Payment Gateways and Their Role in eCommerce

With the convenience of shopping online, most customers prefer to purchase goods from the internet rather than in a brick-and-mortar store. That’s why it’s essential for businesses to have an eCommerce site to boost sales. From the perspective of customers, the online payment procedure may look quite simple. However, the entire process is quite complex.

As an eCommerce business owner, you need to avail yourself of the services of a payment processor too. They will set up your eCommerce merchant account through which you will be able to receive your funds. However, it’s important to note that payment gateway and payment processor are different terms.

If you’re interested in knowing about payment gateway, how it differs from a payment processor, and its role in eCommerce, keep reading this article!  

What Is a Payment Gateway?

A payment gateway is software that authorizes a transaction made by the customer. It creates a safe channel between the bank, the customer, and your store. Therefore, it helps you securely process payments to reduce the risk of fraud for sellers and customers.

It can be integrated with other accounting software, tax management tool, or eCommerce platforms. The most common examples of payment gateway are:

  • PayPal
  • Amazon Pay
  • Stripe
  • Apple Pay
  • Authorize.net

What Is the Role of Payment Gateways in eCommerce?

You need to access the services of a payment gateway to process card transactions. Since it authorizes transactions, you won’t be able to receive funds in your bank account without a payment gateway.

Furthermore, it also accepts and handles online payments. As soon as a customer enters their credit/debit card information while making an online purchase, it temporarily stores the data in a secure way.  

After the customer enters the credit/debit card information, a transit takes place between the banks and payment processors. And a payment gateway will make sure that the route is properly encrypted to keep sensitive info safe from the hands of cybercriminals.

Of course, this will maintain the trust between your business and your customers and prevent your goodwill from tarnishing.

Moreover, the payment gateway streamlines the reconciliation and bookkeeping process for eCommerce businesses by providing in-depth reports regularly.

How Is a Payment Gateway Different from a Payment Processor?

Although both terms are used interchangeably, it’s imperative to remember that they are not the same. Most payment processors (also called payment service providers) now offer the services of a payment gateway for a complete service package.

A payment processor creates a channel between the seller’s and customer’s banks. It will set up a merchant account for you, so you can receive funds in your account smoothly after releasing the funds once they are verified.  

On the other hand, the primary goal of a payment gateway is to streamline your checkout process and provide an exceptional shopping experience to the customers on your eCommerce store by encrypting confidential data and securely processing payments.

How to Choose the Right Payment Gateway for Your Business?

Since there are a wide variety of payment gateway service providers, you need to make sure you choose the one that is right for your eCommerce business because the right one will impact your brand’s bottom line.

Asking about the pricing, terms, features, payment methods, integrations, customer support service, currency options, and flexibility of the plan will facilitate you in making an informed decision.  

4 Tech Best Practices for Property Managers

Managing rental and investment properties is easier with technology, but it’s not easy choosing which applications to use. There are so many software applications on the market that it’s hard to know which ones are the most helpful. Also, software alone won’t necessarily be enough. If you’re not following certain best practices, you won’t get the full benefits from your technology.

If you’re a property manager using technology to assist with your duties, here are four best practices that will make your efforts more fruitful.

1. Work with a property management company

The easiest way to get the most out of technology is to hand your responsibilities over to a professional property management company. They’ll have all the latest and greatest applications already, and will know what is currently standard in the industry. For instance, they’ll have apps for managing rent payments, applications, tenant issues, and even tracking profitability.

Using property management services will achieve several things:

  • You won’t need to figure out what apps to use
  • You won’t need to learn new applications
  • You won’t have to fuss with logging into multiple software accounts every day
  • You won’t have monthly bills for multiple apps
  • You won’t have to worry about data privacy – a professional company will have that covered

You’ll pay one easy monthly fee for property management services, and it will be much easier than trying to manage and keep track of a handful of applications.

2. Condense your software applications

If you’re going to manage your own properties, it’s important to condense the number of apps you use. The more apps you need to use, the harder your job will be.

Consolidate your apps by first making a list of all the features you need. Then, make a list of all the apps you currently use and document which features each app provides.

Identify feature overlaps

Look at your list for overlaps. For instance, if you have three apps that have four of the same features, see if you can eliminate all but one and use only the app that has all of those shared features.

Do you really need unique features?

If you use apps with unique features, ask yourself if you really need those features. Are they necessary or just convenient? Convenience is nice but it can come at a price. For instance, if your apps aren’t connected by a single database, you’ll be dealing with two separate databases.

If an app with a convenient feature requires copying over large amounts of information from other apps on a regular basis, it may not be worth keeping. You don’t want to have to update multiple apps when information changes or you may forget to make updates in every database.

Identify missing features

Check your feature list to see what features aren’t supported by your existing apps. This will tell you what to look for in additional apps. However, your best bet will be to look for a single app that offers all the features you need.

3. Do not pay for software you can get for free

You can find paid software to perform just about any task, but there are also free options floating around. If you can get free software to meet your needs, make that your first choice. However, free software isn’t always better than paid.

For example, most free applications are extremely basic and sometimes don’t come with support. If you need support and more than basic features, go with the paid app. However, if your needs are simple and you don’t need support for certain features, you’ll be fine using the free application.

4. Do not use software when it is not needed

Software is great, but it’s not always needed. It’s easy to complicate things by using an application when it’s not necessary. For instance, some people can’t live without receipt tracking software, but if you don’t have many receipts to track, it’s cumbersome to scan everything and verify each entry.

Make sure every app you use is needed. Does it make your life easier? Does it free up your time? Does it help you access information more easily? If so, keep using that application. If not, consider ditching the app.

Use technology to your advantage

No matter what apps you use to manage your properties, use technology to your advantage whenever possible. If you’re still collecting rent manually, start using software to accept rent payments online. Little by little, technology can help you better manage your properties.

What Exactly Is Meant by Decommissioning a Data Center?

Decommissioning a data center refers to the methodical process of removing servers and other components of an older data infrastructure to create a place for more recent data management solutions. As businesses continue their transition to cloud-based data management systems, decommissioning data has become an increasingly common activity. A project strategy, a checklist, and advance communication to all departments telling staff members about the decommissioning process are necessities for decommissioning a data center.

The decommissioning procedure, the amount of time it will take to decommission, the data backup schedules, and the reporting template for this process are all outlined in the plan for the decommissioning project.

The inventory of servers, desktops, laptops, printers, routers, and other information technology equipment is compiled using the decommissioning checklist. In addition, the list can record specifics such as IP addresses, model names, information regarding software, and storage information.

Planning

  • Develop a strategy for implementation that details all of the activities and tasks for which each project member is responsible.
  • To make sure that all those affected have the opportunity to voice their opinions regarding the commencement of the decommissioning, your stakeholders should collaborate with you to develop a comprehensive set of criteria that decides if a decommissioning will go ahead.
  • On decommission day, hold a formal meeting to decide whether or not to proceed with the process and call off the decommissioning if the relevant risks are highlighted.
  • For decommissioning initiatives that take place live, it is vital to communicate with end-users on the possibility of downtime to minimize customer annoyance if failures occur.
  • To achieve the highest possible levels of safety and productivity, it is necessary to put into operation any tools or machinery required to make it happen. These include forklifts, degaussers, drive shredders, pallets, crating for servers, hoists, polyethylene foam for packing, conveyors, trucks, and tip guards.
  • Be sure to run background checks for any temporary employees you hire; you don’t want your data or equipment to go missing!
  • Utilize asset tags that designate future locations, employee roles, and also planned processes. You don’t want to send your customers with the wrong pieces of equipment.
  • Make a complete log of every piece of the machinery that will be taken out of service.
  • Find out the ultimate designation of each hardware asset; will they be used for something else, Resold, or Recycled?
  • Last but not least, create a timeline for terminating any maintenance contract connected to servers or specific software that will not be transferred. You do not want to pay for something that you are not putting to good use.

Decommissioning

Now things are starting to become interesting. Now planning, plans, and procedures are ready, and your team and any third-party vendors are set to get moving, we can start the decommissioning stage!

Carry out simulations and tests on every backup

Mainly applicable to live situations during migration scenario preparation. This is an excellent chance and a wonderful time to test your plans for disaster and recovery and make sure that all of your equipment is fully functional.

Before decommissioning, you should ensure you have a complete backup

In addition, make sure to finish the final backup verification, as there is no such thing as being too conscientious with one’s data.

Remove any devices that are connected to the network

It is now the moment to delete all references to the equipment that is being retired from access control lists, subnets, and firewalls and turn off its power supply. You’ll be pulling all of your stacked gear from here (one more, I stress the importance of using tip guards for safety!).

Any leftover storage media should be shredded or degaussed now, especially if any of the drives are not completely deleted and will not be utilized or resold shortly.

Verify all paperwork

It is necessary to document each erasure or the destruction of all hardware to confirm that your data is accounted for. This is true whether or not you utilized any third-party vendors and even if your internal team was involved.

That includes satisfying any standards imposed by the security policy. If your business is subjected to an audit, you should leave a detailed paper trail. It’s not only the right thing to do from an ethical standpoint, but it also sets a precedent for when something like this might happen again.

Disposition

It is time to dispose of your data center’s remaining assets now that it has been totally decommissioned. That entails not only the packing and transfer of equipment but also the cancellation of any contracts no longer applicable to the situation.

Finish packing and palletizing all of the hardware

The standard method of transporting freight is wholly insufficient. For the sake of best practices, you should make sure that every piece of reusable gear, including servers together with other types of hardware, is created using custom-cut polyethylene foam.

Maintain communication with the accounting division

Make certain that any servers and assets are removed from your company’s financial records, and that all the software licenses, whether they have been canceled or not, are properly accounted for.

Find a vendor who does recycling or a downstream facility that accepts recyclable items

Something you do not want is the technology that can easily be traced back to you on the cover of the latest Greenpeace report on the environmental risks posed by data centers. Should you have equipment that you want to get rid of, you should make sure that you recycle it through the appropriate and ethical channels by following the appropriate procedures.

Collaborate with a company that specializes in data center decommissioning for the purpose of physically destroying any obsolete servers. Alternatively, you might reuse them or get rid of them by employing processes that are already in place inside your company if it is suited to do so.

Work with all departments to ensure a smooth transition of any hardware that is destined for a different application

If you already work with an ITAD company, you might find it beneficial to conduct a cost-benefit financial analysis with that person. Before you go to the trouble of relocating and reusing your hardware in a different part of the organization, you and your partners can work together to determine whether selling off the organization’s hard drives and other assets and then purchasing new hardware would actually result in a greater long-term reduction in operating expenses.

For instance, even in a circumstance that may involve long-term storage, you can discover that the labor expenses involved are far higher than the costs in merely getting extremely basic storage equipment from somewhere else and putting it into immediate use.

7 Ways You Can Increase Your Revenue With Little Investment

If you’re like most business owners, you’re always looking for ways to increase your revenue. But, finding extra money to invest in your business can be tough. Luckily, there are some easy ways to bring in more money without breaking the bank.

1. Use Customer Intelligence Software

If you’re not already using some kind of customer intelligence software, you’re missing out on a big opportunity to increase your revenue. This type of software provides valuable insights into your customers’ behavior, preferences, and trends. Armed with this information, you can make strategic decisions that will boost your sales and profits.

And the best part is that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get started. There are many affordable customer intelligence solutions on the market today. So there’s no excuse not to take advantage of this powerful tool.

Here are several ways that customer intelligence software can help you increase your revenue:

  • Identify spending patterns: Use customer intelligence software to track your customers’ spending patterns. This information can help you identify opportunities to upsell and cross-sell.
  • Understand customer needs: Use customer intelligence software to understand what your customers need and want. This information can help you develop new products and services that they’ll be willing to pay for.
  • Increase customer loyalty: Use customer intelligence software to keep track of your most loyal customers. This information can help you design programs and offers that will keep them coming back for more.
  • Boost sales: Use customer intelligence software to identify potential sales opportunities. This information can help you close more deals and boost your revenue.
  • Reduce costs: Use customer intelligence software to identify ways to reduce your costs. This information can help you save money on things like marketing and operations.
  • Improve customer service: Use customer intelligence software to track customer satisfaction levels. This information can help you make changes to your customer service strategy that will result in more satisfied customers.
  • Grow your business: Use customer intelligence software to identify opportunities for business growth. This information can help you make strategic decisions that will help you expand your company and increase your revenue.

Investing in customer intelligence software is a great way to increase your revenue with little investment. So if you’re not already using this powerful tool, now is the time to get started.

2. Create an Upsell Strategy

Upselling is a great way to get your customers to spend more without having to acquire new ones. If you have a product or service that has different levels or features, be sure to let your customers know about them! You can also offer add-ons and extras that can increase the value of what they’re buying.

3. Increase Your Prices

If you’re selling products or services that are in high demand, you may be able to get away with increasing your prices. This could be a small price hike, or you may decide to go for a more significant increase. Of course, you don’t want to price yourself out of the market, so make sure to do some research first.

4. Offer Discounts and Promotions

Discounts and promotions are always popular with customers, and they can be a great way to increase your revenue. You can offer discounts on your products or services, or you can promote special deals and packages. Just be sure to advertise your promotions well so that your customers are aware of them.

5. Run a Marketing Campaign

Investing in a marketing campaign is a great way to bring in new customers and boost your revenue. There are many different marketing channels you can use, so be sure to do some research to find the best ones for your business. You may want to consider using online advertising, social media, or even traditional methods like print or television ads.

6. Create a Loyalty Program

Loyalty programs are a great way to encourage customers to keep coming back. Offer rewards for customers who make frequent purchases, or give them special discounts and perks. This will not only increase your revenue, but it will also help you build a base of loyal customers.

7. Provide Excellent Customer Service

Last but not least, one of the best ways to increase your revenue is by providing excellent customer service. Happy customers are more likely to come back and spend more money with you, so it’s important to always give them the best experience possible. Make sure your employees are properly trained in customer service, and always be available to address any concerns or problems they may have.

By following these tips, you can easily increase your revenue without having to invest a lot of money. Just remember that it takes time and effort to see results, so be patient and keep at it!

You Can Automate These Property Management Tasks

There is essentially no aspect of management that can’t be simplified with technology. It’s amazing how far various software programs have progressed in such a short amount of time. We’ll show you several property management areas that can be automated so you can track the progress yourself.

Accounting

There are numerous aspects of property management that consume far too much of your time. As a result, you’ll need some software to handle all of these minor chores. These software programs will be able to monitor your cash flow, perform their own calculations, and make decisions based on them. Why shouldn’t you invest in a piece of software that will take over a great deal of work that was previously done by many people? Furthermore, in the long term, this will pay off because you will not need as many personnel to complete this task because you will have software that will do it faster and more accurately.

Lease Renewal

You should automate the lease renewal process straight away. Why would you take time out of your day to renew your renters’ leases when you could be doing something more important? If you want to automate this aspect of your business, you can either design an algorithm that will handle everything for you or hire someone to do it for you. You should be aware that creating this algorithm takes time, depending on who is doing it. It can work in a number of ways, and one of them is that when someone requests the lease renewal contract from the software, it sends it out to them, and once they sign it, it gets redirected to you for your signature. 

Furthermore, after you offer the new software that will handle this duty, you must be prepared for a slew of bugs. This is usually not a significant issue if the bugs get detected on time. Once it is in full operation, you won’t need to consider it for some time, except to do some checks to see if it is doing what it is supposed to.

Rent Payment

Rent payments, like lease renewals, can be done much more quickly than the individual renting the property coming to you and handing you the money. It’s a lot easier if you have software in place that just extracts the funds from the renter’s bank account. As a result, you do not need to be available at all times in order for them to give you the rent; instead, everything is done online. 

You also don’t need to pay someone to collect the money because it’s all deposited directly into your account. This type of software is usually rather affordable when you consider the value it provides to your company. 

Packages 

It would be ideal if you had a system in place as a property owner that could handle a variety of packages and make it easy for your residents to receive or pick them up. Installing a specific box where the mailman can leave his or her package and only put things in, rather than take things out, is one way to accomplish this. A tenant with a special key is the only one who can take items out of it.

 When the mailman places the package inside the box, it would be fantastic if the tenants were informed. This feature will delight your residents because it allows them to pick up their mail much more quickly.

Robotics

Imagine going to look for a place to rent an apartment or a house and being greeted by a robot who will show them around. The field of robotics has progressed significantly, and it won’t be long until you see them all over the country. If your budget allows you to do so, hire a team of top software developers to create a robot that will take your house tours instead of your personnel. You won’t need to hire somebody to do it for you, and it will be a lot more fascinating for your potential tenants. They’ll appreciate your presentation’s approach. Also, if there are some questions that need to be answered that your robot could not address, then they should call you or someone you dedicate to doing that task.

Why should people not take advantage of the many benefits that the digital age has brought to their lives? With so many technological advancements, any firm can function better and more accurately with fewer people. Hopefully, this text was able to show you some fantastic things you can do as a property seller or renter.

What You Need to Know about Business Software

The software market for business needs is developing at an enormous speed. Today, you can find universal software solutions as well as specialized – aimed at solving the needs of companies in a particular industry. You need to know answers to these questions: How to understand the world of software? What do you need to know about the software? What kind of software is there and how does it differ from each other?

Businesses today are becoming increasingly dependent on technology. Without using modern technology, services, and automating tools, businesses are beginning to lose their competitive edge. More advanced companies are becoming more productive and pushing organizations that work “the old-fashioned way” out of the market.

Establish Usage Rights

First, any company that chooses off-the-shelf software on the market is interested in having a full set of rights to the purchased software product: to use it at its own discretion, modify it for its own needs or for further sale (by own forces or by outsourcing the development), distribute the modified versions, including on a commercial basis.

Such rights can be obtained by the company in three ways. The first way is to purchase the necessary set of rights from the producer of the software product. The second way is to develop the software by itself (using its own programmers or outsourcing the development). And finally, the third way is to use free software.

Take Ready-Made Software or Develop It Yourself?

Some companies develop software on their own or use outsourcing firms. In some cases, this is a reasonable alternative to buying off-the-shelf software, but in others it can create significant risks. For example, if software testing software development is not the company’s core business, it will have to: 

  • to maintain its own team of developers; 
  • to create and (what is important!) further develop the software; 
  • to regularly spend money on their skills improvement since technologies change very rapidly;
  • in case of staff turnover – to look for specialists of needed skill.

On the other hand, getting a well-developed software solution from the market will free your company from having to invest in its own development processes. Business owners often purchase Microsoft RDS for tasks such as remote access and web-based software. Microsoft RDS allows users to easily access applications, files, printers, and more from anywhere with an Internet connection while also providing security features that help ensure data privacy for the company.

Let’s Summarize: What Should a Business Owner Pay Attention to When Choosing Software?

  • The first is expertise. It is worth giving preference to a company that has been dealing with one software product for many years, over those who produce a series of programs for different business areas.
  • The second is the responsiveness of the managers. How quickly they respond to your questions. Bore them with questions, don’t be shy, ask them about everything. Your task is to reveal the company’s policy, the attitude towards you, whether there is a willingness to help.
  • Third: read the feedback of those who are already using the software.
  • Fourth: you must have a free trial version where you can try everything and understand whether it has the necessary functionality you need, whether the interface is friendly, etc.
  • Fifth: you need to ask the managers if the program can be modified to meet your requirements, if there are any programmers in the market who can work with this software, and how much an hour of work of such a programmer will cost.

What Every Company Owner Should Know About Risk Management

It cannot be said often enough just how important risk management is when operating a business of any kind and any size. Although the kinds of risks a company may face are primarily dependent upon their industry, it can be safely said that no company is ever without risk of personal and/or business financial losses.

Whether your company is a relatively new startup or a business that has been in operation for several years, have you taken the time to assess the risks you are up against and measures that can be taken to mitigate potential losses? Understanding and implementing risk management measures can be the salvation of your company. Here is some of what you should know.

Begin By Defining Potential Risks

The first thing you can do in terms of risk management is to define the types of risks you may be up against. For example, a manufacturing company would probably not face the same kinds of risks as a customer-facing business. However, in the manufacturing arena, you may face risks such as defective machinery causing injuries to employees. In contrast, a retail store might face a lawsuit resulting from a customer slip and fall injury. Take the time to define the types of risks thoroughly you may be exposed to, and then you can start looking at ways to minimize those risks in the future.

Insure Against Those Risks – General Liability Vs. Professional Liability

That being said, the danger you are up against is there are financial losses in almost any scenario. As it pertains to business, the risk is generally directly related to the potential for financial compensation. Fortunately, you can insure against risks, but you first need to know if they will be covered under general liability vs. professional liability policies.

General liability covers such things as:

  • Bodily injury claims.
  • Property damage.
  • Medical payments.
  • Advertising errors.
  • Reputational harm.

As for bodily injury claims, this would not refer to injuries sustained by employees. That would be covered under your state-required workers’ comp coverage. The same holds true for Med Pay insurance, which covers medical expenses incurred by clients or members of the general public.

Professional liability insurance covers the employee, director, or owner when they are held personally responsible for an injury or financial loss brought about by errors and omissions or any action of an employee that results in some kind of loss, such as clerical errors of an accounting firm causing their client to sustain significant financial losses. If you don’t already have both of these policies, the sooner you have them, the better your risk management strategy.

Plan for Those Risks as If They Are Imminent

The one last thing you can, and should always, do is to plan for your identified risks as if they will happen at some point. Have a backup plan as well. This is where you plan for the best but prepare for the worst. As cliché as that may sound, it could be the ultimate salvation of the business you built on your blood, sweat, and tears.

Marketing your Small Business with Texting

In the era of bits, everything has become digital. Today, your mobile phone encompasses your books to the bank; therefore, it has become an inevitable part of your life. This digital revolution, along with the internet revolution, has also affected marketing techniques. Consumers are inundated by advertisements through social alerts from their friends, families, work, and brands. This causes too much distraction, which is why many people turn off notifications from email and other social media networks; therefore, most advertisements get ignored. Social media advertisements are gradually losing people’s attention; therefore, without a doubt, they will become obsolete in the near future. Using a Text expansion tool can greatly improve this process.

So, if you want to market at once, you need to send a text message to your potential buyers. It is considered more effective as the inbox is a more personal and quiet space. Although if you to a successful text messaging marketing campaign, first of all, it should be legal, properly structured, and traceable. Texting enables businesses to do things that traditional media cannot offer since you can run a marketing campaign without investing in hardware, labor, media buys, or print. It is more penetrable and ultimately more effective.

You should keep in mind that this type of texting campaign is not suitable for everyone. You need to ensure that your ad is relevant and helpful instead of unwanted or fake. In this article, we will tell you how to add texting to your digital marketing master plan without looking fake or annoying to your potential or current customers.

How Does This Work?

It relies on a database consisting of your targeted customer’s name, mobile phone number, geographical location, customer category, and interests. All this information will enable you to track the sales process. As any marketing campaign works, you need more is more information about your customer to make it workable and effective. For maximum outcomes, your campaign must be targeted to a specific audience.

As a marketer, you should know that mobile marketing should be a part of the overall marketing strategy. You cannot run a text messaging campaign if your targeted audience has not heard even the name of your brand. There should be a proper game plan that includes different types of advertising means; then, text messaging can be proven as icing on the cake; therefore, there must be a cake first.

If you are texting your customer without a backdrop, it could backfire. As said previously, text messaging is more personal than email or other social media platforms. If your targeted person does not recognize your brand, then you will be considered an intruder who is trying to invade someone’s personal space. This is unethical as well as illegal in some scenarios. Having a well-known brand profile will make texting more efficient. Lastly, Media Marketing sources which include social media, emails, SMS, and other channels, should complement each other, making a highly effective marketing campaign.

How Should You Set Up Text Advertising?

First of all, you have to secure legal rights; as you know, texting is more personal which is why it is more likely that the may targeted person might be sensing it as an intrusion. This can lead you to a legal conflict with authorities like Federal Communication Commission (FCC). Hence, following a proper legal channel should be your priority.

After securing legal rights, make sure that you should value the customer rather than being irritating and invasive. Following legal procedures and adding value to your ads will build up trust between brand and customer. Remember, it’s all about trust.

The next step would be collecting of database. Some companies build their database of targeted audiences; others rely on third-party service providers like Twillo to send bulk messages. Also, a small business can do text marketing by sending group texts and running their campaign.

A majority of businesses work with third-party service providers such as Twillo, TrueDialog, Trumpia, and Simple Texting, because they can handle a portion of database collection, legal issues, and messaging transmission. They can also provide you with a script for bulk messaging according to your targeted audience and demographics. Using a texting program to send happy holidays messages can be a nice touch for your clients and save you time.

Furthermore, there is some sophisticated messaging marketing software developed by companies like EZ texting and Braze that offer more automation and help you to track the progress of your marketing campaign, besides data collection and transmission.  

Regulators of Message Marketing

Before starting text message marketing, you must know all the legal aspects and regulations regarding SMS marketing. Because, as mentioned, it is a sensitive process. You can check here to learn more about TCPA regulations and what they mean for your business.

Federal Communication Commission

This is the top-tier regulatory body in the United States regarding communication affairs. You must be aware of FCC guidelines before launching any campaign.

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act

This is a law that gives you very specific guidelines about how can you send bulk SMS to a targeted audience. The crux of this law is you have to obtain written consent from every customer before sending them texts.

The Cellular Telecommunication Industry Association

 CITA is a trade organization that provides direction and tips on SMS marketing. But it is advisable to rely on FCC and TCPA.

If you are not from the United States, these regulators and laws are not for you. Visit your own country’s communication authority website to find out what’s legal and what’s illegal.

Dos in Message Marketing

  • Get permission.
  • Keep the quote short and to the point.
  • Don’t bombard the customers with text rather, adopt moderation in the number of texts and frequencies.
  • Your texts should be valuable for customers, not a piece of junk invading their personal space.
  • Send texts at the right time. Sending texts during business hours is advisable.
  • Always offer an unsubscribe option.

Final Thoughts

Text messaging marketing is a very useful tool since it is highly penetrable and effective. But in the quest to spread your business or your brand, you should not undermine the privacy of people. It is unethical as well as illegal. Always be fair with your customers; it builds trust, which would be ultimately beneficial for you and your business.   

Data Collection at Scale: How Does It Work?

In today’s digitalized world, the most successful businesses rely on a regular data supply to make the best decisions, protect their reputation, find new buyers and provide the best consumer experience.

This, in turn, leads to more profit for these enterprises, with many of them dominating their markets and selling beyond their physical stores.

The process known as data extraction, which involves a large scale data collection, is often required to collect the amount of data that these businesses need to succeed.

But data extraction, also known as web scraping, works in a very specific and clear-cut way. Those unfamiliar with it may find it quite challenging and almost impossible to perform regularly.

We have put together this brief article to explain what data scraping means and the step-by-step processes involved in this important business operation.

What Is Web Scraping?

Web scraping is best described as using high-end tools and machines to harvest large quantities of data from different parts of the internet.

It includes the different processes and methods used to collect data from more than one source at once and automatically too.

It often starts by crawling the different sources to determine their quality and finishes once the data has been extracted, converted, parsed and stored in any available storage unit.

The data upon harvest can be used for the following common business operation

1. Preventing Reputational Damage

A brand’s online reputation is never something that can be left to chance. The tiniest and most insignificant things, such as a little negative review, can set the tone for buyer’s boycott and a decline in revenue.

When a buyer leaves a negative review or comment on some forum or discussion platform, and the brand fails to address it immediately, other buyers and potential buyers take that as a sign to avoid such a brand.

This is called reputational damage and can only be avoided when businesses collect important data every day.

2. Understanding Market trends

Market trends are generally seen as current conditions or happenings in the market. Brands that align themselves and their production schedule more closely to the market trends often make the most gains and become more successful.

But to even understand what is currently happening in the market, there is the need to frequently collect a large amount of market data.

Using specialized browser automation tools and applying Puppeteer avoid detection tricks, you’ll make your scraping much easier and effective.

3. Monitoring Competitors 

Web scraping is also important for monitoring the competition. And monitoring the competition allows a brand to generate new ideas and detect when some rivals are selling below the minimum advertised prices (MAPs) to gain undue advantage in the market.

4. Generating Leads and New Buyers

Another important web scraping application is generating leads that would eventually turn into paying subscribers.

Leads are often collected from large corporation websites and major e-Commerce platforms and include important details such as names and contact information.

How Does Web Scraping Work?

Web scraping works by receiving the request and gathering exactly what has been asked for. The process requires the use of tools that make it faster and automated.

Once the URLs have been gathered, requests can be sent to all of them at once. The tools such as a web scraper API can then harvest data from all the sources simultaneously.

The step-by-step process is discussed in detail in the next segment.

Steps and Proxies Involved in Large-Scale Data Collection

The following are the steps taken from the start of data collection to the end:

1. Using Proxies or Scraper API

The first step when you want to commence web scraping is to set up the necessary tools. One of which is a private proxy. Private proxies allow you to stay anonymous and protected while automating the process and making it faster.

Using proxies imply that you will be secure during data collection and your information and activities will stay concealed.

It also means that the usual restrictions that prevent many people from performing this important task will be easily removed.
Additionally, using a scraper API will help you to forget about long data collection processes. These tools are easy to use and require little to no effort when gathering large volumes of public information. If you are interested to learn more about scraper APIs, check this from Oxylabs.

2. Setting Up a Digital Fingerprint

The next step is to set up the appropriate digital fingerprint. Here you need to decide what browser you will be using for data collection.

It is often recommended that you use headless browsers as they are easier to handle and manipulate.

Once all that is set, you can send out requests to the target URLs.

3. Locating HTML Elements

Once the requests reach the target servers, you will need to locate and interact with the HTML codes.

Then you will collect the necessary HTML files in the raw, unstructured state, leaving behind what you do not need.

4. Parsing HTML

Once the raw HTML has been collected, you will need to parse it back to your computer for further processing. At this stage, you also need to convert the raw data into something with structure to make it easier to read, understand, and edit.

5. Handling Pagination

Once parsing and converting are complete, the next stage involves handling all the errors that might be contained in the data.

This helps to improve the data quality making it more valid, useful and correct.

6. Extracting Content to CSV/JSON Format

Finally, once all that is done, you will need to turn everything you have at this stage into some easy-to-read format such as JSON or CSV.

And after that, you can store your extracted data in the available storage system either for immediate or later application.

Conclusion

Data collection at a large scale is serious work, but it is very important. Tools such as proxies and a scraper API will help simplify things and make the exercise less tasking.

Best Document Management Software and Systems of 2022

You used to see huge cabinets with lots of shelves in office rooms that were filled to the brim with documents and various papers. Company employees sorted these documents into folders and stacked them neatly paper by paper. Now, seeing such cabinets is a rarity. Companies are moving their documents into the digital realm. 

In the digital field, employees can have remote access to documents. Also, staff can collectively edit files, sign them online, send them to each other, and so on. You’re more likely to see digital document archives today than print versions. 

What’s more, in case of an emergency, digital documents can be restored with data recovery software, while printed physical documents disappear without a trace.  

But managing so much documentation becomes less easy for companies’ employees. That’s why developers offer various solutions for managing and systematizing digital documents. Today, we will talk about such solutions in detail. 

There are many document management software on the market, so it is very difficult to stop at a particular tool. But we have already done this work for you and evaluated the different options according to these parameters: 

  • Hosting
  • Search options; 
  • Scanning options;
  • Speed;
  • Availability, and so on.

We have selected the best options available on the market and are ready to tell you all about them. 

Let’s go! 

Best Document Management Software 

Rubex

Rubex is one of the most popular document management solutions today. It will suit both large businesses and startups. 

Rubex is a cloud-based service that will be available to all your employees anywhere in the world where there is an Internet connection. 

This application is very easy to use because it offers the usual system of organizing documents into folders. It is almost the same as in the above-mentioned old method of storing documents in cabinets. In fact, only the location changes but not the structure. 

We think this app is the best because of its convenience. Any user will be able to understand how the application works and can quickly learn how to use it. Searching for documents is also very easy and convenient. 

Rubex offers several packages at different prices ranging from $55 to $199. To find out what kind of package and price this company can offer you, visit their website. There, you will be asked to take a short quiz on the home page, and then, you will receive a personalized offer in the mail. It doesn’t bind you to anything. Do this test and find out more about Rubex’s offers. 

Microsoft SharePoint 

Microsoft SharePoint is a software with a big name. Microsoft and its products can be trusted because they are on the market for many years and have earned respect and recognition. Microsoft SharePoint is no exception. 

It is one of the most user-friendly applications and vast in terms of features. Especially great is the choice of Microsoft SharePoint for those users who are already working with Microsoft products. 

On this platform, your colleagues and you can edit files together and organize them the way you want. A search function is also present and will facilitate the process of working with files. SharePoint Solutions can further enhance your experience with Microsoft SharePoint, providing tailored solutions and customizations to meet your specific business needs.

Microsoft SharePoint requires a knack for this system. To use this tool smoothly and cleverly, you will have to go through a little training. So, you will be able to get acquainted with all the features and capabilities of this wonderful software. But luckily, this program teaches you how to use it. It’s not that difficult, and it won’t take your employees much time.

Microsoft SharePoint offers very affordable pricing from $5 to $23 per month per user. Their website has tables describing the benefits of each package. Go to their website and read more information about the services to choose the best option for you.  

M-Files

M-Files is one of the best programs in terms of ease of use and user-friendly platform interface. 

This platform gives you a comprehensive approach to document management and sorting. Document scanning is fast enough. You can digitize large amounts of data. There are appropriate tools for this. Many processes are automated. For example, the application offers character recognition: this happens automatically and speeds up the processing and scanning of documents. 

Also, organizing documents is very easy. The platform helps you do this quickly and easily with the implementation of machine learning processes. 

We can recommend this app because it is the most intuitive of all the apps out there. You won’t have to train your staff on how to use it and will be able to get to work right away.

The creators of M-Files promise a high level of data protection thanks to its technology.  

Moreover, all users, regardless of the package they purchased, can choose the type of system that is convenient for them. This is a huge advantage of the service. As a current MA in service design explains, it is essential to orchastrate the various stages of a service to ensure a pleasant, seamless experience.  

We cannot advise the best package offered by M-Files for you because every business is unique, plus some perform all their opertaions in-house, while others use business process outsourcing (BPO) But you, with the best understanding of your company, can go to their website and choose the best solution based on the specific case. 

Conclusion 

In today’s world, when people get rid of bulky office cabinets with piles of dusty documents and go digital, you can’t do without document management software. Some people spend a lot of time looking for the best solution, but we decided to save your precious time and did this work for you. 

After studying a lot of solutions, we chose the ones that are the easiest to use, the most affordable, and the best in terms of quality of service. We hope that one of the presented options can become a good assistant in running your business! 

Evaluate your financial capabilities and your top priorities in terms of product functionality. Each of the offers in this article is unique. Then, considering the specifics of your business, make a decision. We’re sure you’ll be able to make the right choice and improve the performance of your business!

How to Create an Effective Link Building Strategy

Link building can be one of the most effective search engine optimization strategies when executed correctly. It’s one of the determining factors search engines use when completing their rankings. In fact, within Google’s search engine results page, the pages that rank within the top spots have an average of 3.8 times more backlinks than the results on further pages.

Unfortunately, many people haven’t adjusted to the changes made to link-building SEO tactics over the years. In the past, successful link building relied heavily on the number of links rather than the quality. But today, people know more about the internet and what they’re looking for when searching it.

It’s easier for the average internet user to determine a sketchy website today than it was 10 years ago. This applies to search engine algorithms as well. Rather than just looking at how many sites link to yours, search engines now take into account the quality of those websites as well. The more trustworthy and high-quality links you have leading back to your website, the higher your page will appear on search engine results pages.

Link building is a gradual process. It’s not an easy endeavor, which is why most people fail in executing it correctly. If you’re interested in learning how to create an effective link-building strategy, below we highlight five steps to ensure yours is top-notch.

Outreach

One of the best ways to get something done is to ask for help. In this case, ask your fellow bloggers. There are plenty of online forums and social media groups that cater to bloggers and their niche interests. Ask to share links with your peers. Of course, it’s better to do your research beforehand so you don’t end up link-building with an untrusted source.

You can also do market research within your sector and see who the most popular bloggers are. Start including links to work from those blogs that you find. Then you can reach out to the bloggers individually to see if they would be interested in sharing some of your work within their next postings. Be sure to share your expertise in the subject matter, and mention that you backlink to their website.

Devise A Broken Link Strategy

There are millions of broken links on the internet, leading to websites that either don’t exist anymore or never did in the first place. A broken link strategy can help you turn those dead-ends into a win for you and your website. First, you need to find relevant broken links on websites or blogs. Then you create something similar to the broken resource, typically a webpage or posting. Reach out to anyone you see linking the dead resource, let them know that the resource is broken, and ask them to use your link instead.

Check Out The Competitions Backlinks

There’s nothing wrong with checking in on your competition. If your competitors are ranking higher than you, they’re doing something right. Chances are their link-building strategy has something to do with their positive positioning within the search engine results. Check out what links they are using.

Checking out your competition blogs also gives you insight into the keywords and phrases they use. This insight can help you figure out what you need to tweak within your website, with the goal of those tweaks increasing your standings within the search results.

Guest Blogging

Guest blogging encourages link building and it does so quite naturally. You can either contribute articles to other websites within your niche or offer to host other bloggers’ work on your website. A number of specialist authority building companies can get you backlinks quickly. Be sure to repost your guest blogs on social media platforms and share the link within appropriate online forums. Aim to be authentic in your blogs, while also strategically aligning yourself with readers that will be interested in what you have to say.

Look For Unlinked Mentions

Sometimes other websites will mention your website or products without linking to your site. Mentions should be giving you an increase in traffic, so it’s best to scour the internet in search of any missed opportunities your website may have from mentions on other websites. Using an online content explorer can be beneficial in making your search less time-consuming.

Why Is Building a Successful Sales Funnel So Important For Your Business?

As the saying goes, “the money is in the list.” And that’s especially true when it comes to businesses. A successful sales funnel can mean the difference between a thriving business and one that struggles to make ends meet. But what exactly are sales funnel?

A sales funnel is a marketing strategy designed to create and nurture relationships with potential customers and eventually turn them into paying customers. The term “sales funnel” refers to a potential customer’s journey from initial awareness of a product or service to eventually becoming a paying customer. The sales funnel is often represented as steps, starting with “awareness” and ending with “purchase.” In between, there are stages such as “interest,” “consideration,” and “decision.”

By understanding the needs and wants of customers at each stage of the sales funnel, businesses can create targeted marketing campaigns that will move them through the funnel more effectively. So why building a successful sales funnel is important for your business:

Allows You to Track Your Progress

When generating leads and converting them into customers, it’s important to track your progress. This way, you can see what’s working and what isn’t. A sales funnel gives you a clear picture of where your leads are coming from, how they’re progressing through your funnel, and whether or not they’re converting into customers. This information is crucial for understanding what’s working and what isn’t. It would be much more difficult to track your progress and make necessary changes without a sales funnel.

If you’re unsure how to build a sales funnel or where to start, plenty of resources and templates are available online. All you need is to visit the site to learn more about building a successful business funnel. The important thing is to get started and experiment until you find what works best for your business. With patience and effort, you’ll be on your way to building a successful sales funnel in no time.

Build Relationships With Your Customers

The sales funnel also allows you to build relationships with your customers. By nurturing your leads and providing them with valuable content, you can develop a rapport to encourage them to do business with you. Staying in touch with your customers after making a purchase can create loyalty and repeat business. Your customers will also be more likely to refer others to your business if they have a positive experience.

Helps You Generate More Leads

The goal of any business is to generate more leads. And a sales funnel can help you do just that. You can capture leads from various sources when you have a sales funnel.

This includes your website, social media, paid advertising, and more. Capturing leads from multiple sources can quickly build up a database of potential customers. This gives you a pool of people to market to, which can help you to generate more sales.

Also offering something of value at each stage of the funnel, you can encourage prospects to move further down the funnel and eventually make a purchase. B2B leads are important as well, you can generate b2b leads from many online sources.

Helps You Focus On Your Marketing Efforts

Whether you’re selling a product or a service, marketing is essential for any business. And one of the crucial aspects of effective marketing is focusing. By having a sales funnel in place, you can more easily identify your target audience and craft your marketing message to appeal to them. By understanding what stage of the funnel your target prospects are in, you can tailor your message and provide them with the information they need at that particular time. 

Helps Prioritize the Interests of the Customers

The sales funnel also helps you to prioritize the interests of your customers. Understanding what stage of the funnel they are in, you can provide them with the most relevant information to their needs. For example, if someone is in the awareness stage, they will be interested in general information about your product or service.

On the other hand, someone in the decision stage will be looking for more specific information to help them decide. By providing your customers with the information they need, you can more effectively guide them through the sales process. With customizable alerts and automated follow-up emails, they can stay on top of all their sales process steps while simultaneously providing excellent customer service.

Makes Marketing Easier

Marketing can be a challenge, especially if you don’t have a clear plan.

But when you have a sales funnel in place and access to a b2b leads database, marketing becomes much easier. You can focus your efforts on specific channels and target your audience more effectively. Additionally, you can track your results and ROI to see which marketing efforts are working and adjust your strategy accordingly. With a sales funnel, you can make marketing easier and more effective, which leads to better results for your business.

If you’re not already using a sales funnel in your business, now is the time to start. Implementing a sales funnel can help you achieve your marketing and sales goals. It also provides you with many other benefits, such as tracking your results, building relationships with your customers, and generating more leads. 

SignNow API vs. HelloSign API – A Brief Comparison by the Experts

If you have already used e-signature services to sign documents in your business, you already know how convenient it is. But it is even better to use a reliable e-signature platform. It allows you to create a digital signature to be used every time you have a business document to be signed.

An API is a web application that allows people to request documents for signing and achieve a lot more. There are many e-signature APIs such as SignNow and HelloSign. If you are curious, let’s go through the SignNow API vs. HelloSign API comparison to help you choose the best options for yourself.

SignNow API vs HelloSign API – Definition

SignNow is a platform that provides e-signature services to companies and organizations. It is a US-based platform, although it serves clients from all over the world, as a SaaS (software as a service) to those who want to sign and manage legally binding signatures. The SignNow API has tools to suit every business.

On the other hand, HelloSign API is a similar solution but with less tools and features. You will notice this when we look at SignNow API vs HelloSign API differences here below. If you are looking for a cheaper alternative at the cost of features and capabilities, go for this app.

SignNow API vs HelloSign API – What Makes the Difference

·  Time-saving – When it comes to time-saving, comparing SignNow API vs HelloSign API is not fair. SignNow API integrates quickly into your work environment whether it is a web platform or app. With their well-defined processes, you do not need a professional to set up an account, upload a signature, and submit documents for signing.

·  Customized workflows – When comparing SignNow API vs. HelloSign API, you will notice that the former allows the creation of brandable workflows for authentic eSignature requests, emails, and profiles. You are likely not to get much anywhere else, so consider choosing SignNow as your choice for brand credibility.

·  The pricing – The pricing is SignNow API vs HelloSign API is very different. SignNow offers competitive pricing that will allow you to scale up your business within no time. If you compare all the features of the API, you will appreciate the value of the money you will be getting. On the other hand, HelloSign offers a cheaper alternative but may have compromised features.

·  Security level – This API is designed with data protection features. You are guaranteed data encryption, so your documents are not exposed to unnecessary risks during submission. It is also compliant with different regulations such as HIPAA and eIDAS among others. SignNow API vs HelloSign API comparison will help you choose the secure option, which in this case is the SignNow API.

Final Words

When you visit the SignNow website, you will see a lot of features that distinguish the API from others. It has numerous features to suit your business. So, take time to go through the detailed SignNow API vs. HelloSign API comparison after reading this brief comparison. We hope the insights help you make the right decisions that will benefit your business.

5 Ways Small Businesses Can Get Customers to Notice Them

Small businesses can find sustained success challenging. If you own one of these startup companies, you know you have to stand out and get customers and potential customers to notice you. Finding ways to do that is seldom easy.

We will go over how you can get your potential client base to notice you in a crowded market. Several of these techniques have proven effective and are worth considering.

Create and Display Targeted Banner Ads

Generating unique and eye-catching banner ads can help potential customers notice your company when you are trying to gain prominence within your niche. Banner ads don’t usually cost all that much to create. If you compare them to how much it costs to produce certain other advertising forms, they are a veritable bargain.

You will need to find a company willing to create these banner ads for you. They will want some input as to what the ads should feature. They might simply show your company’s logo or direct someone who clicks on them to your website. Alternatively, they might feature one of your new services or popular products if you’re trying to draw attention to it.

These ads should employ eye-catching colors and graphics. The company you hire to create them can show you some possible templates that you can modify as you see fit. According to INC Authority review post by SmallBusinessHQ post, one of the main differences between a startup and a small business is the intent for growth.

Launch a Fun Social Media Marketing Campaign

Every company needs to utilize social media to help them generate interest from potential customers. You can do market research to determine what platforms your customer base generally uses. 

Different age groups might use various platforms, and you should also factor in marital status, income level, ethnicity, gender, and other factors. You might conduct focus groups and ask your customer base what social media platforms they like to use.

Once you’ve figured out what platforms should get most of your focus, you can craft a social media marketing campaign to get people talking about your brand, products, and services. You’ll want to have your marketing team brainstorm to come up with some fresh, new ideas that will grab the viewer’s attention. Use an advertisement maker to create fun and personalized ads.

You probably can’t afford to hire a big celebrity to promote your products if you have a small startup company. Instead, you’ll need to use your creativity to come up with ideas that will compel someone to buy from you. You can also try to go viral, getting your company on the map if not many people know about it yet.

Try Some Guerilla Marketing Tactics

You can also try some unusual guerrilla marketing tactics if you’ve already tried some more conventional ones and you haven’t seen the sales or the market penetration that you’d like. Again, you’ll need to talk to your marketing team about the best options and how you can employ them.

Working on graphic assets can make your time and effort go a long way For instance, using a free logo design tool can give you are great brand focus. Presumably, you won’t have unlimited money for marketing, and your team should try to stretch those dollars as much as they can.

You might hire some stencil graffiti artists to spray paint your company’s logo or product pictures on the sidewalk. You can also paper a locale with leaflets or fliers, affixing them to surfaces at convenient locations where people will see them, like at bus or train stops in major cities.

You might use social media to get your potential customers to go on a treasure hunt for a chance to win free products. You can employ a flash mob to dance or perform in a crowded location to promote brand awareness, or you might hand out free stickers with your company logo.

Engage in Some Local SEO

You probably already know how SEO can help your company. If you employ it correctly, you can get your website to the top of the search engine ranking positions whenever someone types certain keywords and phrases into Google. You can also update and expand your site’s content so that people will spend more time there and hopefully convert by buying your products or using your services.

SEO can do more than that, though. You can use local SEO to generate interest from a specific market, which small companies should definitely find beneficial. You can do some geo-specific keyword research. That means coming up with a keyword list having to do with your locale. You can then add those words or phrases to your website to encourage locals to visit your site.

You can also spend some time optimizing the Google My Business listing. When someone types in your company name, they should find your website at the top of the SERPs. However, they should also get to your site through the Google My Business listing if they take some time to explore it. That listing should have a link to your site, but also your physical address, if you have one, your hours, your company’s phone number, email address, etc.

Hire a Marketing Firm to Generate Some Ideas for You

If you own a very small business, you might not have a full-time marketing team or even a single marketing employee working for you. You have to handle your marketing on the fly, which might produce some hit-or-miss results.

You probably can’t hire a marketing firm to work for you full-time, and you may not even have the money to get them to do a major ad campaign for you. You can still schedule a consultation with them to see if they can generate some ideas for you.

Maybe you can’t pay them to handle every marketing campaign aspect for you, but if you meet with them and talk about your niche, your products, and what you’d like to accomplish, they can probably advise you for a relatively low consulting fee. You can use some of their ideas to jumpstart the campaign yourself. If you can scrape the money together to hire the marketing firm to run a modest-sized campaign for you, that’s even better.

These tactics combined should get more potential customers to notice your company.

5 Places to Download Premium Templates FREE for Microsoft Office

In workplaces, employees are writing a lot of business papers and sending piles of emails in the contemporary times. As we all know, in today’s fast-paced business environment, developing business papers from scratch for every new opportunity may easily turn into a time-consuming and resource-consuming process, which might be better spent on other business-critical duties.

There are many other free templates sites for Microsoft office that can help you do the most hectic task in just a few minutes. Following are the five best websites that will make it possible for you to complete such tasks in due time by providing you with free professional templates for your every need.

Best Sites for Free Microsoft Office Templates

Templates will help you to boost your productivity by providing the framework for your document that you will only need to fill in the empty spaces according to your needs. Following are the top sites for your free Microsoft office template downloads.

Word Templates Online

There is a website that provides you with access to hundreds of free templates that you may use at your place of employment, at your place of business, or even for personal matters like leaving a last will for your loved ones. When you go to Word Templates Online for the first time, you will see that there are three categories to choose from, such as certificates, contracts and businesses.

However, Microsoft Office templates have made this task easy. You may reuse the same structure and style in numerous business documents for all sorts of information, from sales plans to marketing calendars, corporate budgets, meeting minutes, Swot Analysis, and more.

Word Templates Online focuses on Microsoft Word documents. To use them, you simply select the appropriate template from the thousand options available when you find the most relevant ones and click on download. This is not the only website that provides you with great templates. For legal documents like a Consultancy Agreement Template you find other websites that can cater to your professional and personal document needs. Whether you’re managing contracts for your business or creating a last will for your loved ones, you’ll find a diverse selection of templates on Zegal.

Microsoft Office Online

What is better than the original? With Microsoft Office Online, you can easily find Word templates. Your templates will be straight from Microsoft if you use this resource. To make it easy to find templates, Microsoft Word categorizes them neatly by keyword or occasion. There are also a large number of free Word templates available. For example, resumes and cover letters, posters and brochures, calendars and cards, and so on and so forth.

Select a template to read a short description when you find it. To use it on your computer, click the Download button, or to open it in Microsoft Word Online, click Edit in Browser. If you have an online Office subscription or a desktop Office license, you may view and use these templates for free.

DocTemplates.net

Doctemplates.net is not a part of the Microsoft Office brand. However, it has a large collection of Microsoft Office templates that have been developed professionally. The Word templates available on Doctemplates.net are professionally drafted by experts. All of these templates are available to download for free without the need to sign up. Helping guidelines are also provided for each document on Doctemplates.net so that you can also customize it exactly according to your need.

WordLayouts

This website source focuses on creating professional graphic templates. WordLayouts allows customers to select the template of their choice from 10,000 available templates and then download it directly to their device. By using Microsoft office, the world’s most popular word processing programme, the template can be tailored to their specific needs. WordLayouts has a vast variety of templates to choose from, such as tourism, education, food, and general purposes.

DocFormats.com

New to the market, DocFormats is dedicated to supplying document formats for every conceivable kind of file. Mainly it includes business, insurance, and education categories of templates. Agreement forms, application forms, notice forms, personal application forms and report sheet forms are some of the categories that are being provided by them as an open website source. There are many helpful guidelines, associated sources, templates, and formats of presently accessible documents that you may discover here. Due to the fact that it was just launched at the beginning of 2017, it it is continually upgrading its directory in order to provide you with more and more document templates.

Conclusion

Microsoft Office has enough templates to meet all your need but you need to have license to use them. Here, the above mentioned sites come to the rescue with their vast template collections and appealing stucture. By searching keywords on any of these, you can easily find the desired template of your choice. 

6 Brilliant Ways of Incorporating Technology and How It Can Benefit a Business

Growth is among the key goals for all business leaders. Regardless of whether you are among the leaders in a global brand or head of an unpopular and small local business, you will be right in saying that your strategies focus on scaling your business.

There are a lot of directions you may take to facilitate the growth of your business. Though before then, you will first need to establish stronger growth strategies, one which can facilitate the success of your business and keep workers productive. The center of all these is technology.

Adopting modern technology is among the driving forces behind success and long-term growth. That is because incorporating technology in the following smart ways will help expedite many processes in the business:

1. Connecting With People

Among the effective technological features is the capability to connect and communicate with other individuals. Many individuals globally depend on technology to connect.

In fact, it has become a worthwhile and important part of people and businesses alike. Technology serves as an important tool to be in touch with employees and customers.

As far as modern technology is concerned, there is an increase in the collaboration sphere, with a particular level of flexibility. In addition, it has become more convenient, and team collaboration has grown to another level of understanding.

2. Scanning of Items

A scanner is important in many businesses, especially those looking to complete transactions and track their packages as well as items. It is vital to keep your scanner protected every time you work.

If you often take a scanner in and out of the pocket, there will be a high risk of dropping and damaging your scanner. This is why it is advisable to invest in Panasonic Scanner Holster. The case is open completely, and it doesn’t come with a flap, which folds the top of your scanner.

3. Employee Education and Training

Development and training are vital parts for many businesses to be competitive. Blended tools for learning allow workers to maintain flexible schedules.

Usually, blended learning comprises using virtual classrooms or e-learning tools in addition to the in-person sessions. This enables workers to take advantage of their training by knowing about the available learning techniques.

Blended learning styles are important assets for workers, as switching to education approaches may stimulate interests. As a business owner or manager, you may use these learning tools to your advantage.

Your employees will be more engaged since they will have the training flexibility. Because of this, you will be able to increase employees’ work performance.

4. Managing Debts

Debts handling is among the greatest headaches for entrepreneurs, especially in the phase of growing or establishing a business. It might take effort and time to track debts and manage all of them to avoid future problems.

But on the other hand, most entrepreneurs are not aware of effective practices for managing debts that may ultimately end up in bankruptcy and total breakdown. The functioning bank account is one of the most important elements of a successful business. Daily business transactions are fairly transparent for the corporation; all sums and user information are accessible to both bank personnel and other regulatory bodies. An anonymous bank account can be used for business tasks: transfer of profits from the offshore company, payment of dividends and royalties.

5. Handling Projects Efficiently, Effectively, and Easily

Technology enables business leaders and owners to be on top of all their projects by tracking progress and time. With tools for managing projects, such as Podio, Manymoon, and Basecamp, you may effectively collaborate with the whole team as well as share access to different documents.

Apps, such as Roambi might as well help to read data of your business, then later analyze and turn into a report through graphs on an iPad. When it comes to Apple devices, this is referred to as Keynote, which is relative to PowerPoint.

If your business focuses on construction, repair, or remodeling projects, displaying pictures after and before provide proof of the value the product or service can provide. The impact of conveying the benefits of your services or products will turn potential customers into serious ones.

6. Increasing Functionality and Minimizing Cost

Two main things work hand-in-hand to develop a buyer’s market for software solutions. The software and hardware required to develop software solutions have become easy to afford and use.

In addition, the number of entrepreneurial and tech-savvy minds who exploit crumbling barriers has exponentially multiplied. Back-end inventory systems, which took multi-million-dollar companies one year to develop, now take several weeks for university graduates to create or put together.

Basically, these solutions are available at an affordable rate and easy to use, making businesses find it unnecessary to work with the most dedicated workers or even sign a long-term service contract so as to leverage them.

In a Nutshell!

The global pandemic, Covid-19, accelerated many things, from telemedicine to online grocery shopping, in a way that many people never imagined.

With many workers choosing to work remotely and many customers now buying online, it has become more imperative for businesses to prioritize the use of technology.

Instead of using siloed IT departments, consider implementing technological developments as a core strategy that runs the organization entirely.