Outstanding customer and client service is without a doubt the best way to build a business’s base and create brand loyalty. This is especially true for smaller companies trying to compete with bigger corporations that have a wealth of resources but can’t meet the individual needs of each customer.

While adequate customer service is a must (especially in the social media space), there is always room for improvement. These five processes will help you improve your business’s customer services.

1. Intranet/FTP

In some cases, the best way to serve customers or clients is to simply allow them to do all the work. By providing information technology like an intranet computer network and FTP site, customers and clients can readily get their hands on what they need without having to rely on anyone else. Business clients will especially appreciate the ability to upload and download important materials instantly.

2. Website FAQs

Customers and clients are always going to have a lot of questions. Having a representative available 24 hours a day isn’t necessarily the best solution, though. Instead, many customers prefer to find answers on their own. This helps them avoid navigating the customer service process by phone.

Businesses can improve their answer process by incorporating a FAQs page into their websites so that inquisitive users can browse a host of questions and their detailed solutions.

3. Electronic Signatures

Service providers have the tedious task of distributing and processing numerous contracts for their clients. It is equally tedious for the client who has to review, sign and return each document. Businesses can improve client services with electronic document signing that deliver contracts via email for clients to simply download, type their signature and return in seconds. Electronic signature services then provide both parties with copies of the signed document for filing. Some services feature convenient step-by-step instructions to walk clients through the contract process. Examples of electronic signature services are:

• EchoSign
• DocuSign
• TurboSignature

4. Multiple Communication Platforms

Communication is the foundation of efficient customer and client service; a business can’t solve a problem that it doesn’t know exists. Providing multiple communication channels for customers will vastly improve a business’s ability to address potential or ongoing problems.

While traditional contact means, such as mail and telephone, are still necessary, businesses should also engage their customers with online platforms like email and social media applications, such as Facebook and Twitter.

5. Gather Information

The more a business knows about their customers or clients the better they can serve them. With demographic and preference data, businesses can improve their services by tailoring them to meet individual needs. Most importantly, businesses can find out how their customers prefer to interact with their brand. Tools for gathering information include:

• Surveys
• Questionnaries
• Order tracking
• Analytics

Conclusion

How well a business provides customer and client services can determine that business’s success. Fortunately, as technology evolves, there are more and more ways for businesses to improve these services. In what ways are you looking to improve the services your business offers its customers and clients?

They say it takes money to make money in business, and that it is certainly true when it comes to business conferences. At the same time you’re trying to score big deals with new clients, you are spending money on everything from a hotel room to eating out for each meal. To make sure you’re not spending more money than you’re making at your next business conference, follow these tips to keep your expenses under control.

Use Prepaid Credit Cards

Traditionally when you go on a business trip you save your receipts and then settle up upon your return. This can lead employees to spend money wildly on everything from drinks to lavish meals because they are confident that they will be reimbursed. By issuing a prepaid credit card, like the REACH card, to each employee attending the conference, a spending limit can be set. Since only the money put on the card can be used, there is no chance for you to take the whole town out for a business dinner.

Look for Group Dining Discounts or Buffets

Business conferences are all about learning what’s new in the industry and making deals. However, many of those deals are made outside of the conference halls, usually over a plate of food. Reeling in new business over dinner doesn’t mean spending a ton when you can get a discount. Try finding restaurants that will offer discounts for large groups, and then, take multiple clients out at once. If group rates are unavailable, consider a fine buffet in the area instead of spending a la carte.

You can also use services like Yelp! to see what’s nearby and rated well- so you won’t waste money at some place you end up hating.

Research the Cost of Hotel Amenities before making Reservations

When the business conference ends for the day, it’s high likely you’ll still be working – sales made will have to be processed, more supplies may have to be ordered, and so on. Thats the beauty of businesses having project management systems and internal cloud computing services. You can “ABC” … that is, always be closing.

That’s why it’s important for your hotel to have a wide variety of business tools at its disposal, such as the Internet, shipping services and fax machines. At some hotels, however, those options come at a cost.

Before booking a hotel, research hotels in the area that provide amenities for free to help you save while you work.

Stay at the Conference Hotel

Many business conferences are held right at a hotel and, in the hopes of drawing the most attendees, that hotel will offer room discounts. If the conference isn’t at a hotel, there surely is one in the area that has made an agreement with the organizers.

You will be hard pressed to find cheaper rates than the hotel that hosted or sponsored the conference. Always find out which hotel that is and book as early as possible, since the rooms are sure to go quickly.

Conclusion

There are just some costs of attending a business conference that are unavoidable such as airfare. During the conference, however, there are plenty of ways to keep spending under control through the tips provided above. How do you keep your and your employee’s spending in line during business conferences?

Open source products provide users with applications that rival commercial products yet have no cost attached to downloading them.

Over 2.7 million developers have generated more than 260,000 software programs designed to do everything from creating a document to managing a company. Just how do these developers produce this much free content? Keep reading!

A Matter of Principal

The open source community has three core beliefs.

• Open source products should be free, as in no strings attached.
• Open source products should provide users with the source code.
• Open source products should allow users to modify and distribute the source code without paying royalties or fees to the developers.

Why Open Source

Maintaining an open source program is not free. Developers have to pay for server space, a domain, and other expenses involved in maintaining a popular program. Why then would they give away their product?

Each developer might have a different answer to that question. Some are paying it forward because they used open source code in their own creations. Others have struggled against commercial manufacturers and view open source as a way to take a stand against manufacturer gridlock.

Project Origins

Many open source programs, such as Pidgin, began as school projects for students pursuing degrees related to some type of technology or computer development. As such, the developers spend much of the time creating the project doing homework for class. Other projects, like PHP and Calibre, began because developers wanted to implement a solution for a problem they faced.

Production

When developers give away the source code to a product, it inspires creativity. Other developers will take the code and hack it, or modify it, to expand the original parameters. These volunteers then add their modifications to the open source project. Other people who have benefited by using the free program often contribute by helping to fix and correct any bugs that occur.

There are many things, like virtualization technology, that may not be as easy to make free. So this is another thing to consider in why some things are open source, and some things aren’t.

Development Time

Creating and maintaining a program takes time. While the initial code may come together quickly, it can take years to expand the parameters and gain traction. What a consumer downloads today may seem like a hefty package, but developers may have pieced the code together until it grew to the latest version’s feature-rich package.

Building From One Another

Open source code encourages developers to modify something already in existence rather than starting from scratch. Consider libpurple, a developer’s library for chat clients. Almost every open source chat protocol available today has some piece of libpurple in the code.

Donations

Donations help keep open source programs going. Consider the person who uses an open source PDF creator instead of a commercial one. The person could potentially save hundreds of dollars. Donating $50 helps the individual show his appreciation. It can also pay for the product’s domain registration for a year, depending on the host the developer uses.

Open source programs rely on several factors to support free distribution. All the aforementioned things, such as volunteers and donations, contribute to the ever-growing open source community. These things, working together, are the essential elements that allow developers to give away free products.

A truth has been discovered, tucked between the spark lines and budget examinations. You want an education. A degree must be earned; a life must be changed. You want to redefine your days to courses, ensuring that you don’t remain trapped in an office. Success is instead to be found.

Such success seems improbable, however.

No time can be spared; no hours can be sacrificed. You can’t abandon your career, shuttling between campuses, devoting afternoons to books. You must work, generating the necessary income, battling debt collectors and expenses. No wages can be lost; and you think your dream of a university is futile.

It isn’t.

An education can be gained by those who must remain in an office. It merely requires patience, diligence and access to a computer.

Online campuses are available — allowing credits to be achieved without ever leaving a desk. Individuals needing a less conventional experience can discover all they need: diversity, cost efficiency and relevant training. And these traits have never been more embodied than in the top universities:

Kaplan University

Variety shapes all online courses, allows them to provide classroom-worthy lessons from the confines of a cubicle; and fewer virtual campuses offer more distinctions than Kaplan. Established in 1937 as a commerce institution, Kaplan has grown into one of the most famed distance learning centers in the United States.

It offers 10 distinct schools (such as Business, Health Sciences and Law) and over 100 individual degrees — ensuring that the perfect subject can be found. There’s no struggle for credits and no concern for weak semesters. Diversity can be achieved and, for those who must study from work, this is vital. All wanted courses can be chosen.

Ashford University

Cost forever defines education — all students fear admission fees and loans, the staggering interest rates. Dollars can be quickly claimed; and those who are already forced to fling so much of their money away (office obligations are endless) can think credits are impossible. Ashford University, however, offers an alternative.

Since 1918, this accelerated learning college focuses on liberal arts and budget-friendly prices. A part-time student can earn 18 credits without spending even $500.00 for the year. This offers the vital lessons without draining accounts: a necessity for those forced to minimum wages.

Colorado Technical University

Industry demands perfection; and perfection demands specificity. Those wishing to obtain degrees (while still maintaining their work schedules) must gain the essential information — and Colorado Technical University offers them the chance.

Founded in 1965 to provide military personnel with an education beyond weaponry, allowing them to assimilate into society, the Technical University soon expanded into one of the most focused institutions available.

Its courses are meant to help individuals succeed in business, with all objectives tailored wisely. Each course is meant to propel careers forward and this ensures no credits are wasted. Every program is quick and deliberate. The facts gained will directly reflect an employee’s situation.

CONCLUSION

College isn’t a demand for campuses. It’s instead the promise of learning. And such learning can now be accomplished no matter what the location — with you earning your degree while not refusing your job. There’s many techniques integrated into online learning. Some integrate social media into their communications, all of them employ cloud computing to have materials and information accessible for everyone, and lots of them do video chat classes where you can actually log in and be there live. Look for the right one for you.

If you’re in management – or you want to be – it’s important that you do it right. Sure, you can boss everyone around all the time and tell them what to do, but it’s much better for everyone involved if you can work with your employees and show them that they matter. They’ll be a lot more loyal that way. With that in mind, here are the top eight traits of a good manager.

1. Self-motivation

If you’re not motivated to do anything with the business in order to help it succeed, why should anyone who works for you be motivated? You have to model the behavior that you want to see in others, and that includes showing that you’re motivated. You may not always feel motivated, but make sure you always act motivated.

2. Being a Team Player

Getting along with people matters. If you never come out of your office and just give orders all the time, your employees aren’t going to like or respect you and they aren’t going to work as hard.

3. The Ability to Resolve a Conflict

People are going to get on one another’s nerves. It happens. When you’re the boss, it’s your job to make sure that it doesn’t escalate into something that’s a serious problem. Whether it’s customers, employees, or both, resolving conflict is vital.

4. Good Skills Where Customer Service is Concerned

Customers are what makes your business. Without them, you have nothing, so you have to know how to make (and keep) them happy.

5. An Optimistic Attitude

No one wants to work for a pessimistic person who never sees the good side of anything. Show your employees that you understand difficult circumstances, but that there isn’t anything that can’t be dealt with. Keep a positive attitude and your employees will generally follow along.

6. True Leadership Skills

Being a leader comes naturally to some people, while others take time to learn it. No matter how, where, or when you acquired your leadership skills, the important thing is that you take your position seriously and continue to cultivate the leadership skills that you’ve developed.

7. Trustworthiness and Integrity

Your employees need to trust you and so do your customers. If you can’t show them that you’re worthy of being trusted, you won’t be effective as a leader.

8. Industry Knowledge

Knowing about the industry you’re in is something that every good manager should spend time on. If you don’t know your industry, how can you ever really hope to be competitive?

Keep in mind that there are more ways to be a good manager and business leader than just the ones listed here. Some people are simply better at it than others, too, so you may have a natural talent for it or you may have to work a little bit harder. That can help you learn and grow, though, so don’t shy away from the work that it takes to truly be a good manager.

Most everyone gets a bit anxious around tax season. The good news is that there’s no need to be apprehensive about the yearly April 15th tax filing deadline. With a little forethought and the help of today’s online tools, you can rest easy knowing you’re prepared.

Here are the top five ways you can avoid stress during the dreaded tax season.

1. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

Keeping organized records all year round is the first step in keeping your cool come April 15th. This way you’ll be able to access receipts and other pertinent information easily when the time comes to fill out the appropriate IRS forms. Additionally, try to review the forms you need online and ahead of time, so there’s time to visit your local tax professional or the IRS website if you have any questions or need help filing. Many tax professionals even offer discounts like turbo tax coupons.

2. Do your homework.

Doing proper research about what deductions you’re allowed to take or what tax credits are due to you can save you money. Visit IRS.gov for important tax information and to see if you qualify to file your taxes for free. Tax Credit Resources is another great resource that will guide you through the available tax credits.

Donating to charities is also tax-deductible, so do your research, find a cause you’re passionate about, and start donating. Have an extra car laying around that you wanted to pass as a hand me down? Charities like Kars4Kids have resources within its site so you can understand what exactly you can write off.

3. File your tax return electronically and opt for direct deposit.

Join the approximately 90 million tax payers who filed returns electronically last year! E-filers that are owed refunds generally receive them in half the time as those who filed their tax returns on paper. Furthermore, e-filing your tax return is easy and promotes a higher degree of accuracy. Also, be sure to opt for direct deposit of any refund you may be owed to cut down the risk of your check being lost in the mail or it being stolen somewhere along the line.

4. Request a filing extension if needed.

The IRS will grant a six month extension to file your taxes automatically. IRS Form 4868 is called the Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. Refer to this form for a number of simple ways to request an extension. Be sure to note that the filing extension does not exempt you from paying any taxes due by the April deadline, however.

5. Don’t hit the panic button if you can’t pay.

Even if you can’t afford to make the full payment due, don’t postpone filing your tax return. File your return by the April 15th deadline and pay the maximum you can to escape having to pay penalties and interest. Then, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to discuss your options. The IRS may be able to grant you a short extension or negotiate a payment installment plan.

Think ahead.

Take advantage of the online resources available to all tax payers. Communicate with the IRS if you have any questions or concerns about filing your tax return by April 15th or paying any taxes due. By following these simple tips, you’ll be able to avoid a stressful tax season!

Many businesses are discovering that social media provides an excellent way to advertise and promote products and services. With the advent of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and many more sites, companies are able to reach consumers in a cost-effective way.

However, it’s of utmost importance for businesses that are using social media as a marketing tool to create and maintain an entertaining and informative blog to go hand in hand with these other marketing efforts. An illuminating business blog will keep readers informed, talking, and coming back for more.

Now the question becomes how to build an informative blog that keeps readers coming back again and again. The answer lies in how well you write and promote your blog, as well as how well you communicate and listen to your readers.

1. Keywords are Key

Start your blog the correct way. Keyword optimization is an integral way to target the right audience for your blog. Search for keywords that describe your blog posts and are commonly looked up on search engines, such as Google, and use them in your blog. This will ensure that current and potential readers are able to find your blog easily.

2. Write Interesting Content

Not only is writing interesting and informative content integral in maintaining a successful blog, but so is providing this information in a colorful and entertaining way. Make sure to use catchy titles or headlines that encompass the keywords you researched, and make sure the information your provide is useful and appropriate for your target audience.

One way to make sure your information is appropriate for your target audience is to utilize online survey software to hone in on the topics that your readers and customers find useful. Keeping readers talking positively about your blog will undoubtedly lead to brand awareness and new clients.

3. Promotion is Paramount

Sure, keyword optimization is one tool to help readers find the blog that’s right for them. However, no blog will succeed without promotion.

Whether you choose to advertise your blog on your website, email signature, printed business cards, or company letterhead, this is an easy way for customers to check out your blog. Another way to promote your blog is to participate in others’ blogs. Write a post on another blog as a guest and link to your blog at the end of the post. This will help your business blog gain awareness throughout different audiences, creating a plethora of potential readers and clients.

One last great way to promote your blog is to respond to readers. Interacting with readers, answering questions, and hopefully solving problems, will create trust and loyalty within your audience. This in turn will create buzz and cultivate clients, repeat business, and referrals.

Writing a blog is an easy and cost-effective way to disseminate pertinent information. If you use these tips and tricks in your blog posts, you will keep readers coming back, and you may even convert some of your new readers into clients.

Newton introduced three laws of motion.

Now, in the modern business world, we should be adding a fourth: A company in business won’t stay in business unless it learns to grab hold of motion.

The world of mobile phones, data, and applications is surging with possibilities. Here are seven must-have apps to keep you on top of your business no matter where you are.

1. Evernote

Evernote is an application that lets you capture anything and everything and store it to your phone — and, simultaneously, to your desktop. Store voice notes, text, images, and more, then organize them using the powerful label and search technologies of the Evernote platform. Especially useful is the fact that snapshots you take of text documents will turn into searchable content, thanks to Evernote’s optical character recognition technologies.

2. Instapaper

Even the best networks don’t have web access everywhere. If you want to be able to store reference materials for offline use, Instapaper is one of the best options around. You can easily grab information from the web and store it for easy access from your phone.

3. Mint

Mint isn’t just a budgeting program — it’s a financial advisor in the palm of your hand. This powerful little app will keep track of your accounts, provide you with reports and budgeting information, and it does it all automatically.

4. Gmail

I know what you’re saying. “REALLY? You included Gmail?” Well listen up. Gmail is the industry leader for web mail programs, and that’s not for no reason. Advanced labeling, filtering, search, archiving, anti-spam, and the ability to handle multiple accounts in one inbox make it the most powerful free email program on the market.

Gmail’s free app is just as strong, and all the features remain intact.

5. Line2

Line2 comes with a $10/month subscription fee, but what it gives you provides well more than that in value. You get a second line that allows you to make calls using WiFi, your carrier’s 3G network, or your carrier’s normal phone service network. It comes with all the features of a normal phone line and many, many more.

6. DropBox

Few groups have used cloud computing as effectively as DropBox. Now they’re bringing that utility to your mobile device. DropBox lets you sync the data between different computers and, now, your phone. You can retrieve the files you’ve synchronized on the impressive DropBox cloud server, add new files for synchronization with your other work platforms, and make modifications to your DB files using other mobile phone apps.

7. myPhoneDesktop

If you want to get text data from your computer to your phone as easily as possible, the myPhoneDesktop application is the way to go. It costs five whole dollars for permanent purchase, and allows you to easily send phone numbers, text snippets, full documents, and even images from your desktop or laptop computer to your mobile device.

These fantastic apps are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to capturing the world of mobility. Continue to explore the hundreds of thousands of apps on the market to find more solutions for your business.

Here is a great idea for you, me and everyone else. Saving money. No, it does not actually seem easy to save money in this economy, but the truth is, there are deals and discounts all around you. If you want to save money, there are different options to consider. You can start clipping coupons from the Sunday paper, printing coupons from the Internet, browsing online to find deals, or going to websites like Offers.com to find out about discount codes, coupons and other discounts all around the internet.

Many big box retailers are overpriced by nature, but there are deals, discounts and coupons out there that significantly reduce their prices, allowing you to squeak by financially with extra money in your pocket. If you work diligently to shop around and find out what deals are out there, you are going to save some money. The more time that you put into this process, the more you are going to benefit in return. It really is as simple as this. It may take some time to master this process, but anyone can do it.

Saving money is essential in this economy. You can put all the money that you save into a separate bank account every week and watch it pile up. Keep this money for a rainy day, a special occasion or to offset costs in a financial emergency, and you will suddenly find yourself glad that you learned how to save some money when you end up putting your savings to some truly good use. A little bit of money saving can go a long way if you are diligent about it, and if you try to save a few cents or a few dollars on every purchase, then it is absolutely going to add up to a grand savings over time.

The competition for entry into the MBA program at a prestigious university can be fierce. Many people who have been successful in the business world see an MBA as the key to an executive-level promotion and a significantly higher paycheck.

Before you start the application process, take a look at a few common mistakes that many applicants make:

Trying to Fit the MBA Mold
There simply isn’t a one-size-fits-all model for the MBA student. If you can demonstrate that you have the potential to perform well in a MBA program, this is just as good as if you’ve had years of high-level business experience. After all, this is a degree program, not a job application.

Concentrating Solely on Business Experience
By telling the admission board a little bit about your interests and past activities, you will stand out from the crowd and demonstrate that you follow through on the parts of your life you feel strongly about. Whether you have climbed Mt. Everest, helped build a Habitat for Humanity house, or played in a local band, let them know. Contrary to popular thought, MBA programs aren’t looking for workaholics or bookworms.

Not Helping the Person Writing A Recommendation
Many applicants get a little nervous about asking for a letter of recommendation. Once the person says yes, don’t leave them to their own devices when it comes time to craft the actual letter. While most mean well, they may not be specific or remember to include everything you would like. As a thank you for writing the letter, invite them to lunch and outline what you would like them to say. Not only will this make the process easier for them, it will also increase your chances of receiving a thoughtful letter that meets your needs.

Rushing the Application Process
If you rush through the paperwork to beat an approaching deadline, it will definitely show, and a sloppy application could indicate to the review board that you’re not serious about their program. Whether your college application includes spelling errors, grammar mistakes or poor word choices, your true potential won’t shine through a shoddy application.

Arriving at the Interview Unprepared
Although you’ve poured your heart out on the written application about why you want to be a part of this MBA program, the review board will want to hear it in your own words. To prevent tripping over your own tongue and sounding nervous, practice the interview process with a friend. However, don’t go overboard. The goal is to sound natural, not rehearsed. Above all else, you want to give original answers instead of a canned response that has been heard a million times before. The review board won’t be impressed if they feel you’re only repeating what you think they want to hear.

While you’ll always want to highlight your abilities, you should present a true and accurate picture of yourself during the application process. Being accepted into the MBA program is a tremendous opportunity, but you don’t want to waste your time and money on a course of study that isn’t a good fit.