Upgrading Your IT: The Significant Benefit of Staff Augmentation Services

Organizations must constantly change and adapt to remain ahead of the competition in the fast-paced digital environment of today. Businesses need to make sure their IT teams have the knowledge and resources needed to support their operations given the ever-increasing dependence on technology. Staff augmentation services may give businesses the knowledge and tools they need to supplement their current IT teams, advance their IT skills, and remain one step ahead of the competition.

What Do You Mean by IT Staff Augmentation?

Staff augmentation entails adopting an outsourced or fast-worker approach to add temporary team members. Using a staff augmentation partner, you may find previously chosen, qualified, and trained individuals who can fill in as required. When you’re ready to resume “business as usual” with your in-house team, they will likewise go once again.

The addition of IT personnel moves this paradigm in a distinctive path. You also emphasize the use of contract workers and the sporadic need for highly specialized IT skill sets. A database architect or a migration expert isn’t always needed. 

When to Utilize IT Staff Augmentation Examples

IT staff augmentation services may be helpful to firms in the following situations:

Projects with a Focus

A company may employ staff augmentation services to get the necessary talent when it wants to work on a customized project that calls for certain IT skills or knowledge that are not already in-house. For instance, if a company wants to create a mobile app but does not already have any mobile app developers on staff, they may employ staff augmentation to recruit developers with the necessary skills to work on the project.

Manpower Shortages

Staff augmentation services may be used by a business to swiftly cover a skills shortfall in its IT department. A business may employ staff augmentation to recruit cloud professionals to help with the migration, for instance, if it has to transfer its infrastructure to the cloud but does not have any cloud specialists on hand.

Cost Reduction

An enterprise may employ staff augmentation services to save expenses while finishing a project on a limited budget. Staff augmentation may be less expensive than recruiting full-time workers since businesses only pay for the services they really use and save overhead and benefit expenditures.

Advantages of Increasing Staff

The following are just a few advantages of using staff augmentation services:

Cost Reduction

Due to the fact that businesses only pay for the services they actually use, staff augmentation services might be more affordable than recruiting full-time employees. Organizations may profit from cost savings on employee perks, training, and recruiting.

Flexibility

Depending on their business demands, firms may scale their IT resources up or down with the help of staff augmentation services. This might be particularly helpful for businesses with the project- or seasonally-based demands.

Shortened Time to Market

In order to execute projects more rapidly, staff augmentation services may assist businesses to shorten their time to market by supplying extra personnel and knowledge.

Lower Risk

By giving them access to seasoned people who have already done comparable projects, staff augmentation services, like WeSoftYou may assist firms in lowering the risk involved with specialized IT initiatives.

The Process of Staff Augmentation

The following stages are often included in the staff augmentation process:

Determine IT needs

Companies must first determine their IT requirements, including the precise knowledge and skills needed.

Choose a Provider

Businesses have a variety of staff augmentation suppliers to select from, including offshore, nearshore, and onshore choices.

Choose Candidates

The company will normally be given a choice of individuals with the necessary skills and expertise from staff augmentation providers.

Onboarding

When applicants have been chosen, they may either be onboarded remotely or on-site for the project or team.

Management

Typically, the staff augmentation provider will oversee all aspects of project management, including overall project management, performance management, and training and development of the staff augmentation team.

Conclusion

Staff augmentation services may give businesses the tools, know-how, and flexibility they need to advance their IT capabilities. Organizations may save costs, speed up time to market, and lower the risk of specialized IT initiatives by bolstering their current IT teams with specialist expertise and resources. Staff augmentation services will become an increasingly crucial tool for firms wanting to remain ahead of the competition as businesses continue to depend more and more on technology.

Top 6 Virtual Assistant Service Providers

Virtual assistants are gaining immense popularity nowadays. With the many benefits VAs bring to the table, more organizations are hiring them and delegating important tasks to them.

Simply put, virtual assistants are highly skilled professionals who work remotely on a contract basis. They provide services like customer handling and management, scheduling appointments, managing email accounts, and more. Virtual assistants act as valuable assets for businesses that are looking to improve their operations, increase efficiency, and streamline their workload without hiring a full-time employee.

That said, let’s look at some significant benefits of hiring virtual assistants.

Benefits of Hiring Virtual Assistants

  • VAs are incredibly cost-effective: When you hire a virtual assistant, you only need to pay for the hours worked without worrying about expenses such as office space, equipment, or benefits. It’s a cost-effective alternative to a full-time in-house employee and can help you maximize your limited budget.
  • You can access numerous skills: Virtual assistants have many skills and expertise that may not always be available in-house. You can find a qualified VA for every task from administrative tasks to social media automation to customer service. This way, you can free up your valuable time and resources and focus on growing your business.
  • You can work with professionals all around the globe: By hiring virtual assistants, you can develop a character for your business as you can tap into a global talent pool and access top-tier talent from all over the world. This opens up a world of possibilities and allows you to provide around-the-clock customer service in different time zones.

Now that we have discussed the advantages of hiring VAs, the real question arises – where can you find top-notch virtual assistants for your business?

This is where virtual assistance service providers come into the picture!

There are a variety of virtual assistance service providers that have a pool of talented and experienced VAs. You can choose any of these services and hire a VA that meets your organization’s needs to a T.

In this blog post, we will have a closer look at the top six virtual assistance service providers of 2023. Let’s dive in!

The 6 Best Virtual Assistance Service Providers for 2023 and Beyond

1. Wishup

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Why Should You Choose It:

Wishup is a fast-emerging and incredibly promising virtual assistant hiring platform. It has a pool of talented and skilled virtual assistants from around the globe. The company provides its services in America, Europe, and Asia. It ensures businesses can find and onboard the most suitable VA quickly.

The company makes it super convenient for you to hire the VA of your choice in just 3 steps. Once you have hired the VA, you can get them onboarded within 24 hours and start delegating the tasks. It is super quick and efficient.

Not only this, but Wishup only hires the top 1% of their applicants, ensuring you get access to the cream of the crop. You also get other benefits like an instant replacement, a dedicated account manager, and more.

Who Can Use This Virtual Assistance Service?

Wishup is suitable for all kinds and sizes of businesses. From startups to big firms with multiple teams, everyone can use Wishup.

Pros:

  • Instant replacement with a no-questions-asked policy
  • 7-day free trial
  • Cost-effective and user-friendly platform
  • Quick onboarding

Cons:

  • Limited area of operation. The service is only available in limited American, European, and Asian countries.

Pricing: Its prices start from $10 an hour. The monthly rate for the 4 hours/day package is $999, and for 8 hours/day is $1799.

2. Time etc

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Why Should You Choose It:

Founded in 2007, Time etc is one of the most renowned VA service providers out there. The company has more than 500 freelancers who offer a variety of virtual assistance services to you. You can find a VA for most business operations, from customer service to email and social.

Today, the company enjoys the trust of over 22,000 entrepreneurs and businesses. According to Time etc, their skilled virtual assistants can help you save up to 90% of resources compared to hiring a full-time employee. Their VAs are based in the United States and the United Kingdom and charge an hourly rate.

Assistants on the platform have an average of 12 years and are fully equipped with all the latest customer retention tools and resources in their field. Thus, you won’t have to worry about the quality of work delivered to you.

Who Can Use This Virtual Assistance Service?

Time etc is ideal for business owners and entrepreneurs who are looking to delegate tasks to experienced VAs cost-effectively.

Pros:

  • Experienced and skilled virtual assistants in one place
  • The platform will expertly match you with the right VAs depending on thr skills you require
  • Free trial
  • Guaranteed satisfaction

Cons:

  • Finding the right VA on the platform can be time-consuming
  • A minimum time limit of 10 hours

Pricing: Its prices start from $360 monthly for 10 hours of tasks.

3. Prialto

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Why Should You Choose It:

Prialto is a virtual assistance service-providing company based out of Portland, Oregon. The company was initially founded in Silicon Valley by Eric Taussig in 2009.

Today, Prialto has evolved into a fully managed visual assistant company with hundreds of skilled and talented VAs. All these VAs are hired as full-time employees in the Prialto team. They are given complete training depending on their unique skill set and knowledge. Then, they are assigned to individual executives or teams of an organization as required.

Who Can Use This Virtual Assistance Service?

Prialto offers virtual assistants to both individual executives as well as for entire teams. Thus, it is perfect for more prominent companies with multiple teams and departments.

Pros:

  • The VAs receive complete in-house training, so you won’t have to spend any additional resources.
  • Availability of backup assistants
  • Complete sales and administrative support

Cons:

  • When hiring multiple VAs for your teams, it can get quite expensive
  • The company doesn’t have US-based VAs

Pricing: Its prices start from $1,350/ month for 55 hours of tasks. You can also opt for hourly pricing of $25 per hour.

4. Fancy Hands

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Why Should You Choose It:

Ted Roden founded Fancy Hands in 2010. The mission behind the company was to provide fast and efficient assistance to executives, managers, and busy entrepreneurs looking to save time and avoid handling all the tedious tasks themselves.

The company works on a straightforward per-task basis and requires you to subscribe to at least 3 tasks per month.

If you are looking to get things done quickly, getting it done by a virtual assistant from Fancy Hands can be a good choice. Not only this, but the platform is incredibly transparent. It has complete information about all the logged-in VAs, their location, etc.

Who Can Use This Virtual Assistance Service?

Fancy Hands is ideal for people looking to get small and straightforward tasks done quickly. It is an on-demand solution where you do not have to waste time doing unnecessary negotiations.

Pros:

  • Quick action and on-demand results
  • The simple and easy-to-understand pricing structure
  • U.S.-based virtual assistants who make communication easier

Cons:

  • Your tasks may not always be picked by the same VAs as they are only offered to the currently logged-in professionals.
  • It is only ideal for simple and quick jobs and not complicated tasks.

Pricing: Its prices start from $17.99 per month for 3 task requests

5. WoodBows

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Why Should You Choose It:

WoodBows is another excellent virtual assistance service provider with various skilled VAs at its offices in the U.S., Philippines, and India. The platform has numerous virtual assistants offering services in multiple niches.

Apart from hiring VAs for traditional tasks like business administration, scheduling, and customer services, you can also find experienced professionals for highly specialized tasks. It includes services like social media management, data entry, content writing, app development, graphic designing, and more.

Who Can Use This Virtual Assistance Service?

WoodBows is an excellent choice for entrepreneurs and companies looking to hire highly specialized VAs for specific tasks.

Pros:

  • The company has a 98.4% retention rate, proving that almost all of its VAs are exceptionally talented at their job.
  • WoodBows is quite budget-friendly
  • Specialized VAs in different skills and niches.

Cons:

  • You may not always find US-based VAs
  • Lack of contract can often lead to confusion

Pricing: Its prices start from $599/ month for 40 hours of tasks

6. Uassist.ME

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Why Should You Choose It:

Uassit.ME is a virtual assistant service provider based out of Miami, Florida. The company prides itself on its large pool of talented and bilingual virtual assistants fluent in English and Spanish. It was founded in 2009 to help executives and managers with their administrative and customer service-related workload.

The platform has a large number of fully-screened and vetted virtual assistants. You can find a skilled VA for all your business needs, from business administration to lead generation to customer service and email marketing.

Who Can Use This Virtual Assistance Service?

Uassit.ME is ideal for small- to medium-sized businesses that require bilingual VAs with fluency in English and Spanish.

Pros:

  • Availability of bilingual virtual assistants
  • You can choose between a part-time or full-time VA
  • The platform has highly skilled VAs that have specialization in their domain

Cons:

  • The platform does not disclose its fees, and you must schedule a consultation to get complete information.
  • It can take time to get matched with a suitable VA.

Pricing: Pricing information is unavailable on the website. Schedule a consultation to know more.

Things to Remember While Choosing a Virtual Assistance Service Provider

  • Look for relevant experience: When selecting a virtual assistance service provider, it’s a good idea to consider experience. Virtual assistants with more experience are more likely to possess the skills needed to tackle various tasks proficiently. A reliable track record of success is always a plus.
  • Consider the VAs availability: Make sure you choose a VA that can be there for you when you need them. It’s important to choose one with flexible working hours to meet your business needs.
  • Good communication is important: The VA should be able to keep you informed on your projects and understand your business’s needs. Look for someone who can effectively communicate – it will make all the difference!

In summary, selecting the right virtual assistance service provider is essential for your business to succeed. While all these service providers mentioned in this blog offer top-notch services, it is also essential to consider the factors that matter the most to you and your organization.

Then choose a VA that fits your needs and can provide the level of support and experience your business needs to be successful.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What Are the Most In-Demand Virtual Assistant Services in 2023?

Numerous virtual assistance services are witnessing a rise in demand in 2023. Some major ones include scheduling appointments, social media management, content creation, emails, and data entry.

2. Who Usually Hires Virtual Assistants?

Virtual assistants are hired by different professionals and companies, from entrepreneurs and small business owners to executives. Depending on the client’s needs, some virtual assistants are hired project-by-project, while others provide long-term assistance.

3. What Do Virtual Assistants Charge?

Generally, the charges of a virtual assistant depend on various factors, including their experience, skills, location, and the services they offer. Hourly rates usually start around $10 and can go up to $75 – for highly experienced professionals. The average per-hour rate is $25.

4. How Can a Virtual Assistant Help Me With Social Media Marketing?

Virtual assistants can help you publish posts, interact with your followers, get more followers for your brand, manage influencers and perform a host of other social media tasks that can help you improve your social media presence.

6 Tech Roadblocks That Small Businesses Face

As the digital landscape rapidly evolves, it’s clear that technology plays a key role among small businesses eager to maintain a competitive edge. Leveraging the right technology can streamline operations and improve client engagement, making it an indispensable tool for productivity and growth.

Sadly, most small businesses face several challenges while adopting and implementing new technology. If you’re running a small business and eager to level up by integrating the latest technology, it’s crucial to know the potential challenges you’ll likely face. Here are the usual tech roadblocks your small business might face and valuable insights to overcome them.

1. Budget Constraints

Many small businesses face budget constraints. Sadly, some spend on technology but see little return on investment, eventually prompting them to back out of the investment. Due to this, it’s crucial to choose the right technology for your business.

The ideal approach to handling price concerns is to invest in a platform capable of centralizing IT management. When all your business data, storage, IT resources, and other elements are on a single platform, it ensures better visibility and control of expenditures. It may be best to hire IT consultants from Antisyn, so you’ll have guidance along the way.

2. Complex Nature Of The Latest Technology Solutions

Some small businesses need more time to integrate new technology since it takes time to assimilate it fully. However, the right solution will eventually integrate seamlessly into daily operations. In the long run, it makes tasks more efficient.

With this in mind, the solution should be easy to navigate, configure, and align closely with the workflow. Remember that the initial days of implementing new technology can be rough. Due to this, it may be best to invest in one that comes with a consulting service that can guide your company throughout the transition.

3. Compliance Requirements

As cybersecurity threats continue to become prevalent in recent years, many industries have regulatory compliance requirements. Sadly, navigating through both technical and non-technical aspects of these requirements can be challenging for many small businesses.

It also brings up the need for cyber security insurance for companies nowadays. If a cyber threat happens, potential fines can skyrocket to high levels. Cyber liability insurance can help your business recover financially. Generally, it covers the costs of data recovery, ransom settlements, regulatory fines, hardware replacement, and legal fees, to name a few. For small businesses eager to go through compliance, partnering with a managed IT Vaughan service provider would be a good starting point.

4. Staying Up-To-Date With Updates And Integrations

The majority of technology solutions usually have subscription structures that can end up being costly to maintain for many small businesses. Generally, monthly updates and integrations are necessary to keep up with, or they can affect the overall effectiveness or functionality of the solution, such as with cloud-based platforms.

For example, if a company utilizes several solutions, keeping track of the updates, integrations, and subscription expirations becomes a whole new task. Sadly, it may bring about disruptions to daily operations and workflows.

Small businesses can consider automating updates and integrations where possible, using tools that provide notifications for essential updates, or designating a team member to be responsible for keeping track of updates and integrations. This way, businesses can stay current and minimize disruptions.

6. Issues In Integrating With Current Systems

When small businesses continue to utilize out-of-date systems, most hesitate to transition to new technology. In most cases, the reason is that it would require them to upgrade the entire ecosystem, resulting in lost time, resources, and money. However, the reluctance or limitation to adopting new tools and technology can later hinder smooth functioning with clients, vendors, or even a digital prospect.

To overcome this roadblock, small businesses can perform a thorough assessment of their existing systems and identify areas where updates or changes are necessary. They can then create a phased plan for technology adoption that minimizes downtime and disruption while maximizing the return on investment.

Selecting The Right Software Or Solution

With the vast selection of vendors that boast similar features, choosing the right software or solution is a challenge for small businesses.

In most cases, it can be an ordeal due to the need for proper information from the software or solution providers. Additionally, the competitive environment might encourage the adoption of multiple solutions since it’s difficult to find what your company needs on a single platform. However, investing in numerous solutions or tools is excessive.

The ideal way to handle this ordeal is to determine your technology needs and pinpoint potential opportunities. Go for a platform that seamlessly adapts to your business workflows, is scalable, and can provide all your tech needs via a single platform.

Final Thoughts

In a constantly changing market, standing out should be a priority. If you want your small business to maintain an edge, it may be time to invest in the right technology. Although integrating technology for small businesses seems challenging, knowing the typical roadblocks and solutions will ensure a good head start. Proper planning will greatly help in overcoming the tech roadblocks you’ll face along the way.

Everything You Need To Know About Instagram Reels Marketing

Let’s face it, short-form video content has taken the world by storm. We’ve seen it with TikTok, and now Instagram is having some sort of identity crisis trying to copy TikTok. But why shouldn’t they, given how successful TikTok has been? It’s no wonder Meta has gone ahead to produce a similar product for both Facebook and Instagram.

Meta introduced Instagram Reels in August 2020. Since then, Instagram Reels have become an effective way to engage audiences globally.

Hootsuite conducted a study on their own Instagram page to see whether Reels were more effective than traditional videos. They received 300-800 likes per post with Reels compared to 100-200 likes per post with traditional videos. Reels boosted their visibility and follower count too.

Considering the effectiveness of Reels for businesses, this article will show you how to create a winning Instagram Reels marketing strategy.

1. Tap Into the Value of UGC

UGC or User-Generated Content refers to any content – be it text, video, images, or reviews – created and shared online by users of a particular brand’s products. UGC brings your brand promise to perspective. Instagram Reels are a customer favorite for sharing reviews and opinions concerning brands and their products.

When actual customers use your product and love it so much to share content about it, they create social proof for your business. It’s like tapping into influencer marketing. Only this time, the influencers are your customers.

Target audiences find UGC more trustworthy than other branded content because these people who promote your brand are users of your products themselves. They aren’t affiliated with your brand in any way.

See how GoPro reposted a piece of UGC below:

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To tap into the value of UGC for your Instagram Reels marketing, first determine what you want the content to accomplish. Ask yourself, “What would I like each piece of content to say about my products, services, and company culture?”

Secondly, provide an incentive for your community to participate in the UGC campaign. For example, create a giveaway or special discount when one posts Reels with a few pre-determined hashtags.

Finally, search for these hashtags on your Instagram Reels. Repost the UGC that best reflects your brand and brand promise. Be sure to respond to most of your community’s content to encourage them to create more.

After each campaign, it is important to evaluate the engagement of user-generated content (UGC). This evaluation should include checking the status of your social media plan. If your social media plan generated excellent results, it can be replicated in future campaigns. However, if the plan produced mediocre results, adjustments should be made to improve future campaign outcomes.

The other thing about UGC is that it helps you identify the type of content your target audience is interested in. For example, analyzing the conversations your customers are having online about your product or niche can inform your content creation strategy. This is a critical part of your eCommerce, B2B, or SaaS marketing strategy.

Therefore, don’t just look for and pick UGC that would make great Instagram reels content. Use the insights from the UGC to inform other aspects of your business operations like content creation, product enhancement, and customer support.

2. Create Great Product Videos

People enjoy Reel content when they find it relatable, authentic, and unstaged. As you create your product video clips, strike a balance between creating professional product Reels and coming across as a product ad.

Authenticity is what gets people to engage with your content. Most Instagram users are there to kill free time. Making your Instagram Reels fun and relatable will both entertain them and keep them coming back for more.

Use Reels to reveal new product releases. If you have restocked some products, build fresh excitement by creating product release videos on Reels.

Additionally, create educational videos around your products. It’s good to switch it up a bit. Since most content on Instagram is entertaining, educational videos capture the attention of audiences.

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As Buffer has demonstrated above, you can make how-to videos showing the best ways to use your products. You can also tell them the specifications to look out for when buying products similar to yours. This allows you to address customer pain points and showcase your products as a fitting solution.

Remember to use all the creative tools at your disposal on Reels. Add music from the music library and add smooth transitions and effects. Make use of the editing tools, too. Create both 15 and 30-second videos in your Reels to educate potential customers about your brand in the most authentic way possible.

3. Highlight Your Core Values

Your Instagram marketing strategy should include who you are as a brand and what you stand for.

For example, if your company has a cause it supports, Reels are a great platform to showcase your role in the said cause. Create a compelling storyline highlighting the problem your brand has identified and how this problem affects the world. Then show your audience how your brand is providing a solution to this problem. This encourages audiences to support your brand.

You can also showcase your core values at work. Check out how HubSpot emphasizes its “good boss energy” in the workplace with the Reel below. That gives the audience the impression that Hubspot values positive culture in the workplace.

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When you add such Reels to your social media marketing strategy, you will win the hearts of the online community. That increases your chances of turning them into paying customers.

4. Make Behind-the-Scenes Videos

One of the best ways to show the authenticity of your brand is through behind-the-scenes content. Take your audience behind the curtain and let them see what your production process is like.

Reveal this process in a fun and relatable way. Use the creative video techniques discussed above to let your followers in on your little secrets.

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Another way to take your community behind the scenes is by taking them into your office. See how Hootsuite did this in the image above.

Record short videos showing the flow of your office from the entrance to the offices and the eatery or lounge. You can use hashtags like #theoffice, for example. This kind of social media content makes your audience feel closer to your brand.

In Closing

Instagram Reels are a great way to engage your target audience and build a solid community. Engaged community members become promoters of your brand to others. For a successful Instagram Reels marketing strategy, tapping on user-generated content builds your audience’s trust in your brand.

Strike a balance between professionally made and fun, authentic videos to keep your Reels entertaining and relatable. Show your audience why they should invest in your brand by highlighting your core values. Finally, take your community behind the scenes and show them the processes and the places behind the products they love.

Follow these tips, and you’ll create stunning Instagram Reels that can help you grow your business. Good luck!

Author Bio:

Nico Prins is the founder of Crunch Marketing, an SEO agency for Software as a Service companies. The company supports the SEO efforts of scale-up and enterprise firms in EMEA, APAC, and other regions.

How to Start a Fintech Company?

With the dynamic increase in financial services demand in recent years, it seems that there has never been a better time to start a fintech business than nowadays.

Fintech companies revolutionize how people access and manage financial services, offering great convenience and security. There is enormous potential for further growth in the industry, and entrepreneurs are finding more opportunities to innovate prosperous firms.

But what should one do to start a fintech company? It can be difficult to quickly hire in-house experts, and you should consider outsourcing your project to an external team.

We address this question in our article, providing you with a step-by-step guide to a successful fintech business kick-off.

Starting a Fintech Company – Steps

Fintech companies leverage advanced technologies to produce software that improves the current solutions for financial management or totally replaces them. This way, they provide their customers with a more efficient way of dealing with day-to-day financial activities.

To provide clients with a superior experience, a fintech startup founder has to come up with an innovative business strategy but also take care of software development, which is quite difficult to combine. However, a well-organized action plan will allow you to do it successfully.

Market Research

If you have not been familiar with the fintech market, conducting market research is the way to start. Study the recent trends, analyze customer needs, and identify potential growth opportunities based on the collected information.

Once you’ve decided on a domain, investigate your competitors. This will enable you to identify a unique selling point or competitive edge that will set your product apart.

Understand Regulatory Requirements

Before starting the project, you should also get acquainted with the regulatory requirements applicable to your product or service.

As fintech is a highly regulated industry, you really need to dive into the specific prerequisites and legal limitations to avoid potential conflict with the law.

The tricky part is that these regulations can vary in different countries, so if you plan to operate internationally, you need to adjust your actions accordingly.

Hire a Team

Teamwork makes the dream work, also in fintech. That’s why it is important to have a crew of engaged developers with sufficient expertise in the financial software industry at your disposal.

However, it might be difficult to draw in top fintech development experts to expand your in-house team. In this case, you should outsource your project to a fintech development company with suitable know-how.

Secure Funding

Last but not least, make sure that your project has a solid financial foundation. There are plenty of ways to secure sufficient funds, including venture capital, bootstrapping, crowdfunding, and more.

Each can work well with fintech startups, and sometimes mixing a few of them may bring satisfactory results. Regardless of the selected funding option, having a prototype of your product at hand can help you convince investors to support your idea.

Final Thoughts

Launching a fintech product is not child’s play. That is why a good plan is key to your success. You can approach this issue in a variety of ways. Our guide is only an indication of how your journey might look. The best strategy is to analyze the situation and adapt particular steps to fit your business requirements.

Running A Home Services Company In Texas: Challenges You Can Face

Running a business in any niche will provide challenges for an entrepreneur. Texas is a state that is extremely business-friendly and friendly in terms of taxes. The massive population sports talent in all industries with large cities having the highest concentrates. The influx of professionals has made the state’s business landscape quite competitive. The home services industry is so large due to the population in Texas’ massive acreage. So many businesses are moving their headquarters to Texas that the competitive nature of a local area could change overnight. Below will outline the challenges that certain home service professionals face along with what the industry faces as a whole.

Plumbers

Plumbers will struggle in some regard due to the nature of unlicensed plumbers that advertise their services. Reliable plumbing companies will try to fix issues along with future issues in the most affordable manner possible. Appliance repair companies can play a huge role in the plumbing niche by fixing things like garbage disposals. According to Fixd Dallas appliance repair company, ”The appliances in your home should make your day-to-day life more convenient. If one breaks, especially without warning, then it will do the exact opposite!” Appliance repair companies can manage the repair of multiple appliances along with other areas like HVAC repair.

Being aware of the challenges is the first step in successfully running a home services company in Texas. Equally important is the legal formation of your business. For a detailed guide on the logistical side of establishing your company, check out our resource on how to start an LLC in Texas. This will provide you with the knowledge you need to get your business off the ground legally and successfully.

HVAC Repair And Replacement

HVAC repair is going to come in high demand during the summer months in all of Texas. The state of Texas can be extremely hot along with very cold with ice storms being a possibility in the winter. Austin experienced a brownout during one of the coldest periods in the city’s long and storied history. The need for HVAC professionals was at an all-time high with so many systems failing for various reasons. Keeping in touch with customers via a biannual maintenance plan can help reduce the need for expensive repairs.

HVAC maintenance being handled twice a year can help reduce breathing problems within the home. The breathing issues can be on account of the humid conditions in a number of Texas cities over the summers.

Landscaping

Homeowners also owning lawn equipment is getting more popular for those that want to save money with time. Huge lawns exist in so many areas of Texas that it could cost hundreds to have a crew come in and handle the project. Receiving contracts like that of an entire HOA community can truly change the trajectory of a business. Pitching these committees regularly can allow the business to grow at massive rates as long as customer retention stays high.

The huge amount of competition in certain areas that have companies with hundreds or thousands of employees is vast. Unbidding on contracts is common due to the vast number of landscaping companies. Emphasizing what makes the company better than the competition is a wise marketing tactic. Licenses and insurance should be provided to clients so they understand they are working with a legitimate business.

Roof Repair And Replacement

The Texas sun is quite harsh over the course of time on the home and roof. There are hurricanes on the east coast of Texas that can cause severe damage. Severe weather can lead to a multitude of homeowners needing a roof repaired/replaced, Uninsured repair professionals might try to undercut pricing due to not having overhead costs of licensing. Using unlicensed or uninsured home service companies is a risk to homeowners. A complete renovation might have to be redone after the proper permits have been pulled.

Digital Marketing Can Drive Revenue Substantially

A lack of digital marketing can be a massive mistake when running a home service business regardless of the service provided. Local SEO can allow a company to get some online leads daily. Filling up a schedule for years with repeat services like HVAC maintenance or landscaping is possible.

Content marketing can be so important as this can help dictate search engine rankings. Content on the website and relevant and local publications online help businesses rank. Traffic to a particular page can drive leads quickly if the page is designed well and the sales copywriting is adequate.

Cleaning Services

Cleaning services can differ in type as corporate cleaning, medical cleaning, and residential cleaning all require different procedures. The hours that are worked for residential cleaning are usually quite reasonable as cleanings happen during the day. Corporate cleaning has to occur outside of working hours. Medical cleaning happens after everyone has left an office or lab for the day. The pandemic led to a massive increase in demand for specific cleaning services. The demand has decreased a bit leading to this industry having a saturated market.

Challenges exist in the growing population of Texas home service businesses. Overcome these with a dedication to the customer along with high-quality work being a staple of the business.

The Smart Way to Save Time and Money on Business Mileage Tracking

Are you tired of trying to remember how much you’ve driven for work-related purposes? Do you want to save time and money during tax season? Then it’s time to create a mileage log! Not only will it help you track your mileage accurately, but it can also help you save some serious cash come tax time. And if you want the best solution for mileage tracking, look no further than MileageWise.

Why Create a Mileage Log?

So why should you create a mileage log? For starters, it can help you accurately track how much you’ve driven for work-related purposes. This is especially important if you’re self-employed or work for a company that reimburses you for your mileage. The IRS requires that you keep a mileage log if you want to deduct your business mileage on your taxes. Without a mileage log, you could miss out on some serious tax savings.

How to Create a Mileage Log

But how do you create a mileage log? The first step is to find a system that works for you. Some people prefer a physical notebook, while others opt for an app on their phone. Whatever method you choose, make sure it’s easy for you to access and use regularly. Next, record some basic information for each trip, such as the date, starting location, ending location, purpose of the trip, and total miles driven. You can also include any tolls or parking fees you incurred during the trip.

How to Create a Mileage Log Using MileageWise

First, let’s talk about how to create a mileage log using MileageWise. To get started, you’ll need to sign up for a MileageWise account. Once you’re logged in, simply navigate to the “Trips” tab and click “Add Trip.” From there, you can enter the date, starting location, ending location, the purpose of the trip, and total miles driven. If you prefer, you can also use MileageWise’s advanced GPS technology to automatically track your mileage.

Advanced Features that Make Your Life Easier

But that’s not all – mileage tracker apps offer a range of features that can make your life easier. For example, it can generate mileage reports with just a few clicks, allowing you to quickly and easily access all the information you need for tax purposes. It even offers automatic trip detection, so you don’t have to worry about manually logging each and every trip you take.

In addition, it offers advanced, proprietary solutions such as Google Maps Timeline import, AdWise Wizard, and Retrospective log creation features. 

Let the AdWise Wizard Fill in the Gaps

Did you know that MileageWise also offers an Adwise Wizard function? This feature uses artificial intelligence (AI) to fill in the gaps in your mileage log and automatically classifies your trips based on your previous data, making it even easier to organize your mileage log. With Adwise Wizard, you can save time and reduce errors by letting the software do the work for you.

Retrospective Log Creation

But what if you forgot to log a trip? Don’t worry – MileageWise also offers retrospective log creation. This feature allows you to add trips retroactively, so you don’t have to worry about missing any important data. Simply enter the date, starting location, ending location, the purpose of the trip, and total miles driven, and MileageWise will take care of the rest.

User-Friendly Interface for Easy Tracking On-the-Go

One of the best things about MileageWise is its user-friendly interface. The software is designed to be simple and intuitive, making it easy for anyone to use. Plus, it’s available on a variety of platforms, including mobile devices, so you can log your mileage on the go.

The Importance of Accuracy in Mileage Tracking

But perhaps the biggest advantage of MileageWise is its accuracy. With its advanced GPS technology, you can be confident that your mileage data is accurate and reliable. This can be especially important when it comes to tax time, as you don’t want to make any mistakes that could cost you money.

Why MileageWise is the Best Option for Your Needs

In conclusion, MileageWise is the best solution for anyone looking to create a mileage log. Its user-friendly interface, advanced GPS technology, and range of features make it the most efficient and accurate option on the market. So why wait? Sign up for the 14-day trial with MileageWise today and start tracking your mileage with ease.

The Most Important Things You Need To Consider Before Starting A Private Business

We all dream of starting our businesses and becoming successful entrepreneurs. It’s exciting, full of potential, and gives us all the freedom to live life on our terms. But with so many opportunities out there—and so much financial risk involved—it’s easy for eager entrepreneurs to make costly mistakes if they don’t ask themselves important questions before taking the plunge. So if you’re seriously considering starting a private business, be sure to run through these essential tips first:

1. Financial Investment

If you’re considering starting your own business, the important thing to remember is that a significant financial investment is required. You must take account of all possible startup costs, including cash flow projections and potential revenue streams. There are multiple options for funding your project; bank loans, venture capital, crowdfunding, or personal savings, are all things to consider.

To facilitate the invoicing process, try using a free invoice generator. With this tool from https://www.hiveage.com/free-invoice-generator/, you can streamline the payment process and help you track expenses efficiently. Financial planning and budgeting for new business owners can be tricky, but you can make it work with some research and dedication. Get started now – with the right approach and tools, you’ll be well on your way to success.

2. Comprehensive Business Plan

Creating an effective, comprehensive business plan is a key strategy for starting your private enterprise. This document sets forth the goals and objectives of the company and provides an actionable road map to reach these objectives. It should include a detailed market analysis, identify target customers, and define what sets the business apart from its competition.

Legal considerations are paramount when starting a private business. To help navigate these waters, consider consulting online legal services. To know the kind of support you can expect from a leading provider, read this comprehensive LegalZoom Review. Informed decisions, especially about legal aspects, significantly improve your chances of business success.

Successful business owners must research potential areas and funding sources, such as angel investors, venture capitalists, and government loans. Lastly, financial projections should be included to ensure sufficient capital flowing into the business to guarantee sustainability. Writing a quality business plan offers you confidence so you can move forward in establishing your venture with success.

3. Conducting Market Research

When starting a new business, taking the time upfront to conduct market research is important. This crucial step gives you the data points and information needed to assess demand and customer needs for your offering. After all, the success of any business lies in understanding what customers want and how best to provide it.

Additionally, understanding your competition and pricing strategy helps you remain competitive. Uncovering all of this during market research can help avoid nasty surprises as your business takes off and grows. Doing your market research can help define a strong foundation for your venture’s future.

4. Choosing the Right Legal Structure

As anyone who has gone into business knows, choosing the perfect legal structure for your enterprise is essential for several reasons. Not only will it impact how you are taxed and the amount of liability you have in the business, but also the number of shareholders or partners you can accommodate.

While researching which type of legal structure works best for your venture can be done independently, it is always wise to consult an accountant or lawyer to ensure all aspects are considered. They will provide valuable insights into which venture would best suit your unique needs, helping ensure your business starts correctly.

5. Team Building

Building a winning team is key to the success of any private business. This begins by hiring skilled and experienced people with an eye for excellence who bring enthusiasm and commitment while clearly understanding your company’s vision. Creating a positive workplace environment is also essential in team building as it sets the stage for employees to excel in their roles.

Investing in training programs to facilitate professional growth will help ensure your team is equipped with the right resources while providing motivation and recognition and strengthening participation by giving them ownership over their work. Doing these things can propel your business to new heights and ensure everyone on board knows how their effort contributes to achieving common goals.

6. Developing a Strong Marketing Strategy

A strong marketing strategy is the foundation of successful brand growth and customer retention. Crafting a brand persona that resonates with your target market builds trust and loyalty that you can use to expand your reach. Beyond selecting the right communication channels, developing engaging messaging that evokes emotion and communicates your unique value proposition is important. 

To ensure you’re doing all you can to reach customers, track campaign performance and adjust accordingly so you can make the most of each opportunity without running campaigns that are more trouble than they’re worth. When done right, smart marketing strategies can take your business to new heights.

In conclusion, starting a private business is a significant endeavor that requires careful planning, market research, and financial investment. By evaluating and addressing these critical considerations, you can position your business for long-term growth and profitability. Starting a business is not easy, but with proper preparation and determination, it can be a fulfilling and rewarding journey.

Essential Software Types for Small Businesses

Running a small business can be a huge amount of work and it can often feel like spinning plates. Many areas of the business need attention and you need to provide enough attention to all these areas to achieve success. It is not always easy to hire staff to help with this, but you can use software to improve efficiency and keep on top of everything. There are a handful of software types that every small business owner can benefit from using in 2023, and this could help your business to achieve higher levels of success, as well as make work a lot easier for you and your team.

Accounting Software

You must be able to maintain 100% accurate books when running a small business. This is not an easy task and requires a particular skill set, but not every business owner can hire an accountant or outsource to an accountant. Fortunately, there are many excellent accounting software solutions these days that can make it quick and easy to keep your financial records up to date. This will help you to monitor cash flow, identify ways to improve, and keep on top of your taxes.

Project Management Software

Every project brings with it numerous challenges, and this can make it hard to succeed with your projects. It can be a lot easier with the use of project management software, which can be used to allocate resources, manage timelines, establish tasks, and keep everyone on the same page at all times.

Customer Relationship Management Software

Is there anything more important to business success than customer relationships? Customer relationship management software can make this a breeze by tracking and managing all customer interactions, as well as providing insights that could help you to make improvements so that you can attract and retain customers.

GRC Software

GRC (governance, risk, and compliance) software is essential for ensuring that a small business is always operating above board. GRC software can be used for risk management, compliance management, policy management, and more. With the use of GRC software, businesses can reduce risks, ensure that protocol is always followed, and even lower the costs involved with compliance. Therefore, it is an excellent option for a small business and will make the daily running of the business easier. Additionally, this software can provide important peace of mind as well.

Cybersecurity Software

Finally, every small business needs to invest in high-quality cybersecurity software. Cybercrime has been rampant in recent years and small businesses are often targeted because they do not always have strong protection in place. You do not want to get caught out, so you need to ensure that you find high-quality cybersecurity software for small businesses that can offer protection against the latest threats.

These are a few essential types of software that every small business needs to have. Running a small business is a huge amount of work, but software can make it a lot easier and could help you to reach greater heights.

What’s Blockchain Technology and How is It Used in Real Life?

Blockchain revolutionizes the way information is stored and secured, offering a decentralized ecosystem for safe operations. To answer the question, “How does blockchain work?”, it would be good to see real examples of blockchain applications. Below, we offer some cases.

Blockchain Technology Applications

Some examples of companies from different fields that have leveraged blockchain technology:

  • The financial industry has swiftly adopted blockchain for a host of purposes, from payments across the globe to trade finance. To illustrate this point, consider Ripple’s revolutionary blockchain-based payment solution that is used by banks for quick and protected international transfers.
  • The supply chain sector has also integrated blockchain to bolster traceability and efficiency in the supply chains. Walmart is one prominent example of a company that leverages this system; with it they can track the origin of food products, substantially diminishing any potential for foodborne illness or safety concerns.
  • Healthcare providers have been leveraging the power of blockchain to provide safety for patient records, fight medical fraudulence, and make the supply chain more efficient. MedRec is a fantastic example; its platform allows clients to remain in control over their personal information while preserving privacy and security.
  • To take the real estate sector to a new level, companies are increasingly turning to the blockchain with Propy leading the way. This cutting-edge platform streamlines property transactions and significantly reduces fraud risk, allowing buyers and sellers alike to complete deals from anywhere worldwide.
  • The gaming industry has begun to use blockchain to create decentralized games. This enables players to have control and ownership over in-game assets. For example, the game CryptoKitties allows players to generate and exchange virtual cats that each have unique attributes while creating a new type of collectible all together.

Benefits of Blockchain Technology

Utilizing cryptography, blockchain has the capacity to revolutionize transparency, protection, efficiency, decentralization, etc. Not only can it provide securer storage of information but also enable trustless transactions with no need for any intermediaries. Furthermore, blockchain offers immense potential for accountability improvements; cost reductions; as well as enabling collaboration and innovation across various industries resulting in opportunities never seen before.

Exploring the Benefits of Pimcore for Business Growth

In today’s world of rapidly changing technology, it’s important to stay ahead of the competition. Businesses need to build an effective digital presence in order to remain competitive. This is where Pimcore comes in. Pimcore is an open-source digital experience platform (DXP) that enables businesses to manage their digital assets, customer data, and marketing activities, all in one place. It helps businesses to create an effective digital experience for their customers and streamline their operations. In this blog, we will discuss how Pimcore can help your business grow and elevate it to the next level. 

Pimcore is an open source platform for managing digital experiences. It enables companies to create and manage web, mobile and IoT applications, digital channels, content and commerce. Pimcore is a unified platform for managing digital experiences across all channels, including web, mobile, IoT, print, kiosks and more. It provides a unified data model, a single source of truth, and a unified interface for creating, managing and delivering digital experiences.

How Pimcore Elevates Your Business 

Pimcore is different from other enterprise-level digital platforms as it is designed to elevate your business, no matter its size. It helps businesses to gain a competitive edge in their respective industries by optimizing digital experiences across all channels.

The key features of a Pimcore Development Company that makes it an ideal choice for businesses includes:

1. Multi-Channel Support

Pimcore is the only platform that provides multi-channel support. It allows businesses to manage and optimize digital experiences across web, mobile, and social media channels. This ensures that customers have a consistent experience regardless of the device they are using.

2. Customer Personalization

Pimcore offers powerful customer personalization features. It allows businesses to deliver tailored experiences to their customers based on their preferences and needs. This ensures that customers get the best experience possible and are more likely to make a purchase.

3. Automation

Pimcore provides automation capabilities to help businesses streamline their operations. It allows businesses to create automated workflows to manage tasks such as content creation, data analysis, and customer segmentation. This helps businesses to save time and money as well as improve efficiency.

4. Cross-Platform Integration

Pimcore enables businesses to easily integrate with third-party applications. This allows businesses to access data from different sources and create a unified experience for customers.

5. Data Analysis & Reporting

Pimcore provides powerful data analysis and reporting features to help businesses track customer behavior and performance. This allows businesses to gain insights into customer behavior and improve their marketing strategies.

Pimcore is an all-in-one digital platform that can help businesses to elevate their operations. With its powerful features and automation capabilities, Pimcore can help businesses to create personalized, optimized experiences across all digital channels. This ensures that customers have a great experience and are more likely to make a purchase.

How Pimcore Can Help Accelerate Digital Transformation

The digital transformation of businesses has been a major focus of many companies in the past few years. With the increasing demand for digital products and services, companies have been forced to adapt quickly to stay competitive. This has meant that businesses must be able to rapidly develop and deploy digital solutions that are tailored to their customer needs.

The challenge for many businesses is that the traditional development and deployment process can be slow and costly. This is where Pimcore can help to accelerate digital transformation. 

Benefits of Using Pimcore:

There are several key benefits that businesses can gain from using top software development companies in the USA to accelerate their digital transformation. These include:

1. Rapid Development and Deployment

Pimcore enables businesses to rapidly develop and deploy their digital products and services. It comes with a suite of tools, such as the Pimcore Core, that enable businesses to quickly develop and deploy digital solutions.

2. Easy Integration

Pimcore also enables businesses to easily integrate their solutions with other systems. This is done through a suite of APIs and SDKs, which allow businesses to quickly integrate their solutions with other systems.

3. Cost Savings

Pimcore enables businesses to save costs by eliminating the need to develop and maintain separate systems. This means that businesses can focus their resources on developing and deploying digital solutions rather than managing multiple systems.

4. Scalability

Pimcore also enables businesses to scale their solutions quickly and easily. This is thanks to its powerful open source platform, which enables businesses to rapidly develop, manage and deploy digital solutions.

5. Flexibility

Pimcore is also highly flexible. This means that businesses can easily customize their solutions to meet their specific needs.

6. Enhanced Brand Awareness

Pimcore helps businesses to increase their brand awareness. It enables businesses to create personalized content and user journeys that help to engage customers and drive conversions. It also offers powerful analytics tools that enable businesses to track customer behavior and understand customer preferences. This helps them to target customers more accurately and increase brand awareness. 

7. Increased Efficiency

Pimcore helps businesses to increase efficiency. It integrates with a range of popular platforms, enabling businesses to manage their customer data and digital assets from one platform. This helps to streamline operations and reduce costs. 

Pimcore is a powerful open source platform that comes with a suite of tools and APIs that allow businesses to quickly integrate their solutions with other systems. It also enables businesses to save costs, scale their solutions quickly and easily, and customize their solutions to meet their specific needs. All of these benefits make Pimcore an ideal platform for businesses looking to accelerate their digital transformation.

Conclusion 

Pimcore has demonstrated to be an effective tool for businesses to manage their operations, increase customer engagement, and drive growth. With its comprehensive features, it can help businesses to streamline their operations, reduce costs, and reduce the time needed to complete tasks. 

Moreover, Pimcore is a powerful platform that can help businesses to build a strong online presence, increase brand awareness, and reach new customers. By taking advantage of the benefits of Pimcore development company, businesses can increase their revenues, boost customer engagement, and reach their business goals.

Author Bio: Ronak Meghani is a serial entrepreneur & eCommerce Consultant who has worked with small-medium-large companies. He is a co-founder of Magneto IT Solutions and has been closely working with eCommerce ventures since 2010. He has helped 200-plus international brands for building/improving their online ventures in the area of UI/UX, development, launching, revenue enhancement, marketing strategy, magento development, eCommerce support and much more, and 90% ventures are generating very good revenue. He’s enthusiastic about start-ups, entrepreneurship, sports, home decor ecommerce, automotive ecommerce, gems & jewelry ecommerce, electronics ecommerce.

How to Leverage the Power of Unified Communications for Remote Teams 

Unified Communications (UC) has emerged as a powerful tool to enable teams to collaborate, communicate, and work together more effectively and efficiently, even when they are not in the same physical location. With UC, remote teams can stay connected quickly and easily no matter where they are located. This article will explore how you can leverage the power of unified communications to help your remote teams collaborate more effectively and increase team productivity.

The percentage of American workers who work remotely has increased four times since 2012 to 26% as of 2022. Up to 36.2 million Americans may be working remotely by 2025. And there are several advantages to this kind of work. Instantinfo Systems gives you the power to keep your remote team connected by leveraging the capabilities of unified communications.

Advantages of Using Unified Communications for Remote Teams

Unified communications provide numerous advantages for businesses that have distributed teams working remotely. Here are a few:

1. Improved Collaboration

Unified communications can help remote teams collaborate in real-time and make decisions faster. With UC, teams can integrate audio, video, and online meetings into their workflows to increase team collaboration and engagement. Moreover, UC solutions allow team members to share documents and other data securely.

2. Increased Productivity

UC helps to reduce time spent on mundane tasks like scheduling or sending emails and allows teams to focus their energy on more important tasks. UC also helps remote teams to be more efficient and organized, which can help them become more productive in the long run. According to some research, remote employees are tend to be more productive than those working in an office.

3. Improves Accessibility to Team Members

With UC, it is easier to connect with team members in different locations quickly and easily. This helps remote teams stay connected and improve communication between team members. You can share files, join meetings, and more in just a few clicks and you can access the same information from any device.

4. Better Security and Compliance

UC systems provide a secure platform for remote teams, ensuring all data is stored in the cloud securely and helping to protect against cyberattacks. Additionally, UC helps businesses comply with various industry regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS.

5. Cost Savings

Unified communications can reduce overall costs for businesses by eliminating the need for expensive office space, travel expenses, and other overhead costs. UC solutions are also usually much more cost-effective compared to traditional phone and communication systems.

These are just a few of the advantages that unified communications provide for remote teams. By leveraging the power of UC, you can ensure your remote team has the tools they need to collaborate, communicate, and work together more effectively and efficiently.

In Conclusion

Unified communications provide numerous advantages for businesses that have distributed teams. With UC, you can help your remote team stay connected quickly and easily no matter where they are located. This also provides a secure platform for remote teams, helping them protect their data from cyberattacks and comply with industry regulations. Additionally, UC can reduce overall costs for businesses by eliminating the need for expensive office space, travel expenses, and other overhead costs.

Samsung “Galaxy Note” Permanently Discontinued – Is the S23 the New Note?

The rumors are true. Samsung has announced that they are permanently discontinuing the Galaxy Note series. For many, the news does not come as a surprise since the company hasn’t released any new Galaxy Note since the last Galaxy Note 20 series in August 2020. Samsung even stopped the production of the Note 20 series in 2021. So, why Samsung suddenly stopped its flagship phone after years of success? Let’s explore it in this article and also see whether S23 seems the ideal replacement for Galaxy Note. And if you want to learn more about mobile apps and software setup, check Thoughtsoncloud.

The Rise of Galaxy Note

Samsung Galaxy Note debuted in October 2011 and started the trend of big phones. Since 2011, Samsung has kept releasing the new series of Galaxy Note with bigger screens, more functional S Pen, and plenty of other customized features. The Galaxy Note series even once faced huge criticism due to design errors in Note 7 (released in 2016), which caused Samsung to recall 2.5 million phones due to complaints of exploding batteries and overheating. Despite that, Samsung released Note 8 series in 2017 and kept launching new Note models until 2020.

Why Samsung has Discontinued Galaxy Note Series

The unique element of Galaxy Note was its big screen, S Pen stylus, and high-end hardware. But almost all the emerging smartphones also started coming up with similar big displays and features. So, the interest of users in Note started to decrease. It was even reflected in the Galaxy Note sales, as the company shipped 12.7 million Galaxy Note devices in 2019, which reduced to 9.7 million units in 2020.

Samsung decided against launching Galaxy Note 21 in 2021 due to the shortage of semiconductors. Afterward, a report by ET News also revealed that the company might suspend the production of the Note 20 series by the end of 2021. The company only assembled 3.2 million units of Note 20 in 2021, which was also significantly less than 9.7 million in 2020. Finally, Roh Tae-moon, Samsung smartphone chief, confirmed at the Mobile World Congress 2022 that Samsung has permanently discontinued its Galaxy Note series.

Is S23 the New Galaxy Note?

Samsung Galaxy S23 is set to release on February 2023. So, the question is whether S23 will be the new Galaxy Note. The answer is very well addressed by looking at the Galaxy S22 series, especially the S22 Ultra.

Samsung launched the Galaxy S22 series on February 9, 2022. S22 Ultra is the top-end model in the series, which resembles a lot with Note 20 Ultra. For example, it provides rounded sides similar to Note 20. From the height and width perspective, Galaxy Note 20 Ultra size is 163.3 x 77.9 mm, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra size is 164.8 x 77.2mm. So, there is not much difference in terms of size.

S22 Ultra has a dedicated S Pen slot with 70% lower latency than S Pen shipped with Note 20. The display of the S22 Ultra is 3x times more responsive to S Pen. In addition, S22 Ultra also includes all the other Note 20 features, such as Samsung Notes, AR Doodle, Smart Select, AR Doodle, etc. In short, S22 Ultra has all the capabilities we see in Note 20 and even more.

Galaxy S23 is set to release in the next few days and promises more enhancements than S22. So, if S22 Ultra was fulfilling all the needs of Note 20, we can expect S23 Ultra to offer more improved and new features. Therefore, we can say clearly and loudly that S23 (especially the S23 Ultra) is the new Galaxy Note.

If you are looking for a reliable and efficient solution to recover lost or deleted data from your Samsung device, then the product offered by PITS Data Recovery is the perfect choice. With their specialized Samsung Data Recovery software, you can confidently retrieve your precious files, regardless of how they were lost. Whether it’s due to accidental deletion, system crashes, software malfunctions, or even physical damage to your device, this product provides a comprehensive and user-friendly solution.

Samsung Looking Future in Foldables

Other than the decrease in users’ interest and the same big-size alternative models, another reason behind the end of Galaxy Note is Samsung’s emphasis on foldable phones. The company believes that its Galaxy Z Flip and Fold are the future because smartphone users need some new changes and are getting tried with the same minor changes in the specs of existing smartphones.

The interest of consumers and the sales of Galaxy foldables are gradually increasing with every passing year. The Korean tech giant shipped around 10 million foldable phones in 2021, which is more than Note phones shipped in 2020. In addition, Samsung has also made S Pen compatible with its Z Fold models. S Pen is also supported by Samsung’s flagship tablets, such as Tab S8, Tab S8+, and Tab S8 Ultra.

Besides increasing consumer interest, the high price of foldable phones also helps Samsung generate more revenue. So, although Samsung has ended its flagship Galaxy Notes series, it is becoming even strong in the market with foldable phones.

Wrapping Up

Samsung Galaxy Note had brilliant, successful years when it was considered the big and powerful phone no competitor offered. Its dedicated slot for S Pen lifted the game very high and resulted in millions of sales from 2011 to 2021. However, the Korean tech giant is very smart and smelled the downfall of Galaxy Note before it could become a problem.

Samsung’s move to foldable phones and S22 Ultra with a dedicated S-Pen slot have further cleared the company’s priorities. Therefore, the permanent end of the Galaxy Note series is not going to cause any harm to Samsung but will even drive more revenue with the sales of foldable flagships, which is the market Apple still has to explore.

Top 10 Social Media Trends for Small Business Marketing in 2023 and Beyond

For small businesses, social media marketing is the best way to have effective marketing in a cost-friendly way. However, social media marketing is influenced greatly by social media trends. Therefore, this article explores the top 10 social media trends worth knowing for small business marketing in 2023. So, let’s jump right to it.

There are over 4.6 million social media users worldwide, and the figure is going to increase with every passing year. With the growing number of social media users, businesses are also increasing their social media spending. It is projected that social media spending will reach up to $384.90 billion by 2027, with an annual growth rate of 9.4% from 2023-2027.

Influencer Marketing

Ever since the pandemic, the number of social-media celebrities or influencers has increased immensely. TikTok has helped many new everyday influencers to emerge. Businesses are also benefiting from influencers greatly, as such influencers help reach a large audience in the easiest way.

Influencer marketing has remained one of the key focus of marketers in 2023, and this is predicted to be the same in 2024. You can claim your share if you boost TikTok followers using established partners. However, it is likely that micro or nano influencers are seen as more beneficial because their audience trusts their opinions. Influencers who specialize in excellent narration related to your brand industry are the best fit. Therefore, it is believed that targeting a few micro-influencers and running marketing campaigns for a few months with them will help small businesses see a boom in their sales.

TikTok Marketing

TikTok became popular during the pandemic, and now it has over 1 billion monthly active users. It is highly popular with the young audience, so it seems best to target the millennial and Gen Z audience. The popularity of TikTok does not seem to slow down in 2023, and so does the marketing spending and the need for a top TikTok Ad Agency.

In fact, 85% of e-commerce brands are going to increase their advertisement spending on TikTok in 2023. So, if your small business is targeting the young generation, then TikTok is best for creating and marketing short-form videos of your brand.

Dominance of Video-Form Content

According to Cisco, 82% of consumer internet traffic will be in video form by 2022, which is almost a 73% increase from 2017. But the dominance is getting more towards short-form of videos, such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, etc.

In addition, many brands are now opting for live-streaming for more engagement with a targeted audience. The live streams often demonstrate a product, promote an event, tell a story, or share other brand news. Therefore, video-form content will dominate social media in 2023, so social media marketing should be focused more on video content.

Growth of Social Commerce

Instead of visiting brands’ websites, social media users now prefer buying products directly from the social media platform. For example, Facebook now provides a separate tab of “Marketplace”.

As per Accenture, social commerce is likely to become a $1.2 trillion channel by 2025. Therefore, small businesses should emphasize on more friendly social commerce experience for users. They can market a few main products instead of the whole store and help consumers complete the purchase with minimal clicks.

Customer Service via Social Media

Customers no longer like to call or email brands for their queries. They intend to have more direct interaction with the brands via social media. As per Microsoft’s report on the Global State of Customer Service, 54% of the participants had a favorable opinion of those brands that address requests/complaints of customers directly from social media.

Customers like to have a feeling of relationship with brands, which is a key marketing tactic for small businesses. Therefore, they should tend to make customers feel more valued and provide them with direct top-notch customer service via active presence on social media.

Behind-the-Scenes Posts

Customers like brands that are transparent and open about the behind-the-scenes work environment. 53% of consumers say that the transparency of the brand attracts them to make the next purchases. Many brands show very formal behind-the-scenes posts, but if they create funny or interesting posts, it can engage consumers more. For example, you can place a camera at the entrance door of your office and record when employees reach in the morning and show the lazy ones in a fun way. Similarly, you can share a video about office pets if you are a pet supply brand.

According to the Facebook survey, 62% of participants acknowledged that they are attracted to brands’ products after seeing them on Facebook and Instagram stories. Therefore, small businesses can create unique and funny behind-the-scenes posts and share them as stories for more engagement from the targeted audience.

Social SEO

With the growing use of social media, users are now also using it for searching brands and products. As per Google’s internal research, 40% of 18-24 years of age users use social media as their main search engine. In fact, Hootsuite’s internal research showed that SEO posts (keyword-optimized captions) resulted in a 30% increased reach compared to hashtags.

Other than the young generation, all other generation groups are also seen using social media actively to search for brands and products. Therefore, it is important for small business brands to focus on more social SEO-optimized content to maximize their chances of winning the top search slots and increasing their reach.

Local Marketing

Social media users are also getting more attracted to brands that are closer to them. Moreover, considering the growing competition, brands are emphasizing more on location-based marketing to grab local consumers.

Geo-tagging in content is the best way to target a local audience. For example, small businesses can use Facebook to boost a post under targeted locations to reach a specific audience. So, small businesses that believe the local audience can bring in more sales must involve local marketing in their 2023 marketing strategy.

The Use of AI

AI is just booming today. There are tons of AI software that are turning hours of manual work into click-based instant solutions. For example, Jasper, ChatGPT, CopyAI, and similar others are now helping brands to create engaging and smart posts and content for their products. Forrester even predicts that AI-based software will grow 50% faster compared to the whole software market in the next two years.

Without any doubt, AI will be a big thing in 2023. Many brands will test out AI capabilities. Moreover, small businesses might seem to even more actively use AI for social media marketing owing to the cost benefits it offers. Therefore, the use of AI in marketing will be another social media trend worth watching in 2023.

Podcast Marketing

The podcast is an emerging video content on social media. Every influencer is either starting his/her own podcast or going to others’ podcasts. And the best part, social media users are actively listening to podcasts. There are globally over 460 million podcast listeners today. The podcast industry is also an excellent place for brands to market. In fact, Nielson surveyed 7,000 U.S. consumers and showed that 78% of the participants said they were not annoyed with sponsored messages in podcasts.

Wrapping Up

Over the past few years, the use of social media has skyrocketed. For small businesses, social media is the best marketing channel to reach a vast audience with minimal marketing capital. The above social media trends are some of the likely ones to influence in 2023. Therefore, as a small business owner, consider the above trends in your marketing strategy and set up rewarding social media marketing campaigns for 2023.

Top 16 Services to Buy YouTube Views

For years now, YouTube is becoming more famous. Thus, the number of users is increasing. There is a rise in content creators making a living through YouTube. However, you require views and likes to gain popularity. Let us look at the top 16 best services to buy YouTube views.

1. Tube.biz

Tube.biz ensures that your needs are prioritized. Once you hire the company, they provide to listen to your goal and help you achieve IT. Further, customer care support is available 24/7. You can also chat with live agents via the website. Tube.biz offers several packages. Once you settle on the required package, you pay via any payment method provided. Afterward, concentrate on creating unique content as you watch your views increase.

2. View.biz

Artists or content creators wish to acquire views and likes upon posting their content. When your content goes viral, you gain fame, which generates more ideas and likes for your YouTube account. Vibe.biz is one of the best platforms to ensure your content goes viral. View.biz has existed in the business for a period, which equips them with the experience to deliver real YouTube views on your YouTube account. The prices offered are favorable to suit your needs.

3. SMO.PLUS.

Smo. plus is a famous company that has changed the lives of musicians, bloggers, and content creators. The platform generates real followers and avoids using bots. YouTube has Terms of Service where accounts using bots are suspended. The platform offers several packages with fare pricing. It is advisable to get the minimal package to see how it works and, if impressed, move to more extensive packages.

4. Rex SMM

Rex SMM has gained popularity after working on YouTube account promotion for several years. The platform claims to deliver real views and subscribers. Before working on your account, the company investigates the type of content you make. Afterward, they drive people with similar tastes to your content on your YouTube platform.

5. Viewsta.com

Are you looking for a platform with genuine services? Viewsta.com is the company for you. The views delivered are real and will serve you for as long as you post your content on YouTube. Viewsta.com website is easy to use, and the team takes over upon payment and placing your order. You are required to share the account’s URL only, with no passwords.

6. SMO.AGENCY

Smo.Agency has an easy-to-use website that offers several YouTube views packages. You can select one of the services you wish to use. The prices range from $1.46-2.25. You can also buy YouTube comments to enhance your account. Customer service support is available 24/7 to help you with the booking process and solve any challenges you experience.

7. Jarvee

Jarvee has been in the social media account promotion industry for an extended period. Thus, it has enough experience on how to deliver quality services. The platform ensures to work with automation services to provide outstanding services. The views offered are from real accounts and will exist for a lifetime. With Jarvee, you can focus on creating quality content without account management worries.

8. UseViral

UseViral provides its customers with organic services that drastically grow your YouTube account within days. The services provided are premium acquired through the use of intelligent technology. The platform provides numerous secure payment methods to protect the client’s safety. The company offers two packages for YouTube views. There is the premium package with 2000 views for $6 and high-quality views with 2000 views for $17.

9. StormViews

StormViews specializes in YouTube account promotion, offering 100% real likes, views, and subscribers. The payment system is encrypted to prevent hackers from acquiring customer details that may lead to fraud and other malicious activities. The company offers affordable and quality services. You can earn 500 views at $3.99.

10. YTMonster

If you are a newbie and need to learn the necessary steps to take when buying YouTube views, YTMonster is the right platform for you. It ensures to help you make the right decision. The company starts working on your account immediately. Therefore, you can observe changes in your account within a few hours. YTMonster reduces the account management burden you have.

11. SMM-World

SMM-World offers specific services to help you deal with any YouTube needs. The website is user-friendly to allow easy navigation when placing orders. The company further enables you to acquire actual engagements for your YouTube account. The services offered are quality and will last for a lifetime.

12. Views4You

Views4You is one of the most trusted sites by content creators due to the level of security provided and reliable services. Views4You offers some free tools for public use, which makes it popular. You get packages designed for different target audiences and budgets upon purchasing YouTube views.

13. ViewsGeek

ViewsGeek offers YouTube services such as buying views, likes, subscribers, and comments. The views, likes, and subscribers acquired are from real account users that will remain loyal to your account so long as you post quality content. The company focuses on delivering account users from your region to ensure that your content is effective.

14. Voogen

Voogen provides high-quality services at affordable prices. The company incorporates Google ads to acquire real viewers by showing your content to people who could be interested in viewing it. After a while, the viewers become subscribers who offer higher engagement to your content as time goes by.

15. SidesMedia

Are you looking for a platform that delivers organic services? SideMedia is here to help you. The website has an excellent reputation from happy clients who claim that the services offered are genuine. The company provides a variety of services delivered to verified YouTube users. Place your orders via the website and watch your YouTube likes increase within days.

16. YouTubeViewsBuy

YouTubeViewsBuy offers the best services to help you acquire a broad audience base globally. The company offers safe and accessible services. After paying, you need to provide them with your account’s URL and observe the growth as you make quality content.

Conclusion

Finding the right platform to buy YouTube views relieves content creators and artists. Ensure to purchase views from trusted companies to ensure your account is safe from hacking or closure when bots are used. More YouTube views ensure that your content reaches more people. Also, consider platforms with favorable prices and a wide range of packages.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

How to Create a Small Business Website: 5 The Best Business Website Builders

Today’s businesses need to be adaptive and tech-savvy to stay ahead of the competition and survive in the business world. In the current pandemic, many businesses have reverted to technology, especially the internet.

The initial step towards becoming a tech-savvy business is to create a business website. Building a good business website in the past seemed like an expensive and time-consuming job that required a specific set of skills. However, today website designing has become an easy job with the help of website builders for small businesses.

Following are the Top 5 website builder platforms for small businesses:

Shopify

Shopify has been gaining attention recently and is known as one of the top website builders for small businesses. Shopify has been in the market since 2006, and to date, it has been used by many businesses to go online and especially start an ecommerce store. Shopify lets you start with a free 14-day trial plan starting from $29/month (Basic), ranging to $299/month (Advanced).

Opportunities:

  • The drag-and-drop interface is so easy that less tech-savvy people can use this platform.
  • A wide variety of front page themes, categorized by the industry of business, to make an attractive website that will retain the customers.
  • The Shopify engine minimizes the transactional processing time and website loading time.
  • Inbuilt integrations to payment services such as PayPal, Amazon, Apple Pay, etc.
  • Abandoned cart recovery option informs the customers of the forgotten items left in the cart.
  • Shopify app store has tons of plugins and apps that can be integrated with the website to help you manage the inventory and market your products.
  • Shopify has a dedicated support team that provides technical support 24/7.

Obstacles:

  • Customizing a theme is challenging as it requires expertise and special coding skills.
  • Customers can not gain multiple discounts on shopping.
  • Most of the apps in the app store and features need to be purchased and are expensive for small businesses.
  • Email hosting or email marketing is not included in the Shopify plans.

WordPress

WordPress is one of the leading names in the industry when it comes to blogging and small business website building. An estimated 40% of the websites on the internet are designed and run on WordPress. You can create a website free of cost, but you get a lot of premium features for a price. 

Opportunities:

  • WordPress is an open-source platform that can be downloaded from any hosting website or the WordPress website itself.
  • Lots of free themes and templates are categorized according to the industry.
  • Highly customizable and drag-and-drop interface
  • WordPress websites are SEO friendly with an option to install plugins that let you control and manage your website.
  • Almost every possible platform and marketplace can be integrated with your website.

Obstacles:

  • After the website has been made, maintenance of the website needs to be done manually.
  • Sometimes, the plugins might conflict with each other, resulting in your website’s halt or the page speed slowing down.
  • You will need to go through a learning curve before completely understanding WordPress.
  • The website remains vulnerable until a premium plugin is installed for anything, including SEO to backup.

While building your business website with these efficient builders, it’s also important to ensure your business is legally set up. If you’re in the Sunshine state and need guidance on legal aspects, check out this guide on how to get an LLC in Florida. Having your LLC in place is an important step in setting up a successful small business.

WIX

Wix is a considerably new and emerging platform with an in-built ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) that helps you create a good business website within a couple of minutes. Just like WordPress, it is a beginner-level website builder. The pricing plans are distributed into two categories: The website plan (ranging from $4.5/month to $24.5/month) and the Ecommerce/Business plan (ranging from $17/month to $35/month).

Opportunities:

  • It often is considered the best website builder for small businesses as it is straightforward to use and customize.
  • ADI website design wizard asks you a couple of questions and helps you build your website.
  • This builder is instilled with many features such as SEO, email marketing, social media integrations, and much more.
  • Wix creates automatic backup so that you won’t lose your website even if you haven’t saved it.
  • Most comprehensive apps and templates library so that you can create a website according to your business.

Obstacles:

  • Once the website is live, you have to stick with one template that you have chosen previously.
  • Wix site is for Wix only and cannot be transferred to any other platform.
  • Free Wix sites have annoyingly long URLs and contain irremovable ads.
  • Ecommerce/Business pricing plans are relatively costly.
  • Wix doesn’t have a responsive design which means the elements don’t adjust according to different screen sizes.

Squarespace

Squarespace is another option for business owners looking to create a business website. Squarespace is known for its stylish and modern website design templates. It is a good platform for businesses that want to develop portfolios around Marketing, Design, Photography, Fashion, etc. The price starts from $14/month (Personal plan) and can go to $49/month (Advanced Commerce plan).

Opportunities:

  • Squarespace helps create visually appealing websites for fashion, Design, and marketing industries.
  • It has many tools that help in SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, and video making.
  • Drag-and-drop interfaces with a variety of customizable options.
  • Has many unique features for e-commerce businesses, such as scheduling appointments, store/inventory management, and members’ area.
  • It has a reliable option for restaurants and the hospitality industry, where you can manage reservations, takeouts, and events.

Obstacles:

  • Its e-Commerce solutions cannot compete with the likes of WordPress and Shopify.
  • The prices are higher in comparison to other platforms.
  • There is a lack in the support department as you get no support if you are stuck.
  • The tools provided are not as advanced and lack some features required for an e-Commerce business, such as A/B testing.
  • Adding new content and editing is always a tiresome job.

Weebly

If you are scouring for an excellent web hosting service for a small business website, Weebly is amongst the best online gateways for local or casual retailers. It offers affordable pricing, an excellent app store, free stock images, and an option to create for e-commerce. The premium plans for online stores are very competitively priced. Plans are Pro ($12/month), Small businesses ($25/month), and Business plus packages ($38/month).

Opportunities:

  • Weebly is considered a freemium type of website builder for small businesses.
  • The interface is user-friendly and designed for a beginner.
  • The themes and pages are highly customizable that can be edited any time after the website goes live.
  • Weebly themes are highly responsive and adjust to any given screen size.
  • The individuality of Weebly is its acceptable range of e-commerce features, such as an unlimited number of products, a tax calculator, and multi-level pricing of the products.

Obstacles:

  • The main downside of Weebly is its limited design flexibility for those who want uniqueness in their website image.
  • With Weebly, you get average customer service as it costs a lot of money to get support depending on what plan you have opted for.
  • You will not get good blogging options on Weebly.
  • You have to use Square for payment solutions in Weebly, which doesn’t work offline and otherwise is usually non-responsive.
  • You have to pay for more e-commerce options, and it is notably overpriced.