5 Benefits of Cloud-Based VoIP (Infographic)

Although many companies have already begun to use the cloud for their everyday business needs, this tool’s capabilities expand far beyond the day-to-day operational processes. By integrating cloud-based VoIP into your firm, IT professionals can spend more time tending to core business technologies instead of having to troubleshoot and maintain phone systems.

Businessman using cloud-based VoIP

Additionally, VoIP phone systems update themselves without hassle, and therefore do not require the attention of on-site employees. This also translates into an integrated emergency plan that companies do not need to worry about.

In addition to easing employees’ workloads in the office, cloud-based systems can break through geographical boundaries by allowing your company’s workforce to access important information wherever they are.…

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Choosing a Marketing Plan That’s Right for Your Business

Marketing is the life blood of any company. Without it, you won’t bring in any new customers, and your business will struggle to grow. This is why it is so essential that you choose a marketing plan that is right for your company. And before you can implement this plan, you need to create the one that actually works.

Marketing plan

It is important to properly plan out your marketing strategy, maybe by even following a strategic planning template, to ensure that you implement not only the correct strategy, but you do it in the right way. If you are not sure how to pick the best marketing plan, or how to implement it, below are some things that you should think about while doing your research and planning.…

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5 Reasons Why Pop-up Shops May Be The Future of Retail

Pop up shops stormed on to our high streets a few years ago. What some people thought would be a flash in the pan, a temporary answer to the temporary glitch in the economy, have stayed. Even as the economy looks to improve, the pop up shops has not quite seen its day just yet.

Pop-up shop

And no surprise when you consider the top 5 reasons why brands – established and start-ups – gain when they create a pop up shop experience for their customers. With branding and marketing material available at competitive prices from printers such as Colour Graphics, any sized business can successful revitalise sales and garner interest in their products with a pop up store.…

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Don’t Assume You’re Too Small to Attract Cybercrime

America’s Backbone Weekly: Start Planning

Don’t Assume You’re Too Small to Attract Cybercrime

By Keith Loria for America’s Backbone Weekly

Contrary to many people’s assumptions, you don’t need to be a multi-million dollar business to be vulnerable to a cyber attack; many small- and medium-size businesses represent an easy target to would-be criminals – and often have direct connections (as subcontractors) to the networks of larger business partners.

Amy Abatangle, EVP at Untangle, says the biggest mistake a business can make is not thinking it could be a target. Planning ahead is critical.

“While it’s true that big business grabs the headlines when it comes to breaches, it’s a mistake to think that small businesses aren’t vulnerable,” she says.…

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Things Small Business Can Do to Jumpstart Their SEO Campaign

As a small business competing in a crowded market, getting that extra marketing edge could mean a lot. The internet is your friend when it comes to marketing your products and services to segmented markets, and with over 60% of traffic coming from search engines, SEO is definitely the internet marketing instrument to use. If you are just getting started with SEO, here are a few things you can do to jumpstart your campaign.

Small business SEO

The Contents That Work

A lot of SEO experts will advise you to produce more contents for your site in order to attract more traffic, but this doesn’t have to be the only way to go.…

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How to Run your Business from The Beach

We’d all like to think that we’re indispensible. And leaders are no different. Some leaders don’t take holidays, fearful that their business will collapse in their absence.

Happily, thanks to modern technology, communications and working practices, it’s now entirely possible (and even desirable) for leaders to keep a business running effectively from the comfort of a sun lounger.

Entrepreneur on the beach

If you’ve been running your business without a holiday, you need some tips for managing things effectively from a distance.

1. Delegate

The first thing you need to be able to do is delegate. To achieve this you need to have people you can trust and you need to give them clear instructions with specific milestones and smart objectives.…

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Signs of the Times: Symptoms It’s Time to Seek Professional SEO Help

Many businesses like to take a DIY approach to SEO, and you may be one of them. After all, you can read up on plenty of SEO tips online from all the experts, and many SEO tactics are based on tasks you can do yourself. However, sometimes hiring a professional team can be a very good idea. Here are some of the signs that you may need to invest in outside help.

SEO

Your Ranking Is Falling

If your ranking is falling in the search engines, it’s fair to assume that you are doing something wrong. The problem is that you may not be sure what you are doing wrong.…

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6 Types of Toxic CEOs that are Destined for Failure (Infographic)

Being the CEO means that your vision will guide your company, good or bad.  There are CEOs who are visionaries, creating a very personal connection with the products they offer (like Steve Jobs); and there are CEOs whose brash leadership style clashes with other top executives in the company (like Steve Jobs.) The CEO bears the most responsibility for a company’s success or failure.

Toxic CEO

Your job as a CEO is a delicate balancing act between giving the customers what they say they want, giving the customers what they really need, making bold decisions, and holding on to the company’s core values.…

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Why It’s Time to Retire Your Fax Machine and Embrace the Cloud

Smartphones, tablets, and laptops are the top tools of choice in today’s business world. And before we know it, we’ll even conduct business on our watches! These technological advancements have made us more mobile, connected, and paper-free than ever.

Go paperless with your fax and copier by going cloud

So why is it that so many offices still utilize paper-eating machines like copiers, printers, and those horribly noisy boxes called fax machines?

Not long ago, these devices were crucial to most businesses’ day-to-day operations. But their continued use has caused offices to generate tons of paper waste every year. A whopping 40 percent of the garbage in our landfills is paper waste.…

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6 Top Tips on Promoting Your Business on Social Media

Social media is increasingly becoming a tool for organizations, both big and small, to promote their business and create awareness about their current and upcoming offerings.

Social media marketing

Most of you would agree that it is important to understand the different facets of any tool to be able to utilize it optimally. And because social media is proving to be highly effective in engaging audiences and attracting potential customers, socially savvy entrepreneurs have started using valuable content to drive their initiatives.

However, one should also know that the online community has little (or no) tolerance for self-promoters who use social media for free advertising.…

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