Tech Productions Blog Posts

The latest technology news, tutorials, tips and procedures

3 Helpful Tech Tools That Can Improve Your Business

August 20, 2020

With all the technology out there, there are great options for tech that can help your business. Project management software, text-based survey software, and live chat software are three tech tools that can improve your business.

Project Management Software

Using project management software has many benefits for a business. Trying to juggle the different moving parts involved in handling multiple projects at a time, including people, deadlines, tasks, goals, and more, can lead to chaos, disorganization, and even sub-par work at times.

Project management software is useful because it can help you minimize time spent on the little things and keep you from doing more work than you need to. With project management software, you can improve planning and scheduling, have better collaboration, achieve effective task delegation, make file access and sharing much easier, integrate new members more easily, mitigate risks effectively, manage your budget better, work remotely, and even enhance productivity.

Text-based Survey Software

Surveys are very helpful for businesses because they allow you to pinpoint weaknesses and concerns in your product and customer experience. Survey data allows your business to make needed changes and improve, leading to greater success.

There are many benefits of text-based survey software. Using such software can save you time—surveys are distributed automatically through brief texts. Now, no one on your team has to spend time writing a customer survey request and manually sending it to your customers. You can also get quick responses and communicate back and forth with the customer.

Live Chat Software

Live chat software is another very helpful tech tool for businesses. Besides being easy to set up and sometimes even free, being able to live chat with customers comes with many benefits. With a live chat option, you can reduce your business’s expenses, increase your sales, improve your customer service and customer loyalty, isolate customer pain points, resolve problems much faster, make things more convenient for your customers, reap competitive advantages, expand your market reach, be more proactive, and harvest even more data.

Live chat has been proven to have the highest customer satisfaction levels when compared to email and phone communications. Customers return to businesses who offer a live chat feature. With live chat, customers don’t have to wait, and the option of sending a quick question through your live chat software is much more convenient than alternative channels.

By incorporating tech like project management software, text-based survey software, and live chat software, you can improve your business in many ways. Consider what helpful tech you could add to make your business better.

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4 Ways Technology Can Promote Unity Among Your Employees

January 20, 2020

Innovations in technology have, throughout the years, helped business leaders reach higher potentials than they’ve ever imagined, both financially and within product design. However, what if there is another way technology can help you with another critical area of your business? Employee unity is an essential part of any business, no matter the size. Here are four ways tech can help promote unity among your employees.

Workplace Communication

In today’s business world, those who have the information have the power. Therefore, at number one, is communication. Communication is critical for any business project to not only take off but take off smoothly. By utilizing mobile apps such as Slack, you can begin to communicate better with your employees regarding important areas of the business. You might be thinking, isn’t text enough? Text is often not the best choice when dealing in business because the mixing of personal and work life can deter employees from even looking at their messages. It is always best to have a designated area for this type of communication.

Automation

One of the most common issues within a workplace involves reminders. It is often someone’s job to remind another or themselves to do a particular task at a certain time. However, with so much going on, this can simply be forgotten. Confidence in each team member goes down, and so does the percentage of success for your project. Automation tools such as timed emails or mobile app reminders can allow your staff to keep everything on track and have confidence over each other that will enable them to innovate and pour better productivity into their work.

Wellness Tracking

Believe it or not, wellness programs actually help unify your employees. This is because it is something real and familiar to everyone. Studies show that company-wide nutrition events promote nutrition and unity if done correctly. The first step is to create a program that won’t alienate anyone. This means it cannot be too difficult nor too easy. A great way to help you gather data on the reliability and success of your program is to include wellness tracking technology. This can be as simple as developing an online chart where people can post their progress and encourage others to go as far as purchasing your employees fit-watches that provide them with real-time data.

Cloud-Based Storage Tools

The reality of a business is that not everyone can be at the office all the time. Business meetings, family matters, and other daily issues can force people to have to work remotely. This doesn’t have to bring everything to a halt. A great way to promote unity amongst your employees is to provide them mediums where they are being kept in the loop. Cloud-based storage tools provide this very service. Employees can add or detract work in real-time, thus promoting confidence and unity among your employees.

Promoting unity amongst your employees is easier said than done. However, by utilizing the tips listed above, you can begin making this process that much easier. Test out any of these suggestions and see what works best for your particular office and employees.

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Which Work Benefits Are the Most Important for Employees?

January 15, 2020

A business is made up of many factors—the most important one being the employees. Without employees to keep everything running smoothly, eventually, a business could start to crumble. Employees play a vital role in every company, however, they do it for a reason. Some employees want higher salaries while other employees want specific benefits.

Paid Time Off

Paid time off (PTO) is a very common benefit that many employees expect to have. Basically, it allows employees to get paid while taking time off from their job. When your employees are overworked without taking a break, they can become more stressed and less productive. Giving them paid time off can give them time to recharge or spend time with their loved ones. It allows employees to relax and take a breather without having to worry about missing hours. If a company doesn’t offer PTO, it can end up costing them in the long run. The business will start to lose money and the employee retention rate will definitely go down.

Health Programs

Another benefit that’s important to employees is health and fitness programs. It’s important to remember that employees need time to recharge their batteries. They have wants and needs, and the most important one is keeping their health in good condition. In fact, statistics show that wellness programs reduce sickness rates. In addition to providing health insurance, offering health programs such as preventative care can do wonders for your employees overall well-being. It can significantly boost morale, improve your employees’ mood and keep them in good health.

Retirement

Finally, offering your employees retirement benefits helps out everyone. Not only will it open the door to more potential recruits, but you also get to save on taxes. In addition, it also helps you save for your retirement as well. Giving employees the opportunity to save for their retirement helps them look toward the future. If this is your first-time offering retirement, you might not know how it works. To provide your employees with a retirement plan, a separate account needs to be made for each employee. From there, a small cut from their paycheck is placed into the retirement account. Furthermore, it’s important to know that taxes won’t be taken out of the retirement accounts until the money is withdrawn from it.

There are a lot of employee benefits you can offer, but these three are among the most important. If you’re not sure what your employees really want, just ask them. This too will make for a happier work environment and will ensure that your employee retention rates remain high.

How Companies Can Reduce Multitasking

December 5, 2019

In the world of business, the name of the game is efficiency. Companies that can get more done within a 40-hour workweek tend to be the most successful and well connected. Understandably, other business leaders attempt to emulate this only to fail miserably.

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7 Reasons Your Business is Failing and What You Can Do to Fix It

October 15, 2019

When you start a business, you have a great idea for a product or service. Then reality kicks in. Running a successful business takes more than the initial idea. Especially in the digital age, there are many new marketing areas to which you must pay attention. If your business is struggling, you need to look at every aspect of your organization with a critical eye. There are some common reasons that businesses fail in today’s market.

You Don’t Have a Business Website

No matter what the service or product, every business needs a website. This is the first place that most people go to find information about local businesses. While websites can be fancy, multi-media affairs, at the very least you need a site where a potential customer can find your hours of operation and basic contact information. Your website is also a reflection of who you are. You can talk about your services, share positive reviews, and link to other helpful sites. Some websites also include a blog that shares information about your types of products and services. Without an active website, even people in your local area may drift to your competitors. There are plenty of services available that make it easy to design and launch your own basic site. You can also invest in partnering with a web design firm for a more professional look.

You Didn’t Claim Your Online Business Listings

If your business’ information does not show up on common search engines, you may as well not exist. People coming to a business for the first time want to be armed with knowledge. 72 percent of consumers who search for local businesses visit stores within five miles. For most of those consumers, an online search is the first interaction they will have with you. You need to be certain that information about you online is accurate. The first step is for you to search for your business online. Whatever search engine you are using will give you the option to claim the business. Once you verify that you are the owner, you can keep the information current.

You’re Not on Social Media

Depending on your generation, you may have a love/hate relationship with social media. Social media sites can take up a great deal of time and effort. However, for business owners, social media is the next step in effective marketing. You can reach a great number of potential customers using social media sites. If a customer has a great interaction with your business and shares it with friends, you suddenly have a new group that may connect with your business. Your social media pages are great opportunities to share what is happening in your business as well as places to introduce new marketing campaigns. Trying to maintain a presence on several social media sites is a challenging task. As this aspect of your business grows, you may want to have an employee whose duties involve maintaining your social media presence.

You’re Not a Known Brand

Even for smaller businesses, branding is important. Branding is not so much about the product or service you offer, but it is about how consumers react or feel about your business. The basic customer experience is a part of your brand. If you sell bad products or offer poor customer service, it will reflect negatively on your reputation. Yet, branding is more than what happens in your store. You can improve your brand by involving your business in the local community. Sponsoring youth sports teams or local charities will reflect well on your brand. When customers trust your brand, it gives you more flexibility in your business. A trusted brand can go a long way in tempering the occasional negative review. If you are trying out a new product or service, people are more willing to try it if it comes from a brand that they believe in.

You’re Not Paying Attention to Reviews

The answers to your business struggles may be closer than you think. Online review sites make it easy for customers to share their experience with your business. You may think everything is working just fine, but a customer may perceive things differently. For example, you are used to your business space. If it is dim, you have adjusted to the lighting. If the shop looks run down, you have become blind to it over the years. The employee who is always deferential and polite to you may not be as kind to new customers. Your customers see your business with fresh eyes. The easiest ways to find reviews are by doing an online search or through social media. The advantage of social media is that you can respond to complaints. Be careful in engaging an unsatisfied customer. The best policy is to offer an apology and promise to strive to do better. You don’t want to end up in an online argument that reflects poorly on you.

You Don’t Know Your Market Space

Location matters. Many new business owners assume that their idea is so brilliant that people will flock to a location wherever it may be. That may be the case if you are a trusted brand, but if you are a new business, it is a different story. While the rent for your new restaurant may be cheaper in one part of town, you may come to realize that you do not have the population base you need for success. A restaurant near a residential area may struggle to find a breakfast or lunch crowd if most people are away at work during the day. Your new clothing store may fade into the background if you start in a location with multiple competitors nearby. You need to explore your local market to see if your business is sustainable at that location. It is better to do this work before you start your business. If not, you may find that you need to change locations or change strategies.

You Don’t Have a Clear Mission

For most new business owners, starting a new venture is about more than making money. Of course, they want the business to be financially successful, but they also want the business to be meaningful. Many businesses develop a mission statement to help them put things into perspective. A mission statement can help the business determine its best practices and long-term goals. Without a sense of mission, the business can become aimless, just going through the motions to stay open. There are going to be times when things are challenging, and you have to make difficult decisions that affect the lives of your employees. A clear purpose can help you through those times, giving a reason for the choices you make.

When your business is struggling, it can be a very stressful time. Your employees will be concerned about the future, whether or not they will receive another paycheck. You will be worried about losing your dream and the results of your hard effort. During these difficult times, the best thing to do is to take a close look at your business. With a few adjustments, especially adapting to the digital age, you may be able to turn things around.

If Your Business Invests in These 3 Things, You Can Expect Massive Returns

June 30, 2019

As a small business, there are a number of ways that you can invest in your business. These investments may require a small amount of money and effort to instill a big change. Other investments may require a bit more ongoing effort. The ultimate goal is to achieve a massive return. Whether you’re investing in your employees or your business as a whole, it’s a good idea to have a plan in place that will constantly address ways to improve your company. The business world is constantly changing. It’s important that you stay current with how your business is being run as well as making sure that you are taking care of your employees. 

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5 Tips for Successfully Marketing Your Business Online

May 15, 2019

Online marketing is one of the easiest ways to make sure that people find out about who you are and what you have to offer. More people are turning to search engines and social media to find out about the companies that they want to work with. A few tips can help you to be more successful with your marketing efforts.

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3 Ways Technology Has Changed Customer Service

April 5, 2019

Oftentimes, the business that makes its customers feel the best will win their support. In this digital era, the rules of the game for customer service are changing. Here are some ways that technology has fundamentally altered customer service.

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