Tips to Avoid Supply Chain Disruption

Toilet paper, anyone? The COVID-19 pandemic has created new — and amplified existing — supply chain management concerns. In times of crisis, a variety of supply chain disruptions are felt along every part of the chain. While some SCM challenges are unavoidable, businesses can take steps to be as prepared for future disruptions with these best practices — from running tabletop simulations, to creating resilient supply webs, to regionalizing supply chains.
 
Credit to : Eye on Tech

25 Information & Technology Related Business Ideas for 2019

25 Information & Technology Related Business Ideas for 2019. great list of business venture ideas.

How to Use Snapchat for Business in 2018

From Social Media Marketing World 2018, learn how to market on Snapchat for business in 2018 with all-new tools and features including Snapchat Ads, Snapchat Maps, Snapchat Analytics, and more.

This list of twenty-seven (27) web based services
provides something helpful for everyone.

1.  Mail Merge
A batch email service for Google Apps and Gmail users, Mail Merge lets users personalize
their messages with only one recipient name at a time in the address bar. If you need to
create an individualized email message, the Mail Merge app assists you to change the dates.
The service is easy to set up in spreadsheet format with the Mail Merge template in Google
Doc. The service works more efficiently with a list of no more than 100 email addresses for
each batch.
www.it4smallbusiness.co.uk/web-applications/google-mailmerge

2.  ContactMe
How many times have you been away from the office and wished you had information on a
contact or client? ContactMe is an online service to help small businesses strengthen
customer relationships through communication. First, ContactMe helps you get organized
so when you  need to contact a client, the information is close at hand. This innovative
business management
solution is feature-rich and will:

Ø  Organize your contact list into a data base

Ø  Merge and track your task list

Ø  Unite you and your clients/contacts placing a ContactMe button on your website/blog

Ø  Integrate your list of contacts with other services such as marketing via email

Ø  Use your iPhone to house data expediting contacts and client relationships

Ø  Send and store (by client) messages to yourself via post@contactme.com

Ø  Maintain your calendar

Ø  Produce data-driven reports regarding your website or blog

Ø  Integrate with WordPress, MailChimp, Facebook, Constant Contact, and wibiya

ContactMe offers three options – free, Form Plus, and Biz Pro. The free option is available
with a fourteen (14) day trial of Biz Pro.
http://www.contactme.com

3.  Spotlike
If staying connected to your Facebook account no matter where you are is paramount to
you,  Spotlike can help. Through this service you can print a QR code that will link to your
page on Facebook. Scanning your QR code with a smartphone (that reads QR scans) your
clients, contacts, friends, etc. are connected to your page on Facebook. With a click, they
can tell you if they like an ad, a new entrée on your menu, business promotions, etc. They
can then leave you feedback. To set up this connection, enter your Facebook URL and with
one click, Spotlike sends you a QR code to  print.  Registration not required.
www.spotlike.com

4.  RecursoMoviles
This web based service moves communication up a notch into the future using mobile short
message service (SMS) as a principal tool for marketing, communicating with customers, and
securing payments for services. RecursoMoviles is a boon for online businesses that need to
use every resource available to get the message out about their products and services. By
embedding marquee advertising on your website with an auto-feature that responds to inquiries
or special deals, your bottom line is rewarded. A unique feature of RecursoMoviles is the interface
to your email which significantly improves turn around to and from your company. Through this
email feature, it is easy to set up a poll, generate news buzz, answer questions, and post sales/
promotions adding another rung to your marketing ladder.

Once you put your pricing list into the RecursoMoviles service, your customers can pay you
via SMS. Your customers make their payment by charging the amount through their phone
bill. Your company receives their payment through Moneybookers, PayPal, or other sources
you’ve pre-arranged. Pricing conversion to other country’s currency base is part of the package.
Currently in Spanish and English.
www.recursosmoviles.com

5.  TextOrder
Created for restaurants, other businesses that take orders will also find this web based system
helpful.  TextOrder requires you to register for their reasonably priced service so you can get
a new phone number for every one of your business branches, enter your menu items and
prices, and get the word out via your ads that the new convenient text service is up and running.
To get things rolling, if you already have phone numbers on your clientele, you can send a mass
SMS announcement through the TextOrder browser-to phone call feature. TextOrder has a full
interface to manage the text service and your orders.
www.textorder.net/index.php

6.  HelloFax
Finally you can fax via the Net and from the comfort of your home and business. A time saver,
HelloFax is user friendly, allows you to fax any type of document to an email address or fax
number within the United States. , and allows you to use your mouse to sign (draw your
signature) online. Register on HelloFax, upload your document to fax, type in the fax numbers,
and your fax is on its way. HelloFax allows twenty (20) free faxes for each account.
www.hellofax.com

7.  Freedcamp
Similar to Base Camp, this web based app has one major difference. It’s free. Users can import
their Base Camp projects using the application programming interface (API) key. Freedcamp
does most of what Base Camp does – project messages and discussions, RSS feeds, tracking time,
milestones, and tasks, etc. Freedcamp interfaces with Meebo which allows online discussions
with team members. There is no limit on the number of users, projects, or files.
www.freedcamp.com

8.  PosterBee
PosterBee is a web based service that serves as your company’s virtual wall, opening lines of
communication between departments, employees, teams, etc. Private, the virtual wall, lets
your share through a bookmarklet website. Users can upload files, get a summary of posts to
the wall, share project status, check to see who has read posted material, etc. Emails can be
sent through stream@posterbee.com, and connecting with Twitter accounts by adding #pb
to tweets to be shared.
www.posterbee.com

9.  AnyMessages
A unique management approach for telephone messages, AnyMessages sends messages to
the right person before the message is lost in a stack of papers on someone’s desk. You open
one account on AnyMessages and it includes all your employees. When a message comes in,
simply log into AnyMessages, type in the message details and recipient’s name; a notification
is sent to the recipient’s email. The basic plan is free, but AnyMessages also has a paid option
which includes notifications via SMS, a handy feature for people on the road.
www.anymessagesforme.com

10.  Ringio

A telephone exchange app in the cloud, Ringio is designed for small businesses and includes
basic telephone exchange services, call ID, and call routing. Conveniently, client-specific
information can be viewed while you’re on the phone with them. The Ringio customer focused
service includes scripts for answering the telephone in a professional manner. It expands your
company’s CRM skills by listing on the screen the name of the caller, their priority status, who
in the company they last spoke to, and that employee’s availability.

For the service to be fully effective, it is important that employees disclose their contact list and
call history. A bonus is that Ringio also works on smartphones, making call redirects and deflects
easy, review of client notes, etc. easier to maintain.  It is available in Canada and the U. S. only.
Both toll free and local phone numbers can be established. Ringio syncs to Google CRM.  A thirty
day trial offer is currently available. Pricing options are based on the number of users: one to two
for $49 a month and four users for $99 a month. For more than ten accounts, there is mass pricing.
www.ringio.com

11.  MailerLite
Communicating with your customers/clients can be accomplished through newsletters, posts on
Facebook, tweets on Twitter, but studies show that the personal touch of email marketing is still
the best method. That’s where MailerLite comes in: a web based tool for marketing via email.
MailerLite provides you with the information and resources you need to formulate an effective
email campaign. There are no requirements to download software or create syncs to the Net to
get MailerLite working for you. The convenient drag-and-drop feature helps you to edit your
newsletters, adding images and changing text to make your style and colors stand out. Easy to
navigate, adding and deleting subscribers is a snap, and MailerLite lets you import your contact
list. The service eliminates duplicates and manages invalid addresses.

Sending 1,000 emails per minute, your marketing campaign through MailerLite includes tracking
and analyzing the data with comprehensive reports and charts. Here are a few data points Mailer
Lite collects: opened emails, bounced emails, unsubscribed info, and number of clicks. User fees.
www.mailerlite.com

12.  EmailServiceGuide
Living without email would be like living without chocolate. It can be done, but it’s not nearly as
much fun. Email provider plans all have similarities, but their pricing can be widely divergent.
The all-in-one packages through cable providers confuses the evaluation process further.
EmailServiceGuide gives you the opportunity to compare email plans in one place. The web
based service, has details from roughly 100 premium email hosts, so the freebies Yahoo,
Gmail, and Hotmail aren’t included in their database. Customized searches by topics like
IMAP or POP3 access, MB of storage needed, contract pricing, duration of plans, phone
support, and so forth are included in the comparison data.
www.emailserviceguide.com

13.  Apollo
Apollo focuses on web based companies, including media and design businesses where it is
important to have ready access to view project status. Most clients won’t pay for the designs
until they have viewed and approved the final. With Apollo, feedback can be given directly
online for the project, image, document, and design created. Formats supported on Apollo
include PDF, PNG, JPEG, and GIF. Registration is required and then you can begin to upload
files. You send invitations to view the file and wait for feedback. Much like tracking notes in
Word, annotations to a specific part of the file can be added through Apollo.
www.useapollo.com

14.  AddressBookOnline
An online way to help you organize your contacts addresses, AddressBookOnline is a web
based service that’s simple and easy to set up and use. Alphabetized automatically, entries
can be further divided into the categories you choose. Notes can be added to contacts. An
unlimited number of  addresses can be put in the system. Unlimited AddressBookOnline
offers additional services such  as a calendar, task lists, and a journal for personal use. But
they forgot to include features that would have made things much easier for busy people –
import and export of addresses.
www.addressbookonline.com

15.  Yugma
Improving productivity and eliminating delays, Yugma included in their web based service
a number of useful features such as hosting virtual meetings with collaborative input from
participants, desktop sharing, conference calls, instant messaging, and both private and
public chat during a conference. Yugma is compatible with Linux, Windows, and Mac,
includes exclusive session identification for security and a bandwidth meter. To improve
access, users can embed the Yugma widget on their websites.  Unlimited web conferences
are free for twenty (20) or less participants.
www.yugma.com

16.  SlideShare
An adjunct to teaching or training online, the web based SlideShare lets users share PowerPoint
slides online. PowerPoint and OpenOffice Impress presentations that users created – odp, pps,
ppt, pdf – can be uploaded and shared with both private and public audiences. The presentation
cannot be over 100 MB. Collaboration on co-opted conference classes can be coordinated through
SlideShare, updating and revising the presentations for the next meeting. Viewers of the slides can
embed them on websites, add them to LinkedIn profiles, and download them to their computers.
Users who need a creative idea can browse through the huge database on SlideShare – health,
career, finance, fashion, technology,  business, etc.
www.slideshare.net

17.  Co-op
A simplified form of networking for small businesses, Co-op, a web based service lets users
post project  updates and meetings, see who’s working on what, list relevant links, and track
efficiency through time management. A task list of sorts on the Co-op side bar shows what
was completed previously and what needs to be done currently to stay on target. A quick
and easy way for team members to stay informed.
www.coopapp.com

18.  Yammer
A 2008 TechCrunch50 winner, Yammer is a micro-blogging tool for businesses. A place where
employees can talk among themselves to let others know what project/team/assignment they’re
on. Appreciated is the fact that it allows messages to be sent and responded to on both desktop
and BlackBerry phones. Yammer  helps to de-clutter email and provides a succinct way to get
ideas, updates, links, and information in general out, and opens avenues for discussion. A
directory -based search for specific people in included.
www.yammer.com

19.  Calliflower
Another service for coordinating conference calls, Calliflower is easy to use. This web based
service assists with invitations and reminders for the conference call and agendas for the
online meeting. Conference call meeting chats are recorded and archived on Mp3 files for
access at a later date.  Calliflower uses numerous options for the calls including VoIP, Phone,
Truephone, and Skype along with convenient integration to your calendar.
www.calliflower.com

20.  Zapproved
Created to improve communication among team members and decision makers, Zapproved is
an online service which gives creates a forum to assist groups make decisions about projects
and proposals. Emails sent in HTML format carry your ideas to your colleagues, team members,
etc. so they can give you feedback, even vote if you set up a poll. The recipients of your emails
don’t have to join Zapproved to participate. A collated report of who responded and their yeas
or nays is sent to the sender of the original email, and the email and responses are archived at
Zapproved.
www.zapproved.com

21.  MBAvid
You sent out the proposal and you got the job, but now you realize you need to brush up on
a few things you learned in your business degree program. With your finances fading fast and
time not on your side, MBAvid is the perfect answer to get you back up to speed. A web based
resource, MBAvid is packed with video lectures you can watch in the privacy of your home or
office. The videos are lectures by successful leaders in the business world such as Guy
Kawasaki, Milton Friedman, and Carly Fiorina. University professors knowledgeable in the field
of business are also some of the speakers. The videos have been downloaded from YouTube and
then uploaded by MBAvid members. Once you’re on the site, you can quickly browse the categories,
e.g. entrepreneur, negotiation, finance, strategy, sales. Popular videos are listed for convenience
as well as the most recent videos added to the site. Keywords are another option for browsing the
files.  Free to join and learn.
www.mbavid.com

22.  Ning
If you have a desire to quite posting on very visible social networks and really want to build
your own social network for people who like what you like and read and watch what you do,
now you can have just that without getting an IT degree. Through Ning, a web based service,
your social network can be a reality in short order. Ning lets you map your new network to
your domain name for $4.95 a month. It requires some extra time to do it, but it’s not hard.
Through Ning you can browse popular networks and join other networks similar to your own.
www.ning.com

23.  Slidelive
Another web based tool for online conferences and sharing of PowerPoint presentations,
Slidelive, lets users upload their presentations so people they invite can see them online.
This aids the collaborative process and increases productivity with real-time feedback.
Presentations can be scheduled and managed through Slidelive. An excellent tool for
reaching audiences that are distant from you, your presentation can be viewed in real
time by 100 people. Slidelive lets users upload and store up to five (5) PowerPoint files,
which can be shared privately with others. Participants who attend your presentations
can download the PowerPoint presentation to use within their organization. It’s a great
way to communicate with peers and attend a workshop too far away to make in person.
www.slidelive.com

24.  CircleUp
Scheduling a meeting or getting a consensus opinion with more than one other person can
be maddening. CircleUp, a web based tool for gathering information from the people you
need answers from, will take care of it. After you register on the CircleUp site, you create
your profile. For the people you’re sending the emails to, you create a question (or more)
and give CircleUp the answers you will accept e.g. yes, no, like, don’t like. Then you tell
them who (the Circle) to send the emails to. You can define your contact lists ahead of
time, grouping names such as a committee, club, cheerleading group, customers,
employees, etc. Fortunately, CircleUp lets users import contact lists from Hotmail,
Yahoo, Plaxo, Outlook, AOL Mail, Gmail, and others. Your other option is choosing
the names individually for a specific email.

The recipients of the email can receive them with your link of choice for their responses
– email, IM client, SMS, etc. You can view them on the CircleUp website as they come in.
When everyone’s responses are in, CircleUp compiles them.  The results can be sent to
everyone or kept private. The compilation can be exported to a spreadsheet, converted
to a PDF file, or printed. Other benefits of the CircleUp service include asking questions
from your accounts on Outlook, NetVibes, iGoogle, and many more.
www.circleup.com

25.  SmartSheet
A multi-user answer to adding information to a spreadsheet, SmartSheet gives users the
ability to design and contribute to a spreadsheet from multiple sources. Compatible with
Microsoft Excel, collaboration on spreadsheets has never been easier. The user friendly
interface creates spreadsheets, makes assignments of responsibility with timelines for
completing sections of the spreadsheets, and allows real-time work online between
contributors. The dashboard allows several spreadsheets to be viewed simultaneously.
Through SmartSheet memos can be sent and auto alerts established. Feature-rich
reporting tools are included. The free SmartSheet option allows five (5) spreadsheets to
be created with no limit on the number of participants. Storage up to 10MB along with
document templates to get users jump-started, and SSL encryption are part of the free
packages.
www.smartsheet.com

26.  HighRise
Not only does HighRise assist small business owners mange their customer contacts, it
also provides management solutions for other contacts to include employees, partners,
vendors, etc. One of the benefits of this user-friendly web based service app is that the
user can put additional information into the contact file. Besides the standard name,
address, and phone numbers, the file could include pertinent information about the
likes and dislike of the contact, history of purchases, meetings with decisions made,
attached emails, etc. Coordinating specific tasks and projects can be organized through
HighRise via an email – who has what task, due dates, etc. Task reminders are sent from
HighRise to emails or SMS. A bonus feature is the integration of HighRise to Base Camp.
Free package includes up to 250 contacts and two collaborators. Premium packages are
available.
www.highrisehq.com

27.  Jaxr
Jaxtr takes communication to a convenient level with its Call Me Button that users add
to their website, blog, or web-profile on Facebook, YouTube, Blogspot, ebay, LinkedIn,
and more. Once the button is in place, users can get international phone calls for free
from people visiting their websites/blog/web-profile expediting sales, proposal results,
and feedback. Jaxtr will connect to your desktop or mobile phones. Including the button
on your site does not make your phone number public. Calls can be left in voicemails as
well.
www.jaxtr.com

Using the right portable system for your needs
If you work at a desk with a desktop PC then the idea of
working from home would seem almost impossible, but
a portable system that you can carry around with you
in the form of a laptop or notebook makes this more of
an option. Tablets like the iPad could also be considered
when trying to become more flexible around your
location. As long as you can find the right equipment
that suits the job you do there should be no reason why
you cannot work at home.

A working and trusted internet connection
It goes without saying that you will need an internet connection that is both secure and reliable.
Whilst at work, if the network goes down then everyone in the building will be affected and your
company will account for this responsibility but if you are using your own internet connection
then it will be assumed that you have a fast enough internet speed so that your performance is
not impaired.

Backing up your work
USB sticks are a great way to back up your work and keep your data secured in the event that
your PC crashes beyond repair. It can be frustrating having to back up your work all the time
but it will give you peace of mind so that should you need to access you work without your PC
you can still get hold of your files.

Creating a working ‘virtual’ office environment
Working from home gives increased flexibility to the workforce and can save money for a
business that is used to powering an office for many employees. The benefits do not have to
end there, however. An entirely virtual ‘office’ whereby meetings can be held online and all
paperwork is documented and shared online is now a possibility and means that people can
work together from all over the world in almost any location.

Keep your system updated constantly
Re-booting your PC and installing software updates can be hugely time-consuming,
particularly for a business whose services are time-sensitive. If you are setting up a mobile
office then keeping your system updated on a regular basis will help you avoid these lengthy
re-boots. Anti-virus software is imperative if you are going to keep your information and
data secured so make sure you invest in a worthwhile product. Whether you are a  mobile
or office-based business, anti-virus software is an absolute must.

Travelling wisely
There are little extras you might want to consider if you are working from remote offsite
locations on a regular basis, especially if you cannot guarantee the power source you have
access to. If you need a portable printer or an alternative battery then spend the money
getting hold of one. It is good to know that these extras are there as and when you need
them. If there is a power surge then take a power cord with you. It is possible to work out
of a laptop case providing you pack wisely for your travels.

Sharing ideas, advice, and accomplishments is an
important part of business. Systems should be in place
from a company’s infancy, and modified along the
way for improvements.

Whether the communication is digital or interpersonal, it’s vital that
employees feel comfortable sharing their progress and their problems.
By encouraging conversation, employees are more successful and avoid
more mistakes. Here are a few ways you can improve communication in your office.

1. Instant Messaging Services

Image via Flickr by Tim Patterson

Services like Skype and Google Chat can serve as excellent ways to communicate privately
with one particular employee or with the entire staff. Important goals or issues are discussed in
a quick and informal approach. It can also offer some daily light-hearted humor,
shout-outs for achievements, and support for struggles.

When employees send instant messages, they need to carefully choose their wording
because tone of voice is hard to detect. Although IM is less formal and certainly
more immediate than e-mail, some of the same rules still apply.

2. Office Extracurricular Activities

Sometimes, you just need to get out of the office. Planning monthly or quarterly social functions
like bowling parties or barbeques allow for bonding which extends into the workplace.
Once people feel comfortable and friendly with one another outside of the office,
they’ll be more interested in collaborating with one another during the workweek.

3. Online Project Management Software

Online project management software acts as the central place/forum where all activity
around a company project occurs. With unique logins, profiles, and dashboards, users
are equipped with a system that allows them to work independently toward a common goal.

This software is especially important for communication in tech-related companies and/
or with the tech teams within a company. Managers, team leads, and equal team members
can give active feedback on changes made to a project. Since managers can quickly
and easily access their employees’ latest progress, teams work under effective performance management.

4. Open Door Policy

Image via Flickr br Aleksander Ratkovik

Open door policies allow employees to keep healthy relations with upper-management.
Not only does it make for improved comfort levels, it also sends a signal of equality.
By showing this level of respect for your employees, you’re trusting that they’ll feel
more inclined to approach you when they need feedback. Studies have shown that this
simple change alone can make a great impact on office communication.

5. Impactful and Informational E-mail Practices

Keeping your employees on the same page is easiest done with e-mails.
Although interpersonal meetings should be held frequently, e-mails can serve
as the quickest way to update, motivate, and celebrate the office staff. Monthly
newsletters sent through e-mail can announce bigger news like huge successes
and company changes, where daily e-mails may just give a particular employee
a pat on the back or remind the staff of a specific policy.

Some e-mails should encourage active participation. Asking serious business related
questions would likely engage introverted employees to speak up with their awesome ideas.
You can even give your employees some daily momentum during tough times with a motivational e-mail too.

Sharing information and ideas can be done in a number of ways. It’s important that you begin
testing out some communication methods to see what works best for your office environment.
What types of effective communication have you seen in your past and present workplaces?

Author Bio:
Abigail Clark is an upcoming freelance writer. She graduated from The University of South Florida
with a bachelors in marketing, minoring in journalism. When she isn’t up to her neck in coupons
she is enjoying the outdoors fishing. She loves doing reviews for technology, home products
and beauty products. If you would like her to do a review for you look her up on twitter @downtownabby17.

With more and more employees becoming more tech savvy and looking to use their personal
mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets in the office, businesses need to manage
the use of the devices in a secure environment, this Video outlines how
a new device manager from Vodafone can assist IT managers in this new and important
area know as BYOD or “Bring your own device” overcome  a new challenge facing IT
Managers.

We have assembled a list of tools every
Business owner should have.

Here they are in no particular Order:

TeamLab
Build teams and assign tasks. Schedule project milestones,
track project activity and generate reports. Create posts in blogs
and forums, view employee details. Share photos,
bookmarks and Wiki pages. Create, edit, save
and share documents directly on your portal.

Import docs base from Google Docs, Zoho, Box.net. Integrate
documents into your project module. Organize your personal and
corporate work schedule. Set meetings, arrange briefings,
coordinate team activities. Track past, current and future events.

Manage your customer relations directly on your portal. Use the multi-functional
system to build efficient clients interaction. Manage projects from Android
or iOS mobile phone. Track and join team activities on the move.
Access documents and make notes regardless of location.
Send, receive and organize email messages right on your portal.
Filter messages according to your own tags.

LessAccounting
Send online invoices to any of your contacts, and track payments when you receive them. You can also set up invoices to reoccur whenever you need, and you can even accept payments for invoices via Paypal. You can customize your invoices with our powerful template engine as well. Start with one of our templates, and edit them to create custom business proposals. Create custom reports and filter them by date, client, tags, and more. You can also keep track of your accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll with our reports. We integrate with thousands of domestic US banks and a few hundred international bank. We also have a Quickbooks importer and the ability to upload QIF and QFX files. Our support staff will import and setup your books for free, just ask!

Piwik
is a downloadable, Free/Libre (GPLv3 licensed) real time web analytics software program. It provides you with detailed reports on your website visitors: the search engines and keywords they used, the language they speak, your popular pages… and so much more.
Piwik aims to be a Free software alternative to Google Analytics, and is already used on more than 320,000 websites. Piwik is a PHP MySQL software program that you download and install on your own webserver. At the end of the five minute installation process you will be given a JavaScript code. Simply copy and paste this tag on websites you wish to track (or use an existing plugin to do it automatically for you) and access your analytics reports in real time.

Social Mention
Social Mention is a social media search and analysis platform that aggregates user generated content from across the universe into a single stream of information. It allows you to easily track and measure what people are saying about you, your company, a new product, or any topic across the web’s social media landscape in real-time. Social Mention monitors 100+ social media properties directly including: Twitter, Facebook, FriendFeed, YouTube, Digg, Google etc

LandslideCRM
Is a fully-featured CRM system designed both for small and large businesses.
It offers account & contact management, activity & tasks management and can be easily accessed from any device that supports Internet connectivity. There’s a number of additional options worth saying about. You are able to develop forecasts and reports, share documents and presentations, and organize live meetings powered by GoToMeeting web conferencing technology. The system also has a few add-ons that include Salesforce, Quickbooks, Gmail plug-ins and many more. The listed set of functionality is quite enough to satisfy requirements of average user.

We hope you find these resources of use in your business.

Thanks the TIB Team