It doesn’t matter that you have one product or many products, giving your customers web access to your products and services will help you reach more people in far flung places.

So let me give you 5 simple steps to take to automate your sales and have a full e-commerce site. Please have a look at my site www.takingcontrolofmoney.com for what can be achieved with a modest budget. I will be talking about selling online using some of the products which I used in building my own site. There are many other products in the market but as I have not used them I am not in a position to talk about them.

Set Up Shop in 5 Simple Steps

I have assumed that you have your domain name and possibly a website at the moment.

Build your WordPress website. WordPress is an open source software that allows you to get up and running with your website at no cost. the soft ware is free and there are many tutorials online that will show you how to build your WordPress website. here is a video tutorial to help you get started. If you built your site with another software, its worth considering changing to WordPress.

PayPal– this allows you to take customer payment online. It is linked to your email address and you can open a PayPal account in no time with no set up or running cost. Paypal charges a commission on each transaction. View there website for the current charges.

Add WooCommerce to your site. – This is a free word press plugin that lets you sell your products online. It is easy to install and configure. You can upload images of your products, write product descriptions and get your customers to write reviews about your products. This is your shopping cart. Read this case study to see what can be achieved with WooCommerce.

Its time to upload your product images and descriptions to your site. Start with a few products and then add more as time goes on. If you have to deliver physical products, you need to have your cost of delivery worked out for different parts of the world or simply limit your sales to locations that are local to you. You can expand your world wide offering as time goes on.

Yes blow your own trumpet through as many channels as you can. As you are talking to friends on Facebook, do not forget to talk to your neighbours and non face book friends. Tell family and people you hang out with at work or at play.

Thats it. Not exactly.

You will still need to deal with the day to day running of your business, customer complaints and failed delivery. However, don’t let this put you off. You will learn as you go. Read my book review – The Lean Startup for additional tips on getting started.

Have a go today. Set up your online access for your products and services and then get your customers to find you.

It may not always be profitable at first for businesses to be online, but it is certainly going to be unprofitable not to be online. ~ Esther Dyson

So, how can you use technology to boost productivity? Here are four specific ideas to get you started.

1. Create a Network

In this day and age, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to reach your associates all the time. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) can be set up fairly economically, and your workers can have access to one another as well as to all the tools they need in order to do their jobs effectively, from any location at all.

You’ll want to shop around a bit for a provider, and make sure that they can guarantee that you’ll be up and running 24/7. There’s no point in using a network that’s going to be down periodically, or slow at certain times of the day.

When choosing a VPN provider, security is of the utmost importance, so the most important question you can ask a potential provider is “Do you log?” If the answer is yes, then look elsewhere.

You want to be assured that there’s nothing stored that could lead a third party to your IP address so that they can track your activity and view confidential information. You’ll also want at least 128-bit encryption. VikingVPN, BTGuard, IPVanish,and Privacy.IO are just a few VPN providers that guarantee no logging.

2. Keep Your Phone Lines Open

Perhaps you’re accustomed to relying on voice mail when your office is closed. This is old school. There are so many providers of 24-hour answering services these days that more businesses than ever are using them. This means that you’ll never miss a call.

You should also consider CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software. It’s a way of enhancing your network phone system. When a customer is on the line, whoever takes the call can see a window on the computer screen that shows every bit of information you have on that customer. It makes it a lot easier to communicate with the customer, and streamlines the process as well.

Salesforce.com is leads the pack in CRM applications. It’s a cloud-based service that is equally good for small and large businesses, with prices ranging from $60-$125 per month. Keep in mind, though, that no CRM application is “one size fits all.” You need to customize the service modules to your particular needs in order for your database to work effectively.

3. Keep Your Technology Current

Take a look around your office and evaluate the technology you’re using right now. Is the hardware current? Is your software up-to-date and fully compatible? If you’re using outdated equipment and software, that’s going to adversely affect productivity. You don’t want workers to be frustrated by outdated, under-performing equipment any more than you want a sluggish, unreliable network.

4. Use Technology to Save Time

There are numerous web-based solutions that you can use to set priorities and track your progress on various projects. Most will allow multiple users to make changes, and alert others to any adjustments they’ve made. Time tracking apps are also available, and can be very effective in helping workers to determine exactly how their time is being used in any given day.

One great app is RescueTime, which runs in the background of your mobile device or computer. There’s a free version available that allows you to track how much time you’ve spent in various applications or on different websites.

If you think you spend too much time on Facebook, RescueTime will tell you. There’s also a premium version for $9 per month that will allow you to keep track of off-computer time too, and even block websites for you after a specified amount of time.

Toggl also offers a free version, and the full deal is just $5 per month. You can separate work and personal time tracking, and even generate charts that show you how you’re spending your time.

Summary

With the advances in technology, it’s now possible to work faster and more efficiently than ever before. Staying current with technology and keeping up with what’s new is one of the best things you can do for your workplace’s overall productivity.

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It’s a rare business these days that doesn’t value creativity. Most employers appreciate the power of an innovative idea, and would like to create an environment that’s conducive to creative thinking, but may be unsure how to proceed.

How to Make It Happen

Simply saying “bring me your ideas” isn’t going to work. So, how can you actively encourage creative thinking in the workplace? Here are some suggestions.

1. Support Creative Thinking

This may sound obvious, but often employees don’t want to take the risk of coming forward with what they think is a great idea because they’re not sure how the employer will respond. They may be unsure of getting a positive reception, and afraid of negative consequences if the idea doesn’t work out as planned.

Here’s where the employer has to make it known that risk-taking won’t be punished. It can take time to get the message across that creative thinking will be supported, and it’s essential that management make it known that they will be open-minded and non-judgmental when presented with suggestions.

2. Allow for Confidentiality

Face it, sometimes people are shy. One of your people may have a great idea, but feel uncomfortable approaching you – in this instance it’s not you in particular, it’s just people in general. Why not revive the old idea of a suggestion box? People can have anonymity if they want it, and still be part of the creative process.

3. Reward Creative Thinking

It’s human nature for people to wonder “What’s in it for me?” If you want your team to bring you their ideas, offering some type of reward for the best suggestion in a given time period is a great way to motivate. That way, even if a person’s suggestion ends up not being implemented, there isn’t the perception that it’s just a waste of time and effort offering it in the first place.

A reward doesn’t have to be huge. It could be a monetary bonus, or a day off with pay – just a tangible way of saying “Thank you” that doesn’t break the bank.

4. Create Teams

For a more structured way of encouraging creative thinking, you could set up teams of innovative thinkers. Assign a task to each team. Have them come up with ideas that will improve a specific aspect of your operation.

5. Set deadlines and offer rewards.

Be careful not to be too rigid in the type of assignment you hand out, though – you don’t want your people to perceive this as a way of forcing something – creativity – that by its very nature can’t be forced.

6. Build a Diverse Workforce

If all your employees come from similar backgrounds and have essentially the same qualifications, they’re probably going to think in much the same ways. This may be great for morale, but it’s bound to be stifling when it comes to creativity. If everyone’s in agreement all the time, new ideas just aren’t going to happen – the environment isn’t conducive to creativity.

This doesn’t mean that you have to set up a program for hiring where it’s “pick one from column A, two from column B” and so on – it just means that you should try to compose your staff, whenever possible, from people whose backgrounds and profiles are different. This gives you a personality mix that allows for creative thought.

7. Loosen Up a Bit

If your workplace environment is too serious, this could have an adverse effect on creativity. When people are having fun at work, they tend to be more inspired. If they’re just waiting until it’s time to punch out, the mood at work isn’t positive, and creative thinking will be stifled.

Encourage Creativity

If you want your people to bring you creative ideas, you have to encourage them to do so. This means that you have to make it known that creativity is valued, and then create an environment that is conducive to creative thinking. Give your people the encouragement and the tools they need to be creative, and you’ll reap the rewards.

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Ideas can be life-changing. Sometimes all you need to open the door is just one more good idea.
~Jim Rohn

You’re convinced that you have the most phenomenal idea in the entire history of mankind. Good for you! But if no one listens when you pitch it to them, you’re dead in the water. Maybe you lack confidence, or maybe it’s something else.

Strategy

If you feel you have a history of great ideas, but no one seems interested, consider the following seven reasons why ideas fail to get off the ground. If you see yourself in any of them, get to work, fix the problem, and go for the brass ring next time around.

1. Your Idea Is Silly, Impractical, or Done to Death

Maybe it’s just not a good idea, and realistically, you’re probably not the best judge. Remember that time at the pub? It was your birthday, and you were dead-set on drinking a pint for every year you’d been alive. Your mates told you not to do it, but you knew better. If you can’t understand why your idea for fish-flavored chocolate, a rescue facility for plush animals, or yet another Flappy Bird clone isn’t getting the reception you expected, run the idea past your friends and family. They’re the most likely to tell you, “Listen, Bob, it’s just a completely lame idea.”

If the idea is good, maybe people just don’t like you. There’s really no other reason why anyone would reject a really brilliant idea, so with topics 2 through 7, we’re just going to pick you apart – it’s for your own good.

2. It’s Your Appearance

There it is, the sad, ugly truth. You look funny, and people don’t see past appearances. Take stock of yourself (and again, here’s where friends and family can help). Are your clothes out of style? Is your hair badly cut? Also (and we know the Political Correctness Brigade is going to jump all over us for this) think about whether you might lose a pound or two.

3. You Come Across as Odd

Acting peculiar is even worse than looking peculiar. If you spend all your free time talking to your imaginary friends or collecting serial killer trading cards, best to keep such behaviour to yourself. If people are looking at you funny, it’s because they think you’re funny, and they’ll not take you (or your ideas) seriously.

4. Your Body Language is Unfriendly

Often, shyness comes across as peculiarity or unfriendliness, and this may cause people to tune you out. Your ideas are dynamic, and you must appear that way as well. Watch your body signals – arms crossed over your chest or gaze cast floor-ward, head turned slightly away from the person you’re speaking with – these are all “stay away” signals. Try to be more open and receptive to the person you’re with, and they’ll likely be more receptive to your ideas.

5. You Really Don’t Like People

If this is your problem, you’re simply going to have to fake it. No one is going to want to listen to your ideas if they know quite well you’d rather be home with your tea and your kitties.

6. You Don’t Listen

It’s not all about you. You’ve heard the expression “To have a friend, you must be one.” Well, to be listened to, you must listen. If you show an interest in the person you’re pitching your idea to (i.e. ask about their day, their interests, their thoughts), they’ll show an interest in you – and your idea.

7. You’re Not Stating What You Want

If you’re naturally self-effacing, that could be working against you. An approach like “I don’t suppose you’d like to hear about this little idea I’ve got, would you?” is going to get you a response along the lines of “You’re quite right; I wouldn’t.” Put yourself out there with assumptive approaches like “I have a great idea that’s going to change everything about the way you do business, and I need five minutes of your time to tell you about it.” Hard to say no to that, right?

Make sure your idea is brilliant. Then make sure you are, and people will buy in. It’s that simple.

You have a brilliant idea for starting a business, or expanding an existing one. Trouble is you’re low on cash. You need investors. Where do you find investors for your business? How will you capture the investor in his natural habitat? Here’s how.

1. First, You Need Bait

What this means is simply that you have to bring your own money in order to draw in potential investors. If you’re confident that your venture is going to succeed, cash in your savings. Get a line of credit using your home as equity. Max out your credit cards if you have to. If you can get a start-up loan, go for it. Banks and other lenders are becoming increasingly committed to small business. Depending on your projected income statements and cash flow, you might be able to borrow a tidy sum of seed money. This shows investors that you’re willing to put your own money where your mouth is.

2. Choose Your Quarry

For now, don’t go deer stalking if rabbiting will do. In other words, don’t expend time and effort finding big investors if you can get what you need in your own back yard. It can be a bit daunting asking Gran or Uncle Niles for money, but if you can present them with a solid business plan, they might be willing to hop on board. Make sure to explain exactly what it is you want, and what the terms will be. Of course a gift would be lovely, but if you want an interest-free loan, make sure you say so. Let them know when they can expect to be repaid. You might even want to make it a true family affair, offering them shares in your enterprise in exchange for start-up capital.

3. Watch for Open Season on Angels

If you need more money than you can reasonably scrape up using the strategies previously mentioned, you might want to seek out an angel. Angels are established persons or business who typically have a significant net worth and are willing to invest in companies that look promising. If you need to rent office space or hire staff, or do anything else that requires a fair amount of funding, you can find angels in their natural habitat. This would include, of course, their place of business as well as conventions and trade fairs. Sometimes angels even conduct competitions or events that can provide you with networking opportunities.

4. Prepare for a Successful Hunt

Preparation is everything. You need to do the following:

• Know your quarry. That is to say, identify your investors. Research them thoroughly. Know yourself as well – be prepared to answer hard questions regarding your product or service, its sustainability, and your plans for long-term growth.
• Understand the habits of your quarry. What motivates them? Why should they want to invest in your business? What makes them tick?
• Use good-quality bait. Your business plan should include market research and realistic financials. Be able to explain how you plan on creating profit, and how investors will benefit.

We can’t say it often enough – be prepared.

5. Once It’s in the Bag, Don’t Give up the Chase

If you’ve found investors for your start-up or expansion, don’t rest on your laurels. Keep on networking. You already know that finding investors for your business isn’t easy. The skills you’ve learned may stand you in good stead at some point down the road. Who knows? Maybe your business will be so successful, next time you’ll be going after big game!

Happy Hunting

Now you know what you need to do to capture the wily investor, so get out there and go for it. There is funding available to help you set up your new business or help your existing one reach its full potential. Happy hunting, and good luck!

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In today’s highly competitive workplace, employee productivity is of paramount importance. If production is lagging, there are ways you can identify and correct low productivity. Let’s try to identify a few potential problems and come up with some solutions.

1. Your Employees Don’t Feel Motivated

An unmotivated employee is a frustrated, unproductive employee. A person needs to feel that he or she is appreciated, and that their work is valued. The importance of rewards and incentives cannot be overestimated. Of course, money is a great motivator, but you could also offer time off as an incentive, or perhaps a chance to attend a training session. If nothing else, a pat on the back and a “Fabulous job on the Watkins account, Elise,” works wonders.

2. Your Employees Aren’t Accountable

An employee with no sense of accountability is not productive. If the buck can be passed, many employees will not expend much effort on a task. Make sure your employee knows what his goal is, and work to help him achieve it. This will ensure consistent effort.

3. You Don’t Listen to Your Employees

Employees who feel they do not have the ear of the boss will never work to their full potential. Your inter-personal skills are vital. Your employees need to feel that they can reach out to you, and that you will reach back.

4. You Keep Your Employees on a Tether

It can be difficult to avoid the temptation to micromanage. Obviously, you have to offer assistance and give direction, but you should proceed on the assumption that you hired your people because they were qualified to do their jobs. Trust them. Let them find their own style. As long as they deliver, does it really matter how they go about it?

5. Your People Aren’t Challenged

People are at their best when they’re engaged in what they’re doing. If work is boring and mundane, an employee is unhappy, and therefore not productive. Everyone has a different level of capability, and what might be exciting to one worker may be deathly dull to another. You know your people. If Anthony loves filing and thinks there’s nothing better than creating a colour-coded system, whereas Jennifer loathes the mere idea and would far rather be building a work station, we think you know what you have to do.

6. Your Expectations Are Unrealistic

Do you set impossible goals? If you have a 200-page annual report that has to be done, and you set your workers the task of having it written, proof-read, printed and bound in 24 hours, don’t be surprised if they a) fail to deliver, b) take even longer to complete the work than they would have if you’d been reasonable, and c) resent you. You will have lowered productivity, and you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.

7. You Waste Time with Meetings

Of course you have to have meetings, but keep them brief. Less talk + more action = greater productivity.

8. You Don’t Encourage Teamwork

The more input workers have in a project, the better the outcome. With most teams, there’s a healthy element of competition, and a drive to get the job done in the fastest, most effective manner. Guess who wins in the end: You do.

9. Your People Don’t Have the Tools They Need

There’s little more frustrating than trying to do a quality job with sub-standard equipment. Make sure your hardware and software are up-to-date, and have office equipment serviced regularly to avoid time-wasting breakdowns. If you’re giving people shoddy tools, don’t expect productive work.

10. You Don’t Know When to Stop Working

Everyone needs a break once in a while. Don’t discount the importance of a chat at the water cooler or a takeaway lunch. Throw a staff party once in a while. Happy workers are productive workers.

To Sum It All Up

If your workers are unproductive, it’s your problem, and you must make it your priority to solve it. These are just a few ideas to help you increase productivity in the workplace. You can find a wealth of suggestions online, or perhaps you could attend a seminar. Don’t neglect this vital part of your business.

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Every new technology upgrade arrives with the promise of improving productivity, yet workplaces are becoming so dependent on technology these days that sometimes communication within the team is affected. In the drive to do more with less, we might overlook the importance of good communication, which can have drastic long-term effects on employees’ productivity.

In order for a business to run smoothly, managers rely on good communication with their teams and with each other to get things done. Successful companies utilize effective communication techniques to make sure that there is good communication in the workplace.

Good communication can resolve misunderstandings 

With good communication, misunderstandings can be resolved quickly. Learning to communicate assertively can help get a message across without hurting people’s feelings. With assertive communication, people can provide constructive feedback to help encourage better performance.

Good communication solves problems before they even arise. This in turn results in a stronger, better team, with better capability of performing at their best. Learn more about how being assertive can also benefit your team by reading 7 Tips for Achieving Workplace Success by Being More Assertive.

If you feel that your organization can benefit from improved communication techniques, start today with these five key steps:

 1. Learn to be a great listener

Listening is one of the most underrated yet most important skills that managers need to learn. Without listening, there is no communication; it’s simply a monologue. It is important for employees to know that their opinions and ideas are being heard by management, and that they are being taken seriously. When employees feel they are not being heard, it leads to low employee morale and reduced efficiency for the team. Take the time to discuss various matters with each team member occasionally, and show them that you are listening to their opinions by taking concrete, responsive steps when they provide you with useful input.

 2. Know when it is appropriate to write emails

When disseminating factual information, write emails and make sure to rely on data only. On the other hand, be disciplined about emails. Stick to one topic per mail and avoid overly long messages. Any information that could be misinterpreted or is vague should be discussed personally within the team to avoid confusion.

 3. Make effective use of all communication channels

Know when to use various mediums of communication to get your point across. If you need to provide your employee with constructive feedback, it is best to do it face-to-face, so both parties can engage in the dialogue and exchange ideas. If feedback is done via email, there is often room for misunderstandings. Without the metacommunication present in a personal exchange, the content of emails can easily be misconstrued. Avoid discussing personal matters on email or on chat devices.

 4. Learn to trust your team

We’ve all encountered that one micromanager who made the workplace more difficult than it needed to be. Micromanaging your team communicates that you don’t trust their decisions, and if this happens you’ll find people resigning right and left. Remember that you hired people for a reason, for their skill and knowledge, and it is up to you to provide them with an opportunity to shine. Employees need to know that they have control over their jobs. When they have more autonomy, this will result in a more innovative attitude.

 5. Be clear and direct when delegating tasks

Research shows that people are more efficient in the workplace when they clearly understand what is expected of them. Identify the goals and measurable outputs that you expect from your team, so you can avoid blurred lines when it comes to responsibilities in the workplace. Communicating tasks clearly will also help build accountability. Remember in doing so that it helps to use clear and simple terms, so everything is fully understood.

Effective communication is crucial to a healthy, happy work environment. People communicate in different ways, so communication methods may take some time fine-tuning in your workplace. However, this may be one of the best investments you can make, as it’s time spent to ensure everyone is on the same page at all times.

Last but not the least, never use communication as a weapon; teach this to your team as well. It can be a very powerful tool, but should be used for the greater good.

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The number one benefit of information technology is that it empowers people to do what they want to do. It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive. It lets people learn things they didn’t think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is all about potential – Steve Ballmer

Technology will make your business more successful

We are all connected nowadays, and technology has become essential to productivity in all businesses. To stay relevant, companies today understand the need to integrate technology into its overall growth strategy.

There are many types of technologies out there that can cater to your unique needs. Technology can help your company grow with tools specifically designed to overcome the many challenges of running a business today. By using the right technology in your business, you can benefit in many ways that we’ll discuss below. These will all contribute to the main bottom line, which is reduced costs and better employee productivity.

1. Technology helps create a communicative and open business environment

For example, the use of a formal online structure to centralize performance appraisal, makes it easier for you to communicate the essentials of your business strategy. It becomes easier to cascade it to all members of your team. This will allow you to keep track of measurable goals, and ensure that everyone is on the same page working towards the company’s objectives.

Technology also helps make everyone more accountable, so that each and every one in your company can clearly see how important their work is to the overall achievement of your company. It provides a sense of ownership, so that your employees end up becoming more engaged.

2. Technology helps your team stay connected virtually within the organization

The utilization of online communication tools to encourage discussion and allow them to reach out to each other will remove physical and hierarchical boundaries. It will help ensure that knowledge sharing and support is available. Specialists in various areas within your organisation will be reachable, and will be able to get the answers they need in order to be more productive and enhance leadership skills.

3. Technology can help you improve employee motivation through more efficient tracking of progress

Online performance evaluations are a great way to compare the current skills your organization possesses, with additional skills you may need to grow in the future. Doing so will allow you to clearly see if there are employees you can redirect to other departments, if you feel that they can benefit from a change in department or may excel with different responsibilities, allowing them to feel more valuable and indispensable within your company. You become an inspirational leader.

4. Online productivity solutions can help you monitor business productivity and progress of your employees

Successful businesses require that you, the leaders, remain on top of all situations and are aware of all things going on. Technology can help you keep up to speed with details that you need with just a few clicks of a button. You’ll be able to know if projects are on track, and if goals are being met. This contributes largely to greater motivation and productivity because you are ensuring your team is consistently challenged to do their best, while learning new skills along the way.

5. Technology today can provide you with advanced business analysis and reporting

Simply by entering data on your business, you’ll be able to gain a deeper understanding of market trends, customer behavior, and the overall performance of your business. This information will help you maximize the potential of your business.

Having the right information on hand can empower you and your team to work smart, analyze data, and make changes where needed. This will foster productive discussion which leads to empowerment and information sharing, giving you a competitive edge over other businesses.

Why not leave a comment and tell me about your experience with embracing technology

Apps can help you no matter what business you’re in

The use of apps has become increasingly important and relevant, if you are in any business especially in the e-commerce industry. Applications that you can use on smart phones and tablets that can help you run your business more efficiently are available, and here are some of the most useful ones around:

1. Shopify

This nifty application allows you to sell products online through a store which you can create in just minutes. If you’re looking to sell wares and goods, this might be one of the best apps out there for you. It also comes with numerous useful functions that allow you to monitor how well your sales and marketing campaigns are doing; so that you can learn what you’re doing right, and change what isn’t doing so well. Even if you’re traveling, the Shopify app allows you to tap right into your store, send tracking information to customers when their order has been sent, compare sales from one week to another, and respond immediately to queries from customers.

2. MailChimp

Communication and dialogue with customers is important, because you want to stay relevant to them. How do you ensure that you are in the minds of your target audience, therefore constantly marketing to them and showcasing your wares? Through well crafted communication tools that you can create right out of MailChimp. Using your desktop, mobile phone, or tablet; the MailChimp app lets you create newsletter campaigns in just minutes, and send it off when you think it’s the best possible time. The app also has fantastic geographical features that allow you to find subscribers who are near you, and manage your lists in the most efficient ways.

3. Zendesk

The app has created a name for itself as one of the top customer service applications in the market today. Its web-based nature allows businesses to pull out information on customers from anywhere and display it when needed, so that companies can track issues much faster, leading to quick and efficient support, and in the end, happy customers!

4. SumAll

If you are interested to know about deep revenue and product analysis, and see which of the products are worth spending time on, this is the app for you. It will come in handy most especially for your marketing department, as they can quickly make sense out of the tons of data available in every business. It allows you to work smart but working with the data you need to be the most successful in your business.

5. 71lbs

Most e-commerce business owners aren’t aware of the fact that when their orders get to their customers late, they are entitled to a full refund. But you may find that it’s challenging to monitor the delivery of every single product that goes out, and this is what 71lbs is for: merchants use this app to track all orders, and when some of them are late, refunds are already automatically processed for them.

With the continuing rise of the e-commerce industry, knowing which of the applications to use will come in handy for you and your team. It’s best to take advantage of the apps out there to make yourself heard and stand out from the rest.

Why not leave a comment and tell us about your e-commerce app.