Category: Recommendations

Stream Energy is a Dallas-based energy supplier serving customers across 9 US states and rapidly expanding. Customers enjoy savings on their fixed-rate plans, leading many of the Stream Energy reviews found online to be positive. Fixed-rate plans are a good deal with Stream Energy with the company growing its user base and gaining popularity for offering green energy options. Additionally, the company has a great customer service reputation.

Company and Operations

Stream Energy is a natural gas and electricity network marketing firm located in the US. It focuses its distribution services mostly in states that have deregulated energy markets.

Its concept and business model are pretty new for the American market with the provision of alternative energy services. Founded in 2005, Stream Energy is now one of the largest direct selling companies across the globe. Larry Mondry is the current Chief Executive Officer.

Stream Energy reviews point one of the company’s main advantages being a licensed retail electric provider by the Public Utilities Commissions in the state of Texas. It was started up through initial enrollment of Texas customers and an innovative model of selling energy through word of mouth and in the process allowing people to make money for simply spreading the word about the company and getting new customers to sign up. Since 2005 the company has grown and operates in several energy markets in:

Georgia
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
Washington D.C.
New York
Maryland
Illinois
Delaware
Ohio

Stream Energy Services

Based on available Stream Energy reviews – the company has a limited number of services at the moment, split among four categories: Energy, Wireless, Home and Protective.

Energy- The company offers three forms of energy, which sets it apart from other energy providers. Residential and commercial business customers can choose between electric, natural gas and clean energy. Part of Stream Energy services is purchasing the clean energy it sells to customers from wind, solar, hydro and other types of renewable resources. This is done to decrease the footprint of pollution and improve the condition of the surrounding environment. In online Stream Energy reviews people highlight their interest in green energy being an option for purchase and the fact that very few companies are offering such a service. This gives Stream Energy considerable advantage over completion.  Stream’s Smart 30 Thermostat Plan allows users to control their digital thermostat from their smartphone. Plus, this plan includes a free Lyric? thermostat (valued at $199).

Wireless- Stream Energy’s All In wireless plan provides unlimited talk, text, and data on a nationwide network with the best high-speed bandwidth that you can find anywhere. The All In plan is the only plan you’ll need. It includes features like 4G LTE data, mobile hotspots, and Wi-Fi calling.  You can use your own device and your current phone number – and there is never a contract required. Need additional phone lines for your family? The All In plan allows you to add additional lines to your service. You can also elect to supercharge your data or an international package.

Protective Services- Stream Energy protective services provides Identity Theft Protection to alert individuals if there is any suspicious activity detected on their account(s) and in their name. Credit Monitoring allows customers to review past credit history, check current credit scores and to be alerted of any changes. Stream Energy reviews point out that Technical Support is unlimited and available 24/7 via phone and internet. Customers can secure online data, backup software, security, access to the self-help library and antivirus / anti-spyware. Additional services available through Stream’s protective services include Virtual MD, affordable and accessible healthcare for everyone and Roadside Assistance with 24/7 support, towing, and locksmith services.

Home Services-

Stream Energy Home Services keeps customers connected to their home or office from anywhere. With Stream Digital Voice services, customers can enjoy superior call quality, unlimited calling, and even access to smart safety alerts for only $14.99 per month.

Stream Energy Plans

The prevailing opinion in Stream Energy reviews shared online is that customers are pleased with the savings on fixed-rate plans with Stream Energy. On fixed-rate plans, the amount they end up paying for electricity per kilowatt-hour or for natural gas per therm remains the same for the entire contract period.

As long as they are able to find a competitive rate, they can save on fixed-rate plans in comparison to local utility’s rates. Many customers also benefit from the stability of Stream Energy’s fixed-rate plans – if their energy bill varies from one month to the next, it is only because their consumption has changed.

Stream Energy Rating and Reviews

Stream Energy has an A customer service rating from the Better Business Bureau. In Stream Energy reviews online it is consistently given high marks for responding quickly and appropriately to customer inquiries and complaints. The company is known to receive a small volume of complaints relative to its size.

Stream Energy reviews mention the company’s support department as one of the best Stream Energy services they receive. Customer support representatives are skilled at providing timely help and resolving account issues.

One of the best qualities of Stream Energy services is the option for renewable energy, which gives customers the opportunity to support green energy generation in the United States on Stream Energy’s Green and Clean plans. The majority of customers feel that rates are reasonable on green plans.

Conclusion

Stream Energy offers great value for the services it provides to customers in addition to the option to purchase clean energy. With a strong and growing client base in nine states, the company is looking for ways to enter new markets and continue to develop and expand its service offering.

Article Contributed by Robin Singh

“Rome wasn’t built in a day.” This famous literary phrase holds special significance for the new age startups. Regardless of how ambitious and focused  you are, remember that it takes time to build a business. Although, your plans might be big, but your day-to-day operations, budget, customer base are still small. During the initial days of your business, you’ll need to work with what you’ve got.And for most startups that have just launched their first product, that’s not much.

On the bright side, it means that a startup doesn’t need to spend a fortune on massive software solutions. Since your employees are limited in numbers(which means minimal training), hence your only help documentation focus group are your ‘customers’. Beginners usually don’t have more than a single product and need to be frugal with both time and money. In fact, employing a technical writer is not a good idea.

Under such circumstances, what you do need is a help authoring software that you can use by yourself.  A collaborative cloud-based wiki solution is a great option as it will help your customers and can be accessed by your teammates as well. Apart from being affordable, such a tool should be able to integrate with other management platforms that you use on a daily basis. Finally, you’ll need a great set of customized features which will allow you to control your brand image.

With these requirements in mind, we’ve listed out the top five authoring software options that every startup should consider using.

ProProfs

As your business grows, so does your knowledge base, which is why ProProfs offers a help authoring solution most suitable for improving your customer self-service experience. Help content can be created in minutes and with no coding experience whatsoever, and the only thing you need is source material. From there on, you can design web-based documentation in HTML and CSS formats, or create PDFs and eBooks.

WYSIWYG editor promises user-friendly and intuitive knowledge bases. All features are convenient for company-wide use so that you can co-write, edit or share your documents with other team members. The reporting feature is also included, just as well as integration with Google Analytics and users surveys. That way, you can make your online documentation SEO-ready, and then measure its success through customer feedback.

But, what really sets ProProfs apart from other similar solutions is its context sensitive help builder. With tooltips, popups and lightboxes, interface intuitiveness is assured for both websites and mobile apps, to meet the expectations of your support reps and your customers.

Helpinator

The importance of good documentation is monumental for all businesses. Documentation signals you are serious in your approach and want to empower the users. This is why you need an online documentation tool like Helpinator that can assist your writing and publishing process from start to finish. This tool works from WP, JavaHelp and OracleHelp, and supports multiple formats. That means that the same source text can be packed into a PDF as well, which makes Helpinator a definite time-saver.

Besides free help documentation templates, you’ll get a template builder too, along with a great customization feature. In case you’re working with international customers, you can explore its multilingual options. Helpinator serves as a task and report manager too, but only when help documentation projects are in case.

Dr. Explain

If your startup is an IT company that produces software systems, your online guides will have to be loaded with screenshots of applications and web pages. In simple words, it means you require powerful customization features along with a potent snipping tool as well.

Apart from other standard options, Dr. Explain offers this as its unique selling point, though only in comparison to Helpinator. Various formats are available as well. The software is applicable to Windows, Java and Flash applications, and provides tons of features for editing text and codes while adding images, content tables and indexes are done with ease.

HelpCruiser

Though it is somewhat basic, HelpCruiser is a great pick for those who need a granny-proof solution while designing their first help documentation. Basically, everyone can use it, and it delivers nothing more than you’d expect.

It’s the program’s template engine that makes HelpCruiser so convenient in the first place. It allows you to write and edit with ease, while customization is ensured with a “ribbon” interface, inheritable styles and visual themes. Interestingly enough, you can include YouTube videos, GIF animation and audio clips to your documentation, along with standard images and tables. The end product can be imported and published in a variety of formats, from DOCX and HTML to RTF and CHM.

Adobe RoboHelp 

In case you’re off to a pretty great start and have the means to equip your startup with all the automatic solutions used by the growth-focused companies, look no further than Adobe RoboHelp. It’s best suited for large knowledge base systems, though, which means that if you aren’t  looking at that kind of expansion anytime soon, Adobe RoboHelp is not the right fit for you.

Whatever the case, this help authoring tool offers a couple of perks that others don’t. RoboHelp allows you to create for any device and is therefore especially popular among mobile-centered businesses. Readability on the go is achieved with scannable solutions like thumbnail images, while inquiries are made faster with automatic suggestions. The HTML5 layout is highly responsive and promises intuitive navigation on both web and mobile devices.

The parting words

Startups truly have a lot on their plates, but obtaining a great help authoring tool is one of the tasks that shouldn’t be ignored. Keep your pick within the budget, though. Each of these solutions is available in some sort of demo version, which will certainly help you to decide better. Opt for those solutions that keep price and effectiveness in balance, and you’ll surely make the ‘right’ choice that helps your business grow.

Author Bio:

Robin is a Technical Support Executive. He is an expert in knowledge management and various Knowledge base tools. Currently, he is a resident knowledge management expert at ProProfs. In his free time, Robin enjoys reading and traveling.

If you still aren’t sure whether or not an MBA is the right career path for you, it can sometimes be best to weigh the pros and cons. Like any other decision we make in life, the choice to pursue an MBA degree program is a major one.

Between weighing the time it will take to finish the degree and the money you’ll be paying out of pocket, it’s important to understand everything that goes into MBA programs online. However, there are many reasons an MBA is helpful for your future. Whether you are just looking for more money or to be better-rounded in your career, there are many reasons why an MBA is a god choice for you and your future. Here are five reasons you should pursue an MBA.

1. Better Career Opportunities

While an MBA isn’t always valuable in all careers, it can lead to more opportunities if you work in business, finance, or the corporate world. An MBA can open doors leading to positions of management, financial advisor status, or corporate management.

Whether you’re setting out with the goal of management or going back to get a degree after working in your field for years, an MBA can be a valuable asset to your future, income, and resume. Many people find themselves reaching for management after working within their company. An MBA can be one of the only ways to make that transition. There are many MBA programs online that will allow you to continue working in your field while taking classes online.

2. Transferable Skills

An MBA may not always be right for every career or profession, but the skills learned can be used in a variety of places. Most of those pursuing an MBA choose management or finance as a specialization. While having a career in these fields is possible, there are a variety of skills learned that can be used in all aspects of your life or career.

Whether you choose to change careers after an MBA or not, the leadership and intellectual skills learned can be applied to all parts of your life. MBA programs online can help you obtain higher analysis and critical thinking skills, awareness of other cultures, and communication skills you can use in any career you pursue.

3. Start Your Own Business

If you’ve ever wanted to start your own business, an MBA can be one of the best ways to understand the ins and outs of the industry and be successful in your endeavor. Starting and owning a business can be difficult, especially if you aren’t familiar with proper business practices or creating a budget.

An MBA can help you understand more about how to run your business successfully. An MBA is perfect for creating a marketing plan for your new business, understanding how to hire and fund your employees, balancing the revenue you’re making, and keeping your goods or services flowing. If you already own a business but are struggling to manage it, working toward an MBA while running your business is a better way to ensure success.

4. Make More Money

It’s no secret that getting an MBA can be costly. After your undergrad, the increase of expenses for your MBA program can be surprising. However, the return on investment is often high compared to other degrees. If you’re struggling to make money now, having an MBA can make you more valuable to your company and, in turn, lead to higher pay.

Those with an MBA or a high-paying specialization are often paid more than other careers within the industry. Finance and management can lead to high-paying salaries compared to those who do not have an MBA. If you’re looking for more pay or to make yourself more valuable to you company, an MBA is the perfect choice.

5. Job Security

Nothing is guaranteed, but with an MBA, you’re given a little more job security compared to other careers. Those with MBAs or MBA skills are more valuable to the company they work for. This means having an MBA can ensure you are less likely to lose your job or be cut during times of layoffs.

Depending on your specialization, you may be more likely to find jobs as well in the case that your company shuts down or moves. You may also be able to request relocation in the case that your branch closes. Having a backup plan through your MBA gives you wider opportunities when it comes to keeping and finding a job.

You are probably already aware of the importance of having your website on the first page of Google. Yes, this is hard to achieve, especially with all the competitors out there.

But don’t get discouraged! Even if you are a complete beginner, in this ultimate SEO guide you will learn all the crucial steps for high rankings in 2017.

First things first, let us remind you what does SEO actually stand for. Search engine optimization is basically a method you apply to be found better in the search results of Google and other search engines. SEO is not one specific method to optimize your website, but a gathering of different tactics and strategies. Also, high rankings don’t come overnight – you need to be patient and persistent (…and “white hat”!).

…Before we start:

Before you start applying any SEO strategy, make a list of best words and phrases you want to be found by in Google. These are called keywords and they are your most important clue to see is your SEO strategy bringing results.

There are numerous tips and tools on how to choose relevant keywords, but the most important tip is to find a word (actually few of them) relevant to you niche that people are searching for. You can easily check this in the Google’s Keyword planning tool, or similar ones.

Now, let’s get started:

1. Domain name

If you want to be found, the domain name is very important in the search results. To make things more clear, you can try to type “Apple” in the Search bar, and the first result that is going to appear is the Apple’s website.The same goes for keywords like “style”, ‘’6pm’’ and many more.

That only shows how important is to have a keyword in your domain name…if it is available of course.

2.Titles

Page or post titles are also very important. Again, to explain it easier, you can type the sentence “How to make a website” and check out the (organic) search results. Ones that have the mentioned sentence in the beginning of their title will appear first. The earlier in the title you start with the text you want to be found by, the higher the position you will have in the search results.

3. Images

Many marketers often neglect the images SEO optimization. In 2017, this is something you certainly shouldn’t underestimate!

If you search for “photoshop tricks” and go to “Images” section, the first result that will appear will have that keyword in its URL. So, not “IMG_001”,” Screenshoot_1” or something similar, but the titles relevant to the result you want to be found by in Google.

4. <h1> Title tags </h1>

One thing that you certainly shouldn’t forget when it comes to article formating are H1 and H2 titles.

Check out what happens when you type “What other fonts look like Google’s logo”: the first result that appears has Title “What Font Is The New Google Logo?”. If you open the post and inspect the title, you will see that it is the <h3> tag. So, don’t forget to optimize at least two or three title tags.

5. Meta Descriptions

Always remember that Google works in the favor of the searcher so if you want to be highly ranked you need to provide the best possible answer for him. More than that, you need to show your perfect answer to the reader as soon as he/she see’s the search results. Meta descriptions are there to help you!

Every time you write or edit Meta Description make sure that you check your rankings in incognito mode. Try to adjust your Meta Description (and the above mentioned Page Title) no matter how many times it takes, to stand out from other results.

Having difficulties to stand out? Try to add some special features or a unique call to action in your description.

6. Keywords… again

If you check any SEO guide you will see that mentioning keywords throughout the content is very important. Yes, we agree with that, but do keep in mind that it has to be done VERY naturally. Just remember that even if Google is ranking your content, humans are ones actually reading it! Since the upcoming year is (in SEO terms) all about being natural, there is not much to say than to add your keywords smoothly.

7. Mobile (and user) friendly website

A website that looks good on mobile devices and that can be navigated easily is considered ‘’a must’’ for several years now.

But the thing that many site owners really underestimate is the overall website look. Keep it user friendly, don’t just focus on the search engine! The readers shouldn’t get confused about the website’s niche, images should complement the topics, so just keep it simple.

Then again, with so many good designs out there, you can’t compete with a white background look, right? That’s why you certainly shouldn’t avoid good website builders that already have website templates suitable (and “user friendly”) for every niche.

8. Backlinking (new tactics)

Having backlinks from spammy websites and websites that aren’t relevant to your niche can only harm your SEO. But this is said too many times already, right? In 2017 you will still need backlinks, but it is getting very hard to get quality ones. Here are some useful tactics:

• Use H.A.R.O. to generate high quality backlinks from different, but relevant, sources. One way is to post an interesting topic that will provide really informative answers and strategies. Use the answers for creating unique content that will both bring you readers and backlinks. Another, and even better way is to participate as a contributor. Find relevant topics to your niche and give quality answers that will certainly get published and provide you with a good, natural backlink.

• Skyscraper Technique is also very easy to implement and most importantly, a technique that brings great results! Find already published, but link-worthy content, make it better and let the existing linkers know about it. Sounds too easy, right? Well, if you make sure that your content provides better and longer explanations, with more thorough examples, high quality images, etc. then the technique is quite easy.

• Giveaways are a great way to get free links! Create a Freebie/Giveaway section on your website and participate in others. You will be surprised how much traffic you can generate this way.

• Post job listings to ensure that good quality traffic comes to your website. People will spend some time on it when reading about your company before actually applying to the job.

9. Internal linking

In order to make it easier for Google to crawl through your content, and more importantly, to understand it better, don’t forget to create internal links. This will help Google understand that your content is related to the keyword you want to rank for. Link back to your Blog, News or any other section that has relevant topics to the anchor word.

Create a Sitemap page to make it even easier to show where every possible page can be found and how is it categorized.

10. The most important thing!

All these tips can help you rank better, but the most important thing is that you offer value to your visitors! You can optimize what you want, but you need to have a valuable content about a certain subject, some advice, tips, etc. Make sure you have enough readworthy pages on your website, so you can update them often. Creating a Blog section is always a good idea, so make sure you’ve implemented one as well. You can update it weekly (or even daily), share useful tips, strategies, new tactics, etc.

Of course, pages will depend on your website’s niche. Apart from F&Q, About page, Contact and Blog section, you can also add a Guide, News (from the niche), Tutorials etc. Try to be creative and to provide your readers with as much quality content as possible.

Don’t forget to add the Comments Section where you can communicate with your audience. Ask them about their opinion on a topic, but be also open to a critic or an advice.

Make sure the tone of your articles is suitable for your audience. Don’t go to formal if you are writing a travel blog, but keep it professional if you are a running a small business website.

…a quick sum up:

Whether you are a SEO beginner or a pro, in 2017 keep in handy this checklist:

Include your main keyword into the domain name, If it is not available, be creative.Start the title with the sentence you want to be found by:

• Rename image URLs according to the keywords
• Don’t forget H2 and H3 title tags (not only H1)
• Answer the searcher’s question in the  Meta description
• Keep the keywords natural
• Design your website according to your niche
• Use new and natural backlinking techniques
• Do your internal linking homework
• Create just valuable content and communicate with your audience

We hope that our article was helpful! Be persistent, patient and results will come.

Article Contributed by Matthew Pavli

Exhibiting at a trade show can be a mind-boggling task – especially if you have little or no experience of event marketing.

Getting your first trade show wrong can be seriously damaging for your small business: with costs multiplying beyond control, valuable energy wasted and crucial business opportunities missed.

First-time exhibitors tend to fall into common pitfalls which can be easily avoided with careful planning. Whether it’s not budgeting correctly for the event or mismanaging your leads, putting in a bit of extra research before the show can help you avoid these exhibiting dangers and set your business on the right course for success!

Step 1: Choose the right show

Find out what the key event is for buyers and decision-makers in your target audience. You will need to research the other exhibitors as well as paying close attention to any possible rivals: you don’t want to have too many competitors at the event.

You shouldn’t just accept the stand position allocated to you by the event organiser; download the floorplan for the event and identify a space that will attract a lot of footfall.

Headline Stat: 80% of business owners agree that live events deliver better ROI than any other media.

Step 2: Work out your budget

For a successful show you will need to allocate a rough budget that relates to your expected ROI (return-on-investment).

You will need to consider the costs involved in every aspect of exhibiting at the event including transport to and from the venue; stand space cost; display stand purchase; marketing literature and accommodation – always leaving room for additional expenses such as food, drink and entertainment which may crop up along the way!

Interesting Fact: A recent study found that B2B exhibitions account for 39.2% of B2B marketing budgets.

Step 3: Choose the right exhibition stand

Firstly, you will need to find out whether you have a shell-scheme or space-only exhibit at the event as this will help you choose the type of display stand required. After this you should work out the dimensions of your space and find stands that fit comfortably within the space.

Smaller shell-scheme spaces will simply require a banner stand and/or pop up display with an optional literature rack whereas larger space-only stands will require either a completely custom-built exhibition stand or a modular exhibition system.

Interesting Fact: The average attendee spends 8.3 hours viewing trade show exhibits at a show or exhibition.

Step 4: Design an eye-catching stand

You need to think carefully about who will design your exhibition stand: you can do this in-house with a design template or ask your stand supplier. Whoever you choose to design the stand, make sure it is bold and engaging with bright colours and unique branding.

The design of your stand should be as simple as possible and be used to attract attention rather than give detailed company information. It should give an instant impression of your company’s purpose with more detailed information contained in marketing literature.

Interesting Fact: 83% of exhibitors agreed that “Building, expanding brand awareness” is a high-priority marketing-related objective for trade shows.

Step 5: Attract People to Your Stand

It is a good idea to think of a unique giveaway, competition or game that will lure visitors onto your stand. You can promote this competition using social media, making sure you use the show’s hashtag on Twitter.

As well as making sure your staff attract visitors onto your stand, ensure they are also well-briefed on how to qualify leads and sell your products/services. Get your team to collect as much information as possible from each lead: this will help you to make your follow-ups more personal and relevant!

Interesting Fact: 81% of directors agree that the average order value with human interaction is over 15 times greater compared to other media investment.

Step 6: Follow-Up Your Leads

It’s a good idea to send out an initial generic email follow-up to all your leads, then call the ‘warm’ leads within a week of the show. With your follow-ups, try to use the same sales rep who took the initial lead, this should help with rapport and creating a better relationship with the prospect.

If you don’t close a lead after the show, don’t get just forget all about them – the sales process may take up to a year or more. Keep your business at the forefront of the prospect’s mind by subscribing them to your newsletter or connecting with them on Linkedin.

Interesting Fact: 44% of exhibitors don’t measure their return on investment from an event

About The Author

Matthew Pavli is the Marketing Manager at Display Wizard, a UK-based supplier of display and exhibition stands that helps companies around the world exhibit at trade shows in Britain. Matthew enjoys writing about event marketing, trade shows and, in his spare time, football (soccer -depending on what side of the pond you’re on!)