Resolutions to boost business in the coming year! |
Drop those bad office habits No matter what industry you're in, bad habits can sneak up on you and impact your business. Things like procrastination, inadequate knowledge, and skipping steps at work may drive your business into the ground. Turn these bad habits into profitable solutions with good planning and accountability. Pounce on procrastination Let's face it, all of us want to be productive, but many of us can't even get to the end of our inbox. Take time to prioritize your goals and develop a plan for your company and workweek, scheduling time for important tasks like client calls and meetings, billing, and e-mail responses. Doing so will allow you to keep everything in full view throughout the week. This visibility also gives you the ability to divide tasks into more manageable chunks and delegate critical pieces as needed. Educate yourself! Use the tools you have to the fullest extent. Tools like Outlook or your customer management system can help you to keep track of tasks, appointments, and coordinate with others. If you need help, most vendors offer training opportunities online to help you get the most out of your software. Office.Microsoft.com, for example, teaches you about Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. Learning simple time saving tips like how to categorize your e-mail in Outlook or add fancy formulas in Excel will help you work more effectively this year. If you have any questions or would like assistance installing new software, give us a call. Praise productivity in your workplace Set goals for your company and give workers incentive to accomplish them. Start off with an informational meeting to share your company goals with everyone, assign duties, and strategize for the future. Then monitor your progress together so every teammate is included in the scope of work and nobody misses a step. Incentives, incentives, incentives! It is easier to become passionate about work when a reward is in site. I know it sounds a bit elementary, but start an incentive program for employees to work for a prize. It may be just the motivator your office needs to push sales over the top. Things like a new monitor, gift cards or even something simple like a free lunch Friday, can build community among workers and increase productivity ten fold. Shed a few pounds at the office No, I'm not going to harp on you about your morning mocha or donut Friday, your weight isn't the problem. We are talking about slimming down on the amount of equipment you use every day in the office. What if you could consolidate some of your daily tasks with one simple machine or software program. Simplifying processes in your office can be a great way to decrease operating expenses and increase productivity. Get rid of that old dinosaur fax machine, printer and scanner. Dive into an all-in-one that can get the job done faster and cheaper. Think outside the box! Are you still harboring a huge server in the back room? When power goes out, are you down for the count? Then it's time to consider a new solution. I know cloud computing seems futuristic, but it can truly be a game changer for all businesses big and small. Putting your company software and information on a virtual hosted server gives you the reliability, scalability, and security you need wrapped in one cost-effective package. Ready to make a change? Give us a call. We will work with you to monitor your network, order necessary equipment or slim down your office with a virtualization plan. ITS (702) 605-6231 |
New Year's resolutions are Pancakes make everything better! |
Pull out your griddle people! National Blueberry Pancake day is January 28th, 2012. Celebrate this sweet holiday with a short stack of "flat tires" as the truckers call them. For centuries, pancakes have been a favorite on the breakfast table and a snack on the go. Besides being warm and tasty, they can be a healthy treat when made with the right ingredients or coupled with super foods like blueberries. Even Alexander the Great went into battle with crude wheat cakes in his belly. From Ancient Greece to early colonial times, history holds many stories of pancakes sustaining people when they didn't have time to cook. Today, pancakes are a staple in American life. Think about it, what could be better than a hot cup of coffee, a few crisp pieces of bacon and a short stack of blueberry pancakes on a cold Sunday morning. Ahh… Perfection. Savor the moment. Watch out though! The boost of energy from such a great breakfast may kick you into overdrive. After all, Monday is less than a day away!
Celebrate National Blueberry Pancake day this year with a pile of “hubcaps”, “flapjacks” or “berry patches” because a little down time packing your body with some wholesome goodness can prepare you for a more productive day! |
For centuries, pancakes have been a favorite on the breakfast table and a snack on the go. Besides being warm and tasty, they can be a healthy treat when made with the right ingredients or coupled with super foods like blueberries. 
You may begin to think of how much you need to cram into your afternoon to make it through the work week with grace. Last minute tasks at home, preparations for meetings at the office, and a full review of your calendar may be in order. Boy, blueberry pancakes are powerful! Soggy statistics driving down your marketing efforts? |
What's driving phone calls? As a business owner, you need to know which advertising initiatives really work. But sometimes it's difficult to track where your calls or visitors come from. Many businesses ask, "How did you hear about our company?" Does this really work? Sure, if everyone asks every single time someone calls; but consistency is key and it may not be realistic. What if you could track the call information without even asking? What's driving phone calls? As a business owner, you need to know which advertising initiatives really work. But sometimes it's difficult to track where your calls or visitors come from. Many businesses ask, "How did you hear about our company?" Does this really work? Sure, if everyone asks every single time someone calls; but consistency is key and it may not be realistic. What if you could track the call information without even asking? The missing piece of the conversion puzzle. Utilizing Mongoose Metrics' Accutrack 1:1 call tracking solution, companies are able to track individual advertisement initiatives, including online, print media and even radio ads. With this software, companies are able to track caller ID, call length, time, geo-location and have access to full recordings of each and every phone call. By tracking each and every call, companies are able to effectively measure the return on investment for each advertising initiative. Mongoosemetrics.com takes the mystery out of call tracking by providing reliable, clear and actionable data that allows you to monitor the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns and ultimately increase your ROI. Sounds really expensive, right? Wrong! Mongoose Metrics offers services for every marketing budget. Costs for implementing the product can vary, but prices start around $150 a month. |
Every marketing campaign requires measurable results to gauge the return on your investment (ROI). Try using a dedicated phone number for each marketing campaign to see what works.Star2Star: Reliable phone service for 1/2 the price |
Introducing Star2Star, a reliable cost effective solution for all. Founded in 2006 in Sarasota, Florida, Star2Star Communications developed an innovative Internet telephone system and service focused on dependable economical business solutions. Star2Star's award-winning technology employs a powerful Blend Architecture that overcomes many industry limitations and provides a feature filled alternative to standard phone lines with a substantial cost savings. Just say no to high prices! Say no to nickel and diming phone companies that force you to purchase an allotment of phone lines. With Star2Star's call bursting feature, your phone system will expand as needed providing just the right number of phone lines for your call volume. This way, if all your lines are being used, your phone system opens up an extra line "on the fly" so callers never receive a busy signal and you never pay too much for your service. Feature frenzy! That's right, Star2Star comes standard with a boat load of standard features. You receive free unlimited voicemail that forwards to e-mail, free conferencing capabilities, free interoffice calls, and you can use ring groups to share phone lines across multiple locations. With time based routing, you can limit calls to only ring specific locations during open hours. You can even transfer your existing phone numbers into the Star2Star system, so you won't miss a beat with your current contacts. Consistent clarity. No more static interrupting your important phone calls. As a matter of fact, you may have to use your cell phone if you're going to use a call quality excuse to get off of a phone call because anyone who has used Star2Star knows it just works! The Star2Star system is setup to proactively address any issues that arise before they become problematic impacting call quality and stability. Cost savings of over 50% for most new clients and with the 30 day money back guarantee you to test the water before you dive in. Of course, with so many standard features, you will find, this customized fits your company perfectly for a fraction of the cost for analog systems. Is the service really that good? Oh yea! Star2Star has a 99.6% customer retention rate, next day replacement part service and comes standard with ITS's trained staff to assist you every step of the way. Give us a call today if you are interested in exploring options for your company. This new phone system can save you a bundle on monthly expenses and stress. You can rest assured, we will be by your side when need us! “The Star2Star complete end-to-end phone system has powerful features that help us do business better. From the easy installation process that just took a few hours to the actual daily usage of the phone system, we have found that Star2Star consistently delivers on their promise to provide next generation capabilities and reliable connections at unprecedented savings.” |
Have you experienced one way audio or static on your phone line? Having difficulties with dropped calls or clients receiving a busy signal? Then a Star2Star system from ITS is just what you need to kick off the new year!Inquiring Minds... |
You have to devote chunks of time to meaningful tasks. You won’t get enough done if you start, then stop for interruptions, and start over again. Handling recurrent crises is a big time consumer. A recurrent crisis could actually be a failure to plan. Knowing the problem will arise again, you can take steps to prevent it or reduce it to a routine that others can handle. Dealing with problems before they become serious could be illustrated by the boiled frog parable. That is: If you put a frog into hot water, it will jump out. If you put the frog into cold water and gradually heat it, the frog will adjust to the temperature until it’s too late.
Lack of organization is a big time waster, and that is especially true of meetings. Someone once said, “One either works or one meets, but cannot do both at the same time.” If you must call a meeting, have a planned agenda, keep the discussion on track; promote participation and group discussion. Then produce minutes promptly and follow up. Be more effective in your job this week. Set aside uninterrupted time for significant tasks and have smart meetings. Get the right things done right the first time and increase productivity throughout our your office by leading with a good example. |
Managers, supervisors and many kinds of workers do the same types of work the company president does: plan, organize, integrate and motivate. How can you do all of that with so many demands on your time that add little, if any, to your productivity?
Your own “frog” could die if you see a problem gradually increasing and do nothing until it boils over. In a well-run organization, there are few crises. Most problems are anticipated and dealt with in advance.2013 Tech Trends |
Tablet adoption is on the rise! With the world wide market place of applications growing, tablets are wiggling their way into the workplace with robust talents. Programs to manage time, financials and communications are proving to be indispensable on the go. Cloud computing boom! For any type of business, cloud computing is a fantastic opportunity to eliminate expensive equipment costs and the security risks of on-site machinery. In addition, cloud computing offers more analytics to evaluate current usage and improve business processes. Many believe this will be a necessary move for small to mid-sized companies in the coming year. Smartphone crossover. No, it's not an SUV. Smartphone creators are working up more ways to unite your devices. Soon the standard will be synchronization between your smartphone and your TV, home stereo system, gaming system, and even a health care monitors that send information directly to your physician. |
Take a look at these three tech trends for the coming year.Call us today! Were here to help! |
Concerned about old equipment? Frustrated by slow responses? Worried about data backups? Upset with constant problems? Sick of getting nickel and dimed? Irritated with getting voicemail? Call us today! Were here to help!3330 W. Desert Inn Road |
