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Could your company benefit from a Document Management System?
If you believe that document management systems (DMS) are only for large companies, maybe it’s time to
take another look. Historically these systems have been very expensive and only available to very large
companies. Today, there are some on the market that not just reasonable in price but also integrated with
your ERP system.
[Read more]
Grab Your iPhone & Get
Sage CRM
“On-the-Go!
Sage
CRM's mobile component provides a new theme designed
specifically for iPhone users, enabling easy log-in access to
corporate accounts, instant retrieval of Company/Contact
records, Cases, Opportunities and Leads while “on the go.”
Further, users are able to add and amend the information stored
in the system, helping to ensure that data is always up-to-date
and accurate.
[Read more]
Top Ten Reasons to
Upgrade to Sage 300 ERP 6.0
Sage 300 ERP Version 6.0 includes exciting new tools, such as
the new Portal to help you accomplish everyday tasks faster or
the new Snapshots that provide secure access of key performance
indicators. Version 6.0 also helps you get the information
you need, faster! [Read more]
Documenting Business Processes
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 made documenting internal control procedures mandatory for public
companies. But wouldn't it be a good idea for you to document your business processes as
well? A solid system that defines rights and responsibilities as well as step-by-step
procedures for completing tasks can save time and effort. This article explains the benefits
involved in documenting business processes and provides suggestions on how to do so.
[Read more]
Create a Local Listing for Your Business on the Major Search Engines
If you’ve ever used the internet to find a good local restaurant, chances are you’ve seen a search result
page featuring a map with markers indicating locations of about ten local restaurants. What you may
not know is that the two major search engines, Google
and Yahoo, make it easy to create or edit a listing
for a local business. Also, much of the information in a typical local listing can be added for free.
[Read more]
Sales and Use Tax: How to Make Sure You Are in Compliance
One of the biggest headaches for online retailers is state and local sales and use tax compliance.
There are thousands of tax jurisdictions with their own rules. With states and local
governments stepping up their efforts to collect these taxes, businesses need to be certain their
records can withstand a sales tax audit. Fortunately we have a solution for how to deal with
this mess.
[Read more]
Tips For Running a Web Store
Running a web store has many advantages over its brick-and-mortar alternative. However,
it is crucial to implement solid web design principles when creating and maintaining one.
This article explains the critical elements that need to be considered.
[Read more]
Generate Custom Reports Without Being a Database Expert
Crystal Reports is a powerful reporting tool, but is also very complex and is designed for someone who is very familiar
with database structures. Fortunately there are other, less complicated reporting tools available for the end
user. This article introduces two very good alternatives that integrate completely with
Sage 300 ERP and SageCRM.
[Read more]
Assist Search Engine Optimization by Using XML Sitemaps
XML sitemaps offer a quick and convenient method to inform search engines of all of the pages on your website. And
thanks to help available on the Web, creating a sitemap is not only easy but it is also free!
[Read more]
Online Accounting Resources
Accounting is, of course, an important aspect of any business. It is also often a complex subject which involves meticulous record-keeping and classifications. Given that, I felt it might be good to examine some of the resources available online for someone looking to learn more about proper accounting techniques and why they are important.
[Read more]
Time Management: The Basics
For this month’s newsletter, I decided to write an article about time management, so my first step as always it to research various information sources to see what advice is available on the subject. As it turns out, all of the articles say the same thing. To me, it basically means the time management is a skill based on solid principals that always produces results when applied. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?
[Read more]
Subject Matter: Creating Good E-mail Subject Lines
After finding an e-mail of mine in my own junk folder, I realized there's more to the art of increasing e-mail deliverability than asking recipients to add my address to their safe list. Simply changing the subject line led to a successful delivery, which led me to research the dos and don'ts of creating subject lines. I discovered that there is definitely plenty of material on the subject.
[Read more]
Are You Providing Configurable Products and Services?
Companies that offer configurable products and services face special challenges when it comes to quoting, processing and costing orders. Let's take a look at some of the key areas of concern and what companies can do to handle the unique problems these businesses face...
[Read more]
What is Del.icio.us?
Social marketing is a popular concept when it comes to online marketing. And these days, you can hardly read a blog without seeking a link to something called del.icio.us. Given the catchy web address, I couldn’t resist exploring what del.icio.us is all about...
[Read more]
Sales: Gain an Edge Using Industry Profiles from First Research
Understanding a business owner’s needs is a key component of selling in the modern business world. Given this, it’s easy to see that research is a top priority for any salesperson that wants to be successful. The good news is that much of the research has already been done and is available on the First Research website.
[Read more]
Setting Up Google Analytics
So you have a website for your business. Sure it may look nice, but is it effective as far as generating interest? Maybe we should take a step back and ask ourselves, “How can we measure the effectiveness of our website?” Google has developed a powerful tool called Google Analytics. Signing up for the service takes less than five minutes and is easy to implement into your website. But here’s the best part: it’s absolutely free!
[Read more]
Happy
Birthday to spam!
Earlier this spring, that dreaded junk e-mail that fills up our inbox that we call spam celebrated its 30th birthday. On May 3rd, 1978, 393 users of the US military’s ARPANET (granddaddy of the internet) received the first spam e-mail in history...
[Read
more]
RSS Feeds: So Much More Than an Orange Button
If you've ever seen an orange button on a blog, then you’ve seen an RSS feed. The orange buttons link to an RSS or Really Simple Syndication file, which is a XML-based summary of content associated with a webpage. Applications can then use these feeds to notify you when new content has been made available on that webpage. This article explains why you should use RSS feeds and how you can go about doing so.
[Read more].
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Tips and Tricks
Make no mistake about it: your website is one of your best marketing tools. But what can you do to attract potential customers to your site? Enter the concept known as Search Engine Optimization. By making some simple changes to the content of your website, you can dramatically increase your website's ranking among many of the more popular search engines.
[Read
more].
Virtual Machines - At No Cost
Virtual machines have become one of the
hottest topics for both desktops and servers, solve some very real
world problems - and can do it at no cost! Using a virtual machine is perfect for any scenario in which you would like to have the effect of using multiple computers, whether for running legacy applications, trying out new ones, performing sales demonstrations, tech support, training, or many other uses. So how are people using virtual machines? To find out,
click here.
Jing - A New Way to Share Information
There is something on your computer screen that you would like to share with someone in a different office or even across the country. A few cells from a spreadsheet perhaps, or the steps you are taking while running an application. Wouldn't it be great if there was an easy way for you to share a screen shot or short video of what you want them to see? There is. It's called Jing. And, at least for now, you can use it for free!
[Read more].
Managing your Assets Makes Sense
An often overlooked area in business is the management of physical assets. And yet, in most businesses, these assets are the foundation for success and future growth. Assets by definition are utilized by organizations to generate future cash flows. Organizations that allocate and deploy their assets effectively generally earn a higher return on those assets and improve their prospects for growth. To learn more about managing assets,
click here.
What If You Had A Fire, Break-in or System Failure?
Making sure that your company data is available after a disaster, big or small, is one important issue that every company needs to prepare for. Backup often, and to many locations, should be the mantra of every business. The good news is that there are a number of ways to protect your data, and they are easy to implement and fairly inexpensive. See if any of these stories sound familiar (if they don't, consider yourself lucky, because these have happened to actual companies just like your's.)
[Read more].
Holding Successful Webinars
Providing presentations to customers and prospects via the Internet (Webinars), is a great way to jumpstart your sales by providing information, and even training, on your products and services. More affordable than presenting in person, Webinars are cost-effective, provide a global reach, and are an excellent "offer" for lead generation campaigns. No wonder companies use of Webinars is growing at such an incredible rate. But delivering a successful Webinar can be a challenge. How can you optimize attendance? What do you need to plan for? Here are some practical "before, during and after" tips to make your Webinars a success.
[Read more].
Predicting Success in Marketing Campaigns
How well do you know your customers? How often do they buy? What motivates them to make multiple purchases? How can you ensure long-term loyalty? How can you attract and retain new customers? And, most importantly, how can you cost effectively align your marketing campaign to ensure that you are sending the most relevant message to each customer segment at the time they are most likely to buy? The number-one asset of a company is its customers, and a close second is the information about those customers gained through operational customer relationship management (CRM) systems.
[Read
more].
Think You Know What Spam Is?
"Spam is no longer just any email message that arrives uninvited in your inbox. The definition now has been broadened to include any email message your recipient doesn't want anymore, even the ones they asked to receive. Even possibly yours."
[Read
more]
Stop Making Cash Receipt Entries
Wouldn't it be great if someone would
volunteer to enter the cash receipts in your Sage accounting
solution...drive the deposit to the bank...and they even PAID YOU to
let them do it? Well, it's really possible with a product called Express Connect.
[Read
more]
Changing Accpac Key Fields
Once assigned, key fields like customer code, vendor code and item number cannot be changed in the standard software. Yet sometimes you may find it necessary to change one, some or all of them. Let's take a look at why you may want to change these key fields and the utilities you can use to do it for you.
Click here, and see if any of the following scenarios sound familiar.
Looking to Manage Your Manufacturing Better?
If you have been searching for affordable and user-friendly manufacturing software, search no more. We just may have the answer. The MISys Manufacturing System was designed to be a sensible alternative to cumbersome and expensive manufacturing management systems. It performs the advanced functions small- to medium-sized manufacturing firms need, yet its familiar Windows interface makes MISys ideal for the non-technical user.
[Read
more].
Do You Need a Document Management Solution?
 Every business has a document management challenge and every business has developed, over time, ways to cope with that challenge. Whether your current document management solution involves offices around the country filled with filing cabinets and armies of clerks, or as simple as stacks of cardboard boxes piled around the perimeter of your office, there are affordable, realistic, and functional solutions available to help. To help you decide if your company has outgrown your current method of dealing with your document management challenge,
click here and answer five simple questions to assess your needs.
What If You Only Sold One Item a Day?
Sounds strange doesn't it? But what started out as a unique business model for some web based businesses has now been adopted by more traditional companies as well. Let's take a look at this interesting trend, generally known as "Deal a Day." Even if it's not right for your business, you may find some bargains for yourself along the way.
[Read more]
Ending the Bank Run...Is it Really Possible?
After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the FAA shut down North American airspace for several days. In addition to grounding millions of passengers, paper checks could not clear through the Federal Reserve System. In response, Congress passed new legislation allowing businesses to deposit electronic images of their paper checks, and Remote Deposit Capture was born. Imagine the benefits of scanning digital check images to the bank from your desk, instead of making the typical bank run...
[Read
more].
Are You a Service and Maintenance Company?
Companies today know that the service and maintenance of what they are selling to their customers is the key to their future success. The challenge is to do it effectively and efficiently. White goods, computers, medical equipment. The list goes on and on. They all require service and maintenance support, warranty and after sales support, plus a returns system. If your company services or maintains equipment—either as a manufacturer or as a reseller—then your day-to-day activities probably include the following...
[Read more].
Is Your Company Ready for CRM?
Click here to take a quick test to see in what areas your company can benefit most from implementing a CRM application.
Conference Calling Without the Cost
When someone offers you something at no cost, it's natural that your first reaction is "What's the catch?" So it's understandable that that was my first reaction when I heard about FreeConferenceCall.com. But, in this day of telecommuting employees, remote offices and long distance customers, wouldn't it be great to have a way to do conference calls without incurring the usual monthly fees and per minute charges? Well, that's exactly what you get with FreeConferenceCall.com, and yes, they still find a way to make a profit.
[Read
more].
Building Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance Into Your Purchasing Workflow
If you are like most people, you may be hearing more and more about the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) and wondering what it really means to your business. While most people associate the Sarbanes-Oxley Act solely with email retention and document storage, SOX's real focus is on the management of internal financial controls. And, although not mandatory for privately held companies and small public companies, who can argue with an initiative that gives you better control?
[Read more].
Finding The Right Prospects for Your Marketing Campaign - Part 1
Companies looking to grow their business may want to find new customers using direct mail and email marketing, but may be unsure about obtaining the lists they need to reach him. Let's take a look at some of the primary things you need to know in acquiring a marketing database...
[Read more].
Finding The Right Prospects for Your Marketing Campaign - Part 2
In this installment, we will look at what data is required and some of the alternative sources for your database list.
[Read more].
Finding The Right Prospects for Your Marketing Campaign - Part 3
In this last installment, we will discuss renting vs. buying your database list and how to control and measure your success.
[Read more].
Many Happy Returns (and Repairs)
...Even though businesses prefer not to have the "problem" of returns, in our high-tech life of online shopping and centralized distribution with automated pick-pack and ship routines, it is inevitable that most businesses will have to deal with returns, repairs and replacement orders at some time with their customers. Businesses that do the best job of handling these situations not only generate goodwill with their customers, but also develop rewarding, long-lasting relationships with them.
[Read more].
Electronic Funds Transfer – A "New" Solution in Demand
...Electronic funds transfer is definitely not new. It has been around for over 40 years and has not changed much. However, it seems to be enjoying a renaissance of sorts as banks and credit unions encourage businesses to pay their vendors and employees electronically rather than write checks. What is the driving force behind this phenomenon?
Click here to find out.
Tracking Time and Expenses for Remote Employees
...It can be difficult for employees to submit their time and expenses on a timely basis if they hardly ever get to their employer's offices. More importantly, managers need to know the status of projects or jobs to see if they are within budget, and which employees will be free to work on other jobs. Keeping track of multiple employees working on multiple projects for multiple customers can become an administrative nightmare. Fortunately, the Internet has made it possible for "remote" employees to submit timesheets and expense reports on a timely basis (daily if necessary), and for managers to be able to track and approve time and expenses online.
[Read more].
Printing More Efficiently
Printing reports, invoices, checks and other forms is a big part of most accounting systems. What are your options when it comes to generating multiple copies, variable content and scheduled printing? Let's take a look at how printing has changed over the years and what companies can do today to be as efficient as possible.
[Read more].
What Is Your Business Story?
Traditionally, companies have used spreadsheets and pre-defined reports to analyze their data and understand what is happening in their business. For example, the sales department may run a report at the end of the month listing their top customers based on sales from the previous month. Certainly good information to know, but how does this help them improve sales in the future? Business Intelligence tools, available to companies of all sizes, allow you to "interpret" the information that is already in your accounting system to tell the story of your business. Then, using your accounting data alone, or in conjunction with other relevant information, you can now devise a plan for the future.
Click here to take a look at a real-world example of a cigar manufacturer that sells high end cigars primarily through specialty retail locations.
Payroll - Are You In or Are You Out?
The introduction of the Sage Payroll processing service now gives you two ways to handle your payroll needs — in-house or outside processing. All while integrating with your Sage Software accounting, job costing and human resources applications.
Click here to take a look at a quick comparison chart to help decide which one may be right for you.
Is a CRM Philosophy at the Center of Your Business?
The concept of CRM has been around since the beginning of human interaction. Where do you think the phrase, “the customer is always right,” came from? So, why all of the attention now? What is it that makes CRM so important? So much so, that companies invest large amounts of money and time to implement it?
Click here to find out.
Building Your Brand
Building your brand is an exercise in conveying the “Who, What, Where, Why and How,” of your business to prospective customers. Success here means leveraging your efforts to draw these prospects closer to acquisition and a long term relationship with you. Marketing tools like your Web site can be educational and built to drive sales. Above all, you want to project the individuality of your company’s unique selling proposition and differentiate yourself from your competition. The plan to accomplish this is outlined here in this quick summary of the five most important marketing tools for concisely communicating your know-how...
[Read
more]
Who Are You Really?
When comparison shopping on the Web, you may be surprised to discover that some of the sites you are comparing are actually from the same company. Why are companies doing this?
Click here to find out.
It’s
Tax Time...Do You Know Where Your Assets Are?
Ghost assets are those assets that reside on your company's books even though they should have been retired due to consumption, damage, theft or any other reason that would make them unusable. It's estimated that, on average, 12% of a company's assets are ghost assets...
[Read
more]
Creative Methods of Keeping The Books In Balance
The whole purpose of accounting is to keep the books in balance. Debits equal Credits. Or so it seems. Many people spend countless hours ensuring that all transactions are properly recorded on a timely and accurate basis. So wouldn't it be nice if there were some ways to make the "balancing act" a little simpler and less time consuming?
[Read
more].
Point of Sale…It’s Not Just for Retailers
Many companies, especially those using Order Entry software, have a point of sale aspect to their business. Whether it be walk-up sales at the warehouse, physical retail locations or even the company cafeteria, the need to process transactions that affect cash and inventory occurs every day. A cigar box or a standalone register may be adequate for a very limited number of transactions, but what about when the volume increases and you need to concern yourself with credit cards, inventory balances, customer recognition and overall security? Let’s take a look at what a point of sale system really does, and how this may apply to your own business.
[Read
more].
Personality, Personality, Personality
Location, location, location is the mantra used in the real estate business to denote what truly separates one property from another. Infusing a personality in your newsletter site and in your communications can also be the differentiator to get people to remember who you are and to let you shine in their eyes.
[Read more].
Have You Checked Your Data Recently?
Your accounting data is the lifeblood of your organization. You back it up daily. And, if you are smart, you also rotate your backup media to an off-site location. But does babysitting the program for responses stop you from checking the INTEGRITY of your data? If you answered “yes”, your problem has been solved.
[Read more].
Psst, Can You Spare An Hour?
Attend a Webinar and learn about other Sage Accpac cost-saving solutions that integrate with your
Sage 300 ERP accounting system. See live demonstrations of solutions for Human Resources, CRM, Point-of-Sale, eCommerce, advanced reporting and many others. To see the start time or to register,
click here and choose a Webinar topic of interest.
8 Keys to Successful E-mail Marketing
Customer relationship management applications like
Sage CRM™ provide a wealth of capabilities. Among them is the ability to utilize information you track about companies, and the people associated with them, to create personalized, targeted marketing messages. These messages can be delivered via various methods including print, fax and email. Email communications, the most recent of the three, is also the least expensive, with the highest degree of personalization. Some of the things you'll want to consider when communicating via email are...
[Read more]
Who's Visiting Your Web Site?
Regardless of your type of business, having a Web site that lets visitors find information on your company's products or services - or even transact business if appropriate - is standard operating procedure. You build your initial site based on what you believe your visitors want to see and how you can best present it. But you can't stop there. Knowing where your visitors are coming from, which specific pages they are actually reading, for how long, and how they are navigating your site is vital if you want to understand how to serve your prospects and customers better.
[Read more].
Automating Period End Closing Processes for Accounting Records
Whether for monthly or year end purposes, businesses require additional accounting procedures to “close the books” and prepare a set of financial statements. There are several benefits of automating these procedures which we explore in this article.
[Read more]
What can internet based phone calling do for your business?
Whether for staying in touch while traveling, connecting remote employees or replacing traditional office phone systems, using the internet for placing phone calls or Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP), has become a convenient and cost-effective communication method.
[Read more].
What Aren't You Telling Your Customers?
Most companies think people buy from them because of things like low prices or great customer service. But isn't that what everyone says? What things should you be telling them? In the 1960's, Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham created a communications model called the Johari Window that may help you better understand the way customers look at your products and services, and how you can better meet their needs.
[Read
more].
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