Tips and Thoughts

All businesses these days use technology. Technology is a massive part of our world and it is something which we use every single day in our professional and personal lives. When it comes to managing a business, technology can be the key and it can help us grow and shine. 

This is why today we are looking at how technology can help you grow your small business and which technologies you can bring to your small business today. 

CRM 

If you have a business which is largely centerd around clients, it can be a good idea for you to use a CRM system to keep them all in check. This will organize and store data to ensure you always know who your customers are. 

Email and Office Applications

Office 365 is a must for basically any business because within it you will get access to outlook email, word, excel and a whole range of Microsoft office applications. 

Customer service 

Online, it can be helpful for a small business to have an area where people can share their concerns and get answers to any questions they might have. With Zendesk, customers will be able to ask and get answers without you being on the other end of the line so it saves time and money. 

Web Conferencing

If you are working for a business which has more than one office location, you could benefit from some web conferencing software to really make a difference to your team. You’ll be able to use something like GoToMeeting to provide you with the ability to talk to each other as well as conference with customers. 

Webinar 

Cisco WebEx is a helpful tool for any business who wants to provide webinars for any reason. Whether you want to use a webinar as a way of selling an online training course or provide in house training for your employees, this is a handy thing to have for your company.

Analytics

If you have a website, you need to open a Google Analytics account right now and connect it up. This is something which can really make a difference for you as a small brand because you can see what pages are popular and think about who your audience actually is. It will share information such as gender, location and even hobbies so that you can get to know your target audience better. 

Mobile Apps

If you are looking for ways to get one step ahead of the competition, mobile apps can be a great choice for you. A mobile app will allow you to connect with your audience in a more tangible way as they will have access to your brand in their pocket all the time. It can be a really great way for you to connect and make an impression on the people you want to sell to. 

CMS 

A CMS system is a platform such as WordPress where you can share your brand and content with the public and make changes along the way. A website is a great tool for your marketing as a business because it involves a lot of information about you and it allows people to come and learn who you are and what you can offer them. A CMs can be the ideal way for you to connect with your audience and provide them with great content and products too. 

Social media 

Social media applications are free and they are tools which we all need to use as a business. Social media is a vast spectrum and it will allow you to get into contact with almost anyone in the world and show them your brand. It is a wonderful way for you to make an impression and connect with your audience on a more personal level. 

Video software 

It is always a good idea as a small business for you to make videos as well as sharing images and text. Videos have a higher engagement rate and it is something which you can use to make the best possible impression with your audience. A great video can gain you a lot of exposure which is exactly what you need. 

Email tools 

If you are a business who likes to send out newsletters and offers to your audience, it is a great idea for you to use handy email tools such as MailChimp to create great looking emails and reach your audience. A good email is a great way to connect and gain some engagement from your audience every day. 

Do you have the opportunity to travel for long periods of time? If you aren’t working at the moment, if your partner works while you look after the children, perhaps you are able to work remotely, or maybe you have a load of holidays which you can take together or work in education and have the whole summer off? Whatever your situation is if you’re looking to go away for a month or even longer, then look no further. There is a vast choice of places you could go to but here are the best options for long term travel:

Australia

While this is certainly not the cheapest place to go for a long time, it is, however, one of the best countries in the world and with it being so big you need at least four weeks to get a full experience, and you would still want to go back for more. You could even go and work while you’re there on a working holiday visa which gives you up to two years in the country (if you need that long) and you can work for a little bit while you’re over there. This is more appealing if you’re traveling for a few months as with just a few weeks there’s so much to see and do that there’ll be no time for work. Australia is enormous, so you could even take small holidays in a number of different places, go to Sydney, Byron Bay, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth and the Gold Coast to name a few.

New Zealand

New Zealand is another big country which is also often voted as one of the top countries in the world, and millions of tourists visit each year. It is somewhere that people like to travel around much like Australia because the scenery is so beautiful. You could hire or even buy a van to travel around for a month or so, or if you do choose to stay in one place then Auckland, Queenstown, Wanaka, and Wellington are a popular choice for this.

USA

Again, because of its size, you could easily spend a month if not longer exploring the United States of America. Whether it’s Vegas, Florida, Washington, Seattle, New York, and San Francisco. Each area is entirely different, and you’ll have a new experience in each one. You’ll even have different weather in different regions so to truly experience this country allow plenty of time and be prepared to really travel. Again, you can stay long term in one place if you choose to, with the luxury of Airbnb you can rent homes for long term if you want and live the life as a New Yorker for a month.

Canada

Sticking with the large countries, Canada is another one which is hard to experience in a short space of time fully so however long you have to make sure you make the most of it. If you wanted to stay for a couple of years, then you can do that too on a working holiday visa. There’s plenty of seasonal jobs you can pick up, for example, you can work in the ski slopes during the winter and harvest fruit during the summer, and there’s Vancouver, Toronto, Quebec City and Montreal to choose from to name a few.

South East Asia

It’s too hard to pick one country in Southeast Asia; the whole region is fantastic and worth a long trip. From Thailand and Malaysia to Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and even the Philippines. You will be spoilt for choice. Find yourself a studio apartment for rent monthly and live your best life!

Colombia

No longer a violent, corrupt, and unsafe country to be in, Columbia not only offers beautiful warm weather but it also offers diverse scenery and tropical beaches. You can easily spend a month or more in Columbia exploring the sites and visiting areas such as Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena, Santa Marta, and Cali.

India

Many people travel around India to really soak up the atmosphere and learn about the country. You can stay for a long time because the cost of living is cheap and culture is different to anywhere else and worth sticking around to experience. You could chill out in Goa or Kerala or live life in the chaotic and noisy places like Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, and New Delhi.

Sri Lanka

Now we’re onto a far smaller country, but it is by no means a lesser one. With its relaxed lifestyle, it is the ideal place to stay long term. You could spend your days chilling in a beach bungalow for little cost and truly kick back and de-stress. In fact, it would be the perfect place to come after you’ve been somewhere hectic. Look into Kandy and Colombo or even go to both.

Dubai

Another smaller place as this is just one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. It has become hugely popular over recent years due to its luxury lifestyle and year-round sunshine. However, this is definitely not a cheap one. However, there are good options for long term rentals, and you can stay for 30 days on a visit visa.

South Africa

With one of the world’s top cities in Cape Town, safari destinations, beautiful beaches, and vineyards. How could you not stay for longer in South Africa? It’s relatively inexpensive right now as well; there’s plenty of things to do, plenty of history and tourist attractions and you can travel around to visit Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria, and Port Elizabeth.

Netherlands

Fancy a month or so living like a local in one of the best countries in Europe? You could buy some bicycles for cheap and cycle every day, enjoy the nightlife and if you need to work there are plenty of cafes to sit outside. You could have a fantastic summer here or at any time of the year. The people are warm and friendly, and you might even want to end up moving there.

There are few things more wonderful than getting the chance to travel. It lets you experience places that you might never otherwise see, it helps to broaden your mind and allows you to connect with other cultures, and it gives you the chance to get away from all of the stress and chaos of your daily life, even if it is just for a little while. However, for a lot of people, it can get to the point where they kind of feel like they’ve seen it all and that travelling has lost a little bit of its charm. One of the most common reasons that this happens is because people end up going to the same few obvious places over and over again. In order to refresh your love of travel a little bit, here are some underrated destinations that you might want to try instead.

Poland

When people are looking for vacation destinations, Eastern Europe generally isn’t the first place they look. It’s a part of the world that has something of a reputation for being kind of grey and miserable. However, this is a stereotype that is pretty heavily unfounded. Sure, places like Poland have their harsh urban areas but so does every developed country. The truth is that Poland is filled with places that feel like something straight out of a fairy tale. Places like the Painted Village in Zalipie can leave pretty much anyone feeling utterly breathless.

Indonesia

If you want to experience the true meaning of the phrase “melting pot” then Jakarta, the huge capital city of Indonesia is the perfect place to go. With a mix of cultures from all of the world, it’s a place that really is like no other. Not only that but the beaches of Indonesia are some of the most beautiful in the world with plenty of places for some amazing snorkelling. And the best part that it’s one of the best value destinations in Asia. In fact, it’s so good value that, with companies like Rumah Dijual di Jakarta, plenty of people have found themselves setting up permanent residency there. Sure, that might be a little extreme, but it gives you a good idea of just how amazing Indonesia is.   

Scotland

When you hear people talk about Scotland, it’s usually to make some joke about how miserable, cold, and rainy it is is all year round. And sure, you’re not going to get Mediterranean heat if you head up into the highlands. But what you will see in return are some of the most gorgeous natural landscapes in the world. Cities like Edinburgh offer the remarkable experience of being able to stand in one spot with a city on one side, a castle on the next, a mountain range on the next, and the open ocean on the other. That’s something you can’t find in many other places in the world.

Vietnam

Because of the unfortunate way that a lot of media in the 20th Century has painted it, a lot of people assume that Vietnam is nothing but violent jungle with nothing to recommend it. And sure, there is plenty of untamed nature in Vietnam but that’s part of the appeal. If you’re looking for a trip that lets you really get back to nature while also immersing yourself in the culture of another country, Vietnam is one of the best choices. Not to mention the incredible food that is available just about everywhere.

Germany

Germany is another place that has suffered from an unfortunate reputation because of its history. That cultural stereotype of a Germany’s ruthless efficiency means that it’s incredibly easy to assume that it’s going to be an uncomfortable and unwelcoming place. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. From the incredibly welcoming local people to the little towns straight out of a storybook, Germany is the kind of destination that it’s impossible not to fall in love with.

Of course, this is no attempt to discourage anyone from visiting any of the more well known and popular travel destinations. After all, places like Paris and New York are popular for a pretty good reason. However, if you only visit these places it’s easy to feel like you’ve seen everything there is to see. The truth is that the world is so big and so diverse that it would be impossible for you to see everything that it has to offer. No matter what, there are always amazing things out there to see, you just have to be willing to look for them.