smb toolkit: 5 technologies every business owner needs · why your accounting smb toolkit: 5...

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© Copyright 2016 Cox Business. All Rights Reserved. For more information, eBooks and videos, visit CoxBLUE.com powered by Cox Business.

Introduction 3

Why Your Accounting Software Should Be In The Cloud 4

What is Marketing Automation Software? 6

Does Your Small Business Need A Technology Plan? 8

How to Choose the Best Cloud Service for Your Business 11

How To Create A Collaboration Culture At Your Business 13

Conclusion 16

Contents

http://www.coxblue.com/

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IntroductionMany small business leaders pride themselves on having a do-it-yourself attitude, and with good reason. Now, resourceful small business owners can draw upon a dizzying array of emerging technologies to delegate tasks and processes to service providers, expand awareness of their products and services, and boost the bottom line.

With a little strategic planning, your company can use the latest technology to expand its horizons, capabilities and revenues, with minimal upfront investment — and this eBook is designed to help you get started. It opens with a five-step guide to creating a technology plan for your company, a framework that will help with identifying key business areas to improve, forecasting future IT needs and prioritizing technology investments.

With that foundation, the next five articles are designed to help you build a toolkit of essentials for today’s small businesses. With accounting, for example, the cost of hiring a professional to manage your company’s financial records could be prohibitive, but attempting to figure it out yourself results in headaches, errors and inefficient use of staff time. Now, many are finding a cost-effective solution by moving accounting software and functions to cloud-based platforms.

Marketing, too, has changed dramatically for small businesses. Forget the old outbound strategies, such as buying display ads (and crossing your fingers). Today’s online marketing tools are designed to target ideal prospects through digital channels and manage the complex process of developing leads. Marketing automation software, when combined with an up-to-date strategy and process, can help small organizations identify new prospects and ensure appropriate, efficient follow-up on the most promising leads.

This eBook also includes advice on choosing the best cloud services for your company and a guide to creating a culture of collaboration at your organization. Each focuses on strategy first, followed by practical implementation tips and recommended tools and service providers.


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Why Your Accounting Software Should Be In The CloudIn many circumstances, a do-it-yourself attitude is vital to running a small business. But that doesn’t mean you need to be your own attorney or IT person. Leading a successful company requires the ability to delegate responsibilities and processes, and this is particularly true when it comes to specialized legal and financial functions. Moving accounting software to the cloud is often a cost-effective solution for small businesses.

This article explores the advantages of cloud accounting tools for small businesses and addresses common misconceptions about cloud computing. It also offers three tips for choosing a cloud accounting solution that will meet your company’s needs — both for the immediate future and the years to come.

The upfront cost and hassle of running your own internal accounting system can be prohibitive, and without sophisticated professionals managing it, you will likely find it difficult to achieve what you want from the system. Cloud accounting solutions are more cost-effective, and for relatively low subscription fees, they offer security, support and ease-of-use that would be otherwise beyond the reach of a small company.

As businesses grow, cloud accounting offers the additional benefit of distributed computing. If you have staff who need to access finance data from disparate locations, the cloud can deliver this information quickly and securely.

One potential drawback to cloud services is that they may not accommodate much configuration or customization. Generally speaking, the more customization you need, the more difficult and expensive cloud computing becomes. While small business owners may need to do things their own way in other areas, when it comes to accounting, these standard, straightforward solutions are often best.

For a small business, customizing these tools shouldn’t be much of an issue. Most cloud accounting solutions will have 80 to 90 percent of what you need out of the box. Whether or not the remaining 10 to 20 percent is important depends on how important those areas are to your business. The key is to

SummArY:

Cloud computing has changed the game by putting advanced technology infrastructure and services within reach for small businesses. Cloud accounting tools offer cost-effective solutions for many small and mid-size businesses. Three tips can help you choose solutions that meet your company’s needs — both in the immediate future and the years to come.


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know when to follow common practices, methodologies and templates, and when your business truly needs customizations that contribute to your bottom line.

If you’re ready to get started with cloud accounting, here are a few tips for choosing a good provider for your business.

1) Compare service level agreementsfrom different vendors: Whenyou use cloud accounting, you areoutsourcing a large componentof that system, and need to feelconfident that the data will be therein a format and timeframe thatis acceptable to you. The service level agreement (SLA) should coverthese expectations, and set forth how any problems will be addressed.Choose a provider whose SLA meshes with the needs of your business.

2) Look for cloud providers with a proven record: Some cloudaccounting solutions have been around for a while, such as SAPByDesign, NetSuite and Inuit, and you may feel more comfortableworking with a provider that has a long, stable history. Newer providersmay also be fine, so long as you are confident that the business will bearound for at least the next three to five years.

3) Know how you’ll walk away if you want to make a change: Changingaccounting systems is not a decision you want to make lightly — it canbe a painful, arduous process. That’s why it’s important to know upfront how easy or difficult it will be to switch to another provider, if youdecide your current provider is no longer working for you. Find out whatthe disengagement process looks like, and make sure you can easilyretrieve your data when the time comes.

Cloud computing has changed the game for small businesses by putting advanced technology infrastructure and services within reach. While switching to cloud accounting software is a great opportunity to evaluate your business processes and find more cost-effective options, make sure you take the time to find the provider that’s right for your business.

What is LinkedIn and Why Does It matter?


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What is marketing Automation Software?Once upon a time, a small business could get by with using a spreadsheet to track its core marketing activities, such as taking out display ads in the Yellow Pages, area business directories and the local media. But at most organizations today, traditional outbound marketing tools are being replaced by more precise digital channels, tools designed to reach the ideal prospect with the right message at the right time. Of course, sending out marketing emails, participating in social media and managing website content from different platforms often leads to overwhelming complexity and can be highly time-consuming.

Many companies have responded to this growing complexity by adopting marketing automation software. For a small business owner, automation sure sounds like a good thing. But does this software solution truly meet your marketing needs? This article provides an overview of what marketing automation software does, and how it can help large enterprises as well as small businesses.

Let’s start with what marketing automation software is not: It’s not automatic. Unfortunately, the industry term “marketing automation software” encourages a fantasy about set-it-and-forget-it devices that magically produce qualified sales leads for your company. Marketing doesn’t “automatically” happen, and signing up for these software tools does not mark the end of your marketing tasks. It’s just the beginning.

A more accurate name might be “marketing management software.” This software helps people manage all of the complex activities associated with delivering a successful marketing program. Not only does it streamline the tasks of setting up and running a marketing campaign over time, it also can provide useful, detailed analytics for each activity. While marketing automation software does allow users to automate some tasks, the key is that it puts everything you need to do as a marketer in one place.

These days, both you and your prospective customers are inundated by data, streaming in from digital marketing channels and our growing numbers of consumer electronic devices, according to research by the Digital Marketing Depot. To cut through this digital noise, “marketers must be creative, targeted, aligned with sales goals, and have greater visibility into

SummArY:

At most companies today, traditional outbound marketing tools are being replaced with more precise digital channels, tools designed to reach the ideal prospect with the right message at the right time. Both large enterprises and small businesses can use marketing automation software to manage and track these increasingly complex campaigns.


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buyer attributes and behaviors,” the DMD report explains. Meeting this challenge requires both large enterprises and small companies to find ways of managing “complex, multi-touch buyer ecosystems.”

Small businesses need to know that their marketing efforts are cost-effective and make the best use of employee time. And that’s why it’s important to use a single unifying platform. Automation software makes the analytics you need feasible and can improve productivity in marketing efforts. This visibility into marketing outcomes is by far the main reason organizations buy marketing automation software.

Think about it: If you’re trying to run email marketing with one system, social media with another tool and content management on a different platform, you’ll end up with thousands of unconnected data points, none of which can help you track and improve your marketing campaigns. But when everything’s in one place using marketing automation software, it’s easier to pull the information together and have a single dashboard for looking at reports. Suddenly, you can compare the return on investment (ROI) for each of your digital channels and decide which activities to emphasize and which to phase out.

While marketing automation software may sound like a magic bullet, it’s important to keep in mind that many of these tools are very complicated and not necessarily user-friendly. Too often, companies will sign up for them, but then never invest the time and resources to learn and use them well. However, like buying a treadmill, you still have to get on the thing and exercise regularly if you want results. For a small business owner, this software gives you a great way to manage your marketing. But you still need to think about your marketing strategy and actively market your business.

What is marketing Automation Software?


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Does Your Small Business Need A Technology Plan? Rapid advances in technology are changing the game for today’s small businesses, extending their reach, capabilities and service options. But unless companies approach these new opportunities strategically, they can end up locked in an ongoing struggle to locate files, access servers and hold online meetings. By developing a technology plan for your small business, you can identify areas to improve, forecast your future IT needs and prioritize technology investments.

But do you really need a technology plan? What’s wrong with making it up as you go along? The most significant risk businesses may face without a technology plan is the inability to scale. Let’s say you have the good fortune to win a new, big client and your business doubles overnight. If you can’t quickly scale up to serve that new client effectively, you will probably lose their business. Other consequences of not having a technology plan can include broad-based customer dissatisfaction, unhappy employees and security breaches.

Developing a technology plan for your small business starts with the following five steps.

1) List all business functions that rely on technology: This soundsbasic, but the goal is to stop making assumptions and clarify youractual business needs. Virtually all companies use technology foraccounting, taxes and finances. And all companies are going toneed communication technology — such as phones, email, videoconferencing and instant messaging (IM) — to interact internally andwith their customers. But these are just the beginning. Depending onthe nature of your business, here are a few more functions that oftenrely on technology:

• Processing orders: taking and tracking orders, fulfillment, shipping

• Data management: information on your customers, products,suppliers, inventory

• Marketing resources: mailing lists, presentations, graphic design

• Human resources management: scheduling, benefits, payrolladministration

SummArY:

Rapid advances in technology are changing the game for today’s small businesses, with new access to cost-effective, cutting-edge services and data management tools. By following five steps to develop a technology plan for your small business, you can identify areas to improve, forecast your future IT needs and prioritize technology investments.


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• Production: design, cost-tracking, supply management

• Online presence: e-commerce, Internet marketing, companywebsites

2) Conduct a technology audit: Next, it’s time to establish whattechnology resources you already have and what you’ll need to acquire.Start by going through your list of business functions one at a time,documenting your current tools for each function and evaluating theircurrent effectiveness. With accounting, for example, you might ask,“What tools are we using for accounting today?” That answer might beQuickBooks. Next, ask, “Is QuickBooks what we really need today?”

3) Perform a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities andthreats): Take some time to evaluate your business in terms of theSWOT categories, then take a step back and look at how the resultscorrelate with your technology use. Often, an organization’s strengthsare supported by effective use of technology. For example, if one ofyour strengths is customer service, you probably have great technologysupporting your people and process. Weaknesses, on the other hand,often correlate with poor implementation or lack of appropriatetechnology.

Does Your Small Business Need A Technology Plan?


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4) Align your business goals with the right technology: Now, it’s timeto combine your SWOT analysis, technology audit and business goals.Based on a thorough review of your SWOT analysis, identify your topthree business priorities for the coming year, and decide what IT andtechnology investments you’ll need to make to achieve those goals.(Prepare to prioritize, as every strength on your SWOT analysis won’tautomatically further your goals, and not every weakness you uncoverwill be relevant.)

For example, let’s say you run a business that offers professional services. Your SWOT analysis might list “customer satisfaction” as a weakness, because the process that worked in the early days can’t handle your current project load. If increasing your workflow is one of your top three business goals, this weakness could be solved with a combination of project management software, new processes and additional staff.

5) Move your business to the cloud: Keeping even the most basic ITsystems running and secure is a huge problem for small businesses,most of which can’t afford a dedicated IT staff. With cloud-based tools,that technology can be managed for you by outside professionals. Andwhen you work with cloud providers that guarantee their work throughservice level agreements, the providers have a strong financial interestin ensuring that your systems are always running and protected.

In conclusion, the cloud technology revolution is making cutting-edge data backup, accounting software, communication and collaboration platforms accessible (and affordable) for small businesses. Developing a technology plan for your company is an excellent way to identify the most important areas to improve, forecast your future IT needs and prioritize investments in your infrastructure.

Does Your Small Business Need A Technology Plan?


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How to Choose the Best Cloud Service for Your BusinessWhen discussing something as abstract as cloud computing, it’s tempting to speak in vague terms while staring into the middle distance. When advocates tout the benefits of cloud computing or naysayers warn of potential abuses and dangers, they tend to treat this technology as if it was homogeneous and monolithic, which simply isn’t true. Instead of getting hung up on whether the cloud is somehow good or bad, safe or unsafe, small business owners should focus on the question, “Which parts of the cloud are most relevant and helpful for my specific business needs?”

Every company will have different needs and potential uses for the cloud, as a recent article on the Microsoft small business blog points out. The trick, therefore, is to choose the right cloud services for your specific needs. Here are five tips to follow:

1) Evaluate your technology uses and needs first: Preparing atechnology plan is a great way to get a handle on which technologiesyou actually use for business functions, and which areas of youroperations could be improved with better tools. By clarifying what youactually want to get from cloud services, you can safely ignore the vastmajority of cloud services that are irrelevant to your needs.

2) Choose services to fit your situation, not the other way around: Whenevaluating a potential cloud service provider, ask them about how theirservice will integrate with what you already have and use. If choosinga certain cloud-based collaboration tool would require you to overhaulor replace existing systems that work well for you, such as your emailprogram, keep looking. When checking on ease of integration with yourexisting tools and processes, Microsoft’s blog suggests asking providersfor specific instances that they have managed the same integration forprevious clients.

On a related note, one advantage of many cloud services is their ability to scale and evolve alongside your business needs. Choose a provider that not only fits your current needs, but also has the flexibility to scale up or down to fit your business, without charging you unreasonable fees.

SummArY:

Instead of getting hung up on whether the cloud is good or bad, safe or unsafe, small business owners should focus on the question, “Which parts of the cloud are most relevant and helpful for my business?” Every company has different needs and potential uses for the cloud. Five tips can help you choose the right services for your specific needs.


When%20discussing%20something%20as%20abstract%20as%20cloud%20computing%2C%20it%E2%80%99s%20tempting%20to%20speak%20in%20vague%20terms%20while%20staring%20into%20the%20middle%20distance.%20When%20advocates%20tout%20the%20benefits%20of%20cloud%20computing%20or%20naysayers%20warn%20of%20potential%20abuses%20and%20dangers%2C%20they%20tend%20to%20treat%20this%20technology%20as%20if%20it%20was%20homogeneous%20and%20monolithic%2C%20which%20simply%20isn%E2%80%99t%20true.%20Instead%20of%20getting%20hung%20up%20on%20whether%20the%20cloud%20is%20somehow%20good%20or%20bad%2C%20safe%20or%20unsafe%2C%20small%20business%20owners%20should%20focus%20on%20the%20question%2C%20%E2%80%9CWhich%20parts%20of%20the%20cloud%20are%20most%20relevant%20and%20helpful%20for%20my%20specific%20business%20needs%3F%E2%80%9D%20%20%20Every%20company%20will%20have%20different%20needs%20and%20potential%20uses%20for%20the%20cloud%2C%20as%20a%20recent%20article%20on%20the%20Microsoft%20small%20business%20blog%20points%20out.%20The%20trick%2C%20therefore%2C%20is%20to%20choose%20the%20right%20cloud%20services%20for%20your%20specific%20needs.%20Here%20are%20five%20tips%20to%20follow:%20%201%29%20Evaluate%20your%20technology%20uses%20and%20needs%20first:%20Preparing%20a%20technology%20plan%20is%20a%20great%20way%20to%20get%20a%20handle%20on%20which%20technologies%20you%20actually%20use%20for%20business%20functions%2C%20and%20which%20areas%20of%20your%20operations%20could%20be%20improved%20with%20better%20tools.%20By%20clarifying%20what%20you%20actually%20want%20to%20get%20from%20cloud%20services%2C%20you%20can%20safely%20ignore%20the%20vast%20majority%20of%20cloud%20services%20that%20are%20irrelevant%20to%20your%20needs.%20%20%202%29%20Choose%20services%20to%20fit%20your%20situation%2C%20not%20the%20other%20way%20around:%20When%20evaluating%20a%20potential%20cloud%20service%20provider%2C%20ask%20them%20about%20how%20their%20service%20will%20integrate%20with%20what%20you%20already%20have%20and%20use.%20If%20choosing%20a%20certain%20cloud-based%20collaboration%20tool%20would%20require%20you%20to%20overhaul%20or%20replace%20existing%20systems%20that%20work%20well%20for%20you%2C%20such%20as%20your%20email%20program%2C%20keep%20looking.%20When%20checking%20on%20ease%20of%20integration%20with%20your%20existing%20tools%20and%20processes%2C%20Microsoft%E2%80%99s%20blog%20suggests%20asking%20providers%20for%20specific%20instances%20that%20they%20have%20managed%20the%20same%20integration%20for%20previous%20clients.%20%20%20On%20a%20related%20note%2C%20one%20advantage%20of%20many%20cloud%20services%20is%20their%20ability%20to%20scale%20and%20evolve%20alongside%20your%20business%20needs.%20Choose%20a%20provider%20that%20not%20only%20fits%20your%20current%20needs%2C%20but%20also%20has%20the%20flexibility%20to%20scale%20up%20or%20down%20to%20fit%20your%20business%2C%20without%20charging%20you%20unreasonable%20fees.%20%203%29%20Look%20for%20services%20with%20extensive%20tech%20support:%20For%20most%20small%20businesses%2C%20hiring%20an%20internal%20IT%20staff%20may%20not%20be%20cost-effective%2C%20or%20even%20feasible.%20The%20best%20option%20for%20many%20small%20organizations%20is%20to%20delegate%20technical%20support%20responsibilities%20by%20outsourcing%20them%20to%20various%20cloud%20service%20providers.%20This%20way%2C%20professionals%20outside%20your%20office%20are%20managing%20your%20technology%2C%20taking%20the%20burden%20off%20you%20and%20your%20core%20staff.%20%20%20A%20common%20goal%20with%20cloud%20solutions%20is%20to%20minimize%20the%20hassle%20of%20IT%20support%20and%20management.%20Microsoft%20suggests%20choosing%20providers%20that%20offer%20a%20minimum%20of%2030%20days%20of%20help%20desk%20resources.%20Your%20employees%20will%20need%20a%20safety%20net%20as%20they%20learn%20the%20new%20systems%3B%20%E2%80%9Cnot%20only%20will%20this%20help%20staff%20buy%20into%20the%20new%20service%2C%20it%20will%20build%20their%20confidence%20and%2C%20in%20turn%2C%20help%20your%20business%20get%20the%20most%20of%20the%20cloud%20apps%2C%E2%80%9D%20the%20Microsoft%20blog%20explains.%20True%2C%20a%20cloud%20service%20offering%2024/7%2C%20dedicated%20support%20will%20probably%20cost%20more%20than%20a%20bare%20bones%20option%2C%20but%20unless%20you%E2%80%99re%20prepared%20to%20support%20your%20own%20IT%20infrastructure%2C%20it%20is%20extra%20money%20well%20spent.%20%204%29%20Check%20for%20terms%20and%20service-level%20agreements%20%28SLAs%29:%20Generally%20speaking%2C%20an%20SLA%20guarantees%20a%20certain%20level%20of%20performance%20and%20uptime%3B%20if%20the%20service%20provider%20falls%20below%20that%20guarantee%2C%20it%20will%20have%20certain%20obligations%20to%20you%2C%20such%20as%20financial%20restitution.%20Such%20an%20agreement%20means%20that%20having%20your%20systems%20maintained%2C%20secure%20and%20always%20running%20is%20in%20the%20service%20provider%E2%80%99s%20best%20interest.%20%205%29%20Ask%20about%20data%20security:%20Everyone%20wants%20to%20know%20whether%20the%20cloud%20is%20really%20safe.%20Security%20will%20vary%20by%20provider%2C%20so%20you%20should%20always%20ask%20for%20details.%20But%20the%20reality%20for%20most%20small%20businesses%20is%20that%20their%20data%20is%20almost%20certainly%20safer%20in%20the%20cloud%20than%20in%20on-premises%20storage.%20Data%20stored%20on%20the%20premises%2C%20along%20with%20your%20hardware%20and%20non-cloud-based%20software%2C%20is%20vulnerable%20to%20theft%2C%20accidents%20and%20natural%20disasters.%20Unless%20your%20small%20business%20has%20truly%20formidable%20physical%20and%20electronic%20security%20already%20in%20place%2C%20any%20reputable%20cloud%20service%20will%20offer%20redundant%20servers%2C%20encryption%20and%20other%20security%20measures%20that%20are%20almost%20certainly%20superior%20to%20what%20you%20currently%20have.%20%20Cloud%20computing%20is%20not%20some%20uniform%20entity%20with%20a%20consistent%20quality%3B%20it%E2%80%99s%20more%20like%20the%20incredible%20variety%20of%20the%20Internet.%20Its%20quality%2C%20applications%2C%20usefulness%20%28and%20lack%20thereof%29%20will%20vary%20widely%2C%20depending%20on%20the%20results%20you%E2%80%99re%20seeking%20and%20the%20choices%20you%20make%20to%20get%20there.%20For%20small%20businesses%2C%20choosing%20the%20right%20tools%20and%20asking%20the%20right%20questions%20are%20the%20keys%20to%20successfully%20using%20cloud%20technology.%20

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3) Look for services with extensive tech support: For most smallbusinesses, hiring an internal IT staff may not be cost-effective, or evenfeasible. The best option for many small organizations is to delegatetechnical support responsibilities by outsourcing them to variouscloud service providers. This way, professionals outside your office aremanaging your technology, taking the burden off you and your corestaff.

A common goal with cloud solutions is to minimize the hassle of IT support and management. Microsoft suggests choosing providers that offer a minimum of 30 days of help desk resources. Your employees will need a safety net as they learn the new systems; “not only will this help staff buy into the new service, it will build their confidence and, in turn, help your business get the most of the cloud apps,” the Microsoft blog explains. True, a cloud service offering 24/7, dedicated support will probably cost more than a bare bones option, but unless you’re prepared to support your own IT infrastructure, it is extra money well spent.

4) Check for terms and service-level agreements (SLAs): Generallyspeaking, an SLA guarantees a certain level of performance and uptime;if the service provider falls below that guarantee, it will have certainobligations to you, such as financial restitution. Such an agreementmeans that having your systems maintained, secure and always runningis in the service provider’s best interest.

5) Ask about data security: Everyone wants to know whether the cloudis really safe. Security will vary by provider, so you should always askfor details. But the reality for most small businesses is that their datais almost certainly safer in the cloud than in on-premises storage.Data stored on the premises, along with your hardware and non-cloud-based software, is vulnerable to theft, accidents and naturaldisasters. Unless your small business has truly formidable physical andelectronic security already in place, any reputable cloud service will offerredundant servers, encryption and other security measures that arealmost certainly superior to what you currently have.

Cloud computing is not some uniform entity with a consistent quality; it’s more like the incredible variety of the Internet. Its quality, applications, usefulness (and lack thereof) will vary widely, depending on the results you’re seeking and the choices you make to get there. For small businesses, choosing the right tools and asking the right questions are the keys to successfully using cloud technology.

How to Choose the Best Cloud Service for Your Business


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How To Create A Collaboration Culture At Your BusinessCollaboration is natural for human beings, and we tend to operate with the expectation that people can work together to accomplish tasks and goals. At the same time, individual personalities often clash, as do their views and attitudes, work styles and expectations. Whether your business provides professional services or develops software, collaboration is essential for success.

By following these five steps, small business owners can create a culture that helps employees work together and creates the foundation of successful collaboration.

1) Provide purpose and direction: To collaborate effectively, a smallbusiness needs concrete purpose and direction. When you’re assigninga team to develop a new marketing campaign for a client, for example,make sure you are also clear about the desired outcome, such asdelivering leads to customers.

2) Develop a communication plan: Take the time to understand therhythm of communication in a small business or team, and thendefine what tools you will use to facilitate it. You need to think aboutthe communication you’re going to have as a team and make sureyou agree on how to accomplish it. This could include everything fromwhere you’re going to store files to when you’re going to have dailyphone calls or weekly meetings and what collaboration tools you willuse for each of these communications.

3) Acknowledge team dynamics: People who have spent enoughtime together in the trenches know how to work together, whetheror not they get along — a dynamic that is especially common insmall businesses. But when teams bring together people who don’treally know each other, the dynamic and personalities can mean thedifference between success and failure. Team dynamics derail projectsall the time. It’s important for small business owners to acknowledgeup front that people are different, but that each individual has a skillset,information or knowledge that’s essential to the collaborative process.

SummArY:

Whether your company provides professional services or develops software, collaboration is essential to small business success. Yet individual personalities often clash, as do their views and attitudes, work styles and expectations. Small business owners can follow five steps to create a culture that fosters successful collaboration.


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4) Assign leadership roles: Whenforming a team, you usually needsomeone to lead it. One option is toput everyone together and wait forsomeone to step forward. But toooften, the first person to volunteer(or the loudest person in the room)doesn’t make for the best teamleader. While you’re defining theproject, you should evaluate who thebest leader will be. Pick someoneyou can count on, who has a trackrecord of getting things done, andhas a good sense of people’s talentsand skills.

5) Build your process forcollaboration: It’s easy to overthinkand overcomplicate collaborationprocesses. Instead, provide a flexiblestructure for accomplishing yourgoals: it should be clear enough thatpeople understand the process and know what guidelines to follow,but not too rigid. All projects require some flexibility, and collaboratorsneed to be able to adapt to changing conditions and regroup.

Recommended collaboration tools for small businesses

Are you ready to start working together? Great! Here’s a set of basic tools any business can use to get started.

1) Skype: When you need to interact, this versatile tool allows you tosend an instant message (IM) or use a voice or video call. It’s also free,which appeals to many small business owners.

2) Dropbox: Collaboration tends to generate many documents andelectronic assets, and Dropbox is a smart way to organize shared files.This cloud-based tool is easy to set up and understand. Because it looksjust like the other file folders on your computer system, it’s intuitive.

How To Create A Collaboration Culture At Your Business


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3) GoToMeeting: This online platform integrates with existing schedulingtools like Outlook and Exchange, which makes it easy to set up teammeetings. In a meeting, you can communicate over voice or video, sharescreens and even annotate documents as a group. While GoToMeetingisn’t free, it offers refined collaboration tools.

These tools are a little more advanced, but still great options for collaborating in a small business.

4) Trello: This popular brainstorming tool offers a simple, cloud-basedalternative to whiteboards and index cards. Just post notes, move themaround and share your ideas. Trello is best for brainstorming; if you tryusing it for true project management, it fails very quickly. Don’t count onit for managing big, complex projects with dozens of different line-itemsto deliver.

5) Campfire: Think of this tool as a cross between a group IM sessionand a discussion around a campfire. It allows you to chime in onan interesting discussion or topic, similar to an online chat, but theconversations are saved and searchable.

In the end, the key to good collaboration is ensuring that people can communicate clearly and work out the differences and crossed signals that arise from time to time in any shared goal or venture. Start by following the five steps highlighted above to establish a culture of collaboration at your small business and provide the right tools for the job.

How To Create A Collaboration Culture At Your Business


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ConclusionWhether you’re launching a startup or growing your small business, you can leverage technology to generate new sales and business, expand your offerings and increase awareness of your brand. It just takes a little strategic planning and minimal investment in the right tools.

Here’s a quick summary of the tools you’re now ready to add to your small business toolkit.

1) A technology plan: Rapid advancesin technology are constantly changingthe game. By developing a technologyplan for your small business, you canidentify areas to improve, forecast yourfuture IT needs and prioritize technologyinvestments.

2) Cloud accounting software: Hiringan accountant can be prohibitivelyexpensive, but trying to do it yourself isasking for problems down the road. Acost-effective solution for many smallbusinesses is to move their accountingsoftware and functions to the cloud.

3) Marketing automation software: Usinginbound and content marketing is agreat way to target your ideal prospects.Marketing automation software makesit easier to manage your digital channelsand the complex process of developingleads.

4) Cloud-based services: The cloudrevolution has brought unprecedentedcomputing power and technologyoptions within the reach of any smallbusiness. While many services promisethat one size fits all, you need to choosethe tools that truly fit your business.

5) Collaboration culture: By followingfive steps, small business owners cancreate a workplace culture that helpsemployees work together and creates afoundation for successful collaboration.

By using the tips, strategies and resources in this eBook, you’re ready to grow your small business, leveraging new technologies to increase awareness of your products and services, and boost your revenues. And hopefully, this eBook is only a starting point, sparking fresh ideas that will help your business reach new audiences.

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