How your business can use the GDPR to win and...

What is more important? GDPR or the release of Solo, the new Star Wars film? The 25th May is when the film is released and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect. We need to use this opportunity to win and/or regain trust from your customers when it comes to personal data and privacy!

How your business can use the GDPR to win and...

When the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect on May 25th, 2018, it will give you an opportunity to win and/or regain trust from your customers when it comes to personal data and privacy. The latter was something very important to the legendary founder of Apple. Back in 2010, at the All Things […] The post How your business can use the GDPR to win and regain trust appeared first on Sage Advice US .

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How to jump on the powerful mobile payments...

Here’s a round up of companies test-driving new advancements in mobile payments and what some of these developments could mean for small and medium-sized enterprises.

How to jump on the powerful mobile payments...

The race continues globally between big businesses to partner up with tech firms to introduce a new ripple in the wave of payments technology. Here’s a round up of companies test-driving new advancements in mobile payments and what some of these developments could mean for small and medium-sized enterprises. 1. Mobile payments for subway rides […] The post How to jump on the powerful mobile payments tech revolution appeared first on Sage Advice UK .

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How becoming a People Company will make a good...

I wonder whether your company thinks of itself as a 'People Company'. Does your business claim to place a high priority on the human element within the organisation? "Some businesses might like to think so. In fact, 55% of senior executives thought that they were a 'People Company' when we asked them. In other words, a company that puts their people first. Yet, staggeringly, only 29% of employees agreed." This is food for thought, no matter for which business you work.

How becoming a People Company will make a good...

Is your business a People Company and how much do you value your employees? Do you put people first in your organisation, over everything else? Some businesses might like to think so. In fact, 55% of senior executives thought that they were a “People Company” when we asked them. In other words, a company that puts their […] The post How becoming a People Company will make a good business great appeared first on Sage Advice UK .

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Why it is important to share your hobby at...

According to John Garrett, it is important for people to share their hobby at work because then, "we are able to understand the person that’s there". When we share our passions and our interests we create a hinterland for ourselves in which allows colleagues to understand each other in a more than simplistic way and "that’s where trust and bonding and engagement happen. When times are good, your connections become stronger. When you go through tough times or in the accounting world busy season, then the lows aren’t as low because you have these stronger bonds amongst everybody because you know each other."

Why it is important to share your hobby at...

John is a nationally recognized corporate comedian and emcee who draws on his condition as being a recovering big four CPA to deliver messages that hit home with corporate audiences. John’s customized performances and observations of everyday corporate America help teams break down barriers, foster unity, and strengthen bonds. With over 1800 performances, he consistently […] The post Why it is important to share your hobby at work, Q/A with John Garrett appeared first on Sage Advice US .

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How technology can keep passion for your...

"It appears that the business owners who continue to be happy with their work are the ones who change and adapt. The report found that almost all (94%) tech-savvy businesses enjoy their work — but this falls by 31% when compared with businesses that continue to utilise traditional methods and practices." I think that this is an expression of whether the entrepreneur or founder of a business is truly working 'on the business' or whether they are merely 'working in' the business. The essential difference is whether, on one hand, you are engaged in tasks that are causing you think about continual process improvement and are active in the search for business advantage or on the other hand simply spending all your energy on doing the daily grind. I think I was most happy when running my business when I had the time to be reflective and to deeply think about how things could be improved. I am not at all sure that it is just down the 'technology'.

How technology can keep passion for your...

By using this site you agree to the use of cookies for analytics, personalized content and ads. Find out more Subscribe to the Sage Advice newsletter, and receive our latest advice direct to your inbox. Growth & CustomersMoney MattersPeople & LeadershipStrategy, Legal & OperationsTechnology & InnovationTrends & InsightsFree guides & templatesGlossary Sage.com People start their own business in pursuit of a personal interest or passion - or so suggests IDC's Tech‐Savvy Businesses Do It Better white paper, produced in association with Sage, which shows that half of small businesses (53%) are founded this way. However, a closer look at the data tells an interesting story. It appears that the business owners who continue to be happy...Read More

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3 strategies to break silos and accelerate...

Working out where a business has created disconnected data silos is part of the discovery process that will identify the key factors in getting a return on investment in a new system. This process will differ from client to client: some organisations know they need to produce a clear case for investment. So they validate their thinking using external expertise in product & project knowledge. Discovery is all about listening to challenges & business timelines. It is important a business can come to understand exactly how their organisation operates. What are the processes that happen every day, week, month, quarter & year? Identifying duplicate processes, data entry, multiple reports, and more will root out the data silos. By establishing those you can come to a better understanding of the VALUE that a company can expect to accrue from embarking on a business management solution project.

3 strategies to break silos and accelerate...

Silos are a response to the demands of business growth; they develop identity, expertise, and accountability within a corporate context. So why do 42% of C-level executives at larger businesses prioritize getting rid of them? And why do the vast majority of executives who rely on silos say they have a negative effect? The modern truth is […] The post 3 strategies to break silos and accelerate business growth appeared first on Sage Advice US .

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Ambition in Action: Putting yours to work...

It can be hard to grow your business, especially when you have business admin to deal with and other challenges that can get in the way. Such as finding funding for your firm. Finding new clients and customers to sell your products and services to. And navigating how to expand your business to new markets and countries. Don’t let that hold you back. #businessambition

Ambition in Action: Putting yours to work...

Have you got the desire to build your business and see it grow beyond your wildest dreams? Do you want to excite your customers with your products and services? Do you want to help people and make a difference with what your business can offer them? Then you have business ambition. But it can be […] The post Ambition in Action: Putting yours to work building your business appeared first on Sage Advice UK .

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The 4 Keys To Boosting Your Customer Retention...

From 1996 to 2001 I had my own company. It was a great experience building a team of 5 employees and eventually gaining a turnover of just shy of £320,000. It was a treadmill trying to attract new customers and represented the most costly part of the business with the most risk attached to it. What allowed us to grow (and weather really shaky economic conditions in the first couple of years) was our focus on the experience we provided our existing customers. The vital importance of account management and the nurturing of our existing customers was probably the most valuable lesson I learned from that time. The 4 Keys To Boosting Your Customer Retention #CRM_As_Foundation

The 4 Keys To Boosting Your Customer Retention...

If you don't focus on your small business customers and make them feel valued, they'll eventually leave-and the cost to capture new ones can be very high.

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The Zen of a Connected Business – free guide

As a business grows it can fall into the trap of implementing different point solutions that allow it to perform different tasks. But these over time can become silos where instead of helping businesses the different islands of data can mean that opportunities are lost, marketing is miscommunicated and the customer's experience of dealing with the company declines. It makes sense to integrate those sales, marketing and service function with back-office functions like accounting to provide a complete 360-degree view of the customer.

The Zen of a Connected Business – free guide

Is your business using different products and apps to manage your customer data? If so, you might be holding back the growth of your business. You need a connected business to run efficiently. As your business grows, lots of financial and customer information will be shared across your teams in order to make key business […] The post The Zen of a Connected Business – free guide appeared first on Sage Advice UK .

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What can accountants learn from musicians? Keep...

"Musicians focus on their product first and really making it great. That’s what accountants need to do as well; continue to reinvent ourselves." It is completely wrong-headed to think that you can't learn from someone else in a different industry. The barriers that we invent through stereotypes can prevent us understanding that the disciplines needed to ensure excellence in one field can be picked up and applied in another field.

What can accountants learn from musicians? Keep...

Alexis Kimbrough, the founder of the Growth Group, specializes in helping musicians gain financial independence and music industry professionals live prosperous financial lives. She believes that without musicians, the world would be a boring place. Since 2008, the Growth Group has delivered financial education, tax, accounting, and bookkeeping services for independent artists, record labels, and […] The post What can accountants learn from musicians? Keep a creative edge [Podcast] appeared...Read More

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The Zen of a Connected Business – free guide

If you are picking an accounting system then it makes sense that you pick one that allows you to integrate easily front and back office systems. There is a huge advantage in giving sales, marketing and service teams visibility of accounting information. If you have data stored in different places, there’s a good chance that the data being used by your teams is out of date. It could mean your sales and financial teams are be restricted in their attempts to provide the necessary updates that will help you grow your business. Find out more about how Sage CRM provides the integrated sales, marketing and service modules for powerful Sage Business Cloud systems like Sage 100cloud, Sage 200cloud and Sage 300cloud.

The Zen of a Connected Business – free guide

Is your business using different products and apps to manage your customer data? If so, you might be holding back the growth of your business. You need a connected business to run efficiently. As your business grows, lots of financial and customer information will be shared across your teams in order to make key business […] The post The Zen of a Connected Business – free guide appeared first on Sage Advice UK .

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Adapting your business in the age of AI

What does Artificial Intelligence mean to you? We've already been including more and more automation in our business systems. One of the common ways AI is being utilized in today’s businesses is for strategically targeted marketing.

Adapting your business in the age of AI

The term “artificial intelligence” conjures images of cyborgs, and complex circuitry has already become a part of everyday business functions at many large companies. Even small businesses are now able to take advantage of this new technology that includes machines learning to stay ahead of rapidly changing information that can affect a company’s operations. If […] The post Adapting your business in the age of AI appeared first on Sage Advice US .

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Employee engagement - where the rubber hits the...

This is a link to a blog by my colleague David Beard. In this article he explores the intersection between the culture of employee engagement, that alignment by staff with a company's goals and aspiration, with the reality of the customer experience. David looks at whether staff know those goals & how are they will be measured, and the involvement the employees have in controlling processes to meet those goals.

Employee engagement - where the rubber hits the...

Talking about Customers - an occasional blog from David Beard about the world of CRM & its enablement within organisations

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How Industry 4.0 will boost your manufacturing...

Industry 4.0 is a name for new trend in automation and data exchange within technologies used by manufacturers. It includes computer systems and networks systems, the Internet of things, cloud computing and artificial intelligence and expert system. Industry 4.0 is often described as the fourth industrial revolution. Sage is well placed to help manufacturing customers with both its front and back office system. The Sage Business Cloud products lead the field with innovations around the integration of article intelligence. Sage CRM integrates with Sage Business Cloud Enterprise Management (formerly Sage X3) and specialised production software such as Sage B7.

How Industry 4.0 will boost your manufacturing...

As a manufacturing leader, you have to focus on innovation and technology to improve the efficiency and performance of your businesses. You need to come up with strategies to make your organization relevant and competitive in an era where the digitization of manufacturing is a necessity. Industry 4.0 is a major reason why digital business […] The post How Industry 4.0 will boost your manufacturing productivity appeared first on Sage Advice US .

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New Research Highlights Digital Trends for 2018...

Do you see optimizing the customer experience as your companies most significant opportunity for 2018? Sage CRM's marketing workflow automation and features such as the MailChimp or Swiftpage integration or automatic Outbound call scheduling can see a prospecting call go from lead to closed order Sage 200cloud in a few clicks. These are all powerful reasons why CRM is the foundation of a full business management solution.

New Research Highlights Digital Trends for 2018...

Study reveals that C/X remains at the top of the agenda for many marketers. Occupying the top spots: Optimizing the C/S (19% of respondents), data-driven marketing that focuses on the individual (16%), creating compelling content for digital experiences (14%) It's all about #CRM_As_Foundation

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Sage Success Story AGS Solar - South Africa

This is a massive shout out to my colleagues in South Africa who are so good at being able articulate the benefits of integrated Sage CRM. This case study really makes clear why companies go for using the sales, marketing and service feature of Sage CRM as their front end modules to Sage 300cloud and other accounting systems.

Sage Success Story AGS Solar - South Africa

AGS Solar delivers solar water heating solutions to the commercial, industrial and residential sectors. Sage CRM has given AGS Solar better visibility

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Want AI and automation for your practice?...

I think the hardest aspect of AI is imagining what it 'looks like' in a business context. But we have lived since the 1990s with the concept of Expert Systems and Workflow Automation. Products like Sage CRM have offered the capability to embed the best human decision making within automatically executed behaviour right from its release. The huge shift is coming from the ability access massive amounts of historic data and to be able to design simple interfaces to capture the business logic. But AI agents should be a huge boost to Accountancy Practices through automation. Their power promises that work will be processed at a higher throughput, more consistently and at a higher quality of accuracy than ever before. These are exciting times.

Want AI and automation for your practice?...

Do you want artificial intelligence (AI) and automation for your practice? You’re not alone. Accountants are broadly looking forward to a future where AI augments their workload. The majority – 66% – would invest in AI if it automated time-consuming and repetitive tasks. Independent research carried out by data collection agency Viga, on behalf of […] The post Want AI and automation for your practice? Here’s what you need to know appeared first on Sage Advice UK .

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Proven strategies to manage your stress as an...

When I set up my training company in 1996 I had the luxury of 3 other additional directors but their main company collapsed and with it their interest in mine so after they had departed I was left on my own. It was really quite frightening trying to manage staff, drive up sales, monitor quality and work out how to pay all the bills. I fully get the advice to have regular meetings with someone with whom you can share the burden. “You might be exhausted, you might be exhilarated, or something might be wrong. But actually, have that check-in"

Proven strategies to manage your stress as an...

Everyone says that starting a company is hard. But if you want to get a sense of exactly how hard, talk Sean Green, Steve Miller, and Ray Nguyen. Today, they are the successful co-founders of Arternal, a CRM solution for art dealers and galleries. But they had set out to found a very different type […] The post Proven strategies to manage your stress as an entrepreneur appeared first on Sage Advice US .

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3 simple ways to use tech and enjoy the...

Probably the most significant shift that took place in my life was when I started to work from home. The horror of commuting sucks so much energy from me that I regard going into the office with dread. I am so lucky that I am able to work at home - see that's the power of the Sage Business Cloud and web based software like Sage CRM! Just not having to get into a metal sausage machine every morning allows me so much more freedom to think and focus on customer and partner issues. I am really not surprised that a survey found that "nearly one in five office workers would move away from urban areas if they could work remotely".

3 simple ways to use tech and enjoy the...

The world of business continues to change rapidly and this has had an effect in the way the global workforce is sourced, organised and managed. Technology and mobile working have an important role to play in this. Knowledge, trade, technology, capital and goods are more globally connected today than ever before and nothing suggests that […] The post 3 simple ways to use tech and enjoy the benefits of mobile working appeared first on Sage Advice UK .

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Quick Setup & Configuration Component | Sage...

Here's a little component that I wrote for Sage CRM. I wrote it for Sage CRM 2017 but it will work just as well for Sage CRM 2018. The component will allow you to suppress options which aren't needed in the interface. Its all about giving users an experience that is tailored to their needs.

Quick Setup & Configuration Component | Sage...

"Giving new users an an experience that is tailored to their needs" @sagecrmsolution talks about a bite sizing component for pre-sales and project setup.

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