Author: Pamela Swift

Categories
Business Ideas

New to the World of Business? Say Yes to These Best Startup Mobile Apps

Starting a business can be extremely demanding. There’s a constant need to multitask effectively to accomplish more in less time. You’ve to drive your business towards long-term sustainability, while ensuring that everyday operations are managed efficiently. Thankfully, plenty of amazing applications are available to make your phone your very own IT workstation.

With every passing day, technology is making things possible we never imagined. Managing finances, accessing emails on-the-go, making to-do lists, delegating tasks, mobile marketing and so much more is now possible with a simple touch on your smartphone.

Exclusive applications are designed keeping in mind young start-ups and small business owners. Recent statistics show that 71% of small business owners in the United Kingdom run most of their operations through mobile apps. This helps in bringing down the administration cost and scaling the business.

From the endless list of apps, here are 6 mobile applications that assist startups across industries in staying functional, connected and organized:

  1. PayPal

Compatibility: Android and iOS

Price: Free

Since its inception in 1998, PayPal has facilitated millions of businesses and consumers through transactions in billions of dollars. PayPal Here, the mobile payment system, was launched in 2012 and has been a delight for small business owners as it assists seamless monetary transactions and instant money deposits. It enables contactless payments from Maestro, Visa or MasterCard credit and debit cards for a small fee. The charge levied ranges between 1.5% and 2.75% of the total sales volume.

PayPal account services are compatible even with your smartwatch. The app charges no monthly fee, and allows you to send and receive electronic invoices, process checks, and perform other payment-related services. Keeping the growing number of small-scale businesses in mind, the brand has launched a complete range of Point- of-Sale (POS) solutions, with countertop charging stations and lockable iPad enclosures.

  1. Dropbox

Compatibility: Android and iOSPrice: Free and upgradable at extra cost

One of the most popular and trusted solutions for cloud storage, Dropbox allows you to store, share, and sync important business data through its seamless app. This amazing app has over 500 million users and is growing continuously since its launch in 2016. Dropbox app supports over a billion files that are uploaded on a daily basis, and these files can be accessed anywhere through laptops, desktops, tablets, and smartphones.

The app offers excellent security features such as the SSL encryption, mobile passcodes, and two-step authentication. Opt for its paid version to avail 1TB of cloud space at $8.25 per month, and enjoy unlimited cloud storage at $12.50 per month. The paid version also includes enhanced security features, and support for phone and email.

  1. Wave

Compatibility: Android and iOS

Price: Free with country-based charges for payroll and credit card processing

A no-fuss app, Wave offers a free platform for small businesses to manage accounting books and send invoices. If your business has less than 15 employees, Wave is your best option. It takes care of expense tracking, invoices, and scanning receipts. The app allows you to integrate services with PayPal as well.

Wave has over 2.5 million paid and free users all over the world. It aids in both, cash and accrual-based accounting and comes to users at a low cost as compared to the other apps in the same category.

  1. Google Drive

Compatibility: Android and iOS

Price: Limited free space, upgradable at extra cost

Straight from the mastermind workshop of Google, Drive comes to young startups and small business owners as a comprehensive system for data management. It allows you to create new documents, worksheets, presentations. You can edit and synchronize them with email, once you connect it to your Gmail account.

New businesses that sign up for the amazing Google Drive app have to pay $5 per user every month. The entire suite including Google Hangouts, Calendar, Drive, Gmail, and Google Docs comes to you with 24/7 customer support and is compatible with Microsoft Outlook along with other email clients.

  1. Trello

Compatibility: Android and iOS

Price: Free

Trello can make your life as a manager extremely easy. The app is a brilliant productivity tool, yet simple to use. Don’t assume it to be just a to-do list app. It’s a great help in planning projects and keeping tabs on every project at any given point, thus enhancing visibility across all departments.

You can create task cards board to distribute work and keep tabs on the progress, completion and deadlines of the project. Leave comments and keep your team up-to-date with the developments and announcements. The app also gives you a historical record of the actions and changes you’ve made in a particular project.

  1. Local Vox

Compatibility: Android and iOS

Price: Free

Enhancing the power of your business on social media just got easier. Local Vox allows you to publish and promote your services across all major social media platforms. It helps businesses in marketing themselves locally and expand their circle through the network of publishers, email newsletters, search, and also the company’s own website.

Local Vox app facilitates easy communication with the push of a single button and optimizes your ranking on Google and numerous local directories such as CitySearch, Yahoo, Bing, Yelp, and more. The app creates a mobile website and allows to publish updates automatically. It offers monthly reports that enable owners to access productive business metrics.

Conclusion

From among the various great apps available for small businesses, the one you pick for your trade largely depends on the needs of your business. An assessment of the budget, and compatibility and usability vis-à-vis the application needs to be done carefully to select the best app to accentuate the growth of your business operations.

About the Author

Swati is a qualified dietitian at Practo. She has a Masters degree in Dietetics and Food Service Management. She is a strong believer in spreading the goodness of ‘nutrition through healthy eating’. As a responsible dietitian Swati examines her patients’ health history carefully before recommending any diet or workout regimen, because everybody has different requirements.

Categories
Customer Service

Future Trends in Customer Service Expectations

Much of this change is being driven by the pervasiveness of technology, especially social media. The following are some of the trends in customer service expectations that I have identified by talking to workshop attendees, customers, friends, and conducting a survey of available research and publications.

Prompt response. Another one of the trends in customer service crucial in satisfying today’s customers is prompt service. The days of accepting “Someone will get back to you within twenty-four hours” are over. Customers see progressive companies using multichannel service response systems (e.g. online FAQ, customer care center 24/7/365, access through mobile technology, automated voice response systems, email, and chats) to ensure availability and response to customer needs, wants and expectations. They expect all companies to follow a similar model.

Human interaction. Automated response might be acceptable in some situations if it provides the information or satisfies customer needs. However, efficient human contact is typically the preferred means of response for most customers. The key is that the humans involved need to be well trained, competent and knowledgeable, not scripted. They also need to be fluent in the native language of the majority of company’s customers.

Free shipping. For years, leading companies like Zappos, Amazon, L.L. Bean, Lands End have been offering free shipping, and in some cases free return shipping. This can result in big savings if someone regularly orders from a company or places large orders.

Low tolerance for errors. In a world where companies like FedEx promised “When it Absolutely, Positively has to be there overnight,” computers have spellcheck to help catch errors, and many companies have unconditional guarantees to make it right when something goes wrong, customers are not as likely to accept excuses. They expect companies to live up to their promises and what they put on their websites. They also expect that all employees are empowered to make decisions and fix problems without having to get their supervisor

24/7/365 mentality. Today’s customers expect that they can get what they want, how they want it and when they want if twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and three hundred and sixty-five days a year. When service and product providers are not available or cannot meet this expectation, customers simply go to a competitor who can.

Efficiency in service. With the advances of technology, customers do not expect to have to repeat steps or be inconvenienced when receiving service. This means that when they enter their credit card and personal information onto a computer screen or an automated phone system when ordering or calling with questions or problems, they do not want to have to completely re-enter or repeat their information when transferred to another point in the process.

There are many other trends in customer service of which you and your organization should be aware in order to meet the needs, wants and expectations of your customers. Take time to read additional articles and books on customer service trends, and attend customer service conference and training sessions on the topic. Do whatever it takes to better prepare to meet changing customer expectations and help ensure customer satisfaction.

Categories
Online Business

5 Important Skills to Run a Business Online

Article Contributed by Bill Brown

To start and run a business online, you’ll require five most essential skills. It is important to identify and develop or improve these skills to get success in your business.

Before starting any business, you need to figure out what are the resources required for starting the business and also accounting for those resources need to acquire after launching the business. Resource planning is very crucial that involves how many stuff, what types of equipment and how much fixed asset you’ll need to start your business.

Analytical Skills

Analytical skills are the most required set of techniques which help you to understand the opportunities, area of potential growth and work towards that. In order to become a successful online businessman, you need to have these following analytical capabilities.

  • Breakdown Problems
  • Gathering and evaluating all the necessary information
  • Managing Information Effectively
  • Generate Alternatives and Solutions
  • Comprehend difficult Reading material

A better understanding of these skills will help you to maximize conversions of visitors and also increase ROI (Return on Investment). Remember, whenever you face any crisis or struggle with uncertainty in your business, the only analytical approach can get you back on track.

Managerial Skills

As a manager, you need to make sure that your employees have the required skills to develop and grow your business. You should also have a critical approach to financial management which demands the forecast of cash flow and sales, while monitoring your profit and loss.

Having sound managerial skills will help you to run your business smoothly. Allocate some time so that you can mentor your employees.As a leader, you must be able to motivate your employees in order to get the best out of them which will boost your business.

It is up to you to make sure that you have the necessary managerial skills to help your employees to grow, as this ability to lead doesn’t just appear overnight. Earning an MBA online is a great way to develop skills in relevant areas like:

  • Critical Thinking
  • Systems Thinking
  • Decision Making
  • Problem Identification
  • Communication
  • Diversity
  • Ethics

In addition, when taking this program online, you won’t have to worry about missing work to take traditional MBA courses and you will also be able to incorporate what you are learning through your coursework into the workplace environment immediately.

Soft Skills

This one is the most overlooked area in online business, soft skills are the particular set of skills which virtually binds together every aspect of your business. Every employee must have a sound set of soft skills. However, these skills are often difficult to assess upon hiring, but they can get stronger with practice. Soft skills include

  • Communication skill
  • Teamwork
  • Problem-solving skill
  • Work ethic
  • Critical analysis
  • Adaptability
  • Time management

In order to assess your employee’s soft skills, you have to catch them and also demonstrating them. For that, you can utilize feedbacks from your customers as well as from employees.

Technical skills

Online business is where your technical knowledge will be put to the test. In order to manage your website or blog you need to have sound knowledge of followings

  • Hosting and Domain.
  • Graphic Design
  • Web design and Development
  • Valuable content writing
  • Basic knowledge of SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
  • Knowledge of Google Analytics
  • Networking
  • Internet marketing/ media marketing
  • Social media for building rapport with your customers.

Though registering a domain and buying a hosting plan for your website is easy, but the real job comes after that. In e-commerce business, the most important skill is to know how to generate more and more traffic which also required the knowledge of SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

Expertise in a given Niche

In today’s’ competitive market, every businessman is seeking ways in order to differentiate their offerings in the minds of customers. You need to be knowledgeable enough in the specific niche on which you are going to target your business. In order to build trust with your customers, you have to show your expertise in a given niche. The ultimate success formula in online businesses is to find a niche you are passionate about.

Author Bio:

Bill Brown is an American content writer who loves reading and writing different blogs. He is working with a car insurance company and has vast knowledge about how to save money on car insurance, how much is car insurance and much more.

Categories
Human Resource

Developing a Startup: Here’s How to Hire the Best Candidates

Article Contributed by Finn Pierson

As a startup, you’re competing with established companies that are offering the best and brightest candidates incentives. You’re not going to have the money or resources to offer them huge benefits. You’ll have to get creative and offer incentives that are more appealing.

Starts with a Job Description

You’ll want to be transparent in your job description. The beginning stages of your startup will vary from how it’ll look a few years down the road. It means that prospective employees should know that before they join the company. When a new candidate is looking for a steady job that never changes, they aren’t going to like the new responsibilities or changing job description as your company grows. You need to prepare them in advance, so they know what to expect.

Amazing Benefits

There are amazing benefits to starting with a company that will be going places in a few short years. Candidates are willing to take a cut in pay for the chance to work in a company that they believe will hit the map in a major way in a few years. They want to be in on the ground floor of a company that will take off like Snapchat, Facebook or Google. When you’re hiring, it’s important that the benefits outshine the competitors, who will be offering cash incentives and swag gifts. You might offer them freedom in some way, or give them appealing benefits like learning. They want to be in on the ground floor of a major force. In fact, many employees said that there are many things they want more than money at their job.

Positive Relationships

It doesn’t matter if you don’t plan on hiring all the candidates that you hire, you should be building a rapport with each. The employee you do hire should not wish within the first few weeks that she’d never been hired. An employee might not be a good fit, but there are ways to make the rejection sting less. Ask the employee to refer qualified candidates to your startup and provide a finder’s fee. You might also offer to help with referrals and tips on interviewing. You don’t want your business to start out with a reputation for treating employees or candidates badly.

Bring in Hiring Help

When you’re a smart business owner, you understand that you don’t have the skills to do everything. Whether you’ve tried to do a few interviews that failed or hired the wrong people for your company, you should consider bringing in someone else to do your interviewing. Once the candidates are weeded out, you can meet with them. Check with friends and family who have done interviewing for tips or learn where to find the best candidates for your startup. It might make sense to hire a recruiter to do many of your interviews since they’re experienced.

Know Your Needs

As a startup, you’re in budget mode. There’s no way you can hire a full staff of people that you need like social media managers, web designer, copywriter or sales staff. You’ll need to really analyze your needs as the business is gaining momentum. While you might desperately need strategic IT staffing at your startup, a copywriter might be something you can outsource to a freelancer who understands your business.

It’s important that you understand the needs of your startup and what you’ll require in an employee. You might have to hire one person who wears a few different hats. Be transparent in the interview process and don’t promise things to the candidates that you can’t deliver. They’ll be resentful and could leave you when they’re needed most.

Categories
Sales & Marketing

10 Benefits a Business Owner Can Expect by Creating an Explainer Video

Article Contributed by Anoop Chaphekar

Advertising and marketing have come a long way since the first video commercial was made. With new ways to access media, businesses all over the world are maximizing on advertising strategies by using these new media pathways as channels to reach a larger demographic. Business explainer videos are just one of the many effective strategies that gain businesses more traffic and help them generate more leads.

Here are 10 reasons why your business will benefit from an explainer video:

  1. They capture the essence of your business

A well made explainer video has the ability to capture the essence of your business and portray it tastefully to the viewer. Whether it is an animated explainer video or live action, it is probably the most effective way to tell your viewers about your business.

  1. They are attention grabbers

If you make it interesting enough, anyone visiting your website will be more inclined to watch the complete video and perhaps even share it on social media. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words, but a video shows a thousand pictures. While scrolling through a page, words are skimmed over and sometimes even ignored, but a catchy picture on a video will make it impossible to ignore. 

  1. They are great conversation starters

With any well known explainer video production company like Toolbox Studio, you can produce a good quality video that will not only tell people about your business but also give them something to think about. Explainer videos are great conversation starters for people with similar interests. 

  1. They are better retained by the viewer

Let’s take for example History as a school subject. Reading pages and pages of a boring textbook is probably a less effective way to study than to watch a well made movie/documentary about World War II. Chances are you will remember more details if you watch a 90 minute movie than if you spend 3 days studying the same material from a textbook. The same principle applies here. Viewers will retain more valuable information about your business through a video than if they were to simply read a page of content explaining what your business is about.

  1. They increase web traffic

Increased web traffic is a definite by product of adding videos to your web content. Any explainer video company will tell you that if you invest a little bit more and make a superb video, people will watch it and share it which will automatically compel other viewers to visit your website.

  1. They have the potential to go viral

A natural consequence of video viewing and sharing, if it is done enough times, is a video going viral. In all honesty, sometimes videos can go viral for absolutely no reason at all. But it does increase your chances if you put some thought and humour into your video. And if it does go viral, you are basically getting free publicity.

  1. They add value to your website

Quality videos in combination with quality content (that is relevant to your product/service) is what makes for an iron clad website. From and SEO point of view, websites with videos rank higher in search engine searches (namely Google) than websites with only content on their home page. So why shouldn’t you jump on the opportunity to make your presence known?

  1. They show off your personality

Explainer videos are a great opportunity for you to showcase your USPs while at the same time giving the viewers a glimpse of your personality. Whether you have a professional, well organized system or a casual, warm and friendly environment, make sure it comes through in your explainer video. People will be more inclined to choose you as a business if they can relate to you. 

  1. They provide a certain clarity to viewers

Often when looking for services online, you find out later than you would like that a provider than you have shortlisted won’t work for you (for whatever reason). Explainer videos provide clarity to viewers about your business and the services you provide right from the get go so that if a viewer feels like you can offer what they want, they can stick around or else move on without wasting any more time. 

  1. They are entertaining

Videos are entertaining, this point is irrefutable. What you do with your video is completely your prerogative. But bear in mind that the more relatable and entertaining it is, the more likely your viewers are to share it and take you seriously as a business.

There really is no denying that explainer videos can do a lot of good for your business, especially if you are new and want to make your presence known. So why not give it a shot?

Author Bio: 

Anoop Chaphekar

A visual effects producer based out of Pune, India, Anoop handles VFX and other projects at Toolbox Studio. He has more than 15 years of professional experience in the Animation and Visual Effects industry. Anoop has an educational background in Fine Arts and has wide-spread experience in bidding, resource planning, onset supervision, visual effects, commercials and broadcast design among other things.