Many small companies have no idea what help desk software is and how it can help them eliminate manual process, streamline communication and workflow within and between departments, organize and find essential business data, eliminate error, and keep on top of issues before they become costly mistakes. In essence, help desk software solutions automate workflow and issue resolution so your customers and employees can submit a ticket via email or web form to explain issues, and have a tech department or representative find the information they need to fix the issue, while keeping all impacted parties in the loop. Here’s why help desk software is essential for IT best practices for every company: 1. Customizable and efficient At their most basic level, help desk software allows workers and customers (at the company’s discretion) to submit issues electronically to get them fixed quickly so everyone can be more productive. Tickets are electronically submitted explaining the issue and can even be customized and submitted by issue (i.e., website, system), building location and department, etc. 2. Centralizes and prioritizes IT requests Obviously certain issues require immediate attention (i.e., failed servers that affect day to day business). Help desk solutions ensure all submitted tickets are in one centralized location, sorted, and prioritized so technicians can address as such.

Today, consumers are more and more likely to shop online rather than at an actual brick and mortar retail location. With the emergence of online retail giants, like Amazon and Shopify, we can find and buy anything we want online and have it shipped to our homes in a matter of days. In a 2016 report for eMarketer entitled “Worldwide Retail Ecommerce Sales: The eMarketer Forecast”, ecommerce sales on a global level are expected to increase by $4 trillion by the year 2020. Here’s how ecommerce software can help your small business increase your sales revenue and consumer base: 1. Know your customers Firstly, ecommerce software provides a unique inside scoop on your customer and potential customer base. So companies can gather analytics on consumers and tailor every interaction based on consumers: Shopping habits Likes and dislikes Reviews and expectations 2. Open 24-hours Ecommerce solutions also allow small businesses to cater to audiences on a larger scale (potentially around the globe) and provide company and product info, and sales around the clock via a retail website where they can place orders 24/7. 3. Grow your business Ecommerce solutions open your business to the world. You can suddenly use your website to reach consumers in different neighborhoods, cities, states, and countries that were never available to you as a brick and mortar location.

Do you have a heap of credit card debt or student loans to pay off? You’re not alone. In fact, many folks are turning to second jobs in order to make rent and utilities, and pay for groceries and other monthly expenses. After all, you can only cut your expenses so much before you’re skipping meals or living without the basic essentials to make ends meet. So if you’ve already cut down your monthly expenses as much as possible, you can try to earn some extra cash flow with these promising side gigs: 1. Uber driver The great thing about becoming an Uber driver is that it offers you the flexibility to set your own hours. Basically you decide when you work. Side gigs, like driving for Uber of Lyft, let you take on more hours when you can and scale down when you’re busy with other work or studies. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to get to know a new city and it’s residents. To become an Uber driver you must first pass a thorough background check and your driving record must be clean. Obviously, rates depend on routes driven. 2. Pet sitting Animal lovers will appreciate a side hustle that lets them earn extra money caring for cats, dogs, rabbits, gerbils, and even parrots and lizards.

Working from home undeniably comes with several perks that you simply can’t overlook. The freedom to follow any schedule of your choice minus the traffic certainly sounds great. Parents, in particular, prefer this option as they can work while they parent. Stress is reduced thereby enhancing productivity when working from home is an option. Working from home can be either part time or full time. If you want to start working from home then here is everything you need to know: Do you have the best business internet provider? When you work from home, you will be spending a lot of time on the internet. For this, you need to ensure you have the best business internet provider giving you a connection that is fast and stable so that you can complete your tasks seamlessly. There are several factors that you need to consider when you are selecting an internet provider. The speed, customer service, and reliability are factors that you need to prioritize. Here is a list of small business internet service providers that are the best business internet providers in the industry: AT&T Verizon FiOS Charter Spectrum Comcast XFINITY Each data provider has a different set of best business internet options for data usage that you can opt for based on your business needs.

Customer satisfaction is a priority for a number of business owners these days. If you have a lot of customers, many business owners feel that there’s a need to revamp the company’s existing strategy of driving more customers to the brand. At any time did you feel that your company is neglecting your existing customers? Then the best way forward is to focus on customer relationship management. Feedback from your existing customers is also important to improve your business and your relationship with each customer in order to create loyalty among existing customers and word-of-mouth publicity to fetch new customers. To do this, using effective CRM for small business apps may help improve customer satisfaction in these ways: When you are using apps for proper communication with customers, this method can make or break the brand image. So, make sure to train your team to engage in a proper way with all the customers. You should also be able to provide inbuilt tools for proper ticketing management and live support by using help desk software. While it is preferred that someone from the company should always be available so that customers will be able to reach you at any time.

If you ever stumble upon the greatest business idea of all times, which has no option to fail, you may still not be able to get started with that business. Why? One of the main reasons many small businesses never get off the ground is initial financing. Lack of money can be a major roadblock in your path to success. However, seeking a small business loan can be really helpful, but for some people even the process of securing a small business loan can seem to be a complicated and frustrating process. Proper planning and research on available small business loans can help you get a loan with ease. Read on to know more about the different types of small business loans based on your business needs: Line of credit for small business Term loans for small business Working Capital loans Small business loans Small business credit cards How to secure a small business loan Find the right lender who will be able to give you the best small business loans as there are so many options available in the market and finding the best is the key. You need to do your homework before you apply for the loan.

In recent years, the retail industry has undergone a profound transformation. Consumers are empowering brands with their expectations and demanding personalized conveniences. Therefore, companies are opting for business intelligence reporting tools, such as POS systems, to improve their speed, quality, and sales at the same time. A POS system, or point-of-sale system, is already being used by many retailers at the places where a retail transaction has been completed. Using a POS system, a merchant can calculate the total amount to be paid by the customer. This is done by generating an invoice to the customer and indicating certain options to make payment. With this business intelligence platform, the need for price tags on products is slowly eliminating, as the prices can be seen through product codes. POS software includes certain features like CRM, inventory management, warehousing, and financing. How does a POS system work? To understand the POS system, you cannot ignore its setup process. The POS System comprises of the main server, as well as one, two, or more terminal stations. This business intelligence reporting tool includes both POS software and hardware for setup and proper functioning. What is a POS system used for? A point of sale system in a retail store usually consists of a computer, cash drawer, customer display, receipt printer, and a barcode scanner.

Business intelligence works wonders for enabling small, medium, and large businesses by optimizing decision-making and enhancing performance. Our guide below strives to help you develop an understanding of business intelligence, different business intelligence software, and how they can help make your business a cut above the rest. Business Intelligence (or BI) refers to anything or everything that can help enhance a business’s or an organization’s performance ranging from the best business practices to software, infrastructure, and other tools. It is essentially information analysis, which involves retrieving information from different parts of the business and then converting it into reports, charts, and other mediums. BI can be used for looking into any aspect of your business, such as to see how well your sales efforts are doing, for measuring staff performance, and for assessing the efficiency of your manufacturing process. Small businesses usually hesitate to use business intelligence or business intelligence software because they simply aren’t aware of its benefits. However, once you become aware of the following benefits of BI, you would be more convinced about using it for your small business: It makes arriving at informed decisions much easier. It is a structured way that helps improve the efficiency of business operations.

A Master of Business Administration (or MBA) is one of the most sought-after degrees among business executives. There are many different streams for you to choose as your MBA specialization. When it comes to placements, there are a plethora of openings seeking MBA graduates. The best way to gain an inside opinion on getting that coveted job offer is by learning the best way to sell yourself from MBA recruiters directly. An MBA from a reputed university takes a lot of time and money, but it will allow you to reap the benefits. These days, online MBA programs are also becoming widely popular. They offer the same course by enrolling you in online classes from some of the best Universities around the world while you study from home. MBA recruiters seek certain skills from MBA graduates. The following skills can help you sell your skills and gain lucrative job opportunities: Leadership Leadership is a quality that is expected of all MBA graduates. If you manage to exhibit it, there is a high chance that you have impressed your interviewer. Teamwork Teamwork is quintessential for the success of any company. Having the ability to work with others is vital for an MBA graduate.

Have you ever wondered what goes behind the making of a great leader? It is often quoted that great leaders are not born but made. The role of leaders is far bigger than what a common eye can perceive. Leaders are capable of influencing others around them. It is certainly a rare quality that you cannot see in all. For those willing to polish their leadership qualities there are organizational leadership development programs that can help you achieve your leadership goals. These initiatives are curated to shape a person into a leader. With these skills embedded, there is certainly a lot that can be achieved. In managing an organization, leadership plays a crucial role. A good leader maximizes the efficiency of the entire management and helps ensure that all organizational goals are achieved in the best possible way. Here is a list of reasons, why leadership is important: Leaders initiate action For motivating teams Provides guidance Boosts confidence Increases morale Building a work environment Coordination among co-workers These qualities are vital for the growth of a company and so, are the qualities that are often looked for in candidates. Organizational leadership programs can help you achieve: Career growth Over the last few years, businesses have seen a lot of developments and innovations.