Remember the not-so-good old days of files and files of paper, enormous calculators, and clunky rotary phones? While that was once the way to do things, small businesses now have numerous options when it comes to office technology. From fully integrated small enterprise software to individualized apps, there are a myriad of ways to streamline, automate, and scale your business.
Today we’d like to briefly explore 3 of them – appointment setting software, cloud accounting, and cloud telephony.
One simple way to streamline and increase your profits is by implementing an appointment setting software. When choosing a system be sure it includes such features as desktop and mobile capabilities, deep reporting and analytics, and compatibility with other software. There are a variety of options out there – some subscription-based with a set monthly fee, and others are pay-as-you-go, or according to what you use. Be sure to choose the one that meets your specific needs.
Tracking expenses, paying payroll, and submitting tax payments. All of these can be extremely overwhelming to keep up with while taking care of clients and doing everything else you do. To eliminate the need to be in the office to do your books, why not consider a cloud-based accounting software? Whether you’re sitting at your desk at home, finishing journal entries before bed on your laptop before bed, or tracking payroll at your son’s soccer game, being able to do this on the go is incredibly timesaving, and helps to improve productivity. Also, having your business’ financials at your fingertips will keep you in tune with what’s happening from a cashflow and profit perspective.
Phone systems have come a long way since the days of switchboards, rotary phones, and clunky PBX systems. Now, nearly all telecom systems are software-based, and may operate in the cloud. In terms of the investment some charge a monthly or yearly subscription while others allow you to pay for what you use. These types of payment arrangements work well for small businesses because you can pay a little month-to-month as opposed to biting off a huge sum for expensive equipment. Another benefit is that with a cloud-based solution you will receive the benefits of ongoing upgrades and advanced features. When searching for a service that’s right for you be sure it includes the basics such as voicemail, caller ID, and more advanced options such as call reporting and analytics.
As you can see there are numerous ways to improve your efficiency and increase profits from the use of office technology.
We’ve all been there: a quiet day in the office, nothing to do. Suddenly, two new clients walk through the front door and the phone starts going crazy. More and more clients come in, you accidentally leave someone on hold, you run over to the other side of the room to check on something and the front desk is unmanned, a client comes in, feels ignored and leaves. Chances are you’re going to miss a business opportunity.
Here are 4 mistakes that we have all made and that have all cost us money and time.
The saying a “bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” is very true. However, in the world of business, if a potential client is calling and they don’t get an answer, you know they are going to call someone else.
Pick up the phone within three rings, every single time. This ensures the client knows they are valued. It also shows the client in the office with you that their business is highly valued within your organisation.
However, sometimes answering the phone isn’t an option. A call answering service, like that provided by Zurili can help you rest easy knowing the phone will always be answered professionally and on time. They can also book appointments in the Zurili app for you.
In an age where people walk around with supercomputers in their pockets, the first place of research for anything is the internet. Many businesses have realised this and have grabbed the figurative cyber bull by the horns and have developed websites that tell potential clients who, what, why, when and how much their services cost. But many miss a huge opportunity to book someone in!
Implement an online booking tool. A booking request form is definitely not the same as giving a client the opportunity to choose when and what they sign themselves up for. If you are tech savvy and know a bit of coding you can do this yourself.
Alternatively, you can use an appointment book app that has online booking integration. Here’s an example
In a perfect world, everyone would be on time to everything. Unfortunately that’s not the case. Most times an initial appointment is missed is simply that the client forgot. You can go around pointing fingers blaming people for this or you can do something about it.
Appointment reminders. Send your client a friendly text or better yet give them a quick confirmation call! There are plenty of different kinds of software out there that can make this super easy for you with automated messages, and if done right they can make a big difference on client accountability.
Zurili has an automated SMS feature which integrates with its online booking, appointment book and call answering service. After you set it up, you never have to think about it again.
Online bookings, concierge services, SMS reminders. These all super useful tools that will ensure you never miss an appointment again. But if you don’t have them in one centralised location, keeping on top everything is going to be a lot of work.
Zurili. I’ve mentioned it in all the points above, and it really does make life easy.
With its online appointment book working in sync with all the features mentioned above, Online Booking, SMS Reminders and Call Answering Service, it’s hard not to see how it can guarantee you always book appointments.