Technology advice for small and medium sized businesses

The computing world is forever changing. Over the last 15 years, SaaS (software as a service) providers have offered the convenience of data backup for your cloud applications such as CRM systems, SalesForce, Google Apps and Microsoft 365. The business question is, if I’m already working with a SaaS provider and my data is already “in” the cloud, do I really need to back up my data to another cloud? After all, isn’t the SaaS provider doing that for me?

Well yes, and no. Yes, your data (one of your company’s most valuable assets) is being backed up by the service provider. And yes, it’s in the cloud. And yes, these providers have backups to their backups…but are they backing up your business-critical information? Can you guarantee that? And do you have access to it in a timely manner? The answer to these questions may be no. As a rule, SaaS providers do not open backups to customers nor do they make restoring critical data easy or intuitive. For example, SalesForce, the first commercially available SaaS application, does nightly customer backups. But if you need to recover your data, you have to go directly to SalesForce and pay a minimum of $10,000 then wait a few weeks for your data to be restored.

There’s no question that the results of data loss can be devastating to your company. But when it comes down to it, it’s your company information and you need to take responsibility for safeguarding it. You need to have a strategy in place.

Want to learn more about how to back up your cloud SAAS applications?  Contact our office at xxx-xxx-xxxx or via e-mail at [email protected] to schedule a time to discuss your particular situation and what solutions are available for you.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed or even drowning with the number of emails in your inbox?

Then Sanebox could be your answer. This month’s gadget is a cloud-based software application that helps you manage your email. Sanebox analyzes your email behaviour on all your devices. Then, based on which emails you let slide and which ones you open right away, Sanebox creates rules about sorting your email for you. The result? Your inbox only has emails you need to attend to now. All other emails go to your SaneLater folder. You can drag and drop emails from that folder to your inbox and from then on, those emails will display in your inbox.

Sanebox keeps you focused on high-priority emails. There’s nothing to download. There are additional productivity features to manage tasks, your calendar, and your attachments. And the SaneBlackhole is the fastest way to unsubscribe from emails. See www.sanebox.com

In the world of dating, a successful “pick-up line” can make or break any chance of getting to strike up a conversation with someone you would like to meet. Below are a few examples of what some people thought were great “pick-up lines”.

“I’m not a photographer, but I can picture me and you together.”
“Can I have directions? [To where?] To your heart.”
“I thought happiness started with an H. Why does mine start with U?”
“Is there an airport nearby or is that just my heart taking off?”
“You’re so beautiful that you made me forget my pickup line.”

You are probably wondering why I am addressing dating “pick-up lines” in a business article. With profit margins being attacked from all angles, it is important for businesses today to do everything they can to take advantage of every consumer buying encounter.  Probably one of the most famous business pick-up lines, that added instant profits to their bottom line, was by the fast food chain, McDonalds: “Would you like fries with that?”  I have read where some experts have stated that McDonald’s added an additional $20 million in profits just by asking that one simple question.

Is your company leaving potential profits on the table, just waiting to be scooped up, if your employees were trained in asking an additional, simple, not pushy, question … that could possibly entice your customer to spend more money? I believe there are thousands of companies today doing just that. It is your job to exploit every sales channel to its fullest potential; but you need to do so by thinking like your customers. How would they like to be served better? What else could they possibly need, that they may have forgotten? Sometimes just planting the seed (suggestion) can lead to additional sales.

What else do your customers need? How can you best serve them? As long as your “pick-up line” doesn’t alienate customers, you should take advantage of the current selling transaction; the “pick-up line” technique can add a considerable amount to your bottom line. I fly a lot, and in every Hudson Newsstand in the airports, they ask me if I want water, candy or gum when I am buying anything in there; they do it EVERY time. Southwest Airlines upsells better seating on planes so customers can get early boarding and be assured of overhead space for your bags. Waiters can ask if you want an appetizer, salad, or bread with your meal … and then after your meal ask if you want another glass of wine, coffee or dessert.

The retail marketing giant Amazon, says their cross-selling suggestions on their website accounts for 35% of its sales; they fully take advantage of every opportunity they can to sell more merchandise … ARE YOU? If you want to add additional profits to your bottom line, start perfecting your “pick-up lines”.

One thing is for certain … if you don’t ask for it, you certainly won’t get it.