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Category: BusinessCommunicationTrends

BusinessCommunicationTrends

  • FCC Adopts Its First Rules Blocking Scam Texts

    FCC Adopts Its First Rules Blocking Scam Texts

    The Federal Communications Commission is cracking down on scam texting, adopting its first set of rules aimed at the practice.

    Scam texts have been a growing problem, with many of them illegal. The agency says the volume has increased a whopping 500% in recent years. What’s more, scam texts can pose a greater threat than scam calls since it can be difficult to block them. The FCC is working to address the issue, much like it has been cracking down on scam phone calls.

    Unveiled today, the FCC’s new rules would require carriers to block texts from suspect numbers:

    “The Report and Order adopted today requires blocking of text messages that appear to come from phone numbers that are unlikely to transmit text messages,” the FCC says. “This includes invalid, unallocated, or unused numbers. It also includes numbers that the subscriber to the number has self-identified as never sending text messages, and numbers that government agencies and other well-known entities identify as not used for texting. A second rule will require each mobile wireless provider to establish a point of contact for text senders, or have providers require their aggregator partners or blocking contractors to establish such a point of contact, which senders can use to inquire about blocked texts.”

    The agency also proposes changes to the Do-Not-Call Registry to include text messaging:

    “Today’s action also seeks public comment on further proposals to require providers to block texts from entities the FCC has cited as illegal robotexters,” the FCC adds. ” It also proposes to clarify that Do-Not-Call Registry protections – that is, prohibiting marketing messages to registered numbers – apply to text messaging and closing the lead generator loophole, which allows companies to use a single consumer consent to deliver robocalls and text messages from multiple – perhaps thousands – of marketers on subjects that may not be what the consumer had in mind.”

    Hopefully, the FCC’s efforts will significantly reduce what has become a plague for many consumers.

  • 4 Ways Businesses Are Leveraging Gamification

    4 Ways Businesses Are Leveraging Gamification

    Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the global economic landscape has changed. To succeed in the post-pandemic corporate world, we need to transform our concept of the traditional workplace.  

    One method leading businesses are employing to thrive in 2022 is gamification, a trend entrepreneur Kris Dugan spearheaded with the early business gamification platform Badgeville in 2010. Gamification refers to the utilization of game-playing elements in fields that generally wouldn’t use them, such as the workplace. 

    Here are four ways businesses are leveraging gamification in the workplace. 

    1. Improving User Engagement 

    A key usage of gamification is increasing user engagement with your product or service. Customer-facing gamification builds consumer loyalty by providing additional incentives to both choose and stick with your product over time.

    Fitness brand Fitbit offers a perfect example of gamification in action. The brand harnesses this idea using a robust social interface that allows users to compete with their friends to reach fitness targets. The app also rewards exercise milestones with attainment badges that can be displayed for clout.

    Research has shown that competition is one of the biggest motivators when it comes to meeting exercise goals. Thus, gamifying Fitbit through friendly competition increases both user enjoyment and goal attainment. Satisfied customers are more likely to recommend the product to friends.

    2. Increasing Brand Visibility 

    Effective gamification of your product/service will also typically lead to sharing (digitally or through word of mouth). To use the example above, Fitbit’s social sharing feature allows users to post their achievement badges and workout stats on social media. This generates broader brand awareness and encourages others to purchase a Fitbit to join in. 

    Also consider the McDonald’s Monopoly promotion. The popular, Hasbro-sanctioned competition lets customers collect “properties” with food purchases for the chance to win a prize. This clever Monopoly adaptation generates considerable consumer interest and increased sales.

    McDonald’s Monopoly was discontinued in the U.S after reports of fraud, but this gamification attempt is still generating brand recognition for Mc Donald’s and is thriving in other countries. As recently as 2020, the McMillions docu-series was released, detailing the scandal, and getting tongues wagging all over again. 

     3. Motivating Business & Staff Performance 

    Just as gamification can encourage your customers to engage at a higher level, it can also be a powerful motivator for your staff. Even the best-run organizations can run into worker burnout or task fatigue. Inject a sense of fun and urgency back into your workplace with gamification.  

    A simple example would be to create Bingo cards for each staff member. Boxes can be filled with tasks that need to be achieved, such as “receive positive feedback from two customers” or “complete safety awareness module.” When the goal is reached, the winning staff member or team receives a reward. 

    The most effective rewards pair praise with a tangible prize. For example, a coffee voucher and recognition at the next staff meeting. Why does it work? Rewards release a rush of dopamine, the “happy” hormone, in the brain. Our brains are hardwired to pursue this chemical, which can translate to increased motivation to reach targets and a higher level of satisfaction when they are achieved.

    4. Hiring Incentives

    Despite high unemployment rates, many businesses are feeling the pinch of a suitable labor shortage. Savvy businesses are now using gamification to find high-quality candidates to fill essential roles. How? By offering cash incentives, prizes and kudos to employees who successfully refer suitable friends and acquaintances to vacancies. 

    The four examples above barely scrape the surface of business gamification. Consider implementing gamification in your business now to watch your company’s success soar in 2023.

  • How to Repair a Failing Business

    How to Repair a Failing Business

    When a business is failing, it can be difficult to know where to start to turn things around. No franchise is perfect and even the most successful ones have their struggles. So how can you turn things around and get things running smoothly? A good place to start is the budget. Take a closer look at the expenses, consider getting a personal loan and see where you can cut back. 

    Try to increase your sales by implementing new marketing strategies or by opening up partnerships with other businesses. It’s also important to make sure you are keeping your customers happy by providing excellent customer service. They are the central point of any business. By addressing complaints promptly, you have the means to bring your establishment back afloat. Let’s explore other ways to repair a failing business.

    Identify The Problem

    There are many reasons why businesses fail, but identifying the problem is a big step to reversing the damage. The decline is often a combination of several factors that leads to the downfall of a company. Here are three common problems that can bring failure to a business:

    Lack of Customer Demand

    If there is not enough demand for your product or service, your business will eventually fail. Make sure you have a clear understanding of your target market and what they want before starting your business.

    Poor Management

    Bad management is one of the most common reasons for business failure. This can lead to decreased productivity, higher costs, and ultimately lower profits. If your team is not working well together or you are making poor decisions, it will be very difficult to turn things around.

    Insufficient Capital 

    Another common cause of business failure is insufficient funding. This can include overspending, ineffective tracking of expenses, poor credit score, or failing to invest in long-term growth. Make sure you have a solid plan in place for how you will generate revenue and keep costs under control.

    Evaluate The Competition

    Statistics are what can make or break your company. Knowing how you stack up against the competition falls into that category. Are you offering the same products and services at the same price point? If so, what makes your business stand out? Take some time to research your competition and see what they’re doing that you’re not. Maybe they have a loyalty program or offer discounts for certain services. 

    Find out what sets them apart and see if there’s anything you can do to match or exceed their offerings. It’s also important to keep an eye on your competition’s marketing efforts. See what kinds of campaigns they’re running and where they’re placing their ads. This can give you some insight into their target market and how they’re trying to reach them. Again, use this information to see if there’s anything you can do to better the position in your own business.

    Talk to Your Management and Employees

    Are you looking for ways to improve your business? If so, you need to talk to your management and employees. Communication doesn’t just mean sending out a memo or holding a meeting now and then. To truly improve cooperation within your business, you need to be proactive about it. Here are ways to do just that.

    • Encourage an open dialogue between management and employees. This will help identify areas where the business can be improved.
    • Ask employees for their suggestions on how the business can be improved. They may have some great ideas that you haven’t thought of.
    • Conduct regular performance reviews with employees. This will help you identify any areas where employees are struggling and what can be done to help them perform better.
    • Keep communication lines open at all times. This way, if there are any problems, you can address them quickly and efficiently.

    Assess Your Product or Service

    A company’s product or service is its bread and butter. It’s what customers purchase and consume, and it’s the lifeblood of the business. Therefore, companies must take the time to assess their product or service regularly. You need to make sure that the quality of the product or service is up to par. This means the product or service is properly meeting customers’ needs and expectations. 

    Check the statistics for the past year or more to see what has changed, what works, and what can be improved upon. A great way to improve your product or service is to gather feedback from customers. The best way to gauge whether your product or service is succeeding is to hear it directly from those who are using it. Send out surveys, solicit reviews, and encourage customers to reach out with their thoughts and suggestions.

    What Does the Financial Situation Look Like?

    It can be really easy to drop the ball when it comes to the financial side of a business. Keep track of all of your receipts and categorize them by type of expense. This will help you see where most of your money is going and where you can cut back. Make a budget for your business expenses and stick to it as much as possible. This will help you stay on track and not overspend.

    Don’t be afraid to negotiate with vendors or suppliers. You may be able to get a better price if you let them know that you are shopping around. If you find yourself in a tough financial situation, it might be a good idea to opt for a quick online loan. Get offline or online approval by approaching highly rated and certified financial institutions. Make sure you understand the terms and conditions of the loan presented before proceeding.

    Put Your Plans Into Effect

    If you’re looking to make these changes to your business, start small. Making big changes all at once can be overwhelming, and it can be difficult to know which adjustments are having an impact. By making small moves and observing how they affect your business, you can get a better sense of what’s working and what isn’t. One way to do this is by experimenting with different marketing strategies. 

    Try out a new social media platform or run a targeted ad campaign. See how your customers respond and make adjustments accordingly. Another way to make small changes is to tweak your operations. Implement a new software system or change the way you handle customer service inquiries. Again, pay attention to how these changes affect your business. Making small changes is a great way to gradually improve your business.

    Conclusion

    When your business is showing a healthy status, this doesn’t mean it’s time to relax. The focus points should always be prevention and growth. Have a clear vision and mission for your business. This will help you stay focused and on the right path when things seem tough. Make sure you have a solid financial foundation. 

    This means having enough cash reserves to weather any storms that come your way. Keep a strong team in place and let go of the slack. Surround yourself with people who believe in your vision and who are committed to helping you achieve your goals.

  • How To Improve Cross Functional Team Collaboration

    How To Improve Cross Functional Team Collaboration

    In today’s world, teamwork is a necessity. You will have to interact with other people. Be it as an entrepreneur or as a worker to complete your tasks.

    However, many people struggle with how to improve cross functional team communication and collaboration.

    This article will help you understand how you can improve cross functional team collaboration and communication.

    With these guidelines, your company can work more efficiently and effectively.

    Strategic organizational communication is key to any successful team. But it can be challenging when members work remotely or are not in the same office.

    Poor communication can break down and lead to misunderstandings, which can cause issues for the entire team.

    There are many ways you can improve cross-functional team collaboration.

    One of the most important things is making sure that everyone feels heard and valued in the conversation.

    By valued, we mean:

    ●  Supportive when someone has an idea

    ●  Asking questions if someone doesn’t understand something

    ●  Keeping an open mind about what teams want for the future

    Team collaboration is essential for any organization to achieve its goals.

    A team is the best way to accomplish a task.

    When a team works well together, several positive things can come out. Such as:

    ●  Team members can adopt new ideas

    ●  Innovate

    ●  Make better decisions

    In this post, we will look at how you can improve cross functional team collaboration.

    You will also learn:

    ●  The benefits of cross functional team collaboration

    ●  The features of a good collaboration

    ●  How to ensure your company uses the right tools for its needs

    What Is a Cross Functional Team?

    Cross functional teams are widely used in many industries because they reduce organizational complexity.

    These teams help members with higher productivity rates in several very noticeable ways.

    These productive ways include:

    ●  Improvement in communication skills

    ●  Better knowledge sharing

    ●  Reduction of wastefulness

    ●  Increased mutual understanding

    Teams can have problems in communicating due to the following reasons:

    ●  The lack of open-mindedness

    ●  Willingness for intercultural dialogue

    This hurdle points asks teams to establish dialogue across cross functional teams.

    Also, it urges teams to be in constant contact with other cultures.

    Multi-disciplinary or cross functional teams can often work more successfully. They do this by highlighting different skill sets and combining them to produce desired outcomes.

    A cross functional team can be a perfect way for large groups of people to collaborate. This collaboration will work towards solving multimillion-dollar problems within a company or organization.

    For example, it could be the accounting department that focuses on finance. Or the HR department, which focuses on those who spend their hours entering data.

    In all scenarios, there are opportunities for all types of professionals to come together and help ensure success.

    Importance of Improving Cross Functional Communication

    Communication is a non-negotiable part of any company. And it helps us get to know each other and make better decisions together.

    When we say communication, we don’t just mean talking.

    It also includes nonverbal cues such as:

    ●  The body language

    ●  The facial expressions

    ●  The tone of voice

    There are many ways to improve how you communicate with your team members.

    You can avoid using jargon or acronyms when communicating with your team members.

    Using less terminology will help team members who may not be familiar with them understand what you are trying to say.

    Emphasize the importance of communication skills in the workplace. One of the most critical aspects of this skill is cross functional communication.

    This article will also give you tips on improving cross-functional team collaboration and how to get your team members to communicate better with one another.

    What Are Some of the Benefits of Cross Functional Team Collaboration?

    Cross functional collaboration allows employees to work with different teams, such as:

    ●  Product design

    ●  IT

    ●  Marketing

    Working with various teams will help to ensure that their work is coming together in one cohesive package.

    By working closely with these other groups and sharing information effectively, a company will see a higher quality product.

    The benefits of cross functional team communication include:

    ●  Increased productivity

    ●  Improved customer service

    ●  Better decision-making

    A good collaboration platform includes:

    ●  Automated notifications

    ●  Instant messaging

    ●  File sharing

    ●  Others

    It is essential to speak with your employees about what they are looking for in a new platform. Talking openly with teams ensures your company uses the right tools for their needs.

    Four Ways To Improve Cross Functional Communication

    There are four ways to improve cross functional communication.

    In this article, we will be looking at how to improve cross-functional team communication.

    We will first look at the benefits of good communication and then go through some tips on how to improve it.

    The first thing is to set up a meeting with your team members to discuss past mistakes. Discussions will help you identify what needs to change so that everyone can communicate more effectively with each other.

    You should also make sure that everyone knows their role on the team and understands their job.

    These are the critical four tips:

    ●  Involve all team members in the process

    ●  Prepare a communication plan before the meeting

    ●  Keep the meeting short and to-the-point

    ●  Create a follow-up plan after the meeting

    The future of work will be cross functional teams because they help move work forward in a better and more efficient way.

    Ensure That Your Team Is on the Same Page

    Identify Issues

    The first step to improving cross functional team collaboration is to identify the problems slowing down your team’s progress.

    Brainstorm

    Once you identify the problems, it is time to start brainstorming solutions.

    Use Technology

    The best way to improve cross functional communication is by using technology to facilitate better communication between team members.

    Create Space

    First, it’s essential to create a space where people can share their thoughts and feelings. Safe spaces will help them feel more comfortable with one another.

    Open Door Policy

    Next, it’s crucial to establish an open-door policy. This policy will encourage people to share their ideas and opinions more often.

    Set Clear Goals

    Finally, make sure that you have a clear goal for the team at hand.

    Having goals set will help the teams know what they should be working on to reach this goal.

    Tips for Better Communication Among Cross Functional Teams

    Have Transparent Communication

    The first tip is to have open and transparent communication.

    Employees should be aware of what is happening in the company and what their colleagues are doing.

    Better communication will help them understand how their work fits the bigger picture.

    Open conversations will allow them to feel more engaged in the process.

    Share Ideas and Feedback

    The second tip is that employees should share their ideas and feedback promptly.

    With ideas flowing freely, teams can identify any potential problems before they arise.

    Communication of Managers

    The third tip is that good communication comes from the top. Communication and business efficiency go hand in hand and both work best when there’s a strategy in place for organizational communication. Consider bringing on an internal communications manager to develop and implement strategic messaging and communication throughout your organization. Choose communication managers with a wealth of experience and a masters in strategic organizational communication or a similar educational background. Communication managers will encourage and foster all team members to work together on common goals, instead of separately.

    Challenges of Improving Cross Functional Communication

    It is vital to have a clear understanding of the challenges faced by organizations today.

    Organizations are faced with a myriad of challenges today.

    The most recognized challenge is to have a clear understanding of their customers.

    You can do this through research and data analysis. Other challenges may include:

    ●  Having an ethical brand

    ●  Creating work that stands out

    ●  The ability to find talent

    To improve the challenges, you can do the following:

    ●  Have better cross functional team communication

    ●  Ensure that all employees are on the same page about goals and objectives

    Communication is an essential aspect of any business, and teams that communicate well are typically more productive.

    By using CRM, you can ensure that all employees are on the same page concerning goals and objectives.

    The CRM will help facilitate communication between all team members. It will also provide a place to record all relevant information related to customer interactions.

    Conclusion

    Technological improvements have made it easier for teams to work together. But it has also created new challenges.

    For example, most people have difficulty knowing what is going on in other teams. This poor knowledge can lead to poor interdepartmental communication.

    To help overcome these challenges, we need to make sure that all team members know what each member is doing. And that they are communicating with one another.

    In conclusion, better team communication is crucial because cross functional team collaboration is essential for organizational success.

    But, it is not easy to achieve this goal.

    Many factors can cause the breakdown of teamwork, such as:

    ●  Lack of communication

    ●  Unclear expectations

    ●  Unmet deadlines

    To solve these problems, we need to work on improving cross functional communication by following these tips:

    ●  Make sure everyone understands the goals

    ●  Create a culture of open dialogue

    ●  Work on trust and respect

  • Why Organizations Are Integrating Whistleblower Hotlines

    Why Organizations Are Integrating Whistleblower Hotlines

    Minimizing the risk of fraudulent activity and employee misconduct is crucial for every organization to establish a safe and productive workspace. Whistleblower hotlines like CMS have become essential for organizations, and businesses are increasingly investing in them. It is a tool that improves two-way communication among employees and higher management and reports any unethical practices. This method of reporting eliminates the fear among employees of reporting corrupt practices in the workplace and can help uncover illegal behavior. This improves the bottom line of a company and ensures credibility in the longer run.

    Most countries, including those in the European Union (EU), consider making a law that regulates workplace ethics and makes it mandatory for companies to integrate a whistleblower helpline. Here is why most organizations are now considering whistleblower helplines as necessary and investing in their services:

    Risk Management

    Whistleblower helplines provide an avenue for employees to report their concerns regarding the workspace and the working environment. This includes potential threats of theft by departmental managers, sexual harassment, discrimination, and other threats to the business. If these are reported early on to the higher management or executives, they can be addressed immediately, saving the company from substantial financial losses. This creates a risk mitigation system in the workplace, and the overall management approach becomes more proactive in the longer run. 

    Detecting Fraud

    If someone based in an authoritative position commits fraud, they will do everything to cover it up. However, fraud starts with lying and breaches of trust. If an employee carries a threat of fraudulent activity, their peers or staff under them may sense it from their actions. Having a whistleblower helpline for employees will enable them to report this anonymously and safely. This gives the junior-level employees a trusted platform and eliminates their reluctance to report any mistreatment or mismanagement of assets by authoritative or managerial staff.

    Workplace Bullying

    Bullying, inappropriate social conduct, and harassment should be dealt with swift repercussions and must never be accepted in an organization. This behavior creates an unfavorable environment for workers and makes employees uncomfortable and unsafe. This type of work culture can lead to low motivation, lower productivity, high absenteeism, and hostility in the workplace. Organizations need to ensure their teams are well-protected and employees can report this behavior if it is prevalent in the workspace. The whistleblower hotline provides that no bullying by managerial staff or workplace harassment goes unreported and that the workplace. As a result, the workplace becomes a safe place for employees and the company to thrive in. 

    Prevents Media Attention

    Companies are increasingly getting called out due to their unethical practices on all forms of media, from news channels to social media. Whistleblowing helps identify the ongoing problems or threats beforehand and saves the business from losing its goodwill. If a company is scandal and controversy-free, it will most likely benefit from better investments, employees, and stakeholders’ interests.

    Endnote

    An effective whistleblower hotline being a part of a company’s regulatory measures shows that the company cares for the safety and security of the employees. It also shows the levels of commitment, accountability, and responsibility of an organization. If you are seeking to improve ethical conduct in your workplace, a whistleblower hotline service is a way to go. It will provide your employees with a secure method of reporting anonymously and maintain the safety of your workplace.

  • The Road To Better Employee Performance

    The Road To Better Employee Performance

    As a business owner, your employees are the heart and soul of your company. That’s why it’s important to develop and maintain a strong team. The road to high-quality employee performance is a long and winding one, complete with hurdles and roadblocks. Getting around these roadblocks is part of what a manager needs to be able to do to ensure employees are happy where they are and able to function well together in a team environment. Though there is no one-size-fits-all solution for improving employee performance, it can be done. Using the following tips consistently will help you meet the specific challenges of your workforce and achieve your desired results. Keep reading to learn more.

    Encourage a Sense of Belonging and Trust

    Happy employees are productive employees. They feel a sense of belonging when they feel accepted by their peers and trusted by their superiors. When people feel as though they’re part of a team, they’re more likely to collaborate with others. They’ll spend more time seeking out advice from their colleagues, offer assistance whenever needed, and work together to achieve common goals. When people feel like they belong in an organization, they’re more likely to follow the company’s values as well. And hearing the company values is important for doing the best job they can, meeting goals effectively, and ultimately satisfying customers. When your employees are happy, they’re more productive and their office culture will reflect that. Better teamwork encourages collaboration and synergy while engaging employees on everything from basic administration to full-on projects.

    Create Opportunities for Creativity and Growth

    The desire to learn new skills is one of the greatest motivators in any workplace. It gives employees the opportunity to be creative in their approach to problem-solving while also providing an outlet for personal growth. When people are allowed to experiment with different ideas, try new things and take risks without fear of failure, they are given the freedom to explore new avenues of thought that can push them forward in their careers. By increasing their skills, they’re able to better manage their workloads, dictate how they do their work, and perform at higher levels. Learning more skills is crucial to developing as an individual and only serves to benefit the organization in the long term.

    Integrate Recognition into Culture

    Recognition is important in any company. Using an employee recognition program and recognition Solutions can lead to a much more dynamic, friendly environment for your team. Giving recognition after an impressive effort is a great way to incentivize your employees, too. By making recognition a part of your company culture, you’re telling your employees that their work is valued—and they’ll love you for it. Implementing rewards and incentives (like gift cards, PTO, or a shout-out in an email), makes people feel appreciated. It also encourages them to keep up that good work. In the end, a measure of gratitude gives workers a strong motivation to continue doing well. Teams work better together when they like each other and get along. If they’re allowed to recognize each other and empower to do so, it means a better situation for everyone.

    Be Transparent and Give Clear Direction

    Every business wants to maximize the output of its employees. But right now, more employees are looking for fulfillment in their job roles as a key factor in choosing a career. Monetary compensation is important, too, and there’s also an increasing number of people working remotely, which can be a challenging task. There are, however, a few ways that your company can increase employee performance using transparency. When giving projects to your team, it’s important to be transparent about what you need from them so that they can deliver the best results possible. This means communicating expectations clearly from the beginning and keeping everyone informed throughout the process is key to your success. Instead of suddenly handing new requirements to employees at the last minute or failing to tell them when something has changed, create a culture of full transparency where employees always understand expectations. You’ll be glad you did.

    Put Work-Life Balance First 

    Seems like common sense, but employees don’t want to spend every waking moment at their place at work. That’s why work-life balance is so important. Unfortunately, it is difficult to attain for many people. So how can you help? Don’t push your employees too hard—if burnout becomes a problem in your office, you may find that any extra efforts put forth by your workers are soon diminished. Offer them reward systems or wellness initiatives. Be kind and friendly, understanding their needs to take a day off once in a while. Don’t be pushy with the schedule. Offer PTO or the ability to work from home once if possible. Making work-life balance a priority should be a core value for most companies and will only help employees perform to their highest standard.

  • How Outdoor Exploration Makes You More Productive

    How Outdoor Exploration Makes You More Productive

    Though national and local parks come to mind at the thought of outdoor exploration, RV campgrounds and parks are other great conduits for natural recreation. With as many as 14,000 in the United States alone, options for enjoying them are many.

    Exploring mother nature has more immediate benefits too. Doing so has the ability to rebalance our industrialized lives with our humanity and human needs. Among children, building and fine motor skills are amplified alongside confidence. Memories with loved ones blossom through both outdoor exploration and repose. The physical activity made available by the natural environment gives our bodies a boost and the kinetic energy we crave. Nature also presents learning opportunities for both kids and adults of all ages as our senses continuously process new information and we discover new ways in which ecosystems interact and exist.

    Americans suffer from a vacation deficit. More than 28 million United States employees are not given paid holidays or vacation time. Of the remaining U.S. adults who do, a staggering 55% don’t utilize all of their paid time off, staying wired for productivity. These statistics do not bode well against other higher-earning countries. The typical amount of paid leave for employees in the private sector is 10 days. Meanwhile, Finland triples this average, giving a numerical mean of 30 days. Finland’s also taken first place as the world’s happiest country for the past four consecutive years.

    Not Taking Off Enough Time

    Americans take insufficient amounts of time off for a plethora of reasons. However, there seems to be heavy consensus on six. 61% report negligence towards repose at the fear of being deemed replaceable in their positions. 56% blame insufficient assistance and perceived forgiveness for overbearing tasks and assigned roles. With a significant population of pet parents, 54% struggle to find pet care and accommodations, keeping them from traveling. 54% prefer to dodge the stress and burdens of crafting itineraries and charting modes of transportation. 54% report worries regarding safety and peace of mind. 53% are deterred from vacationing due to expenses and lack of disposable income. Lastly, among U.S. adults who do use their vacation days, fewer than 50% use them to leave home.

    Enjoying the outdoors has innumerable benefits and we must orient our time towards reaping them. Just twenty minutes of fresh air, three days each week, has been proven to enhance brain function, minimize stress, augment well-being, and better memory. 

    If exploring the wilderness, and the thrills of doing so are not your speed, outdoor attractions can still provide the refreshment of fresh air without the uncertainties posed by wildlife and remote environments. By visiting a water or theme park, you can cherish open air while enjoying modern stimulation. When renting a boat, kayaking, canoeing, or whitewater rafting, you can enjoy open waters, green surroundings, and vast blue sky from afloat. By sightseeing, and participating in local tours, you can see new places by foot or by bike while enjoying nature’s elements. Lastly, simple family-friendly adventures, like hayrides, mini-golf, and orchids can provide outdoor fun in low-risk ways.

    In Conclusion

    Take care of yourself, as much as you take care of work. Then, you can reconnect with the gifts that mother nature endlessly offers.

  • 4 Benefits of Investing in Next Generation Wi-Fi for Your Business

    4 Benefits of Investing in Next Generation Wi-Fi for Your Business

    Online connectivity was something to marvel at when it first became available for home and commercial use. Now it’s the backbone of nearly every company’s day-to-day operations. Without the internet and Wi-Fi, businesses wouldn’t be delivering many of the conveniences consumers depend on.  

    But like any technology, Wi-Fi remains in a state of evolution. New standards and infrastructure capabilities keep pushing the limits of what tech can do. Businesses that don’t keep up with the latest developments put themselves at risk.

    Slow and outdated Wi-Fi networks prompt more than short-term delays and frustrations. They can cause your business to get left behind as customers flock to competitors that offer the latest amenities. Outdated internet technology can also leave your company vulnerable to cybercriminal activity. Before you decide to put off adopting next-gen Wi-Fi, consider these four benefits.

    1. Adaptable Signal Strength

    If you have a larger or multi-story home, you’ve probably experienced poor Wi-Fi signal strength in more than one room. Perhaps you’ve tried a booster or extender, hoping to put a stop to the random disconnects and buffering. But these solutions didn’t do the trick, and you’ve still got a few slow spots where it’s difficult to connect.  

    The same scenarios happen in businesses due to sluggish Wi-Fi, resulting in lost productivity and patience. A small business Wi-Fi solution with the latest AI-driven technology can help prevent those slow and dead spots. Instead of just sending out signals, the network learns how and where you need connectivity the most. Over time, the technology adapts to your location’s usage behaviors and needs.

    Your back office might be hustling and bustling at 9 a.m., requiring the most capacity your Wi-Fi can muster. By noon, the front reception area needs all the signal strength it can get. And at the end of the workday, the staff cubicles are placing the highest demands on the network. Adaptive Wi-Fi can handle all of it by sending more signal strength where and when it’s necessary.

    2. Support for IoT and Additional Devices

    Although recent supply chain problems and shortages have lowered projections for Internet of Things (IoT) device adoption, market analysts still predict growth. The number of connected IoT gadgets is expected to reach 27.1 billion worldwide by 2025. The Internet of Things includes smart devices, wearables, and sensors. Some of these sensors help businesses manage inventory, fleet vehicles, and other assets. Farmers also use them to automate precision agriculture techniques.

    The next generation of Wi-Fi comes with increased capacity to accommodate the bandwidth IoT devices require. When there are more gadgets online, they start competing for available space on the network. It’s not just your POS systems, office computers, and employees’ smartphones that are vying for throughput. The smart locks on the doors and the sensors that monitor movements and appliances can’t function without enough bandwidth.

    Built into the latest Wi-Fi standards is the ability to divide a single channel into a larger number of subchannels. More devices can sustain a connection on a single access point without experiencing latency, freezing, or spotty service. Two-way or synchronous communication is also possible between access points and devices. This means more seamless and steady connections for all the machines businesses rely on.  

    3. Improved Power Management

    One of the benefits of a Wi-Fi connection is the freedom to move around with mobile devices. You’re not limited to using the internet and your web-based applications at your desk. That said, mobile gadgets rely on battery power to run. And although manufacturers have made strides in improving battery life over the years, batteries still require monitoring and recharging.

    Next-gen Wi-Fi reduces the strain on batteries through a capability called Target Wake Time. This feature puts the wireless signal on a device or access point to sleep until it’s needed. When it’s time to send or receive data on the network, the internal hardware responsible for communicating wakes back up.

    When wireless cards are constantly in “on” mode, they can drain battery life. During sleep mode, mobile devices save battery power. You can set your tablet down and keep it connected to the network. You won’t have to plug in a few hours later when you’re ready to start using the tablet again.

    4. Faster Speeds    

    According to industry reports, the latest Wi-Fi technology is three times faster than previous standards. Increased speed capacity allows for better video conferencing and streaming in 4K. If your business uses smart TVs to display entertainment, upgraded Wi-Fi can contribute to enhanced customer experiences.

    You’ll also notice quicker download and upload times when sending files or retrieving information online. Your team’s efficiency will get a boost since they won’t spend as much time waiting in front of their screens. Although a few seconds or minutes might not seem like a lot, those wasted moments add up. With faster response times, staff will feel more capable and productive, which can motivate them to keep moving forward.

    Similar to some previous wireless standards, the latest generation accommodates more than one frequency. Because next-gen Wi-Fi is backward-compatible, devices that run on 2.4GHz frequencies can take advantage of increased speeds. While those speeds may not reach the full potential of the newest wireless technology, improvement will still be noticeable. So if your business has devices that don’t operate on higher frequencies, you won’t have to ditch them.

    Conclusion

    Wi-Fi connections are sometimes taken for granted. You think about keeping your laptops and other devices up to date because your business stops working when they do. But outdated network solutions can slow you down and end up hurting productivity, customer service, and brand appeal.

    The benefits of next-generation Wi-Fi are plenty, including adaptive signal strengths and faster speeds. These advantages keep your business in the game and allow you to offer the resources employees and clients expect. Investing in current network technology is a move you can’t afford to overlook.                                       

  • Best Business Phone Features for Small Business

    Best Business Phone Features for Small Business

    One of the most important pieces of hardware or software for small business people is their communication system. The fact is that you’ll almost definitely be using it on a regular basis, and if you choose the right one, it might provide you with a considerable competitive advantage.

    At the end of the day, every company needs a corporate communication network that is supported with a robust phone insurance plan. Establishing clear channels of conversation with clients, suppliers, and employees is essential, and small businesses can execute this task just as well, if not better, than large enterprises.

    These are the best features that small business phone systems must have to improve your business communication:

    Automatic Attendant

    Small businesses can benefit a lot from using an automatic attendant (also known as IVR) system. Tools like formal greeting, call forwarding, extension selection, and others are deployed using an IVR system.

    While many companies prefer personal interactions with their customers, an automatic attendant can help increase support efficiency, reduce waiting times, and also give a high level of customization and personalization. For example, with automatic call routing, your IVR can greet your customer by name and transfer the call to his account manager.

    This technology is perfect for working in a small office environment since it gives small businesses a more professional look. You can set your IVR to answer simple questions so your clients might get in touch with your small business 24/7.

    The advanced capabilities of an auto attendant must, without a question, be included in your current small business phone system.

    CRM Software Integrations

    Connecting with customer relationship management (CRM) and other business intelligence technologies is crucial for small businesses. In order to stay competitive, firms must identify and leverage every potential feature to increase their efficiency. Screen pop-up when looking for incoming Calls information, click-to-call, and professional phone appearance are just a few of the features available when your phone system is integrated with your CRM. Such features provide unparalleled effectiveness.

    Conversations Recording

    Recording calls is a useful feature for various small businesses. Not everyone can understand the advantages of this feature or will benefit from it regularly, but if you conduct business over the phone, having audio recordings is important because it allows you to evaluate discussions over time to enhance your effectiveness, and also refer back when you need clarification or reminding what was discussed.

    It is possible to use call recordings for several objectives, like collecting evidence for key concerns raised by a client over the phone or evaluating discussions to identify how to improve a sales presentation in the future.

    Conference Calling

    It is not always feasible to bring individuals together in person since business is now also performed remotely. Conferencing is simple, and you can have real-time conversations with as many people as you need. Simply put your caller on wait, choose a new line, then hit the conference option to attend the other lines. It is that easy! 

    Call Forwarding

    Having the ability to transfer conversations fast and easily is critical for properly managing inbound calls. One of the primary reasons firms switch to the most up-to-date, feature-rich phone systems is indeed the opportunity to do this more efficiently. Every phone user may easily send calls to other members of the team using the right phone system, which can be done with a single tap. Additionally, since you’ll have at least two phone setups, somebody else may be in a conversation at the same moment as you are.

    The Bottom Line

    The cloud-based characteristics of phone solutions provide a great deal of value to businesses. It’s hard to imagine a workplace without corporate phone services, whether it’s basic functions like call waiting or call forwarding or more sophisticated ones like CRM integrations, and also, they can be used for secure remote working. For big and small companies alike, this and the cost advantages over traditional landlines technology makes them an appealing alternative.

  • 5 Great Tips to Create a Technology Startup Business Plan in 2022

    5 Great Tips to Create a Technology Startup Business Plan in 2022

    All business or startups when asked upon their success of business they mentioned the importance of an ecommerce business plan, a tech business plan to be particular in the tech industry if you need to step in.Each technology startup is unique, however the formula for what makes an effective startup business plan is something similar: it boils down to the all inclusive insight of involvement. Fruitful startups have attempted things and fizzled. They have turned and yet again marked. Startup originators have strolled into many financial backer and client gatherings and came out with nothing. It very well may be overwhelming to change your huge thought into an income creating reality.

    Before starting anything we need to have a full proof plan especially in the case of a tech startup or business. To make a successful e-commerce business plan we need to know some good tips and tricks. So let us tell you some five great tips that you could really use.

    Make a Smart Business Plan

    Your business plan ought to think about your kind of business and ought to have appropriate measurements to back up why your plan is a triumphant arrangement. The business thought is significant yet the manner in which it is introduced in the plan is unequivocal. It’s platitude to say however you ought to handpick your financial backers, ensuring that they don’t just have similar qualities as you do yet that they additionally consider ladies to be skilled heads of fruitful organizations. Put your business on the road to success by applying the standards of SMART objective setting. SMART is an abbreviation for the 5 components of specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based goals. It’s a basic apparatus utilized by businesses to go past the domain of fluffy objective setting into a noteworthy plan for results.

    Market Research is Important

    Looking for the target audience that is unquestionably significant. On the off chance that you begin working without realizing which kind of audience you want for your business then, at that point, it may be conceivable your business won’t ever transform into a brand.For this do inside and out market research for looking through your target audience as well as looking at the cost and things your rival is offering and how they are advertising.

    The contender market research will help you in handling a portion of the better outcomes while planning an amazing business plan.

    Build a Tech Vision 

    A vision articulation is vital to an organization since it fills in as an essential plan for progress. It can go about as an aide when workers experience difficulties. Vision proclamations additionally assist with propelling representatives to run after shared goals. A vision explanation can likewise assist a business with distinguishing its hierarchical culture. For a tech startup we always need to have a bigger picture in mind in terms of making an ecommerce startup business plan. Tech startups require a lot of planning and innovation because of the immense competition building in this industry. 

    Having a vision gives a feeling of direction and bearing for the business. Your vision will assist you with characterizing your short and long haul goals, and guide the choices you make en route. A pioneer has the vision and conviction that a fantasy can be accomplished. He motivates the power and energy to make it happen.

    Know Your Tech Competitors Well

    To comprehend your market, you should perceive all contenders – what their identity is, their qualities and shortcomings and the probable ramifications for your business. All businesses face a contest – your plan should show you have an unmistakable system for managing every one of your rivals.

    Knowing who your rivals are, and what they are offering, can assist you with making your items, administrations and marketing stick out. You can utilize this information to make marketing techniques that exploit your rivals’ shortcomings, and further develop your own business execution.

    Financial Balance is a Must

    Your business plan’s monetary data will confront specific examinations. Income ought to be recorded in full, and your business forecasts should be very much established. While costs are simpler to anticipate than deals, both should be incorporated. Assuming figures truly aren’t your thing, look for help while creating your business plan, maybe from a bookkeeper or other confided in a guide.The significance of money in business is in the capacity to guarantee that a business works with practically no monetary hiccups like running low on cash, and simultaneously ensuring, that assets are secure and all around contributed for long haul gains.

    In Conclusion

    The tech business is engaged around advancement, creation and development. The organizations ruling the business right now are based in the US and known as the Big Five: Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft. You will likewise discover that the main consistency in technology is change, change and more change. To land in the big names of the tech industry you need to make a smart ecommerce business plan and then get going. So follow these tips and start working on it.

  • Slack Has Already Transformed Salesforce

    Slack Has Already Transformed Salesforce

    Slack has already transformed the way we work at Salesforce,” says Salesforce Co-CEO Bret Taylor. “Since we have deployed Slack internally, we sent 46% fewer e-mails. And in the last 30 days alone, our employees have sent nearly 60 million Slack messages and conducted 500,000 Slack Huddles. We run Salesforce on Slack.”

    Not only has Salesforce transformed the way they work with Slack but so are the customers of Salesforce. The company sees Slack as a core platform for powering digital transformation.

    Customer 360 and Slack are powering this transformation for companies in every industry in every region of the world,” said Taylor in yesterday’s earnings call. “Slack outperformed our expectations in the first full quarter as a part of the Salesforce family. The number of customers on Slack who spent over $100,000 was up 44% year-over-year. The adoption of Slack Connect was up an astonishing 176% year-over-year. Slack is not just a product, Slack is a network, and it’s just incredible to see that growth.”

    The company seemed pleasantly surprised about how transformative Slack is to the operations of large enterprises. As Slack brought on millions of new users during the pandemic they focused on innovation that has made Slack much more than a simple communications platform.

    Slack also continues to innovate at an unbelievable pace,” notes Taylor. “Slack Huddles, which is Slack’s new real-time audio capability, is already used weekly by over 1/3 of Slack users. And Slack Clips, the new asynchronous video capability, are being played nearly 1 million times a week. And this month at Slack Frontiers, which I hope all of you have watched; and if you haven’t, you can watch it online. Stewart and the team are now the next generation of Slack’s platform, and it’s going to truly transform the way companies think about workflows and automation.”

    Customer 360 and Slack are powering this transformation for companies in every industry in every region of the world, according to Taylor.

    Slack outperformed our expectations in the first full quarter as a part of the Salesforce family. The number of customers on Slack who spent over $100,000 was up 44% year-over-year. Adoption of Slack Connect was up an astonishing 176% year-over-year. Slack is not just a product, Slack is a network, and it’s just incredible to see that growth.

    Slack also continues to innovate at an unbelievable pace. Slack Huddles, which is Slack’s new real-time audio capability, is already used weekly by over 1/3 of Slack users. And Slack Clips, the new asynchronous video capability, are being played nearly 1 million times a week. And this month at Slack Frontiers, which I hope all of you have watched; and if you haven’t, you can watch it online. Stewart and the team are now the next generation of Slack’s platform, and it’s going to truly transform the way companies think about workflows and automation.

    That is definitely what I saw firsthand,” said Co-CEO Mark Benioff. “I was like, how could it be that an airline is basically front-ending their entire system with Slack? That’s a shock to me.”

    “Slack is the system of engagement for every workflow, every application, every person on your enterprise,” added Taylor. “It’s really an amazing platform vision. And absolutely watch Slack Frontiers. If you haven’t seen it, I think it will blow your mind.”

    “Every CEO and every Board I talk to is focused on how they can succeed in this era of flexible work,” says Taylor. “According to Slack’s research, 93% of workers are looking for flexibility when they work, and 76% are looking for flexibility where they work. Companies need to connect their employees, their partners, their customers from anywhere because we all know we’re not going to be in the office 5 days a week.”

    “Our offices aren’t going away,” he said. “It’s just that your digital headquarters is going to be more important because it’s truly the infrastructure that connects all of it, and especially in this new normal. And Slack and Customer 360 together are really powering this transformation.”

    Slack Has Already Transformed Salesforce, Says Salesforce Co-CEO Bret Taylor
  • 5 Reasons Templates Can Skyrocket Your Productivity

    5 Reasons Templates Can Skyrocket Your Productivity

    If your company isn’t currently using templates for routine communications, you might want to rethink that. Whether you own a small business or you’re the manager of a Fortune 500 company, you doubtless want to improve your efficiency.

    Templates are a great way to ensure that happens. They help lower employee stress levels, ensure uniformity of branding, and ooze professionalism. Whether implementing meeting agenda templates or imposing strict control over your social media posts, here are five reasons to consider using templates, and four types to try.

    Why Should You Use Templates?

    1. They Reduce Mistakes

    In every work setting, there’s going to be some risk of human error. No one is perfect. By utilizing templates, your employees minimize the likelihood of making mistakes.

    For instance, let’s say you manage a public relations team. Every day, your employees send hundreds of emails to potential clients. Chances are that at least one of those emails will have an error. It might be a grammatical mistake or a missing bit of information. You can avoid this by creating a template your employees use when they initially reach out to every prospective client.

    Templates can provide a structure that’s easy to follow. Your employees won’t have to start from scratch and potentially make mistakes.

    2. They Save Time

    We live in a world of now. Not only do clients want information ASAP, but employees don’t want to spend more time than needed on menial work. For many personality types, drafting emails, creating invoices, estimating proposals, and so on are considered menial work.

    According to research, employees spend almost 28% of the workday reading and responding to email. While that might not sound like much time, it’s more than two hours. Considering the average employee works approximately eight hours a day, that’s a lot of time. Now multiply that percentage by the number of employees at your organization. Imagine how much work an employee could accomplish through the use of templates.

    3. They Help Your New Hires

    Onboarding new hires is an expensive part of the hiring process. The average cost per hire can run into thousands of dollars. With numbers like that, you want to make sure your new hires are getting the most out of the experience. Templates can be part of the onboarding experience.

    Using templates, new employees won’t have to start tasks from scratch. They won’t have to figure out your preferred format for a meeting agenda, say, or how to draft a social media post. They can hit the ground running because they’ll have your template to use as an outline.

    4. They Improve and Standardize Presentation

    Not every employee is a design guru. They might be able to close a sale, but that doesn’t mean they know how to create a company newsletter. This is where a template can come in handy. Instead of relying on your employee’s talent, they can use a preapproved format.

    Templates also ensure that your company brand is showcased properly. Think about it. All of your employees have different personalities and different ways of communicating. You might have one employee who likes using exclamation points and another who enjoys adding emojis to every Slack. 

    Neither of those communication preferences may be how you want your company represented. A template ensures uniformity of design, voice, and content. Your preferred branding is baked right in.

    5. They Target Communications Effectively

    Templates provide a great way to ensure your people are communicating with your clients effectively. They also streamline outreach efforts for your employees.

    The use of templates can also help you catch typos and misfires. For example, let’s say you’ve been using the same template for months. Your clients don’t seem to be impressed. Your employees are still being asked the same questions. These are indicators that you might need to develop a new template.

    Which Templates Should You Try?

    You’re convinced that templates will save you time, hassle, and frustration. Great! So where do you start? Listed below are four common places you might begin.

    1. Emails

    How much time do you spend crafting an email from scratch? Think about how much of that time could be directed elsewhere if all of your employees had access to email templates.

    Using an email template, employees simply have to fill in the blanks. They may only need to change the client’s name and company, depending on whom they’re sending the message to and the level of personalization you encourage.

    2. Professional Bios

    Writing your company bio can be a daunting task. By using a professional bio template, your employees won’t feel as uncomfortable writing about themselves.

    In addition, this type of template will create more uniformity on your company’s website. Instead of one bio being two sentences and another half a page, every listing will look similar and highlight the same information.

    3. Meeting Agendas

    How many times have you spent wondering how long a meeting will take or what exactly will be covered? Meeting agendas help remove the guesswork. Not only do they assist the person leading the meeting, but they also give attendees an idea of what to expect.

    Not everyone knows how to run an effective meeting. A meeting agenda template helps keep things on track. It’s easier to modify the template with information that’s relevant. Agendas can then be distributed so participants have time to prepare.

    4. Social Media Posts

    Social media can be tricky. It can take some trial and error for companies to figure out exactly which type of post resonates with their audience. Once you’ve figured out what works, make sure you develop a template. Thankfully, there are several platforms that allow users to create templates to distribute on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and so on.

    While the use of templates will definitely improve overall productivity, the creation and maintenance of these resources should be an ongoing affair. Do your best to strike a balance between uniformity of branding and coming off as stale or canned. Templates make life easier for you and your employees, but implemented correctly, they also enhance customer satisfaction.

  • Could Emotional Intelligence Be Key to Career Success?

    Could Emotional Intelligence Be Key to Career Success?

    Important as technical knowledge is to the modern workplace, it isn’t enough to guarantee success.  Today’s workplaces rely on teams spread across increasing distances to get their projects completed.  Individuals who work in and manage teams well excel over those who withdraw from their colleagues.  The skills that help workers succeed in a collaborative environment all fit under one label: emotional intelligence or EQ.

    Where Did EQ Come From?


    What defines emotional intelligence?  When the term was first introduced in a 1990 research paper by John D. Mayer and Peter Salovey, they identified 3 components to EQ: emotional perception, understanding of emotional signals with regard to relationships, and emotional management.  Today, these components have expanded into 5, keeping the spirit of the original definition while making it easier to conceptualize.  The new set of tools in the emotional intelligence shed are self awareness, self regulation, empathy, social skills, and motivation.  In essence, people with high emotional intelligence understand their own emotions and are able to relate to the emotions of others in a healthy manner.

    The impact EQ has on professional success has been confirmed by several research studies.  Those with high emotional success are more likely to embrace cross-cultural experiences, enjoy greater job satisfaction, remain with the same company longer, and earn promotions and salary increases.  A single point increase in one’s emotional intelligence quotient brings up to $1,300 in additional annual income.  In a 2021 study of workers in Spain, EQ predicted salary better than either age or gender could.

    EQ in Leadership

    For those pursuing leadership, EQ is even more important.  Emotional intelligence is linked to up to 60% of performance metrics used to evaluate supervisors and executives.  Employee engagement factors like turnover and productivity are impacted by the emotional climate of a workplace.  An emotionally intelligent manager prevents stress from becoming overwhelming for workers and ensures interpersonal conflicts are either averted or resolved in a swift manner.  As a result, emotionally intelligent leaders are 7x as likely to have high performance outcomes.  In client facing or service industries like hotels and restaurants, these managers double as the cultivators of guest/customer satisfaction.

    As is the case with conventional intelligence, some people do possess an advantage in emotional intelligence.  There exist people who are naturally more social or empathetic than others.  For individuals to whom emotional intelligence does not come naturally, this fact can be frustrating.  Don’t fear; emotional intelligence is a set of skills that can be learned by anyone.  The 2 most important steps to growing your emotional intelligence are 1) understand your feelings and 2) monitor your reactions.  Once you know how to identify your emotions in times of stress, understand how emotion impacts your reactions, and work to channel your emotions into an appropriate response, you can help others do the same with their own feelings.  

    Self-reflection is difficult.  Mentors and/or daily journals can help you practice your emotional skills in a results-oriented manner.  Lots of people are smart, but without EQ, most don’t succeed. 

    Is Emotional Intelligence The Key To Career Success?

  • STIR/SHAKEN: The Fight for the Future of Phone Calls

    STIR/SHAKEN: The Fight for the Future of Phone Calls

    When phone calls were first introduced, it was a wonderful way to erase physical distance from a conversation. Nowadays, a minority of phone calls feature a real conversation. On average, 54% of all phone calls received are uninvited spam. The US is the 8th most spammed nation in the world, its residents receiving upwards of 122,000 robocalls every minute. These calls are worse than a nuisance; in 2020 alone, phone scams swindled Americans out of $10 billion. 

    The troubles recipients face from spam calls are well known. Less acknowledged is the damage businesses suffer when their calls are lumped in with spam. Spoofing is harming the operations of reputable businesses. When scammers spoof real phone numbers to make their spam more convincing, they are difficult to trace and impossible to police. Their association with the spoofed number taints further usage. The algorithms phone carriers use to detect spam are well-intended, but they lead to many reputable businesses receiving the label of “spam likely.” Thousands of business calls are incorrectly flagged as spam every day. This is because the phone carrier algorithms look for high call volumes, customer complaints, and lead blocking to determine which numbers are perpetrating spam. 

    How Do We Discern a Spam Caller From an Honest Business?

    How do phone carriers protect consumers from spam without harming any honest businesses? Enter the STIR/SHAKEN revolution, here to restore trust in phone communications. The revolution traces back 15 months to the passage of the TRACED Act in March 2020, a law designed to fight back against robocalls. Now in June 2021, STIR/SHAKEN implements caller ID authentication to combat spoofing and robocalls. All service providers are expected to be on board with the new standards.

    Here’s how the new system works. When a business places an outbound call, the phone carrier sends their number to a system for authentication. There, the call can be assigned 1 of 3 ratings. An A rating is full verification, meaning the customer and number are both verified. A B rating is a partial verification, in which the customer is verified but their number is not. Lastly, a C rating is for gateway calls. The call origination could not be authenticated on a C call. Once the correct rating is determined, caller ID may show the recipient if their caller is verified or likely spam. These higher levels of attestation are meant to inspire trust among consumers.

    The Benefits of the New System are Spread Across Groups

    Businesses can carry on as verified customers and consumers know for certain which calls they can trust. Should a business want to further reduce its risk of being lumped in with spam, there are a few extra steps worth considering. Rotating numbers to reduce call volume per number is one possibility, as is the mixing of hot and cold leads to maximize response chances. Services like PhoneBurner are also around to improve calling results, and they act in full compliance with the new STIR/SHAKEN regulations. It’s time to call with confidence again. 

    STIR/SHAKEN Is Changing The Future Of Phone Calls
  • WSJ: Zoom Is Harder On Extroverts

    WSJ: Zoom Is Harder On Extroverts

    With the massive change toward remote working that has taken place over the last year, different personality types have had to adjust to Zoom. The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article today that concluded that Zoom video conferencing is surprisingly harder on extroverts than introverts. Experts interviewed said that Zoom is “less satisfying” for extroverts who thrive when talking in-person.

    “One area where extroverts excel is the in-the-moment processing of bodily cues,” says William Lamson, an assistant professor of psychology in clinical psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine. But because video calls are more about talking heads, extroverts end up “using more focus and not likely getting the same reward as a live interaction,” Dr. Lamson says.

    Extroverts don’t do well with the structure of Zoom calls also:

    Extroverts can also chafe at some of the structure and controls that videoconferencing platforms impose on conversations, says Elias Aboujaoude, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Stanford University. Functions such as muting, for example, control the conversation in a way that does not happen with in-person conversations, says Dr. Aboujaoude.

    Introverts, on the other hand, do much better with more structure in conversation with workmates:

    “There is less spontaneous water-cooler chitchat, which isn’t necessarily their forte and can sometimes provoke anxiety,” says Dr. Aboujaoude.

    Video meetings feature frequent glitches that can offer some cover to introverts who often worry about how they look to others. “Introverts can be harsh critics of their social performance and second-guess what they have said in social settings,” says Dr. Aboujaoude. 

  • Fund Manager: Tech Not Headed For Crash, COVID Setting Up Growth Trends

    Fund Manager: Tech Not Headed For Crash, COVID Setting Up Growth Trends

    Tech stocks may be riding on record highs, with sky-high valuations, but investors shouldn’t fear another Dotcom Bubble crash, according to Terry Smith.

    Terry Smith is a well-known fund manager in the UK, and has been called “the new Warren Buffet.” Smith’s fund is heavily invested in tech stocks, leading to some concern that he’s vulnerable to another Dotcom Bubble crash. In a letter to investors (PDF), Smith addresses those concerns and explains why he doesn’t believe tech stocks are in jeopardy.

    One of the biggest factors Smith points to is how differently tech stocks, which often have intangible factors, must be evaluated. In so doing, he points out an inherent advantage of tech companies, whose trade is more often than not in information and intellectual capital.

    The main assets of the companies we seek to invest in are often intangible. Some examples of intangible assets are brands, copyrights, patents, know-how, installed bases of equipment which require servicing and maintenance and so produce customers who are locked-in to the supplier, software systems which are critical to a business or person and so-called network effects. They are distinct from tangible assets such as real estate, machinery and equipment, and vehicles.

    The return on intangible assets is higher as they mostly need to be funded with equity not debt and attract an appropriate return. Lenders seem to crave the often false security of lending against tangible collateral. Intangible assets can also last indefinitely if they are well maintained by advertising, marketing, innovation and product development and the duration of an asset is an important factor in figuring out its real returns.

    Interestingly, Smith also makes the case that COVID is setting up for some specific growth trends. Like many, he likens the current pandemic to the Spanish Flu, and draws a comparison to Henry Ford and the Model T.

    The assembly line was not invented as a result of the Spanish Flu pandemic — the Model T Ford was put on an assembly line in 1913 — but it accelerated its adoption.

    The increase in productivity this delivered helped to fuel an economic boom as the cost of production of items such as cars and household electrical appliances were reduced as the volume of production rose so that they became affordable by the middle classes for the first time. This helped to fuel the economic and stock market boom of the Roaring Twenties.

    Smith sees the possibility of something similar happening post-COVID as a result of remote work and digital communication becoming normalized. Salesmen will be able to meet with more clients virtually than they could in person, businesses will see reduced costs, factories will be able to maintain production despite using less staff and more.

    Obviously, as he points out, it’s not good news for all industries.

    Of course not all businesses benefit from these developments. The airline industry, hospitality, bricks & mortar retailing and office property may all have some very difficult problems to face, just as you wouldn’t have wanted to have been a saddler when Henry Ford and his competitors hit their stride.

    This analogy helps explain why Smith’s fund is so heavily invested in tech and why he’s not worried about a possible crash. Of course, as he humorously points out, no one’s predictions are perfect.

    I will leave you with this thought: What are the similarities between a forecaster and a one-eyed javelin thrower? Answer: Neither is likely to be very accurate but they are typically good at keeping the attention of the audience.

  • Datadog CEO: 2020 Was Big Win For The Cloud

    Datadog CEO: 2020 Was Big Win For The Cloud

    “This year we’ve seen fairly brutal changes in patterns of usage in the cloud,” says Datadog CEO Olivier Pomel. “As you can imagine, streaming (has increased). All of a sudden everybody’s kids are watching Disney+. Also, video conferencing, online gaming, and all of that spiked pretty quickly. The way we see that is it’s a big win for the cloud, in general.”

    Datadog CEO Olivier Pomel says 2020 was a big win for the cloud:

    This year we’ve seen fairly brutal changes in patterns of usage in the cloud. As you can imagine, streaming (has increased). All of a sudden everybody’s kids are watching Disney+. Also, video conferencing, online gaming, and all of that spiked pretty quickly. Even if you think of the domains that were negatively impacted by COVID such as travel when all of a sudden everybody had to cancel their travel, it actually meant a lot more activity for the online sites of the travel companies.

    So you see all these patterns of companies pointing up and spinning down. The way we see that is it’s a big win for the cloud, in general. Companies could change their minds they could actually scale up. They could decide to shift different services to have them delivered at different scales instead of having to spend three to six months trying to retool everything and ship that to the data centers. They could do that very quickly in the cloud. We see that as a big win for the cloud.

    Read: SolarWinds Hack Was Supply Chain Attack, Says Datadog CEO

    Next year we still see some scaling from those customers. We see some of the industries that were negatively impacted coming back online and getting back up. Across the board, we see more and more renewed urgency around digital transformation and migration to the clutches precisely because the cloud made it possible for companies to react so quickly. Those who are not on the cloud were more impacted than the others.

    Datadog CEO Olivier Pomel: 2020 Was Big Win For The Cloud
  • Slack Outage Update – Significant Improvement (as of 2:28 PM EST)

    Slack Outage Update – Significant Improvement (as of 2:28 PM EST)

    From Slack via Twitter:

    For any customers unable to access Slack, please reload (CTRL/CMD + R) or restart Slack. If you encounter any trouble, please let us know at feedback@slack.com.

    We’ll have a separate post on this site for the outstanding calendar apps and email notifications trouble.

    We’re truly sorry for the disruption today. We’ll be back with a summary of this issue.

    Jan 4, 3:10 PM EST

    We’re seeing improvements with error rates on our side, and we believe affected customers should be able to access Slack.

    We’re continuing to work to resolve the trouble with calendar apps and email notifications.

    Jan 4, 2:28 PM EST

    For those customers who are unable to access Slack (e.g. seeing a blank screen or error), please try reloading (CTRL/CMD + R). If you can access Slack, please hold off on reloading at this time.

    In addition, Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar aren’t working as expected, and some email notifications (e.g. a notification of a new direct message in Slack) are failing to send.

    Note: We’ve updated this message to specify holding off on reloading if you can access Slack.

    Jan 4, 1:51 PM EST

    Some customers may be able to connect, but may also experience degraded performance. We’re continuing to work to resolve the issue.

    Jan 4, 1:00 PM EST

    Here is the latest from Slack:

    While the issue is largely still ongoing, we believe some customers may see improvement in connecting to Slack after a refresh (CTRL/CMD + R).

    Jan 4, 12:29 PM EST

    There are no changes to report as of yet. We’re still all hands on deck and continuing to dig in on our side. We’ll continue to share updates every 30 minutes until the incident has been downgraded.

    Jan 4, 11:52 AM EST

    We’re continuing to investigate connection issues for customers, and have upgraded the incident on our side to reflect an outage in service. All hands are on deck on our end to further investigate. We’ll be back in a half hour to keep you posted.

    Jan 4, 11:20 AM EST

    We’re still investigating the ongoing connectivity issues with Slack. There’s no additional information to share just yet, but we’ll follow up in 30 minutes. Thanks for bearing with us.

    Jan 4, 10:44 AM EST

    Customers may have trouble loading channels or connecting to Slack at this time. Our team is investigating and we’ll follow up with more information as soon as we have it. We apologize for any disruption caused.

    Jan 4, 10:14 AM EST

    Original Post:

    Slack has been down since 10:14 AM ET which puts millions of remote working employees in a difficult situation. Most Slack users worldwide are having issues connecting to their accounts and sending messages.

    Slack has posted on Twitter that they are working on the issue.

    “Customers may be experiencing issues connecting and using Slack at this time. Our team is currently investigating and we’re sorry for any troubles this may be causing. Please see https://status.slack.com for updates.”

    When users tried to read messages Slack gave them this notification:

  • Slack CEO: No Intention To Make Slack Free

    Slack CEO: No Intention To Make Slack Free

    “There is definitely no intention to make Slack free,” says Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield. “What we’ve seen in the last little while is the biggest telco in North America is wall-to-wall on Slack. The operator of the largest integrated health care system in the United States is on Slack. The single largest government contractor in the United States is wall-to-wall on Slack.”

    Stewart Butterfield, CEO of Slack, says that both Slack and Salesforce have no intention of making Slack free for enterprises:

    Slack Connect Key To Value Unlock Of Salesforce Deal

    The simple version of the back story is this is a really unique combination. We believe we can accomplish in the next five years what might have taken us 20 years to do otherwise. That’s the heart of it and it’s a pretty big milestone for us. We’re excited. It wasn’t expected by the outside world but we have a lot of momentum now. We came out of this quarter and we announced our results and Salesforce announced their results. Then we announced the acquisition all at the same time.

    A little bit of this got lost but we added 12,000 new paying customers in that quarter. It’s up 140 percent from a year ago. It matches the crazy surge that we saw during the early days of the pandemic. That momentum is coming from product improvements and it’s coming from Slack Connect which allows two organizations to communicate across organizational boundaries. That’s actually going to be key to the value unlock over the next few years. Salesforce is all about CRM. It’s all about customers and Slack Connect is 95 percent customer-vendor relationships.

    Engagement Layer: Everyone Will See It Later

    This (acquisition) is 100% offense. There are some really unique aspects of this particular combination. We weren’t looking to sell the company. I have a great relationship with Brett Taylor, President, and COO of Salesforce. We’ve known each other for a couple of decades at this point. There’s a way in which we see the world that i think very few people see it today but everyone will see it later. One way to say that is to look at the engagement layer. That’s kind of a weird term but it is the place where the conversations are happening, the places where the decisions are being made, as the perfect place to bring together workflows across organizational boundaries.

    Salesforce has a really broad suite. But of course, we have 2,400 apps in the app directory for Slack. We have 700 000 custom integrations that were developed by customers. These are like unique little integrations, some of them very small, just sending notifications into Slack, and some of them are sophisticated workflows that run entire businesses. That’s something that we will see an increasing degree of sophistication in the messaging environment and an increasing degree of work getting done directly where the decisions are made.

    No Intention To Make Slack Free

    When Brett and I were talking we talked about the opportunity for something that’s one plus one equals seven. If you think back to the 90s and Cisco acquiring small hardware startups and then plugging it into their network of 20,000 salespeople and just selling a lot more of that thing. That’s not it. We will do that as well. We obviously have incredible distribution and incredible reach and incredible relationships across all industries and across all geographies. So we’ll sell more Slack.

    Salesforce recently announced their plan to get to $50 billion in revenue and we’ll play an important part in that. We’ll also be an accelerant for the adoption of Salesforce’s core products. There is definitely no intention to make Slack free. What we’ve seen in the last little while is the biggest telco in North America is wall-to-wall on Slack. The operator of the largest integrated health care system in the United States is on Slack. The single largest government contractor in the United States is wall-to-wall on Slack.

    We win in media and technology, kind of famously, but we also win in retail and apparel and industries that people don’t imagine seeing us. We have 142,000 customers right now. There’s going to be a lot of overlap with Salesforce but there’s also going to be 100,000 plus of those customers which are SMBs and kind of outside of Salesforce’s purview so far. We think there’s the opportunity to bring them into the fold and to connect them all together with Slack Connect.

    Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield: No Intention To Make Slack Free
  • Salesforce Buys Slack for $27.7 Billion

    Salesforce Buys Slack for $27.7 Billion

    Salesforce announced that it is buying Slack for $27.7 billion in cash and stock. The company says that combining Slack with Salesforce Customer 360 will be transformative for customers and the industry. They say that the combination will create the operating system for the new way to work, uniquely enabling companies to grow and succeed in the all-digital world.

    Under the terms of the agreement, Slack shareholders will receive $26.79 in cash and 0.0776 shares of Salesforce common stock for each Slack share, representing an enterprise value of approximately $27.7 billion based on the closing price of Salesforce’s common stock on November 30, 2020. 

    The transaction is anticipated to close in the second quarter of Salesforce’s fiscal year 2022, subject to approval by the Slack stockholders, the receipt of required regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

    Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield told the Wall Street Journal that he is joining Salesforce and will continue to run Slack as a unit of Salesforce after the deal’s close.

    “Stewart and his team have built one of the most beloved platforms in enterprise software history, with an incredible ecosystem around it,” said Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO, Salesforce. “This is a match made in heaven. Together, Salesforce and Slack will shape the future of enterprise software and transform the way everyone works in the all-digital, work-from-anywhere world. I’m thrilled to welcome Slack to the Salesforce Ohana once the transaction closes.”

    “Salesforce started the cloud revolution, and two decades later, we are still tapping into all the possibilities it offers to transform the way we work. The opportunity we see together is massive,” said Stewart Butterfield, Slack CEO and Co-Founder. “As software plays a more and more critical role in the performance of every organization, we share a vision of reduced complexity, increased power and flexibility, and ultimately a greater degree of alignment and organizational agility. Personally, I believe this is the most strategic combination in the history of software, and I can’t wait to get going.”

    Slack to Become the New Interface for Salesforce Customer 360

    Salesforce:

    Salesforce is the #1 CRM that enables companies to sell, service, market and conduct commerce, from anywhere. Slack brings people, data and tools together so teams can collaborate and get work done, from anywhere. Slack Connect extends the benefits of Slack to enable communication and collaboration between a company’s employees and all its external partners, from vendors to customers.

    Slack will be deeply integrated into every Salesforce Cloud. As the new interface for Salesforce Customer 360, Slack will transform how people communicate, collaborate and take action on customer information across Salesforce as well as information from all of their other business apps and systems to be more productive, make smarter, faster decisions and create connected customer experiences.

  • Microsoft Teams Taking On Zoom With 24-Hour Free Meetings

    Microsoft Teams Taking On Zoom With 24-Hour Free Meetings

    Microsoft is ramping up its competition with Zoom by offering 24-hour meetings with its free Teams plan.

    Zoom quickly emerged at the outset of the pandemic as one of the top choices for virtual work, remote learning, worship and socializing. Although Microsoft’s Skype is one of the oldest video conferencing platforms, it has not enjoyed nearly as much popularity or use.

    As a result, Microsoft has pivoted to promoting its Teams platform. Although originally more of a Slack competitor, Microsoft has increasingly been positioning Teams as an alternative to Zoom.

    Zoom made headlines Tuesday when it announced it was lifting the 40-minute limit on meetings with its free account, in an effort to help families remain safe and still be able to visit during Thanksgiving.

    Microsoft has followed suit, announcing it is extending the time limit on meetings made with a free Teams account to 24-hours. In addition, only the person hosting the meeting needs a Teams account, making it even easier for others to join.

    Microsoft’s announcement is good news for consumers and highlights the benefits of healthy competition in the video conferencing market.