Getting Organised Amongst Business Chaos

April 28, 2018
Operations, Planning, Systems, Technology
0 Comments

Everyone is time poor – how often, when you ask someone how they’re doing, do they respond with a simple “busy”? Sometimes, it’s with a smile – after all, being busy in business usually means money is coming in. Other times, their expression is more akin to utter exhaustion – being busy can leave us feeling drained and weary. How do we get organised amongst all the business chaos?

We all have the same 24 hours each day, so how do we make the most of that time, feel organised and avoid becoming depleted of energy along the way?

Of course, there are simple things we can be doing every day to make sure we stay productive, have a great mindset and stay sane amongst all the chaos. Eating healthily, exercising throughout the day, taking scheduled breaks, maintaining a great filing system and using technology to your advantage are all great ways to get the most out of every day and stay organised.

Here at Bx, we strive to be implementing every single one of the above but we are huge fans of using apps and other bits of technology to our advantage.

Why apps to get organised?

Technology is everywhere – there’s no denying it, but instead of treating the influx of technology as a negative, we’ve chosen to treat it as a great opportunity. Apps can integrate with our phones as well as our desktop and keep us organised and productive throughout our days, no matter where we are. Which apps do we swear by?

Asana

Free for up to 15 users, Asana is a project management tool that keeps all your employees on the same page and across every detail of every project. It’s like a to-do list on steroids. It has changed the way we work at Bx in the last few years and turning back won’t be an option.

Life Cycle and Sleep Cycle

Using both these apps together lets you track your days and nights so that you know exactly how you’re using your time and what you need to do to improve your productivity. Life Cycle tracks your days, taking note of where you go and how long you spend doing certain activities. This is great for those workaholics amongst us who don’t even realise they spent 90 hours working this week. Meanwhile, Sleep Cycle tracks how long you sleep as well as the cycles within your sleep and wakes you up when you’re in the lightest stage of sleep.

Evernote

If you’re carrying around your laptop, phone or tablet anyway, it doesn’t make sense to decide to add a notepad to your luggage so using Evernote is a great way to have the convenience of a notepad combined with the convenience of technology. Evernote allows you to take notes any time just like any other notebook app, but you can pull other documents into the app, videos, photos and snippets from the web to compile a notebook that fully encompasses your vision for whatever you happen to be working on. Keep it all in the one place so you’re not wasting time searching for that great idea you had last week!

Have you found some great ways to use technology in your business? We’d love to know more about what works for you and your business and help you out by sharing our successes too. Call Bx on 1300 068 229, or find out more about what we do here http://www.businessforlife.com.au/ProgramFindOutMore

Do people skills matter in business?

March 30, 2018
Attitude, Customer Service, Mindset, Outsourcing, Systems, Technology
0 Comments

In days gone by, technological expertise was more highly regarded than people skills. It was all about what you could do, not necessarily how you interacted with others while you did it. Now, that attitude has shifted quite dramatically. With technological advances, more and more jobs that involve manual labour are being replaced by automation and machines. People skills are more important than ever!

What are people skills?

Whether they’re referred to as social skills, people skills and interpersonal skills, they are essentially all the same; someone’s ability to communicate and interact with others in a positive way.

Those with people skills often exhibit:

Behaviour that builds trust easily
A reluctance to involve themselves in drama, power grabbing schemes or gossip
Respectful behaviour towards the people around them.
Great communication skills when it comes to explaining what they want
Tact when it comes to delivering bad or inconvenient news
Fantastic listening skills
A willingness to participate

Fortunately, artificial intelligence hasn’t grasped the concept of emotional intelligence just yet, so now is the chance to be developing our people skills in our businesses and making our businesses known for their exceptional interpersonal skills.

Not only do social skills really improve the relationship between owners and employees or amongst the employees themselves, these skills can also help when it comes to customer interactions or networking with fellow business owners.

How can we develop people skills?

Consciously considering what you’re good at when it comes to interacting with others in your day-to-day business life can be a great place to start developing those people skills. Awareness might be the first step but there is a multitude of different practical ways to be better at interacting with people:

Stand out! Are you prone to lurking in the corners at networking events or letting all your customers deal with an online feedback form rather than being accessible? Get out there and make yourself known to other people – just by taking the step towards being accessible is an improvement.
Ask personal questions. These shouldn’t be so personal that they make the other person feel uncomfortable. Simply asking what they’re passionate about or what they would do if they won the lottery could open them up and build trust between you.
Accept offers. Have you ever been at someone’s house or office when they’ve offered you a glass of water or a snack? How often do you say yes? Saying yes puts your host at ease, makes them feel like they’re being useful and it breaks the ice ever so slightly – if you’re not already in the habit of saying yes, now is the time to start.
Listen. It seems simple enough, but it’s one of the hardest things to do. Next time you’re in conversation with someone, listen intently, make eye contact, don’t interrupt and think about what has been said to you before you speak.
Ask for feedback. Not only does this give the other person a chance to talk, it shows that you’re willing to improve and it’s another way to build trust in business relationships – you care about what they have to say, and they’ll care about what you’re providing.

People skills are more important than ever – challenge yourself to start trying some of these ways to improve your own interpersonal skills and see how your business benefits from the stronger relationships you form.

Are you harnessing and developing your existing people skills to take your business to the next level? We’d love to speak with you about how we could help your business to improve its performance. Call Bx on 1300 068 229, or find out more about what we do here http://www.businessforlife.com.au/ProgramFindOutMore

5 Must Have Apps for Start-Ups

December 08, 2015
Technology
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5 Must Have Apps for Start Ups

When you are starting a business, it can be hard to know which tools will help your business to thrive, yet still be affordable. The great news is that there are many tools which are robust in functionality and low in cost – or sometimes even free – that will give your business the right foundations right from the start. Start-ups are most successful when they use technology to help scale their business fast. Here’s a rundown of some of Bx’s favourite tools and apps to help you structure your business and that will scale with you as your business needs shift.

1. Quickbooks Online

Every business needs to make and receive payments, and the right accounting software can streamline that process. At Bx, we love Quickbooks Online as it has pricing packages to suit varying business requirements and you can upgrade functionality as your business grows. Quickbooks Online makes it easy to generate quotes and invoices, and with the mobile app you can instantly upload expense receipts on-the-go. By connecting your bank accounts and credit cards, Quickbooks Online makes it easy to get an instant view of your finances – and all business owners know how valuable that is.

2. Asana

Asana makes it easy to allocate activities to team members and track projects from start to finish. By clearly outlining responsibilities and next steps, everyone knows what they need to be doing and by when. Asana helps business owners to see the status of projects at a glance and reduces unnecessary meetings.

3. Google Apps

With bucket-loads of functionality, Google Apps is worthy of its own post. Collaborating on documents and managing version control is made easy by sharing files on Google Drive. For word processing, spreadsheets, presentations and more, Google Apps makes working in teams a breeze and saves huge amounts on software licensing fees. As well as Google Docs, Google Apps includes email, calendars, video conferencing, intranet functionality and more. There’s also an ever growing number of third party add-ons to investigate.

4. Secret Server Online

Secret Server Online is a powerful password management tool. It allows businesses to create a centralised, web-based repository of passwords and assign various levels of user permissions to team members. It creates and stores strong passwords, and can also be used to securely store sensitive data such as credit card details and product license keys.

5. MailChimp integrated with InstaPage

Email marketing remains a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes. An important tenet of email marketing is that you should be able to trace where traffic has come from and measure the success of your campaigns. MailChimp provides excellent email management functionality that is easy to use, while InstaPage makes it easy to create landing pages to direct customers to. Used together, they provide a cost-effective platform to get the best results from your email marketing campaign. Make sure you upgrade from the free version (it’s about $10 per month) to take advantage of the automation features.

The next level?

In time, you might find that your business outgrows these tools, and we can help guide you in choosing new apps once that point is reached.
The right technology can make a massive difference to your business – what tools do you love? Let us know if you agree with our picks or if you have different favourites. If you are struggling to get the right technology to help your business scale, we’d love to help you out. Call Bx on 1300 068 229 or find out about our Business for Life Program

Technology

Technology has begun to rule our lives, yes? My first mobile phone was a Nokia 1610 (in 1996!), there were no apps on it, no Facebook or other social media was around. Get this, email first started being used in the mid 1990’s! Now, I know I am sounding old here, but I’m only in my 30’s and I can still remember being at uni and in the workforce, and not using email, and not having Facebook! I can still remember having an alarm clock by my bed and reading a book before going to sleep!
With the rise of technology, our time is now dominated with an OPPORTUNITY to be connected at every instance of the day and night. To be purposeful and have the best day, week, month, year and life every – you need to be the master of your time, and therefore use technology and NOT let it use you!
Here are my top tech tips:
1. Email – this is a quick communication tool. It is not designed to rule your day.

• Check it maximum twice daily
• Don’t let your inbox be your to-do list. Don’t action items from your inbox, create a task instead.
• Create rules/ filters to file/ archive messages that clutter your inbox
• All actionable items in an email should be created as a task.

2. Embrace the Technology, it should increase your productivity, not take up your time

• Check out my blog on ‘The Top Tech Tips’.

3. Task Management – There are heaps of options for managing your tasks. Without a doubt, the hands-down best app I have seen and used for managing your tasks is…Asana. This has revolutionised our workplace and team communication. And even better at a base level it’s free!

4. Outsource – many people think that outsourcing is expensive, but if you know where to go it really isn’t. Here are some options for outsourcing and an idea of what this may cost:

• Bookkeeping – you may do all your accounts, or have people that do this in-house, but can some of it, or all of it be outsourced? The answer is probably yes. One of my businesses has been providing an outsourcing solution for all your bookkeeping needs, and provides bookkeeping solutions from around $100 per week. You can also check out Odesk, bookkeepers on Odesk usually work on an hourly rate of about $6-$15 per hour (depending on experience).
• Graphic Design – there are thousands of graphic designers on Upwork (formerly Odesk). Don’t pay a fortune, when you don’t have to. If you have a good idea of what you need, artwork can cost you from as little as $20!
• Data Entry – We get all our admin/ data entry work done for many of our businesses through Upwork (formerly Odesk). It’s not only cost effective, but is done professionally and quickly.
• Rostering & Payroll – one of my businesses is an online rostering and payroll company, we serve thousands of clients, who opt for a no-fuss, cloud based solution for their rostering & payroll for their businesses. What used to take them days a week, is approved in minutes and actually saves them money.
• Personal Assistants – one of the best things an entrepreneur or business owner can do is have someone manage their email. There are many options with outsourcing this, from using someone on Upwork (formerly Odesk), or using an affiliate company in Australia, such as Ms Virtual Assistant.

It is important to embrace technology to serve us, not let it distract, delay or reduce your productivity.

Do you have a story to share about Technology? We’d love to speak about how we could help your business to move forward with Technology and have great success. Call Bx on 1300 068 229 or find out about our Business for Life Program.

Top Tech Tips

June 12, 2015
blog, Marketing, Operations, Sales, Technology
11 Comments

The most successful people, are those that are highly productive and are masters at getting things done efficiently and effectively. They know what to focus on, when to focus on it, and for how long. Technology has made productivity more achievable and easier for everyone, but only if you embrace it, and not let it rule your life.

Here are my Top Tech Tips:

Asana – This is a project and task management tool that we use in our organisation. Think Outlook Tasks on steroids. If there is more than one person in your team, this is an absolute MUST. It is free for up to 15 users and has great functionality.

Google Apps – I was a Microsoft junkie. I had been using Microsoft Office for years and knew it inside out. I was avoiding the change because i was so comfortable with Office. At the beginning of 2015, we switched from Office to Google Apps. What a difference! The most significant difference is the number of apps that integrate with Google Apps. This provides almost limited additional functionality and automation.

Google Sites – As with Google Apps, this is a must for any business and their intranet/ Systems manual

Secret Sever – In an age where internet security is critical to every business, Secret Server provides online access on your PC and phone for all of your passwords. You can share access within your organisation. Never write down another password again.

Orderfast – An amazing app-based ordering system designed for small business. OrderFast allows you to place all your stock orders straight from your smartphone, iPhone or iPad at the click of a button

Online Accounts – Don’t mess around with accounting software. Having your accounts in the cloud is an absolute must – no exceptions, for any business. QuickBooks Online is fantastic for small business and has tonnes of integrations, making it extremely powerful. We use QuickBooks Online for all of our businesses.

IWS – Australia’s largest provider of integrated rostering and payroll, IWS offers cloud based rostering for shift based workers as well as fully integrated payroll and bookkeeping for businesses. Priced especially for small businesses, IWS is a great solution to allow business owners to stop working in their business and work on it.

UpWork (formerly Odesk) – Find freelancers on Upwork – the world’s largest online workplace for freelancers. My business has used Upwork for a few years. We have had mostly good experiences with freelancers. the benefit vs cost is significant, although ensure you match the candidate to the job, and usually it is best to have a couple of final candidates and put them both to the test. Clear communication on what is expected is also essential. Outsource to Upwork everything you possibly can. Trust me, you will save a bomb AND the quality and timing of work is great and it’s twenty-four hours a day!

Facebook – Most businesses rely on people spending money with them to grow…correct? To achieve this, we need customers, and therefore in most cases we need new leads or opportunities. If your business is not yet on Facebook, then this should be a serious consideration for you. Not only can you post and update your current customers, but Facebook is one of the best (if not the best) lead generation platform. With recent changes, it has become even better.

Landing Pages – Landing pages are like a stand alone web page or series of web pages where you send your leads to (rather than your website). A lead page guarantees you a higher rate of conversion or opt-in than sending to your web page which is often confusing for a lead as on a web page, there is usually no one single purpose and call to action. There are a few great options for lead pages. In our company we use Instapage, and have also used Leadpages.

MailChimp – Online email marketing solution to manage contacts, send emails and track results. Offers plug-ins for other programs. Mailchimp is where the information that your leads have submitted through your lead page is stored. Mailchimp then allows you to create marketing channels, email flow and so forth to communicate with these customers, to move them from a lead to a paying customer.

With all of the above, there are skills required to use these tools. It is always best to work with someone who knows what they are doing. Our suggestion always is, learn as much as you can from a trusted source, and then find a company you can outsource the work to, that will give you the greatest results. Ultimately, you should budget cost vs. return, and look at all technology as an option to increase productivity and sales in your business.

The advice above is based on what has work in our business. The advice may not be right for everyone, and you should consider this when making decisions. Feel free to reach out to us for assistance.

Archives: Technology