productivity · Page 8 of 12

4 Signs That Say You Need Small Business CRM

Developing relationships with customers is the backbone for any small business. Customer referrals and word of mouth are the best lead generation tools. How you develop and nurture these relationships is key. That is why a CRM (customer relationship management) system is essential.

According to this article, at its simplest, a CRM system allows businesses to manage business relationships and the data and information associated with them.

With a CRM, you can centralize all of the details about every customer in one place. Every customer can feel connected without you or your staff having to memorize personal information about each one. You may be on the fence about doing away with spreadsheets and investing in a CRM.

Here are 4 signs that say you should invest in CRM

1. Your Spreadsheets are Out of Control

Starting off with spreadsheets may have worked in the beginning stages of your business. However, if you find that your spreadsheets have too many columns, are growing too long, and it is difficult to simply search and find important information, your business has outgrown this method of customer management.

2. Client Information is Not Updated Properly

Chances are you and multiple staff are responsible for updating client information in a spreadsheet or other document. If you find that updating client details in a document is low on your list of priorities or that others are failing to input data, it is time to become better organized. A CRM can help automate these processes.

3. You Wish Everything was Automated

Are you and your staff discussing your contact management spreadsheet in every meeting? How about bringing up new ways or methods to make it easier on everyone? If you are constantly thinking about a better way to manage client data without having to manually organize it, you are definitely ready for an updated system.

4. Training New Employees is an Arduous Process

Your current staff are up to par with how the customer relationship spreadsheet works, but what about new employees? There is a method to the madness, however, trying to train new staff about how this method works can take a lot longer than it should. A CRM can cut training time significantly and increase productivity time for everyone using the system.

How you follow-up with your customers can determine how well your business does in the long-term. A CRM not only manages and automates your customer’s information, it can also set follow-up reminders and notify you of where each customer is in the sales funnel. Overall, a CRM will help you and your staff develop better customer relationships.

Are you ready to learn how a customer relationship management system can power up your business? Consult with a managed service provider that specializes in CRM integration.

Contact us today to schedule a consultation. Our team can put together a system that will streamline the work load, improving efficiency.

crm customer relationship management

The Office 365 And VoIP Integration Can Have A Positive Impact On Your Small Business

The integration of Office 365 and VoIP is a great step for businesses to take, especially those who want to save a significant amount of money when long distance phone calls have to be made. A business can save on long distance calls, while not having to make a steep investment in the hardware and software.

With the Office 365 and VoIP integration, your business will have a sophisticated system that is not difficult to use. Your system will be unified with your messaging and conference calls, and you will have an enterprise level online presence. A great thing about VoIP is the support it has been getting from Microsoft Skype for Business.

The Microsoft Skype for Business software makes it very simple and convenient for a business to integrate VoIP into their business. Just about every person in a business is familiar and comfortable with Microsoft products, and they know what to expect from Microsoft software. Skype uses the Microsoft interface that we are used to seeing.This makes it a smooth transition for everyone in your business or organization. It will not be difficult for employees to get used to the new system because it will seem so familiar to them.

When your employees use Microsoft Skype for Business for the first time, they will see all of the collaboration features that it offers. The software makes it very easy for employees to send messages or make phone calls. So, it will be very easy for everyone in the office to connect and communicate with each other to discuss the business. This will definitely come in handy when team members need to have meetings or conferences. Since the system is simple and straight-forward, your business will not have to spend money on training sessions or spend extra time showing employees what needs to be done to put a conference or meeting together.

Integrating Office 365 and VoIP and having the support of Skype, will help your business improve in its communication efforts. It is also a money saver. Since VoIP was first brought to people’s attention, several things have changed since then. It is has seen great improvements, and it can significantly help your small business.

office 365 voip

Office 365 with VoIP integration: Affordable and mobile

basic features of voip phone services adding new phone lines and numbers

The world’s workforce is getting increasingly more mobile. This can leave businesses looking for a highly accessible and affordable solution to help them get the job done. Here’s the solution: Office 365 with VoIP integration. And here’s why.

* Office 365 with VoIP integration combines Microsoft technologies and applications for a single, complete cloud-based solution created to help businesses communicate with each other and with their clients.

* Businesses can now access a 24/7 work environment from where ever they are and with whatever device they happen to be using for consistent work flow.

* Available through Office 365 and VoIP is Microsoft Skype for Business, which provides instant messaging, Face Time, and standard phone service. Other collaborative tools provided through Office 365 VoIP include Office Online, Exchange Online and SharePoint Online.

* Office 365 VoIP users have the benefit of scalable solutions. Pay for the solutions that your company needs, not the “package” that someone else thinks a company “like yours” needs.

* The Office 365 VoIP service provides enterprise-class security, privacy and reliability at a price that small to medium sized businesses can afford.

* Get managed services from a provider who understands that VoIP can strengthen your company through integration, but only if that integration is done properly.

* Office 365 VoIP can help you expand your business hours and provides credibility with your customers, as your ability to communicate with them and the ways in which you can do that are greatly enhanced.

4 Corners IT understands that there is more to your business than just its technology. We want to help you make the most effective use of technology in order to reach a higher level of success. For more information, contact us.

business continuity integration office 365 voip

BYOD Policies, Part 2: 3 Tips to Keep Your Program Running Smoothly

In Part I, we discussed how BYOD policies are becoming more common across a

multitude of businesses and industries, and the downfall of BYODs. However, being

that these programs are so popular, we also wanted to share a few helpful hints

about what you can do to make the most of your BYOD policies if you’ve decided

it’s the best option for your company.

1. Have a multi-layered security & management strategy

Geo-fencing is a new technique used to secure and disarm devices based.

Stay up-to-date with network security – upgrades are critical to data loss.

In healthcare, use HIPAA-compliant servers to better protect patient data.

Use blacklists to detect when data-sharing apps are installed on location. For example, this technique could lock down the camera or certain apps when an employee enters the workplace.

Prevention.

(i.e.Dropbox), but also work to determine if sharing is an attempt to

bypass security or to be more productive.

2. Assess costs regularly

• Negotiate costs with wireless carriers and contract an unlimited plan;

• Be prepared for yearly increases in user demand and upgrade wireless

3. Create and implement a user agreement

• Describe in detail the responsibilities and liabilities for both employees

encourage use of company Wi-Fi while at work.

networks to maintain reliable performance.

and the company. Users must agree to give IT some control, i.e. when

a device goes missing, call IT to attempt a data wipe before calling the

service provider.

• Establish clear guidelines for downloading apps.

• Train staff on protocol for security breaches.

Need more help implementing a security or management plan? Contact us and we’ll

walk you through the strategy that works best for your SMB.

business continuity productivity

BYOD Policies, Part I: 5 Things to Consider Before Implementing A Program

BYOD Policies, or Bring Your Own Device programs are becoming more popular across a

multitude of industries and businesses, including healthcare and SMBs. A study

by Osterman Research reports that 82% of organizations use personal devices to

access corporate email, databases and other applications.. Sure, this type of program

has its benefits – such as reduced costs for employers who no longer need to buy the

latest devices, there’s no training time required, and productivity could increase as

a result of each user being more comfortable with their personal device. It’s easy

to see why BYOD options are becoming more commonplace, but before you launch

your own program, consider the downfalls as well.

1. Time management

When it comes to staff bringing their own device to work, the lines between

business and personal use sometimes seem to blur. Are users doing business-
related work, or spending time on games, videos, emails, or social media?

2. Increased cost with service providers

Some employees may see a BYOD program as an opportunity to upgrade to

a more expensive data plan, or make international calls without footing the

bill.

3. Data security

Personal devices sometimes skirt the inbound filters that are normally set

on corporate devices and are therefore more susceptible to malware. These

devices can also be more prone to hackers or a virus, putting not only the

device at risk, but company data as well.

4. Legal compliance

BYODs that bypass outbound filters are at a higher risk of violating data

privacy laws and regulatory requirements.

5. Lost/stolen devices

If not immediately reported, the device may not have a full remote wipe

completed before data is breached. To make matters worse, even when

reported promptly, the data published by Osterman Research shows that

roughly 1 in 4 personal smartphones could be remotely wiped.

Stay tuned for Part II on BYODs, where we’ll talk about ways to ensure safe and

effective BYOD programs! If you would like more information about IT support,

business continuity