Professional Phone Answering Never Takes a Day Off

Posted on May 17, 2013 by A-mantra

Employees have different reasons for not coming to work. Sickness, bad weather conditions, bad mood, and other reasons makes people take a day or two off work. It is understandable when natural occurrences like snow make going to work difficult. However, business operations must continue and you need someone to answer your business phone calls.

You can make sure your business is always on and running even when you are not in the office by using phone answering services.

How Phone Answering Services Work
Phone answering services can provide the same message 24/7 based on what you have customized it to provide. Instead of leaving your calls unanswered when you are away, you can use phone answering services to respond to potential customers giving them information about your business and taking their queries. You can also set the service to forward important calls to your mobile phone wherever you are. Small businesses whose employees may not be able to take a day off can also take advantage of professional phone answering services.

A phone answering service does not leave your customers guessing whether you will deliver. Customers will be made aware that the store will be opening at a particular time or not opening at all, whether the event will take place as planned, whether the goods they ordered will be delivered despite harsh weather or anything that is likely to interrupt initial arrangements. Whereas it may be good to email your customers about any inconveniences, you may waste a lot of time. On the other hand, not answering the phone also appears unprofessional. The best thing is to use phone answering services.

You should communicate your message through all channels. Phone answering services can deliver your messages to customers who were not able to get the message via social media or email.

Professional phone answering services are not used only during special and unusual times. You can have phone answering services in your day to day business operations to cut on costs, reduce time wastage and have ample time to concentrate on something else other than answering phone calls.

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Pradeep Kolanu is the Manager of A-Mantra, a facility management software company under SatNav Technologies. A-Mantra offers effective facilities management, building management, property management, space management, maintenance management and asset management solutions to customers. Google+

Are Electronic Payments and Economic Growth Directly Related?

Posted on May 7, 2013 by A-mantra

In the United States electronic payments, credit card and debit card use exceeds any cash payment form by 70 percent or more. According to the Federal Reserve over 64 percent of debit card transactions were for 25 dollars and under, and basic credit card purchases showed 44 percent of purchases were less than 25 dollars. Growth of electronic payments seems to be directly associated to the current economic state our country is in. According to the Federal Reserve, the trend will grow as the economy recovers.

How Do They Relate?
Does this mean that electronic payments directly relate to economic growth? The answer is yes, credit card and debit cards have changed the way consumers pay for goods and how merchants manage business. Reports indicate that electronic payments make up $983 billion in global economic growth, an equivalent to adding 1.2 million jobs according to Visa. Electronic payments contributed to 0.8 percent increase in the GDP through developing markets and 0.3 percent increase in existing markets. Without the increase of electronic payments and card use, the growth would have only been 1.6 percent. These numbers, compelled by different factors such as lower cash handling costs, higher tax revenues, and guaranteed method of payment to merchants. This allows a “gray area” of reduction in the economy because of lower unreported cash transactions.

How Our Economy Is Affected
If you think about it, 50 years ago our only methods of payments for goods and services were cash or check. Now electronic payments allow consumers to buy and businesses to sell more conveniently. In 2012 alone, 32 percent of worldwide retail spending was electronic payment based. The migration from cash, check and other payment options to electronic payments, credit and debit cards have grown worldwide. The impact of card usage on the GDP functions by three factors:

-Card penetration is a percent of total PCE

-The yearly growth of the card relative to the PCE

-The GDP percentage that represents personal consumption

Results are different for those countries that have a slower developing economy with less card use. For those countries that have a wealthier economy, the results relate to more frequent card use. In the United States, card penetration usage is at 0.313 percent. These results based on maturity levels, consumer usage patterns, and growth rate. Consumers feel comfortable using cards and electronic payments for most of their transactions with a growing mass of merchant locations. Merchants are also accessing a growing number of consumers with guaranteed payments.

The benefits have changed the consumer/merchant relationship by allowing the consumer to have access to unlimited resources. Credit accessibility has helped the average family to gain necessities when a weekly paycheck cannot cover needs. Security and convenience are also benefits; security provides the user with financial tracking methods and convenience allows the consumer to have access to cash at anytime, anywhere. Card usage does stimulate the economy by making it more efficient, giving a boost to the economy yearly and making them directly related.

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How to Create a Sound Business Continuity Plan

Posted on April 30, 2013 by A-mantra

One of the objectives of establishing any business is to remain in operations for the foreseeable future. However, the future is always uncertain since operations may be disrupted by occurrence of various events. For instance, business continuity will definitely be hampered if an earthquake or any other natural catastrophe strikes, though this may be rare. There are some hazards that occur more frequently, like a power failure. Failing to have a plan is like planning to fail. You should make plans on how your operations are going to continue despite such occurrences. The following steps will guide you planning for the continuity of the enterprise irrespective of the situation.

Know the Nature of your Business
Different businesses rely on different resources for functioning. For instance, some businesses rely heavily on electricity for production to take place while others rely mainly on their workforce to deliver results. You should develop a strategy for back up source of power like using a generator or having more workers in place, just in case some key personnel decide to quit or die. You should have a database of all important business contacts to make it easy for any new workers to take over operations. Develop a culture of sharing contacts among your workers.

Have Backups
Though this may be costly, you should have prior arrangements with service providers or suppliers outside your existing lot. This allows you to spread your risks among several areas, thus reducing the negative impact that may hit your business when unforeseen things happen. For instance, you may have different ISPs if your business is dependent on steady supply of internet. Always remember, every minute offline for your business means lost revenue. On the other hand, any time customers call asking for something that you cannot supply due to stalled operations, affects your reputation as a reliable seller.

Embrace Technology
You would not want all your data to be fried when you do not have any backup. Embracing use of technology to store data and even perform core business functions can reduce many uncertainties. For instance, you can use cloud computing to store data and have workers work from home just in case they cannot access the office due to floods, power outages and other incidents that make the office inaccessible. When you have identified the type of business you are in, you can even have online consultants in case your workers cannot deliver various tasks.

Have a Budget
Though no one wishes to have the worst things happen to them or their business, you have to face the reality that it is bound to happen. You should thus budget an amount equivalent to the nature of operations you engage in. Have the money somewhere easily accessible, probably away from your bank since there are times when you may not be able to access banking services because of uncertain events like a terror alert. Setting money aside for the “dark” period is very essential.

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Battling Organizational Change and Even Selling It

Posted on April 26, 2013 by A-mantra

Changing the way things are done in any setting is likely to rub some people’s shoulders in a bad way. This requires you to set up a plan on how you are going to get past the many frustrations that those who fear or detest change will place on your way. You cannot simply get rid of anyone who threatens the success of any new idea. After all, every business decision affects people either positively or negatively. Implementing the following change strategies can help you in maneuvering the complexities associated with changes in business processes.

Work with the Rebels
The best way of dealing with resistance to change is to have the people who are likely to reject the change at the forefront. This ensures they are deeply involved in the change campaign, such that they have no moral authority to tell people to object the changes. In fact, you should make them feel comfortable by marketing what the new change strategies stand for, as opposed to leaving them out simply because they do not support your mission. You should instead have them sell the idea to other employees, which reduces the resistance you face.

Change Does Not Occur Overnight
Though you may feel the urgency to push things to the limit to embrace a new idea immediately, employees may not share that thought with you. This means you should take things slowly otherwise you are likely to face problems from employees who feel you are rushing them into things. A good way of introducing change strategies is through phases. This should involve all employees so that they see the need for change. Let employees see the vision you are seeing to be certain of a smooth sail.

Remain Focused
There are times when you feel frustrated because employees are putting too much pressure against the success of your change strategy. This requires you to remain stable irrespective of how much anger you may have on your workers. Try to lead by example, if employees do not follow the things you have set forth. They will probably like your style of doing things. Never think that you made a wrong decision introducing a change strategy to your business, as this is likely to demoralize you. You should in turn venture into making sure that your goal remains on course irrespective of whether workers support you or not.

Know the Timing
Everyone wants to keep his or her job. Though some change strategies are known to create more jobs, there are some casualties involved in such undertakings that prompt people to resist anything that puts their job at risk. You should thus invest in educating workers on the importance of such changes and even allowing some of those who would be laid off to apply for new positions in the firm. This keeps everyone comfortable. It also drives them to want to have everyone else on board. Thus lesser resistance to change.

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5 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Maximize Their Productivity

Posted on April 22, 2013 by A-mantra

Many people believe that venturing into entrepreneurship is the only way to escape the endless cycle of an 8-5 job. They therefore have many ideas on how they are going to become rich overnight, without thinking clearly how they are going to sustain their dreams. Everyone has a lot of energy when they are starting out, because they want to make riches. However, this energy may burn out because of increasing responsibilities and the desire to make more wealth. The following tips can help you maintain your passion towards adding value to your organization.

1. Delegate
Though many people think that they can do everything or simply feel uncomfortable delegating their tasks, this does not help enhance their productive capacity. In fact, the more things you have to do simultaneously, the less likely you can account for anything you have done. Work on something as though you are an employee such that you can give an account of something tangible you have done every single day. Through this, you will definitely see a jump in your output. You should delegate the tasks that are repetitive and redundant to a personal assistant.

2. Have a Written Plan
Never assume that you know everything and you can keep it all in your head. Instead, work in a manner that someone else can take up your job without affecting productivity. The best way to do so is by having a written plan of the things you have to do. Failure to do so will make you have subsequent plans that are not directly linked to your original plan. Check your plans against your level of productivity to determine whether you are doing good or bad. On the other hand, track your performance over a long period to allow you know when you have started declining your performance.

3. Network/ Market
You can never say no to marketing of your startup. The world is so competitive that a small hitch in your marketing plan can have devastating effects on your revenues, since your clients would be taken over by competitors. Irrespective of how much it costs, continue using the marketing methods that bring your revenue. You should also start introducing new marketing techniques to the picture for better results.

4. Don’t Forget the Power of Technology
Many tasks that have previously been done offline are now available online. There is a machine or program for virtually everything. Though the cost of acquiring such items is high, you should invest in getting such items for yourself. This would in turn result to you being able to increase your productivity without much effort. Many tasks can even be automated like sending many emails to your mailing list.

5. Concentrate on Quality Not Quantity
Though, working with a large client base is good for leveraging reasons, it may make you less productive because you spread your energies away making you less effective. Work with a smaller team for proper product or service delivery and work your way up.

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Think Outside the Box for Success in Business

Posted on December 12, 2012 by A-mantra

If time is money, and it is always good to save money, then by the relative property it’s always good to save time, too! This is as true for businesses as it is for individuals.

Spending the time to figure out ways to save your business time and money is always a good use of, well, time and money. But the best ways to these two precious commodities might not always be so obvious, so think outside the box as you seek the best ways to further your business’s success.

The best innovators for your company probably already work for your company!

Whether you are a firm with 300 employees or a shop with fewer than 10, the folks who know your business best are the ones who help make it run. So when you are looking for new ideas to generate revenue or trim costs, make sure not to rely to heavily on a top down approach and to weigh the advice and opinions of employees at every level.

If every penny counts, take into consideration things that only cost pennies!

Your company could save untold quantities of money each year by reviewing everything from the ink used in your printers to the ways people get water (bottles or reusable glasses and coolers?) to the type of advertising you rely on (is your money better spent on an SEO campaign or on glossy mailers?).

Keep your offices running as smoothly as you can by making the day-to-day operations as simple as you can!

Are you wasting valuable man-hours with employees struggling with mountains of cumbersome of data and complicated IT issues? You might save time and money (and prevent headaches) by hiring a third party readily able to handle all your data flow and freeing up your employees to, well, work!

About the Author
Pradeep Kolanu is the Manager of A-Mantra, a facility management software company under SatNav Technologies. A-Mantra offers effective facilities management, building management, property management, space management, maintenance management and asset management solutions to customers.

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10 Tips for Successful Brand Management

Posted on November 29, 2012 by A-mantra

Branding is created to help identify and connect a seller’s goods or services with a name of the company. This allows the seller or owner of the company to sell not only the product or services, but also develop a following based on the quality of the name. Here are 10 tips for successful brand management to follow.

1. Understand the Brand
Know the principles you stand by and elements of the brand. This helps establish branding and what you are trying to convey through your product or services.

2. Promote your Brand
Advertise, social networking, marketing, and word of mouth are all effective in promoting your brand.

3. Visual Appeal and Brand Maintenance
Through characteristics of the products, packaging should be appealing and simple to customers. Advertising and promotional sales will help maintain branding. The way a product is packaged, for example is one way a customer will identify a product.

4. Consistency
This lets customers know that your products/services are reliable. Between branding and goals, consistency should be evident. It also helps to have a professional in the field back up your product.

5. Choose Profitable Partners
Have someone involved in developing the brand that will offer good ideas without costing you more money by having to advance the product itself.

6. Quality Control
This helps build patronage with your company and customers. Keep track of bad press and what is being said on the Internet, and maintain quality of product and services in general.

7. Report Feedback
Keep track of what customers have to say to maintain good branding and quality products/services.

8. Be Proactive
Stay up to date with the latest technology and maintain a good image. Make changes as needed.

9. Guard Your Brand
Prevent bad press and prevent internal campaigns that may damage the brand.

10. Never Stop
Sorry to say, but there’s no such thing as taking breaks when managing your brand. It requires constant effort and consistent oversight to ensure that nothing slips through the cracks and you are ready to handle anything that is thrown at you.

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10 Mantras to Becoming a Successful Entrepreneur in India

Posted on November 5, 2012 by A-mantra

As the 21st Century unfolds, few have any doubts that soon the centers of commerce, finance, tech and trade will shift to the East. India is a nation on the brink of booming times, and there is no better time for the entrepreneurial spirit to start doing business in this exciting country.

There is no magic formula for the successful entrepreneur to follow as they launch a venture in India, but there are some signposts that can help guide them on their way.

1. Just Dive In

The successful entrepreneur will do in India what they do in all places and at all times. If you have an idea you truly believe in, commit to it and start investing your time, energy and capital right away.

2. Don’t Dive in Blind, Though!

While those who hesitate before they jump will never fly as far, you need to commit fully to your idea; but in a country this diverse you need to pick the right landing place. What works in Mumbai may not in New Delhi.

3. Remember: All Politics is Local is True for Business, Too

Make sure to hire locals once you choose a location. They will help you know the power players of a given city (or even a specific neighborhood), and will have an in-depth understanding of the target market.

4. Watch Your Revenue Stream from Day 1

What you do with your money in the early days will dictate success or failure.

5. Learn the Local Laws

And make sure to stay on the right side of them.

6. Watch the Market, But Don’t Depend On It

Remember, you may seem “ahead of your time” to some conservative thinkers.

7. Start Small…

…and watch that budget!

8. But Plan Big!

Have a scalable idea. Because India is growing at a steading pace every year, and there are more people willing to spend more money, make sure that your idea/venture can evolve with time.

9. And Plan Long Term

Think 5 years, 10 years, 20 from now. As you grow, you’ll be able to continue to tap into a growing market as long as you give people what they want.

10. Be Patient

Be patient, but never complacent. The Indian market is growing at a fast pace, and so too are consumers’ demands. Make sure you learn from both your successes and failures to set yourself up for a long business venture.

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Grappling With Business Maintenance Is An Art You Can Master

Posted on November 1, 2012 by A-mantra

The maintenance of your business triumphantly requires sustained, long-term planning. All parts of your business need to run smoothly to ensure effectiveness and productivity of its products and/or services. Minor malfunctions and mistakes are likely to happen, yet they should not disrupt the core functions of your business. Most people feel troubled in proper maintenance of their business. Although challenges in one’s business and ways to fix them could be specific, there are universal solutions to universal issues.

A great example is the apportionment of budget for the facility needs. To address this problem, investment of time and energy, albeit once in a while, is required to decide maintenance management systems and the budgets involved. The choice of the right systems would help in making better budgetary decisions and cutting down on wasteful expenditure. However, discretion is required in the budget reduction as doing it indiscriminately harms the business in the long run.

Focus on your long-term goals and discern whether a resource needs to be spared or not. Maintenance management systems translate into efficient automation of your business and you don’t need a roving eye to oversee them. But without proper planning and care, your business will suffer.

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Office Space in India Is in High Demand

Posted on October 17, 2012 by A-mantra

Office space in India is in such high demand that they are estimating approximately 180 million square footage of office space to be occupied in eight cities within the next four years. India expects business to be booming though there are a few things they will be facing, space management being one of them.

.Several cities in India estimate percentages of office space to be used up quicker than others. For example, Mumbai foresees 44msf taken within the next five years. Bengaluru is expected to use up 31msf, NCR with 27.8 msf, and Ahmedabad with the lowest at 7.8 msf. It is expected that 57 percent of office space will be in demand. It is estimated that office space expansion will occur by 10 percent by 2013 and 20 percent by 2014.

In order for effective space management with so many businesses expecting the need for space (and so little of it available), it’s important to control the available and occupied spacing by creating floor layouts and graphics on space utilization. This can be done with space management software that will give you these controls over space and help you really envision how to maximize it the best.

India faces power outages on a regular basis. With many businesses coming in and utilizing more space and running more electricity, it is anticipated that businesses will need to use special software to save data on a regular basis. It is important for businesses to use property management controls to keep track of documents, lease agreements, tenant billing, and vendor directories. As more office space is utilized in India, the more important space and property management become.

About the Author
Pradeep Kolanu is the Manager of A-Mantra, a facility management company under SatNav Technologies. A-Mantra offers effective facility, building, property maintenance, asset and space management software to increase efficiency, organization and workflow.