A Year in Review: What Survived the Cutting Room Floor
The crisp air, the feel of a roaring fire and the internal disappointment of our gluttonous decisions — it certainly is the most wonderful time of the year. Before we shimmy out of our elastic waistbands and slip into something a little more NYE appropriate, let’s take a brief look back at what this year brought us, shall we?
While we could discuss the ins and outs of Brexit, the United States election and Oracle buying Netsuite for $9.3 billion, let’s focus on something a little more… meaningful.
As the Marketing Manager for Business-Software.com, I am inundated with blog ideas, outlines on napkins and drafts galore from my darling little team. Most ideas are left somewhere on the cutting room floor (ie: my cubicle, not the place in Hollywood) but occasionally I find a golden nugget or two in the midst of all the scribbled pages and broken dreams.*
I’m not a betting man, but if I were, I’d say you’re likely slouched in your office chair, muttering under your breath about being in the office on December 28th while your boss is somewhere tropical, looking for a little something that will pass the time. Well my friend, without further adieu — I give you my favorite Business-Software.com blogs from 2016 (in no particular order.)
*No actual dreams were crushed in the making of the Business-Software.com blog
6 Ways to Help Millennials Thrive in the Workplace
Millennials are a different breed of employees. We’re social media savants, eager adopters of new technologies and the first generation with access to an infinite wealth of knowledge online. We’ve spent most of our educational years pitted against thousands of others our age, and many of the 75 million of us are now competing with one another for jobs, affordable housing and even partners. We also, unfortunately, have a bad rap for being self-involved, lazy and entitled. [continue reading…]
How to Convert Your New Hire into Your Star Performer [INFOGRAPHIC]
Each time you hire an employee, your business gains another opportunity to develop the next superstar who will go above and beyond with their duties, complete all assignments fully and efficiently and even boost company morale. Yet that potential hinges on whether your organization employs the proper tools to help train, nurture and engage your new employee. [continue reading…]
Top 3 Female Founded Tech Startups
Women’s empowerment continues to be one of today’s most talked about subjects. It’s hard to watch the news, visit social media or even read an article without hearing about the topic. But it’s about time that women got the spotlight. With the workforce in industries like business and technology still predominantly male, the push for more women to join the ranks has been an uphill battle. [continue reading…]
The #1 Productivity Hack (As Told By Dogs)
I was never a morning person, nor did I understand how people can function before the sun rises in the morning. In my eyes, 4:30 am was still the middle of the night — and therefore should be spent eyes closed in a warm bed. It wasn’t until coming to Business-Software.com that I had to make the difficult and life-altering choice between coming into the office early, or sitting in nearly two hours of traffic during my forty-five minute commute. I knew it would be challenging and I was fairly certain I wouldn’t ever be able to describe myself as a morning person — but a year and a half later, I have to say I was wrong.
3 Current and Future Advertising Trends Changing the Game
Once upon a time, advertisements lived on billboards along the highway, local newspapers, and as TV commercials for Saturday morning cartoons. The world is becoming more and more digitized. Consumers are using their DVRS to skip over commercials, and platforms, like Youtube let you skip ads after five seconds. Marketers are being challenged to adapt to the changing times and come up with inventive, creative and effective ways to get their brand’s messages across. [continue reading…]
At-A-Glance Guide to Inbound V. Outbound Marketing [INFOGRAPHIC]
Once upon a time, outbound marketing was all anyone thought they needed in order to attract the attention their business required to thrive. However, the arena marketers have to compete in changes with time, and so to must the marketers. Outbound tactics are by no means outdated, and many businesses are still successful because of them, but relying solely on outbound marketing methods just won’t cut it anymore. [continue reading…]
Birth of a B&B: My Mom vs Hospitality Software [THREE PART SERIES]
My mom retired a little over a year ago, an event that most would assume to be the beginning of a well-earned and readily-welcomed period of rest and relaxation. But most don’t know my mother.
PART ONE
When my brother left for college, I was already four years outside of the family home, and my mom, in the pursuit of finding something new to do (and to take up space no longer shared with teenagers) dabbled in a multitude of hobbies. There was the Thanksgiving where I came home to piles of crocheted rugs made from GoodWill bedsheets, the spring where the spare bedrooms were assigned themes and matching color pallets and my personal favorite, the summer of terrariums. Dozens of terrariums. Literally multiple dozens of terrariums. [continue reading…]
PART TWO
It might seem unnecessary to mention how important finances are to the success of a business, but discovering and utilizing smart and efficient ways to stay on top of your bank account are invaluable. As someone who easily gets confused and frustrated when asked to deal with anything a.) math-adjacent and b.) important, I appreciate software that will take care of the scary money-related parts of my life. [continue reading…]
PART THREE
This being the conclusive chapter of the series means I’m almost done talking, but it doesn’t mean these topics are any less important. Social integration and front desk systems are ways to interact with your customers, both current and potential. Achieving ‘hidden gem’ status is great, but if you’re so hidden that you are the only one who can find your B&B, being a ‘gem’ won’t make a difference. Marketing is a big undertaking, and it’s understandably daunting for anyone whose life hasn’t really revolved around attracting the attention of strangers. On top of that, what do you do with that attention once you have it? [continue reading…]
So there you have it, my favorite blogs from 2016. I’m happy to share that we have spent a considerable amount of time developing an assortment of new blog ideas for 2017. We’re seeking to bring you even more informative, relevant and engaging content in the near future. A number of our beloved series will be returning, while some will sail off in the sunset to make room for bigger and better ideas. Stay tuned to the Business-Software.com blog, I think you’re going to love what’s coming!
[Photo courtesy of Pietro Jeng/Pexels]
