Category Archives: Business Tech

5 New Year’s Resolutions For The Small Business

Business Management, Business Tech, Small Business Marketing, Social Media Marketing,

Another year has come to a close and it is at this time that we usually take a moment to make a few goals for the coming twelve months. And whilst most of us will do this privately in order to set a few personal targets for 2014, the business owners amongst us may wish to make a few for their companies too.

The business world never stands still and that is why it is important to always try to push things forward by setting relevant goals for the year ahead. Here are a few that any small business owner may look to make.

Finally Get To Grips With Social Media 

Social media is no longer a new phenomenon, yet so many people who are in the position to use it to their advantage are still to unlock its full potential. It may be because they don’t think of themselves as technically minded people or it may be that they don’t see what all the fuss is about, but either way it’s time to take the plunge.

Social media, when used right, can help in all different areas of business and is nowhere near as daunting to use as you may think. There are plenty of resources online to help you out and you really won’t know what you are missing until you give it a try.

Start Networking 

Networking in your local area is a great way to build relationships with other business owners and also spread the word about your company. The power that is has to bring relevant and important sales leads right to your front door is fantastic and it can be very fulfilling, too. By giving up a couple of hours every week you can put yourself in a relevant environment which could really help push your business forward. Networking is definitely something that should be tried before you discount it.

Getting Your Payroll In Order 

There’s no hiding the fact that payroll is one of the least enjoyable areas of any business and one of the more complex things that you have to do from time to time. However, if you have been struggling with getting things done on time and keeping up with new legislation, then perhaps you should make 2014 the year you decide to outsource this area to a professional payroll provide, such as this. Not only will this take a huge weight off your mind, your employees will also benefit from always getting paid in full and on time.

Becoming A Better Boss 

Business resolutions are not just about making the company more successful. They can also be about focussing on how good a boss you are and attempting to get more out of your staff. It’s no secret that people will be willing to work harder for someone that really values them and so this could be the perfect place to start. Work on your management style and try to find the correct balance between professionalism and personality. This could involve becoming a better delegator, giving your employees more one to one interaction or just simply praising them more.

Take Some Time For You 

The chances are that 2013 was a rather busy year and so why not make it a goal to spend more time away from the office in 2014. We all need time to ourselves sometimes and when you are the owner of a business this can seldom present itself. Remember that just because you spend more time on something, it doesn’t mean it will be better and sometimes there’s a need to step back in order to see the bigger picture.

By Chris Mayhew

Chris MayhewChris Mayhew has always been interested in the comings and goings of the business world and has been looking at resolutions business owners could make this year. He would recommend Trace Payroll to anyone looking to get to grips with their payroll in 2014.

Reputation and Fundraising

Business Tech, Funding and Reputation, Reputation, Small Business Marketing, Social Media Marketing,

Help Us Reach Our Goal Speedometer Fundraiser SupportOne residual of the economic downturn is the fact that donations are down. According the Chronicle of Philanthropy, despite a sharp rise in giving by the wealthiest Americans, the rest of society has begun to hold back with worry that another recession will hit. A survey by the Chronicle of Philanthropy shows that charitable groups expect to receive one percent less than they did last year. While that may not seem like much, it represents millions of lost charity dollars.

As a charity, you are competing with many other groups for donations. It may be the tiniest, seemingly most innocuous thing that leads an individual or organization to donate to a cause other than yours.

Drexel University says that reputation is the single most important asset entrusted to a CEO, and that protecting the reputation of your organization is a holistic business activity that combines strategy, marketing, communications, and management. In other words, every player on your team needs to become part of protecting your reputation.

The Federal Trade Commission routinely educates the public, warning them to check the reputation of a charity prior to giving donations. A strong reputation is not easily built, but can become easily lost. Something as simple as an inappropriate remark by a key employer to a newspaper, a tasteless cartoon on a web site, or an accusation of poor behavior can sink your charitable ship.

Make it an Organizational Effort

Everyone, from the person who answers your phone to the CEO, is responsible for your organization’s reputation. The discussion regarding reputation should not take place in a small board room with only key players, but with everyone who is in any way associated with day-to-day operations.

Monitor

For anyone who is not technologically savvy, it can be tempting to stay away from your company website or the Internet in general. However, it’s important to remember that the web is a world where small sparks of rumor become raging wildfires. It is vital that someone in your organization checks all media sources each day in order to head gossip off at the pass.

Know When You Need Help

Once something negative is out there, it is nearly impossible to bury it. An organization like Reputation.com uses all the tools at its disposal to push the negative information down while building your organization up. One disgruntled former employee can bring charitable donations to a screeching halt. Know when you need a professional to help you clean up the mess.

Revisit the Subject

The reason teachers and television shows like Sesame Street repeat the same lessons is because repetition works. Continually visit the subject of reputation with your employees and volunteers. Remind them that what they do — even while away from work — reflects on the organization.

Create a Positive Buzz

According to Digimind, more than 80 percent of damage to reputation occurs due to a mismatch between buzz and reality. Even if there’s not a scrap of truth to it, gossip becomes intertwined with reality in the minds of readers and it can take years to un-do the damage. In order to make it harder for people to believe unfair gossip, be sure that your organization makes “positive buzz” a priority. That means sending out newsletters highlighting the accomplishments of your group, sharing special stories with media, and involving people with strong reputations in your charitable efforts.

Best Apps And Tools That Will Make Your Blogging Life Easier

Blogging, Business Tech, Content creation, Self-employed, Small Business Marketing, Technology

blogging appsBlogging may be hard for some of you who are not yet comfortable into the routine of coming up with something exciting and new to talk about regularly. It is very necessary that you are able to catch the inspiration when it strikes. It may be on the breakfast or dinner table, while you are on the thunderbox or when you are lying on the bed. This is where the apps come in handy and allow you keep your genius along with you always. 

Here is a list of the best apps and tools that will make your blogging life easier:

1. Evernote

This is one of the most famous web capture tool these days primarily due to the fact that it enables you to grab full web pages, audio, images, text snippets etc. and allows you to recall them whenever needed. Those who are on Evernote find it easy to recall information. If you come across such situations where you encounter a setting that you wish to write about later, use Evernote to clip it and save it for future reference. Evernote also has a lot of cool integrations to offer that make it super-easy-to-use app.

2. Tape-A-Talk Recorder or Dragon Dictation

If you are among those who prefer speaking over writing, it is advisable to get a voice recorder app that will enable you to talk about your post instead of writing it down by typing each word on the keyboard. This voice recorder app can also come in handy when you are driving to work and enroute your mind fills with ideas that you wish to write about. For Android users, Tape-A-Recorder is a useful app as it gives you the freedom to append the recording and send it across to Evernote or e-mail easily.

For iPhone users, a similar app is called Dragon dictation which has the capability of making your dictation appear as text instantly. This app can also be integrated with Evernote.

3. Google Drive

One of the biggest conveniences for any blogger can be the freedom to take his or her content anywhere and post ideas from where he or she is. This is where a web based word processor like Google drive comes to rescue. For those who keep writing on different terminals or devices and collaborating with various authors, storing documents on cloud enables an easy access to the documents to either pick up from where they left or to find out what edits have others made to it. Cloud enables a 24X7 access to your documents from any computer or gadget.

4. Springpad

This app is much similar to Evernote. Other than saving notes, you can also save tasks, look up items to save, and set reminders for particular tasks. Springpad has a wonder feature of organizing your thoughts by itself and does not bother you to do so. Hence in case you wish to blog about a location or a particular product, this app reminds you of these items and allows you to access them easily from your mobile device or computer.

5. White Noise – Rainy Day

There is no denial that the environment poses the biggest threat to your idea of working and writing on the go. All public places are so loud that you can barely concentrate on an idea. This app is a wonder way to combat such a situation. This noise generating app blocks all other distractions around you enabling you to concentrate on better things. All you need to do is plug in your earphones and run this app to focus on writing and do the task at hand.

6. Focus Booster

This free app is a simple app that runs on your desktop but the dividends that it generates are far more productive. You can set the timer and start doing the task at hand viz. designing, writing or whatever you need to do to grow your blog. After the preset time is over, take a break that is built in the app and take your time to freshen up so that you can be back with a better focus.

7. FireShot

This is a Firefox, Chrome, SeaMonkey and Thunderbird extension. This enables you to get screen shots from the web and annotate, edit, export, upload and even print them conveniently. There are a number of capture options viz. full page, visible part of the page etc. One unique offering with this extension is the set of annotations and editing tools that come with it. It also lets you capture flash content.

About the Author:

Robert Bryant is a blogger and works with MaxWell Systems – A Construction Software Company. He likes blogging about online strategies that are related to Social Media, Online Marketing and Legal issues.

Look and Feel Like a Big Business in Your Home-Based Web Company

Business Tech, Small Business Marketing, , ,

Small business that looks bigThere are more than 22 million small businesses operating in the U.S. with no employees, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. When customers do business with a Web-based business, they really have no idea how how big that business is. If you’re running a one-man operation but want to look like an ecommerce big shot, follow the tips below.

People Do Judge a Book by Its Cover

The appearance of your brand is the first impression people have of your company. Make sure your website, logo and business cards look consistent and polished. Don’t skimp when developing these public-facing items—hire a professional, high-quality Web designer, graphic designer and business card printer. Nothing says “amateur” more than a DIY site or business card.

While you’re at it, get a business domain for your site. It’s tempting to cut costs and go with a free hosting service, but www.mybusiness.wordpress.com doesn’t have the same impact as www.mybusiness.com.

When you get your own domain, create specific email addresses for your company. Create an email address for yourself, such as frank@mybusiness.com, but also create a couple of generic email accounts, such as info@mybusiness.com or support@mybusiness.com. Use these accounts when registering on other sites or when replying to customers. Directing people to your info or support email accounts when they are on your website makes it appear you have staff to take care of those requests, even if it’s just you reading the emails. Don’t use Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo or AOL mail accounts—they are a dead giveaway. Your email may even get flagged as spam, so your customers won’t even see them.

Make Your Business Accessible

In a 2012 survey, the digital media and commerce analysts SMB DigitalScape found that 60 percent of small businesses did not have a contact phone number listed on their website. Make your business accessible by providing several points of contact. Phone and email are preferred, but contact forms and a comment system are other options. Don’t make people search through your site for this information. Make it easy to find on a contact page.

Answer or return calls and emails promptly. You are creating a connection with the customer when you respond to them. They will remember how promptly you responded and what kind of help you gave them.

Act Like a Big Business

Part of looking like a big business to a customer is your attitude and the confidence you display. Start with how you dress for your workday. Even if you work out of a home office, dress up. Wearing the same T-shirt and blue jeans you lounge around the house in doesn’t create the mindset of a professional business person.

If you don’t meet customers face-to-face, consider a virtual office or mail forwarding service. This gives your business a “respectable” address that doesn’t look like a residential street address or a P.O. Box. This is an inexpensive way to give your company that big-business image.

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