Originally written by Partner Content on Small Business
Stopping the rate of transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) is essential while allowing for more people to return to work and for other aspects of normal life to function again.
While social distancing, along with washing our hands and surfaces, will continue to be the principle ways that we can reduce transmission, technology firms and their partners, such as UK-based CCTV and access control specialist, Ecl-ips, have been developing various solutions to enforce new rules and to help in the return to work.
>See also: How to reopen your gym, pool or leisure facility post lockdown
Temperature screening
One of the symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) is a high temperature and there are a number of CCTV and other technology firms marketing elevated body temperature (EBT) detection. However, all of these technologies need to be considered carefully.
The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA), for example, has stated that “temperature-based screening, such as thermal imaging, is not effective at determining if someone definitively has COVID-19 because, among other things, a person with COVID-19 may not have a fever. A diagnostic test must be performed to determine if someone has COVID-19”.
The FDA adds, “Thermal imaging systems have not been shown to
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Elavon with Opayo helps SMEs reopen with new payment solutions
by Partner Content • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Partner Content on Small Business
Elavon is helping small businesses SMEs reopen by offering up new eCommerce and point of sale (POS) solutions as COVID-19 sparks a change in customer behaviour.
The global payment firm recently carried out a survey with Ipsos Mori showing that more people are gravitating towards contactless and online payments.
More than two thirds (68 per cent) say they would actively seek to use cards and contactless payments following the pandemic, proving the appetite to get businesses set up with these payment methods quickly. Over half (52 per cent) increased their spending online so businesses had to move fast in order to sharpen their processes and meet that demand.
What’s more, almost two thirds of respondents (65 per cent) say they want to prioritise spending on days out, dining out at restaurants and meeting friends in the coming months. In order to meet with social distancing guidelines, the processes for booking tables and rooms online, ordering food and paying for services are essential for businesses.
The number of businesses enquiring about eCommerce rose 30 per cent in May and 52 per cent in June year-on-year.
Elavon has been helping companies move to eCommerce during lockdown when physical stores were
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IT outsourcing guide – what is it, pros and cons and providers
by Anna Jordan • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
In a post COVID-19 world, businesses will be looking at ways to sustain revenue and growth – this could include outsourcing.
Businesses can outsource a number of functions: think accounting, marketing, customer service and HR. IT is one of the most common as it is a cheaper way to do technically difficult jobs which the business owner doesn’t have the expertise to do effectively.
We give you the lowdown on IT outsourcing, with the info you need to decide whether or not it’s right for you.
What is IT outsourcing?
Firstly, lets establish what outsourcing is.
With outsourcing, you move part of your operations away from the hub of the business to a third party. This can be:
Offshore (outsourcing to a foreign country with favourable tax savings and lower costs)
Nearshore (outsourcing to a bordering country for easier communication)
Onshore (outsourcing within the company’s base country)
Cloud computing (the third party would provide IT-related services over the net such as software as a service or platform as a service)
Managed services (such as call centres, virtual private networks and firewalls)
In this case you’d be moving your IT off-site, allowing your company to grow without major risk or investment. Plus, you may not
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5 of the best phone systems for your remote workers
by Anna Jordan • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
One way to support your remote workers at this time is a company-wide phone system.
Phone systems can either be in the form of a cloud based Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or VoIP private branch exchange (PBX). The VoIP PBX is a more modern version of the traditional PBX, using your broadband or data connection to receive calls. As there’s no hardware to install, it’s cheaper than the traditional version. VoIP gives you a higher quality of phone call and is free across multiple sites.
Cloud based VoIPs are another consideration and tend to be more flexible than a PBX system.
VoIPs are at times more expensive. They’re often determined by the number of employees who use it, as you’ll see in a minute. That said, it will still be generally cheaper than landline and these systems have more features than your standard phone.
Why should I upgrade my phone system?
There are huge advantages in everyone having the same system, especially when they’re working remotely. It’s easy to forward calls – it can done by name rather than wracking your brain trying to remember someone’s extension number. It’s flexible too, allowing your employees to take their
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Q&A with ContractZen CEO Markus Mikola
by Partner Content • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Partner Content on Small Business
The business landscape is headed toward a new normal due to the global coronavirus pandemic. Companies are relying more and more on digital channels to do business where work is accomplished through remote means.
Currently, this rapid digital adoption is manifesting itself through work-from-home programmes and e-commerce adoption, but companies must be prepared to shift more of their processes and workloads online to cope. Governance is one such business area that companies must seriously consider prioritising. Tasks involved in strategic discussions, policy making, and business agreements demand secure collaborative platforms to perform digitally.
We recently spoke with governance solutions provider ContractZen CEO, Markus Mikola, who shared his thoughts on how businesses will go about governance using technology and digital tools as the new normal takes shape.
We’re set to be living in a new normal these days due to the coronavirus pandemic. How do you think the business landscape will change, and what will become the new normal for us from here on out?
There’s certainly plenty of uncertainty going around. Companies are struggling with business continuity, so they must find creative ways not just to survive but also to thrive. We all need to adapt
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How to create an online booking system
by Anna Jordan • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
An online booking system is fast becoming a fundamental part of running your small business.
But they can be bewildering on first glance – to ease the stress, we’ll explain what an online booking system is and why it would be beneficial to your small business. We’ll also show you what features you should be looking for and some of the best examples on the market.
What is an online booking system?
An online booking system is a platform or software you use to manage reservations for your business services. On top of recording bookings, these systems can accept customer payments online.
Why do I need an online booking system?
As it often makes the process simpler, having an online system will likely boost your bookings as it’s quicker than picking up the phone. Plus, you can take bookings around the clock which is more convenient for customers and for you.
Most systems send out automated texts and emails, so you don’t need to follow-up with customers, saving you time.
Having an online booking system will tell you more about your business. The reporting features give you advanced insights into your business and your customers: think popular products/services, customer demographics
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Top 5 Facebook groups for small businesses during coronavirus
by Anna Jordan • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
SME owners are looking for support through social media sites like Facebook rather than by picking up the phone or joining a business network.
These social media support groups are helping business owners who are struggling to reach organisations on jammed helplines. Plus, they’re a great source of comfort to those who are having a tough time since many businesses were forced to close due to COVID-19.
It’s not a recent trend, either. Iwoca surveyed over 820 business owners pre-coronavirus, looking at their use of social media.
When asked about the best ways to connect with other businesses, respondents preferred social media over phone calls. Some 15 per cent of respondents chose it as the best method, coming third behind introducing themselves personally (25 per cent) and networking (26 per cent). As lockdown has made both of these options near enough impossible, social media support has been a blessing for entrepreneurs.
Nearly half (48 per cent) of business owners with both an online and physical presence said the feeling of being in a community of businesses had improved since they started trading.
>See also: How to get your small business online within an hour
The top five Facebook groups
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Why your small business needs its own podcast
by Anna Jordan • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
Firms are keen to set up their own small business podcast to bolster their brand and take advantage of the medium’s exponential growth.
According to 2019 figures from Ofcom, around 7.1m people now listen to podcasts each week. That breaks down to one in eight people which is a 24pc increase on the previous year. It seems that new audiences are still emerging – half of respondents have started listening to podcasts in the past two years. Regular podcast listeners consume an average of seven podcasts per week.
Three quarters said they’d listened to a podcast of a BBC radio programme, the highest proportion of any type of podcast, with iPlayer Radio (now BBC Sounds) being the most popular audio-only service for all age groups.
Ofcom’s findings, combined with RAJAR, Chartable and BBC, revealed that entertainment is the most popular podcast category, followed by comedy and discussion/talk shows.
Interestingly, 22pc of people who own a smart speaker use them to listen to podcasts – one in five homes in the UK now own one or more smart speakers.
Small businesses have already started to carve into the world of business and branded podcasting, but you might recognise these
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8 of the best workflow management systems for UK businesses
by Anna Jordan • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
As more businesses have their employees working from home, productivity is an understandable concern – this is where a workflow management system can come in handy.
We’ll run you through what a workflow management system actually is, some terms you might not be familiar with and then do a comparison of a selection of the best platforms for the UK small-to-medium sized business.
What is a workflow management system?
A workflow management system is a programme that allows you to manage your team’s tasks for maximum workflow efficiency. You can track your employees’ progress through maps, boards and automated processes.
Workflow management systems are typically available on all devices so you can switch between mobile and desktop, checking off tasks on the go.
For an extra element of communication, most platforms have capabilities like emails or instant messenger which allow you to send files and share images.
Plus, to keep on top of how everyone’s doing, many workflow management systems produce data reports and analytics. They’ll tell you who started a task, how long it took and whether they met deadline.
Integrate platforms like these with other apps so you’ve got easy access to Microsoft Office, G Suite, Slack, Paypal
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How to protect your small business from coronavirus cyber threats
by Nick Ismail • • 0 Comments
Originally written by Nick Ismail on Small Business
The disruption caused by the Covid-19 crisis has forced small business to change how it operates; non-essentials workers are now working remotely and physical events have become virtual.
In this new mass remote and online environment, what can a small business do to protect itself and its workforce from coronavirus scams and cyber security threats?
We spoke to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) for the latest coronavirus cyber security advice:
What cyber security advice do you have for small business?
For organisations of all sizes this period presents a cyber security challenge, and this is particularly the case for those moving towards home working arrangements for the first time, or significantly increasing home working.
The NCSC recently published new guidance for organisations with staff working from home, which includes everything from preparing for home working to helping staff look after devices.
Smaller businesses may also wish to familiarise themselves with the NCSC’s Small Business Guide, which sets out five steps to take to bolster their cyber security, and SMEs should encourage staff to try the NCSC’s e-learning package while working from home.
As well as taking steps to protect themselves from becoming a victim it is important for businesses to plan how they