. This app helps you to research about your client before the meeting so you can impress them by showing them that you have done your homework.
  4. AroundMe – If you are lost, this is a great app that directs you to the nearest banks, hotels, coffee shops, ­whatever you need.
  5. City Maps 2Go – Don’t get lost in a new city or spend on too many roaming charges. This app gives you access to 67,000 maps including those of small towns.

These few travel hacks can come a long way in easing your trip. Now all you need to focus on is impressing the client and cracking that deal!

Sure you want to crack that business deal in style. For that, you need an inspiration and a convenient business center. Look for shared office space in Andheri West, Mumbai or co-working space in Hosur Road, Bengaluru.

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Mentorship - Awfis

Mentorship: What Do You Need?

Business How To’s, , ,

mentorship

A lot of efforts go into looking for the right person for guidance. If you can find a Steve Jobs or Maya Angelou to mentor you like Mark Zuckerberg and Oprah Winfrey did, you can reach great heights with their advice and help. But it is not always about finding someone great. It’s about finding someone who is a right fit for you. Here are a few tips to find the perfect mentor for yourself:

1. Know what you expect
Mentorship can open new doors to improving yourself professionally as well as personally. But most times mentees don’t know what exactly it is they want from the mentor-mentee relationship. Are you looking for someone to guide you in your career or in a particular aspect of your life? Setting down what you expect from mentorship is a good first step to undertake. A clear objective of why you need a mentor will help you in finding an exact match for your requirements.

2. Check the Chemistry
Having the right chemistry and understanding with your mentor could be something that enhances your mentorship experience greatly. For most people, a mentor is like a best friend. In this case, the mentor should ideally have the same belief systems and be able to connect with you on a much more personal level than just a coffee session. Look for someone who you can relate to and who you want to be like going ahead.

3. A Mentor can be a stone’s throw away
Everyone has celebrity mentors and some do try to reach out to them for mentorship. But celebrities don’t always have the time to do so. If not personally, you can always find inspiration in their blogs, websites and books. People closest to you and around you can also be very good examples of mentors. Asking your superiors for feedback, your peers for advice and your relatives for their opinions can give you the positive boost you need.

4. Reach out to those you really want to be mentored by
If you have a very well thought idea of who you want as your mentor but geographic and time-bound aspects are an issue, you can do a lot through social media. Study the person. Reply to their tweets, retweet those you like, comment with your opinions on their blog posts, suggest your ideas to them over email, the possibilities are endless!

5. Be open to feedback
The job of a mentor is to bring out the best in you. Therefore a constant flow of constructive criticism is part of the job profile for both parties. You might get the best outcomes from the mentorship if you take the criticism and work on your weaknesses.

6. Have more than one mentor
You might want help and direction in more than one aspect of your life. One mentor cannot be an expert in everything that you want them to help you with. Someone who can help you career-wise may not be able to help you become a stronger individual or develop a certain value. Hence look for multiple mentors and know your expectations with all of them well.

The benefits of mentorship are obvious. Beautiful, symbiotic relations can be formed with your role models if you take effort and initiative to contact them. But if that is not a viable option, look around you and you might be surprised by how many success stories you can be inspired by.

Mentorship is a strong relationship between you and the person who is willing to see you succeed. Share this relationship by choosing a co-working space in Connaught Place, New Delhi or business centre in MG Road, Bengaluru.

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Personal Branding - Awfis

Personal Branding: Why and How?

Work Life Balance, ,

personal-branding

Whether you are just starting to establish your career, are already a leader at your workplace or are an ambitious entrepreneur, it is important for the world to see what you have to give to it.

In order to attract the right people, it is important to build your reputation, prove your credibility and show them that you are the expert and leader in your field. Without getting the word out about the kind of work that you do and communicating about who you are, potential companies and investors will not know who they are missing out on.

Personal Branding comes a long way in helping you to achieve the above.

Personal Branding is about telling people how they can benefit by simply being around you. It’s not about demonstrating your skills. It’s about how you make people feel and how they connect with you. In today’s age of Start Ups, Digitalization and intense competition, building your personal brand is one of the most effective ways of gaining employment, investors and a lot of followers who you can influence.
Here are 5 questions to help you build your personal brand:

1. Who are you, really?
The entire aim of Personal Branding is to reveal externally who you are internally. Communicate what you believe in freely. Authenticity is a key ingredient in making the perfect personal brand. You do not want to promise people someone you cannot be in the long run. If an employer or investor is hesitant to do business based on who you are, chances are your partnership is not going to last long. Be who you are and work with whom you are comfortable.
Action Point: Recognize what your core strengths, weaknesses, values and attributes are. You are halfway there towards establishing your brand!

2. What do you want people to feel when your name comes up in a conversation?
Personal Branding is like your signature perfume. You want it to be something people always associate with you and remember about you. What are the qualities and values you want people to associate with you?
Action Point: Find out how people feel when they are around you. If their answer is synergetic with the attributes you want to showcase about yourself, well done! If not, there is a lot of work you need to do.

3. What do people find when they look you up on Social Media?
It is not about the platform you are on. It’s about what you post on these platforms. You are the boss in deciding how personal you want your personal brand to be. If you think that being vocal about your opinions on social media is the best way to show people what you are passionate about, participating in discussions could be something you are interested in. But ensure that you are being accountable. Having an online presence means having a lot of followers. It is imperative to appear respectable.
Action Point: Decide how much you want to reveal about yourself but make sure you are authentic and accountable.

4. What do people find when they look you up on Google?
Have you been proactive enough to create a blog or personal website showcasing your work? Have you started a Facebook Community relating to your interests? Employers and investors are constantly looking for people who have shown dedication, leadership and drive. Websites, blogs and communities are the perfect ways to tell them that you have these qualities.
Action Point: Build an online presence relating to what you want to do professionally.

5. Do people feel the same way when they meet you and when they follow you on Social Media?
Internet and Social Media are the highlights of this generation but if you do not live up to your online profile when you meet people, your personal brand gets hampered. If you have shown people that you are professional, talented and knowledgeable about the industry, make sure the same image is seen by people when you meet them personally.
Action Point: Stay updated with industry trends, dress appropriately and carry yourself well whenever you meet someone.

Everyone has heard about Google, Burberry, Uber, Apple, Coca-Cola, etc. It is time to learn about how they communicated their personality so well and how you can incorporate their tips and tricks along with the questions above to form your own brand.

Outgrow yourself from the competition by branding your unique self. Find your inspiration by choosing business centre in Andheri East, Mumbai or shared office space in South Extention, New Delhi.

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Ashwani Jakhar - Awfis

Ashwani Jakhar (Awfis Member) Founder of Prozo.com Interview

Inspiring Stories, ,

Prozo.com is the one stop-shop for all your educational needs! Being the leader in e-commerce for education, Prozo focused mainly on competitive exams, but today provides material not only to students but retailers, distributors and bulk-buyers as well. Watch Mr. Ashwani Jakhar’s interview with BW Disrupt at our Awfis centre.

Bring out the entrepreneur in you. Choose co-working space in Indiranagar, Bengaluru or shared office space in Churchgate, Mumbai.

Devendra Agrawal - Awfis

Devendra Agrawal (Awfis Member) Founder of Dexter Capital Interview

Inspiring Stories, ,

Dexter Capital Advisors is a boutique investment bank focused on providing the best in class services to growth stage companies as well as new age entrepreneurs. Watch Mr. Devendra Agarwal’s interview with BW Disrupt at our Awfis centre.

Motivation is found by getting inspired by entrepreneurs like Devendra Agrawal. Find your inspiration by selecting  business centre in Qutab, New Delhi or co-working space in Lower Parel, Mumbai

Sumit Duseja and Kush Kohli - Awfis

Sumit Duseja and Kush Kohli’s Founder of Truemeind Capital Interview

Inspiring Stories, ,

Truemind Capital is a complete Wealth Management organization that provides investment solutions and financial services that will best suit the needs of investors and savers. Backed by strong research and genuine intentions, they strive to establish a long term relationship with their clients. Watch Mr. Sumit Duseja and Kush Kohli’s interview with BW Disrupt at our Awfis centre

Look for shared office space in MG Road or business centre in Churchgate.

Workplace By Facebook - Awfis

Facebook for your workplace

Business Innovations, , ,
IMAGE COURTESY: http://bit.ly/2dP6TRF
IMAGE COURTESY: http://bit.ly/2dP6TRF

A lot of business network platforms have cropped up over the past few years. One of them is Facebook’s Workplace (formerly known as Facebook at Work).

Workplace is separate from and not connected to your normal Facebook account and profile. It is a separate corporate profile that you create for yourself. It is used to connect everyone in all sorts of Workplaces. Whether you work from home or have a proper office space, you can use Workplace to connect with your co-workers as well as other people in the same field as you.

Here are the highlighted features of Workplace:

No Ads– It is completely Ad Free

Where it is used most– It is available all over the world but is most widely used in India, US, UK, France and Norway

Revenue Model- Since Workplace is not generating revenue through Ads, it has planned a pricing strategy for the same. Companies get a 3 month free trial post which it costs $3 US per user per month. This cost strategy stays for 1000 employees, declines to $2 for 10,000 employees and to $1 for more than 10,000 employees. Inactive users are accounted for and company is not charged for them. It is free for non-profits and educational institutions.

Similar to Facebook- The features of Workplace are very similar to those of Facebook’s. They include Group Chats, Video Calls, Live Video and News Feed. Someone who has used Facebook will not have any troubles navigating and using this networking site as well.

Whether it is watching a presentation taking place out of office through live video or catching up with co-workers through your news feed, Workplace is the new corporate network ready to take over with force. Already companies like booking.com, Starbucks, Danone, Royal Bank of Scotland, Yes Bank and Oxfam are using it to build better bonds amongst their employees.

“YES BANK has been a pioneer in adoption of technology as well as on Social media channels. Collaboration and exchange of ideas at the work-place is the key to drive motivation, and Facebook at Work is a powerful platform which allow every YES BANKer to visualize, strategize and actualize in a collaborative environment,” says Mr. Rana Kapoor, Managing Director and CEO of Yes Bank, the first in India to use Workplace.

(Reference: https://www.yesbank.in/media/press-releases/fy- 2016-17/yes- bank-launches-facebook-at- work-across- entire-workforce)

Is your company the next one to use Workplace?

Your office should be as innovative as your use of technology! Check out our co-working spaces in Connaught Place, Delhi or shared office spaces in Powai, Mumbai.

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WorkCulture - Awfis

How to build a strong work culture ?

Business How To’s, , ,

 

work-culture

There’s a reason why Google has assigned a real job profile called “Chief Cultural Officer” who is responsible for Google’s cultural activities and keeping employees happy. When working in a small startup or a big MNC, it is extremely vital to pay attention to the work culture that is present in the firm. There may be one simple mantra that every employee follows or a particular strategy/ game plan the culture is based upon. Striving towards loyalty or meeting target goals may keep your employees happy but it is important to have a healthy culture that will help your employees grow. A good culture is a balanced act between various elements of a business and requires careful execution at every level. Here are some ways one can have a healthy work culture-

Learn From Your Past

If you’re a first time founder with your own company, spend good time on building a good work culture. Take insights from your previous organizations, what you liked as an employee and the changes you wanted to bring about.

Always Believe In Your Core Values

You’ve spent nights on building your dream business, you’re the driving force. And there is only one way you are successful today; it is all due to the beliefs you have. Think about what you believe in, what values you have imbibed and what core principles you want your company to be based on. Create that balance between your values and your work. Do you believe in work all day and party all night? Then hire people who share the same values.

Work On Your Communication

Talk with each other, share ideas and give your employees a space to talk freely without fear. Let them voice their opinions. Give your employees the power to be themselves. If they believe they can express themselves openly, without any repercussion, that’s when they’ll truly grow.

Loosen Up a Bit & Have Fun

A little fun never goes wrong. The definition of fun may differ from industry to industry, but there are always ways to engage employees in fun activities. Hosting games and events that do not involve work will also go a long way. Just give your employees the freedom to relax.

Focus on Unity

Forget that there are 300 employees and 10 departments; when parts of the same company, always emphasize on the fact that you are one team. Work on the motto of “Swim together, sink together.” Be it founders, managers or coworkers, everybody is equally important and together, it fosters the feeling of a community which makes a strong work culture.

Bringing about a strong work culture is not something that is temporary; it is expected to be permanent. A lot of attention and work goes in it. If you try to control your office culture, you would risk smothering it. Change is the only constant, so embrace it and expect things to run its natural course. But ensure that your core values and principles don’t get compromised. If you create a culture where people love coming to work, you will reach the pinnacle of success.

Can your work culture benefit from being surrounded by amazing startups and innovative thinkers?  Take a look at our  shared office spaces in Andheri West, Mumbai or business centres in Koramangala, Bengaluru.

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