How to avoid your own Delta IT disaster

Earlier this year, thousands of Delta passengers worldwide were grounded due to a power outage that halted critical IT operations. This was a huge problem not only for the many delayed travelers, but also for the airline company itself. Within three days, the airline company cancelled around 2300 flights and paid over millions of dollars in downtime costs.

Best Options for CRM Software in 2016

As the saying goes, “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” If oceans were to separate you from your loved ones, what would you do? Would you communicate as much as you used to? Would you still check in from time to time? Now, apply this sentiment to your business; what would happen if communication with your customers broke down? Following up on orders or keeping track with progress would become a nightmare - it’s time for CRM software to save the day:

Since every business differs in terms of size, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to CRM. Thus, varying corporate sizes require unique CRM software that best addresses requirements.

Schedule meetings with Microsoft FindTime

The art of organizing a meeting is much like chess. Each player has different possible moves, or availabilities; and it's up to you to strategize which pieces to move where, or which events to schedule (or reschedule) when. The objective is to land on a square wherein all participants can attend, but achieving this goal often demands a tiring and time-consuming process.

5 ways to make tech trends work for you

What tech fads has your SMB recently written off as silly and not worth your time? 3D printing, internet of things…Pokémon GO? Juvenile as they may seem at first, these trends helped to make a lot of businesses a lot of money. Navigating the quickly rising and falling auspices of the tech world may seem like a lost cause, but with the right know-how, you can make, connect, and catch profits by exploiting the tech trends of the day.

Data in, buzzword out

One of your business’s most valuable assets is data, and ensuring its safety should be a top priority for your IT department. But what of the fact that there are so many different types of data nowadays? It seems like every few months there’s a new buzzword for the latest flavor, so it’s important that you get a taste of each new kind to ensure you’re up-to-date.

Why your company needs to be on Instagram

It's astounding how celebrities manage to amass millions of followers and gain thousands of likes for posting a photo of their shadow. Companies of all sizes would go crazy for that kind of exposure, but rarely do their wishes get granted. But not all hope is lost, start small and take baby steps with the help of Instagram’s recently-announced tools that help make the process of establishing your company’s presence an easier one:
Business profile pages
Previously, it was hard for Instagram users to distinguish an account belonging to a business from one that is dedicated to cats, but with the Business Profile feature, that’s a problem of the past.

Creating online communities for businesses

Gamers require an effective strategy to thwart the boss, athletes require constant updates on the latest tournaments to improve performance and businesses require an online community to fully thrive. As the saying goes: ‘What comes easy won’t last, and what lasts won’t come easy’. This is especially true when you embark on building an online community for your company.

Live video: a free way to reach new customers

Having direct access to customers is a gold mine for SMBs and with the increasing popularity of live video services it’s just a matter of deciding what to broadcast. The strategies for live broadcasting are very different than pre-recorded video and it’s important to reevaluate how you’ll present company information in this medium.