As a business owner, many decisions have to be made–not just any old decisions but also informed decisions.
How do you know what the best decision is from limited information? What if you choose something that negatively impacts your business? You are not alone in these entrepreneurial conundrums!
This overwhelm, and self-consciousness is part of what drives us here at Woggle– we want to provide the information that helps guide you toward a business solution that fits your business.
As part of our desire to share the best tips and information, we are highlighting a Zoho product today. We love Zoho for many reasons, and we often mention Zoho One and the 40 (plus) applications it has to offer, but today we are taking a deeper dive into Zoho Projects and what it can do for your team!
Ah, what an excellent place to start! Zoho Projects is a cloud-based project management software ready to take on all your team project challenges! (Even though we kind of made it sound like a superhero, we can’t promise you that it will be quite that exciting.)
It may not save people from space creatures and collapsing buildings, but it can improve productivity, increase profitability, and keep things transparent with clients. Not to mention, in this world of growing amounts of remote work, Zoho Projects enables your team to work from anywhere with an internet connection efficiently. There are even applications available for IOS and Android if you need to work from your mobile device!
The word ‘customize’ may mean something different for everyone, but it highlights a key aspect: catering a solution to fit our individual business needs. There’s really not a one size fits all option out there (no matter what other services want you to believe).
Not only can you control the theme/colors and layout, but this project management software allows you to create templates that work for your tasks. It also lets you create tags and customized statuses to help organize your project even further!
We don’t deny that several software options are available that enable collaboration efforts. However, Zoho Projects kicks collaboration up several notches.
Like other options, they offer ways to share documents; team members have access to files when and wherever they need them. Additionally, Zoho Projects provides a chat function and a shared feed where contributors can comment, make announcements and step up team communication.
One other incredibly convenient feature is the ability to control items from your email. Yes, everyone can create tasks, report issues, and even upload a document– all from the comfort of their email.
When you purchase a Zoho product, it rarely limits you to just a particular set of applications. Zoho Projects is no different! You can utilize Projects along with Zoho Books, Invoice, People, and so much more.
No one puts Zoho in the corner– it’s fully willing to play with others! Don’t worry if you can’t accomplish everything within Zoho Projects because it easily integrates with software like Dropbox, Slack, and Microsoft 365. Even better, it easily integrates with Zapier and the 2000 automation applications it has to offer!
There are virtually endless resources with every Zoho product to help you get through the speedbumps. Zoho Projects has a Tips and Tricks section that comes in handy. It also has videos, webinars, and forums to help your business take advantage of the software. If you hate buying a product or service, Zoho may be an excellent fit for you!
You pay 5 dollars a month for their premium subscription per user. You can also pay for client users, which will help keep transparency with your clients at a level they will certainly appreciate!
So, Zoho Projects is one of the most cost-effective options. For 15 team members, it will cost you around $307 dollars monthly to use Asana. It will cost you around $900 dollars annually to utilize Monday.com for ten users.
Check out the price comparisons for yourself, but Zoho is winning this battle so far!
If we haven’t converted you into a full-blown Zoho fan, we hope this spotlight at least presents a few key factors to consider.
It is worth putting in the time and effort to make the best purchases for your business. Got more questions? Schedule a free consult with us today to get them answered!
Chances are, you have used spreadsheets at some point in your life. For business or personal tracking purposes, spreadsheets are commonly used and can be pretty handy.
However, as new software and resources become available every day, are spreadsheets relevant? And more importantly, is the spreadsheet route genuinely ideal for your business?
For every devoted spreadsheet fan, there’s also a scary anecdote– like that time when JP Morgan Chase lost over 2 billion bucks because of one spreadsheet error.
Okay, okay– enough with the extreme (and terrifying) examples. It’s time for you to decide for yourself whether you are Team Spreadsheet or not. And to help, we’ve listed out some nice pros and cons for you to consider.
Well, there you have our list of spreadsheet pros and cons. As a company that’s all about automated solutions and making the lives of business owners a little easier, Woggle tends to lean away from spreadsheets.
So, where do you stand on this 2022 Spreadsheet debate? (No pressure to take your side right this moment!) As always, if you remain confused about what options would be better for your business, Woggle is always here to help guide you in the right direction!
Zoho is a well-trusted CRM full of magic and wonder– no matter the issue your business is encountering, we can almost guarantee Zoho has a product or solution for you
In a recent blog post, we discussed the awesome benefits of Zoho Books, the Zoho application that covers all your accounting needs in one place. Sure, entrepreneurs often start businesses to help greater humanity, but our businesses also center around one important thing: money.
When it comes to money, businesses can’t play around. There are tons of rules and aspects for managing financials, and Zoho Books has you covered.
With a deeper look into Zoho Books and Zoho CRM, you will discover the magic of EbizCharge. EbizCharge is a payment processing platform that can take care of payments, while Zoho Books takes care of the rest. Your sales team can take payments directly from within the CRM! Did you know it’s one of the only payment processors that offers this type of integration and functionality? The integration means your smaller company may not need a system as robust as Zoho Books. Not only are we big fans of having everything conveniently in one place, but we are about to give you several more reasons we are proponents of EbizCharge!
Let’s think back to the last time you made an online payment: You probably ran to your laptop, jumping for joy at the thought of clicking ‘submit.’
Yeah, we are being sarcastic– payments are a pain. If you can’t set them to automatic withdrawal, you potentially face late fees, annoying notices, and other unnecessary problems. What’s more, there are added headaches and hoops to jump through for businesses relying on these payments.
This is where EbizCharge comes in and saves the day! You can directly receive customer payments through your accounting system (like Zoho Books). No more third parties getting involved or disorganized processes– get all the payments directly sent to the same place.
Businesses can send email links to customers, and customers can quickly pay with just one click! EbizCharge accepts most major credit cards, and it even allows multiple invoices to be paid at once. No more double-entries or tracking the bread crumb trail of individual payments.
To clarify, EbizCharge is not a Zoho product– it’s just a platform that nicely compliments the many things Zoho has to offer. Think peanut butter and jelly or cookies and Santa– EbizCharge and Zoho Books are the perfect combinations.
EbizCharge integrates with tons of other services, like Quickbooks and WooCommerce. You name the accounting or e-commerce software, and EbizCharge probably works with it. Zoho Books is an effortless and natural pairing for EbizCharge, already a well-rounded accounting platform. (And remember, with Zoho Books/Zoho One comes over 40 other Zoho products for your business.)
Every year it becomes increasingly important to take data security seriously. Almost weekly, it seems like there are alerts in the news about recent cyber attacks and security breaches. Everywhere you insert personal data, mainly financial information needs to show they take security as seriously as you do!
EbizCharge proudly acknowledges that it takes PCI-compliant security measures. What is PCI compliance? If a company is PCI compliant, they are meeting a strict set of requirements set forth by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC). By abiding by these requirements, companies responsibly handle and secure credit card information. PCI compliance means taking a few extra steps to prevent detrimental data-security mistakes.
One thing is for sure; customers will appreciate you taking extra care of their data. The security measures taken by EbizCharge and Zoho are both selling points when new customers are considering giving you their business!
Since we love saving time ourselves, we often emphasize how any Zoho product makes running your business so convenient. Efficient, cost-effective, and user-friendly– it’s a pretty easy choice for us!
EbizCharge is another element taken care of in the same place as everything else. Don’t worry about lugging your laptop everywhere; easily access EbizCharge on any device, including your smartphone. Customers can access it from any device as well!
Not only does it add much-appreciated convenience to your routine, EbizCharge can also save you some cash. It is designed to reduce processing costs by 15-40%! Sure, that’s a big range, but you’re pretty much guaranteed to see some savings! We’re sure there are some other places business owners would rather spend that extra dough.
We are not ashamed to admit being a part of the EbizCharge fan club, and we think you could be as well! Hand over aspects of your business to the experts while saving yourself some time and money. Quit worrying about all the details you could mess up as a business owner!
Take a load off, and rest assured that you can trust EbizCharge and Zoho to do the heavy lifting. After all, have your friends here at Woggle ever led you astray? Give us a shout, and we will gladly chat with you about this or any of your other business woes!
Every year it becomes increasingly important to take data security seriously. Almost weekly, it seems like there are alerts in the news about recent cyber attacks and security breaches. Everywhere you insert personal data, mainly financial information needs to show they take security as seriously as you do!
EbizCharge proudly acknowledges that it takes PCI-compliant security measures. What is PCI compliance? If a company is PCI compliant, they are meeting a strict set of requirements set forth by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC). By abiding by these requirements, companies responsibly handle and secure credit card information. PCI compliance means taking a few extra steps to prevent detrimental data-security mistakes.
One thing is for sure; customers will appreciate you taking extra care of their data. The security measures taken by EbizCharge and Zoho are both selling points when new customers are considering giving you their business!
Since we love saving time ourselves, we often emphasize how any Zoho product makes running your business so convenient. Efficient, cost-effective, and user-friendly– it’s a pretty easy choice for us!
EbizCharge is another element taken care of in the same place as everything else. Don’t worry about lugging your laptop everywhere; easily access EbizCharge on any device, including your smartphone. Customers can access it from any device as well!
Not only does it add much-appreciated convenience to your routine, EbizCharge can also save you some cash. It is designed to reduce processing costs by 15-40%! Sure, that’s a big range, but you’re pretty much guaranteed to see some savings! We’re sure there are some other places business owners would rather spend that extra dough.
We are not ashamed to admit being a part of the EbizCharge fan club, and we think you could be as well! Hand over aspects of your business to the experts while saving yourself some time and money. Quit worrying about all the details you could mess up as a business owner!
Take a load off, and rest assured that you can trust EbizCharge and Zoho to do the heavy lifting. After all, have your friends here at Woggle ever led you astray? Give us a shout, and we will gladly chat with you about this or any of your other business woes!
It’s no mystery that the business world has moved more and more into the digital space. What is the point of having physical files and mile-long contact lists when you can access anything you need with one click? Companies like Zoho cater to this uptick in online solutions, supplying everything you could possibly need to run your business all in one place. With everything from website design to marketing support, Zoho places customizable and easy-to-use applications at your fingertips.
As we head into the most wonderful time of the year (tax season), there’s no better time to talk about a Zoho solution that makes it all a little less painful: Zoho Books. Forget about your tax specialists, endless paper receipts, and financial paperwork– Zoho Books is your one-stop-shop for all things accounting.
Let’s face it. We live in a world where convenience is king. Lines, leaving the house, locating our keys - it all takes up time– and whatever allows us to spend more time on the couch binging Netflix is our friend! (Just know, if you would rather spend your free time working on your business, that’s okay with us, too.)
Either way, there are a lot of great things about Zoho Books. In our opinion, the best thing is that it makes running your business so much easier. All the accounting aspects are handled, from inventory to banking. Zoho Books even has a convenient time-tracking feature that you would probably just use a separate application for!
Stay organized and virtually paperless. Save time on minor details and tasks that you can otherwise spend on growing your business. Allow Zoho Books to step in and take some inconvenient and time-sucking tasks off your plate!
Zoho Books has a client portal that allows you to keep all client communication within one application. Send quotes, discuss estimates, and exchange feedback all in one place. Not only will this be a better experience for your clients, but it will keep your business running much more efficiently.
Even better, the client portal allows your clients to manage their own experiences. They can make payments, access invoices, and change personal details all without assistance from you. Not only is this incredibly convenient for them, but it saves multiple steps and mishaps on your end of things. It sounds like a great bargain to us!
Avoid the pile of forms and the last-minute panic when you can’t find the paperwork you mysteriously misplaced three months ago.
Zoho Books makes tax season a breeze, keeping up-to-date with IRS guidelines and ensuring your sales tax liability is in check. Access all the transactional documents you could possibly need with the click of a button.
Zoho Books even takes the work out of hiring contractors and the tax season headaches that come with it. Soon you’ll be talking about a 1099 form like it was your college major!
Before you know it, taxes will be taken care of and you might even be ready for the year ahead!
As we mentioned before, Zoho Books doesn’t come alone- it is a part of Zoho One, a group of over 40 other customizable applications that help out your business. On top of Zoho Books, you can utilize a wide range of marketing tools, collaboration-boosting applications, all your online business solutions and so much more. Why pay multiple other companies for the same services you can get under Zoho?
Zoho applications and services are intended to fit your needs. They understand the importance of customized business solutions and don’t force you to purchase a one-size-fits-all package. Find everything you need in one place without overpaying for things you won't use.
Not only does Zoho One supply tons of online business solutions and tools, Zoho products (like Zoho Books) have forums and other great resources where you can easily find the answers you need. Zoho has a great customer support system ready to answer any questions you may have, but you can also easily access experiences and tips from other users!
If the idea of creating accounting appointments or hunting down 7-month old documents puts a knot in your stomach, Zoho Books would be an excellent solution for you. Take the stress (and endless hours of wasted time) out of your accounting tasks– we know you have a million other important things on your to-do list! Let Zoho Books do the work for you.
Book your free initial consultation today and we can tell you more about the wonders of Zoho Books! We’d also love to help you with anything else that could make your life as a business owner just a little easier.
The “6P Rule” has been defined and applied in many different ways, always circling back to the main message: the importance of planning. What is the” 6P Rule”, exactly? 6P stands for Prior Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. The exact origin of the rule is unknown, but the emphasis on effective planning is a message we can all relate to.
Think of all the ways a lack of appropriate planning could impact your business. Is there something you could change that would have a positive impact? And more importantly, is it worth it?
Without some consistent structure for everyday tasks and events, we lack a realistic path toward business success. With proper planning, businesses can:
Establish clear project objectives - Clear objectives mean a clear timeline and an ability to plan out each workday to suit this timeline. This creates the opportunity for checkpoints, delegation, and other steps to lead to a better outcome.
Prepare better for the unexpected- We can’t predict every little detail, but we can plan for a better rebound from unforeseen issues. Thorough planning can allow for a more adaptable budget and backup options. You can also learn from previous problems and plan out how you would better handle them if they happen again.
Track progress- Planning well in advance can allow tracking developments and show where you fall behind. A well-thought-out plan can also be great to review down the road, emphasizing what can be adjusted or included next time.
Realistically, no one is a perfect planner, and there’s always room for improvement. Identifying our planning strengths and weaknesses can significantly impact overall business performance. Let’s take a look at a few ways to optimize your planning skills:
Don’t just make a list for the week; think of the best way to schedule tasks. Make sure you place the more challenging tasks first and get them out of the way. If you work better in the morning, reserve the more difficult tasks and place more manageable tasks in the afternoon. Procrastinating on more complicated tasks will only increase your chances of failing.
You also don’t want a ton of long-term goals on your to-do list. Break down long-term goals into short-term tasks. Not only is it more motivating to accomplish multiple short-term goals as you go, but it is more likely that you will complete the big goal on time.
What’s a part of every workday, even if we don’t consider them as “tasks”? Breaks. Plan out your days in a realistic way; schedule your lunch and any other breaks you should be taking. Don’t schedule a huge chunk of time working with no breaks. Be practical about what you require to keep motivated and concentrated.
This may sound trivial, but also attempt to schedule specific times for things like checking emails and updating your calendar. We are all familiar with the category tasks like these fall under unexpected time-suckers that tend to send us down random rabbit holes. Once you get distracted, it may be an hour before you get back on track!
Also, do not oversimplify your to-do list. If you have to complete a blog post, is it just one task that you can do in an hour? Of course not! Time goes into planning, research, and then eventually writing! Schedule out times for all the steps; don’t just make a generic “Write Blog Post” task. The same goes for things like client meetings and Zoom presentations.
There’s plenty of software out there that can make your life a little easier. One great way to optimize planning with some added benefits? Use a calendar application. A visual calendar may not seem overly complex on the day-to-day, but down the road, you can use it to identify patterns and weaknesses in your plan.
Another great way to utilize technology within your business planning? Team collaboration through options like Google Workspace or Zoho Projects. These applications are great for sharing plans, delegating tasks, and increasing overall productivity. And like the calendar applications, these tools can also make it easier for process duplication and improvement easier down the line.
In conclusion, no one wants to violate the 6P Rule, right? We wouldn’t dare! Don’t let a lack of proper planning negatively affect your business– there are easy and risk-free ways to make it less of a problem. And like always, there’s never a better time to start than now!
Need help planning a better plan? Woggle is ready to lend some suggestions!
Let’s take a journey back in time. Before wifi and social media. Before YouTube tutorials and the “there’s an app for that” mantra. How did businesses cope? How did they troubleshoot problems? Well, since they couldn’t always Google the solution, they had to rely on professional connections and resources. They had to seek help outside the company or hire staff that could handle these problems. Much like today, no single business could do it all themselves!
That’s where services like Zoho step in. Zoho is more than a CRM- they have an application for anything you could possibly need. They have created more than 45 apps for your business to utilize! Need help with recruiting new employees or scheduling current ones? They have an application for that. Need help building forms or managing social media? Zoho has an application for that!
Imagine you are a business owner. You look down at your phone one day and among Candy Crush Saga and your weather application, you suddenly notice 45 additional Zoho apps. Where would you begin? Would you be overwhelmed? Personally, we would probably panic-delete everything.
Zoho is a perfect all-in-one solution for any business, but where’s the best place to start? This exact question is why Zoho consultants exist: to assist businesses with effectively using the services they purchase. Consultants take the overwhelm out of the process, while allowing business owners the chance to focus on whatever else they need to.
Although taking away some stress and overwhelm is a great reason on it’s own, we’ve compiled 5 more reasons to consider a Zoho consultant!
Consider your company and the amount of people who have been hired. How many of them walk in and get straight to work? Skip the training, they’ve got it! Probably doesn’t happen much (if at all) does it?
Zoho consultants are no different. They aren’t your run of the mill helpline- they have been specially trained to handle your situation and identify what your business needs from Zoho. Consultants have the expertise to tell you what software you need and what you can skip. They have the capability to guide your business in the right direction, while saving you from getting bogged down with small details.
Zoho consultants have worked with many businesses. On top of being trained, they have the experience to back-up their suggestions. It is entirely possible that they have worked with a business similar to your’s in the past- whether it was the same size, same industry or encountered the same types of challenges.
They can guide you away from making mistakes other companies have made and give you valuable insight into what they’ve seen work! You’re paying for Zoho, why not invest in someone who truly understands how to use it?
As you may know, Zoho is not just a one-time, one-package deal. You don’t get stuck with software you’ll never use or services that don’t make sense for your business. You can truly customize what you get and tailor your experience to your business needs. Consultants cater to this- they get to know your business and evaluate what pieces of Zoho would work best for you.
On your own, you may have a general idea about what you need, but you might forget about a few details or not realize all the types of applications available. A consultant can help you make the best customization decisions!
Alas, the question that always shows its ugly head: Who has time for this? And honestly, no one in your company (especially you) has the time to sit down and thoroughly research anything, let alone research 45+ Zoho applications. Plus, there’s rarely (especially in the current workforce climate) a person within your company to delegate this task to! So, who does have time for this? A Zoho consultant, of course!
Consultants can get to know your business and then put together a plan without you having to stress over it. This gives the opportunity to focus on whatever else you need to focus on. After all, when running a small business, there’s no shortage of problems to fix and issues to consider, right? Fitting Zoho into your business should be a helpful advantage, not another item on your to-do list.
At what stage do you need a Zoho consultant? There’s no right or wrong answer here! It would be helpful to have their expertise from the beginning, but they will join you mid-process as well. Consultants don’t dictate when they can help- you have the ultimate say!
They also stick with you through your business journey. There’s no time constraints, which means one less thing to worry about. If you have questions months after they get you set-up with Zoho, your consultant will still be willing to find answers for you!
Choosing where to spend your time and money is a daunting task. There’s no completely straightforward or risk-free business plan in existence But the one thing that’s alway beneficial? Some solid, old-fashioned expertise. Consider hiring a consultant so you can get the most out of the wonderful things Zoho has to offer! After all, one less thing on your plate is never a bad thing!
Have you ever temporarily lost your phone and feared all that was lost with it? Did you think about what could happen if the wrong person accessed your applications? When you found your phone (phew), did you start thinking about ways to protect all the cherished photos stashed on it? Or how to increase your data security?
There are about a million examples of why losing data can be detrimental, along with many ways to lose that data. Data is everywhere- from work documents to the games you play on your phone. It is estimated that 7.5 billion people will be creating data by 2030! We often think about what’s next on the to-do list in the day-to-day grind and not about things like backing up our data. But in all honesty, data backup should be incorporated into our daily agenda, especially with the world becoming increasingly digitized.
That’s right, humans make mistakes. Just to be clear, we always make the general assumption that you simply “misplaced” your phone; we won’t talk about the other possibilities (ahem, like giving your phone a first-class ticket to the toilet bowl).
Not only can devices like phones and laptops be lost, but they can be stolen as well. In the United States, a laptop is stolen every 53 seconds. Not only is data lost, but data security is in the hands of a thief.
Then there’s always the scenario where the wrong thing was deleted, or someone inadvertently downloaded a virus. These kinds of things are the reasons backup plans are created!
Cybercriminals are out there, and they are constantly learning new ways to make money. All too often, data is compromised, and businesses have no choice but to pay the criminal who is holding information hostage. Businesses are attacked by ransomware every 11 seconds. By 2031, that number is expected to be 2 seconds. Not sure about you, but we can’t even make a decision about what to get for lunch in 11 seconds, let alone 2 seconds.
Not only is ransomware becoming more and more of a threat, but the cost of dealing with it is also increasing. In 2015, over $325 million went towards dealing with attacks throughout the world. By the end of 2021? $20 billion. By 2031, the cost is expected to increase 13 times the 2021 figure: $265 billion.
Unpredictable and often inevitable problems can occur that can cost you data, time, and money. This can be anything from a power surge or hardware overheating. Hardware failure also includes things like flooding and other environmental factors that could harm your devices (especially at an office). Many random and uncontrollable factors could do more harm if you don’t have a proper backup plan.
Quickly recover and restore: First, let’s talk about the difference between recovering and restoring data. Restoring allows you to retrieve a copy of the data; a recovery is a group of processes that retrieve the data and make it usable. When it comes to your business (and life), you would probably prefer to use data once again (not just have it). The quicker your business recovers the data, the faster things return to normal. A better backup system means less downtime and losing less money.
Audits: Yeesh. Even spelling out the word audits makes us cringe. However, we all have to deal with them. If your data isn’t appropriately backed up, you’re risking losing pertinent documents and databases to show in an audit. Not passing could quickly put you out of business! It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Protect what’s irreplaceable: Let’s refer back to the introduction- losing your devices could mean losing a lot more than money. No one wants to risk losing precious things like family photos and videos. Backing up your data can mean you will have cherished moments for years to come.
In 2020, 1.7 MB of data was created every second! Currently, over 5 billion people use and store data on their devices and in the cloud. Ok, we can throw statistics at you all day, but here’s arguably the most important: Globally, there will be around 200 zettabytes of data stored by 2025! In other words, we create a lot of data. There must be somewhere we keep all this data, which means we need companies that carefully store and manage it.
If this post leaves you wondering why you don’t back anything up besides your car when you awkwardly drive over a cement parking barrier, you’re not alone: 30 percent of people have never backed up their devices! Thankfully, solutions like Skyvia are out there to tackle our backup data fears. Skyvia not only backs up your data daily but will take care of all your CRMS. So instead of stressing about individually backing up all your cloud storage solutions, hand it over to an option like Skyvia.
But in all seriousness, we hope this post has you asking the right questions and thinking about appropriate data solutions. If all of this seems foreign to you, you may be in a little trouble. More than likely, you just need to tweak a few things within your data management. And as always, if you find yourself completely overwhelmed, consider services like Skyvia to take a few things off your virtual plate! Good help isn’t always easy to find, but you have plenty of great options in this case.
We have an important topic to discuss: clutter. No, not the type of clutter that lands you on a TV show with giant garbage bins outside your house. We are talking about something even worse: digital clutter.
How many unread emails are sitting in your inbox? And even more importantly, when was the last time (if ever) you cleaned out that inbox? How many “organization” apps have you downloaded? Are you ignoring any rarely-used apps that take a few bucks from your bank account each month? We know you may have been super triggered by these tough questions- we also definitely know that our inbox does not currently have 1,045 unread emails (insert nervous emoji here).
Sadly, we are not here to help with your inbox issues. We are here, however, to show you the advantages of utilizing a business application suite versus individual applications.
People utilize all types of software to run their businesses, which can involve a number of individual applications. If you think about everything it takes to run your business successfully, that is a pretty long list. Business application suites combine all types of necessary applications and programs in one place. Having all these aspects of your business (whether your business is small or large) under one umbrella is useful for a variety of reasons.
An undeniable fact is that every business has unique needs. Dealing with each need individually/manually is not only time-consuming, but limits growth. For instance: billing, payroll and other financial matters are bound to use a specific application or website. Then there’s the huge marketing realm, which could require several programs on its own. Having a business application suite that integrates all these software solutions into one place increases efficiency and accessibility.
Business application suites can also improve process automation. Automating tasks so that they don’t constantly need attention leads to more time to focus on everything else. Automation means smoother scalability and the ability to run a bigger operation without getting lost in the weeds.
Business application suites like Zoho One not only make things easier by improving accessibility, but they can automate processes that should be automated. Some examples would be:
Not every business will have the same requirements or use the same tactics. Some businesses will emphasize marketing aspects more than others. Other businesses don’t have a huge staff that constantly communicate with one another. Some have no need for fancy presentations or contract creation. Suites like Zoho One allow customization for instances like this, so business owners won’t have to worry about paying for something they won’t use!
One thing is for sure, bundling (especially with the option to customize) will more than likely be the most cost-effective option. Paying for necessary programs and applications individually can add up.
We did some research on popular solutions for everyday business needs. Here’s a list of pricing that we compiled:
Email marketing software: $9.99 a month (increases as the number of contacts increase).
Social media management/automation: $49.00 a month (increases with more accounts)
Team communication: $8.00 a month
Billing/Payment management: $12.50 a month
This list more than likely does not include all business necessities, but you get the picture. So far we have reached $79.49 a month with mostly standard/basic packages. Zoho One includes all four items listed, along with many other options and costs $45.00 a month ($37.00 a month if you sign up for a year).
Utilizing multiple programs and applications from different companies not only clutters any process, but it puts your data and privacy into the hands of a lot more people. Since it’s all under one company, a business application suite gives you much more control of how your data is being used and stored. One company = one data protection policy. A great thing about Zoho is their transparency about data and privacy policies. They prioritize data security and recognize online security challenges companies face every day.
Speaking of data security, how do you keep all your passwords organized and easily accessible? Hopefully your answer to this question doesn’t involve making all your passwords “password123”. Taking some extra steps for better password management (although it may seem insignificant) ultimately leads to better data security. Thankfully Zoho One includes Vault, a safe and convenient feature that manages all those pesky passwords!
Looking to simplify your business routine? Declutter your digital world? Hoping to not be the first person submitted for a digital hoarding show? A business application suite is a great way to accomplish all of these things. Create a more efficient, secure and cost-effective business with just the click of a button.
Our team is here to help answer your questions and get you out of a disorganized rut. Reach out anytime.
What is ECommerce?
As businesses rapidly gravitate to the online space, you’ve likely heard the word “Ecommerce” thrown around, even in casual conversation.
In fact, if you’ve just Googled “What is ECommerce?” under the table on a first date so you can keep the conversation going, we’ve got your back.
Our friends at Shopify put it simply. “Ecommerce, also known as electronic commerce or internet commerce, refers to the buying and selling of goods or services using the internet, and the transfer of money and data to execute these transactions. Ecommerce is often used to refer to the sale of physical products online, but it can also describe any kind of commercial transaction that is facilitated through the internet.”
So, ECommerce is basically an online shop.
There are pretty important nuggets of wisdom you will want to know before you jump headfirst into an ECommerce business. For starters, you’ll want to know how to succeed.
There are a lot of moving parts to ensure any business’ success, but an ECommerce business has its unique needs.
The success of an ECommerce business is heavily reliant on a fully optimized website. After all, the website is the storefront, customer support, and cashier of an ECommerce setup. There are key elements that an ECommerce website must have that go beyond impressive product photos.
To succeed as an ECommerce business, your website needs to be:
Shopify is really the one-stop-shop (see what we did there?) for ECommerce entrepreneurs. Not only does Shopify check off every item listed above, but they make marketing your business effortless right from the app! You can also utilize other sales channels like Walmart Marketplace, eBay, Facebook, and Instagram with Shopify. If you’re wanting to test the waters, let us know here and we’ll sign you up for a free 14-day trial.
There are so many ways to market an ECommerce business. So many, in fact, that you may feel overwhelmed on where you should start. Marketing trends are always ebbing and flowing as algorithms change. At Woggle, we’re all about empowering you with resources and automation so you can keep it simple. ECommerce businesses don’t market themselves, but Shopify can do the heavy lifting for you. Here’s how.
Email marketing is still effective! Yes, even in the world of social media. It turns out that people still want to hear from businesses in their inbox. The proof is in the stats.
Shopify knows the proof is in the pudding (do people still say that?). That’s why they offer email marketing capabilities right in the app. ECommerce businesses can utilize pre-made templates to cut down on time. An added bonus is that you don’t have to hire a designer. Once you have customized your template, Shopify allows you to:
This Shopify marketing feature is one of our favorites. Chatbots are an amazing tool for an ECommerce business to have. They elevate the customer experience by making product recommendations, lending a hand with FAQs, and offering discount codes in real-time.
Are you convinced yet that business chat is the way forward? Like email marketing, Shopify allows customization to your chat and shows you how it is performing in analytics. You can also integrate your chat into Facebook Messenger and other messaging apps. Shopify works seamlessly across various platforms so you don’t have to.
ECommerce businesses rely on ads to get their products front and center. Knowing where to start or even how to start an ad campaign can be a headache. The tricky thing about ads for most ECommerce businesses is figuring out where to advertise. Shopify takes the guesswork out of ads by setting you up for success in their platform.
Being able to advertise, sell, offer customer support, and market from one platform is invaluable to ECommerce business owners. Shopify offers impressive perks when it comes to advertising your products.
Our Woggle team has seen Shopify in action and it’s transforming Ecommerce businesses by increasing their ROI, improving the customer experience, and helping their ads be seen by their ideal customer.
Remember, we can sign you up for a free 14 day trial with Shopify if you’re not ready to commit and want to take it for a test drive.
Woggle is a huge fan of making business simple, and we’re equally as passionate about seeing your business grow! Reach out today, together we'll get everything sorted!
-Off you go! Your horizon awaits.
You want to take your business to the next level, but it can be difficult to discern where your team should put the bulk of its focus. So, you find ourself wondering about automating your business processes
Enter Zoho One.
Most likely, you’ve noticed the influx of automation platforms businesses are implementing. Technology, no doubt, shifts drastically even within a year. It’s no wonder that you’re receiving targeted ads and emails for new, innovative automation platforms. Many of these companies present tall promises of cutting entire workdays, saving your business tens of thousands in operation costs, and generating triple-digit leads in half of the time.
We’re here to level with you. Your needs and your strategy must be clear before you opt-in simply because a platform looks great on paper.
So, what is the big deal with automation, anyway? Does streamlining your business processes really save time, money, and get you ahead of the competition?
Join us behind the scenes for a moment. We’ll tell you exactly how your business can benefit from automating your business processes.
We may be showing our age, but to use it seems like no time at all passed between the iPod being all the rage to the release of the iPhone 12 Pro. Because technology is always moving forward, companies must educate themselves on the changes and respect that forward motion is the best flow for any business to adopt. Hey, no judgment if you’re still using an iPod, but we guarantee you that your friends that are rocking the newest iPhone have more storage space and less to carry around.
The percentage of companies that have fully automated at least one function, however, has grown more modestly, from 29% in 2018 to 31% in 2020.
Automating processes is an obsession of ours. That isn’t a sales pitch. We’re passionate because we watch it work for client after client. Here are the benefits of moving forward with automating your business processes. Yes, even implementing one fully automated process will produce noticeable, positive changes!
Industries spanning the spectrum and divisions within those industries are beginning to automate their processes. Here are the top trends we see here at Woggle:
Now, don’t ditch this blog post if you’re not in those niches listed. Automation is available and advantageous for any scope of business that you can imagine.
There are so many reasons why you should automate your processes, but we've narrowed it down to our top three. You can reach out, and we’ll give you our complete pros list! (Did we mention we’re obsessed?)
Automating your processes will indeed up-level the efficiency of your business.
For example, HR departments can thrive with AI automation technology that seamlessly scans resumes and pinpoints candidates for consideration based on pre-determined keywords. On a smaller scale, entire departments can easily automate their client management systems. Hence, tasks are dependent on other team members and functions to move to the approval process.
So, how much time can automation save your business? Keep in mind that automation can work when humans can’t. An automated process doesn’t need sick days or the occasional vacation to Disney.
To find out how much time automation can save your business (down to the minute you want to get intense), just follow this formula.
Where did you spend the least amount of time? Now, work your way through each of your business processes and compare. Seeing how much time is spent on any given task will help you to see how automation can save you time in one or several areas of your business.
Once you see where your business would benefit from automation, you’ll be able to recognize areas where processes are bottlenecked. This will guide your team to delegate otherwise mundane, time-consuming tasks to a platform rather than a person.
Even beginning with automating a simple task such as emails to incoming inquiries can offload your team of repetitive, time-consuming tasks. When teams are able to focus on their zone of genius without the distraction of frequent tasks, your business not only becomes more effective; but your team’s morale gets a boost and they put their best work forward.
If you want to know more about how automation can specifically help your business thrive, book a consultation with us.
Instead of reigning in your ads budget just yet, think of how much your business can save through automating processes. Maybe your self-assessment of automated task vs. human performance showed a substantial loss of time responding to initial inquiry emails.
It may be that you have brought in a contractor to help with the influx of inquiries during the holiday season. Your breakdown of time spent may mean that your team can integrate a platform to handle autoresponder emails. The cost per month for the platform almost always much lower than the salary paid to the temp contractor. We’re not saying to replace entire departments with AI or to overhaul your entire company’s infrastructure for the sake of automation. After all, automation can simplify your whole business, even if you just use it in a few select areas.
We’re glad that you’ve made it this far because this is where the magic happens. Our Woggle team has seen automation in action, and it’s transforming businesses by increasing lead generation, improving the client experience, and helping their content be seen by their ideal customer/client.
Zoho One is a robust suite of software that can help you automate anything from task delegation with your team to email campaigns. Oh, and loads of impressive stuff in between. We’ve watched Zoho One make such tangible differences for businesses that we dedicated a whole blog post to it. Check it out here.
We mentioned in the beginning that we see where you are. Automation is such a buzzword these days that you probably know it’s the next best move for your business but aren’t sure where to start. The loads of information out there on automation is overwhelming, but we are here to do what automation can’t--talk you through your current hesitations, and your business goals. Together we'll find the perfect fit for you. We do the full implementation, too!
Woggle is a huge fan of making business simple, and we’re equally as passionate about seeing your business grow! Reach out today, together we'll get everything sorted!
-Off you go! Your horizon awaits.
