Raise your hand if you can’t wait to see the end of 2020? Everyone? And if you’re taking a much needed end of year break, why not use the time to plan killer strategies for your business in the new year? Take your workflow from simply churning, to reaching mind-blowing success in 2021 with 6 of our best technology hacks.

 

1. Schedule it. Post it. Stay ahead. Stay relevant.

 

Some might say, business is only as successful as your social media posts. While that may not be completely accurate, it is important to have an influential online presence.

To achieve this, balance is key. Especially if you are a small business owner without a designated social media manager, you likely can’t spend the majority of your time running profiles on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn. Yet, social media can be an extremely powerful digital tool for brand marketing and customer engagement. It’s all about reach!

Hootsuite, Buffer and Loomly are great social media management platforms to ease the burden of maintaining a social media presence, by allowing you to schedule posts, interact and engage with your audience. Some platforms even provide content ideas to help build relevant posts.

 

2. Have direct contact with your customers

 

Have a new product range coming up? Want to reward loyal clients with a VIP sale? Customers want to feel special, and believe it or not, they also want to hear directly from you.  Plus, a growing customer email database is invaluable for ongoing and new sales.

Email marketing services such as MailChimp and Constant Contact can help design and send newsletters quickly and efficiently. You will also be able to review which newsletters had the best open rate and click through success. The more emails opened, the better the engagement!

 

3. Keep files and documents organised, secure and accessible

 

As your business expands, so will your paperwork. Important documents, images and client correspondence need to be stored safely, which is best accomplished by using a digital cloud.

Using file storage and access tools like Google Drive, Dropbox or Evernote offers a backup solution to give you peace of mind. Also security settings allow access from anywhere through any device.

 

4. A strong, successful team collaborates.

 

No doubt, remote working trends are here to stay. Communication and collaboration software like Asana and Monday.com will keep you and your team in check regarding weekly and daily tasks!

Zoom and Skype for Business are great video conferencing tools to maintain face-to-face interaction. Slack and Google Hangouts work well when it comes to daily, frequent communication.

 

5. Find your next awesome freelancer

 

Sometimes there’s a busy season or tricky project that calls for an extra pair of creative hands.

The good news is, there are a ton of great freelancers out there. However, finding the perfect one with reasonable rates can feel like searching for a needle in the haystack.

Whether you’re looking for someone to do work on a straightforward logo design or build a mobile app from scratch, look into outsourcing websites such as Fiverr, Upwork and freelancer.com.

Depending on which site you use, projects and job descriptions can be sent through or posted publicly. Some sites allow freelancers to contact you directly or will be screened prior. You can also browse profiles, checking the freelancer’s star ratings and starting hourly rates. Some sites offer per project rates.

Make sure payment agreements are confirmed upfront. You don’t want any surprises. Most sites won’t release your payment to the freelancer until you’re completely satisfied with the completed task.

 

6. Make sure you get paid

 

After providing top notch products and offering 5-star customer service, getting paid is what keeps a healthy cashflow.

Don’t get stuck in the drudgery of chasing payments. Instead, make sure to use an efficient payments app that’s easy and versatile for clients to use. Credit cards and online payments are now the majority of clients’ preferred payment method, so ensuring you can accept these payments also ensures you’ll get paid as soon as possible!

Payment process systems like B2Bpay will offer different features, so do some research to figure out what works best for your business.

We suggestion asking the following questions, such as – what are the transaction fees? Are all credit cards accepted? Are there any additional perks like earning business credit card rewards or Qantas Points?

 

How do I pick the right technology for my business?

 

Make sure whatever digital tool you go with, it’s as nimble as your business. Technology should be seamless and hassle-free. The less clicks it takes to get to what you want, the better! Most of all, if a platform feels clunky to use at first, it probably is.

Here are some questions to think about as you go through the different technology options for various business needs:

• Is there a free trial?
• Is it easy to use for all parties involved?
• Is it easily accessible from any location and any device?
• Is customer support responsive and helpful? Is additional training available?
• Does it integrate with the other digital tools I’m using?

And finally the most important question – will it help my business grow?

Now you’re all set to kick serious business goals! Make 2021 your year.

With the year quickly coming to an end, it seems like the holidays will be upon us in no time! Trying to keep on top of an ever-growing gift list, in addition to maintaining a busy work and personal schedule often proves challenging. However, with so many friends and family to remember at the holidays, it’s easy to overlook those people who you work alongside every single day!

Staff appreciation gifts are a great way to reward, thank and motivate your team, which is why we wanted to introduce you to our sister company, Gift Card Store. With gift cards from Gift Card Store, you can be confident you’re giving a gift your staff will love as they can buy whatever, from wherever, whenever they like – no unwanted gifts! At a time when many businesses are still working remotely, what better way to remember your staff?

 

What is Gift Card Store?

 

The Gift Card Store is an Australian company, and a division of Zenith Payments Pty Ltd, offering plastic and virtual gift cards suitable for all occasions. Unlike retailer gift cards, our gift cards can be used anywhere, with no redemption process. We offer a Prepaid Mastercard or Visa card, which can be used anywhere that Mastercard or Visa is accepted – up to 37 million stores worldwide and online!

Just keep in mind that our Virtual Gift Card is only available as a Mastercard! Otherwise, cards are ready to use once activated, and the recipient can spend the card on what they want, when they want, where they want. Prepaid cards are much more secure than cash, store cards or paper vouchers, as lost/stolen cards can be replaced.

 

How does Gift Card Store work?

 

Gift Card Store can accept orders from customers residing in the US, England and New Zealand however the delivery address must be within Australia. These are prepaid single-load cards that can be used at any store where Mastercard and/or Visa is accepted and can be processed electronically.

Even better, we give you the freedom to design your own gift card by easily uploading your favourite image. Or, simply choose from one of our hundreds of designs, created for every special occasion! Gift Card Store has a wide and exciting variety of Mastercard and Visa cards to choose from, with worldwide and online acceptance. For physical gift cards, express shipping is available Australia wide, and you will receive an email confirmation once the card has been dispatched. Otherwise, Virtual Cards can be sent instantly and are perfect for last minute gifts, or to surprise your staff working from home!

And there’s no rush for your recipient to use their card – in fact, all cards include a 3-year expiry. The card will expire at the end of the month stated on the front of the card.

 

How do I design my own Gift Card?

 

Great question! Designing your Gift Card can be a great way to add a personal touch to your gift. Head to our site and use our simple drag and drop tool to upload your image, and preview how it will look! Specifications can be found here. It’s the perfect way to show you care, and every time they use the card they will have a reminder of you!

 

So don’t worry about gift ideas this holiday season! Save time and stress by easily sending a gift of appreciation that your staff and coworkers will love.

 

Click here to shop now!

As many Australians are familiar, BPAY is an electronic bill payment system in Australia which enables payments to be made through a financial institution’s online mobile or telephone banking facility to organisations which are registered BPAY billers. BPAY can be used to pay bills from over 45,000 businesses including most major household bills! To make a payment, a customer would visit his or her Australian financial institution’s online, mobile or telephone banking facility, where he or she would enter the biller code, reference number and payment amount as well as an indication of the account to be debited, which may also be a credit card. However, some billers do not accept credit cards (or accept payment from a limited list of credit cards) in payment through BPAY, which can be a major inconvenience for many business owners.

So…can I use BPAY using my credit card?

Yes you can, but you should check if you are being charged as a purchase or a cash advance! Some banks might allow you to use BPAY with your credit card if the biller does not accept credit card payments. But in the case, the transaction will be treated as a cash advance and you will be charged a cash advance fee.

So is there a way to pay with credit card, and skip the fee? One way to get around this for your business is to use B2Bpay to pay your BPAY invoices.  In fact, we already have over 30,000 suppliers with a BPAY Biller code set up in our system. And in the event you can’t find your Biller or Supplier on this list, you can simply select ‘Add new biller’ and enter their details!

How does B2Bpay work?

B2Bpay forwards your payment to your biller by BPAY – the same way as if you paid them directly. By using B2Bpay, your credit card issuer will identify the payment as a ‘general’ payment. This means that you will earn FULL credit card points on that transaction, plus it won’t be treated as a cash advance!

Which is faster – BPAY or bank transfer?

Keep in mind that if you are using B2Bpay to make a BPAY payment, you will need to allow 3 business days for the payment to be made. If you are paying a supplier directly via EFT, the funds will usually land in their account instantly or within 1 business day.

What rewards can I earn using my credit card to make BPAY payments?

As mentioned above, using B2Bpay to make a BPAY payment, the payment will be classified as ‘General Spend’ and you will therefore earn your FULL credit card reward points on the payment. What’s more, by using B2Bpay you’ll earn additional Qantas Points (1 point per $100 paid) on top of this (via your Qantas Business Rewards Account).

How to make a BPAY payment using B2Bpay?

It’s really simple. Register for B2Bpay, which you can do straight away (and it’s free). And then you follow the following steps:

1. 1. Find the BPAY logo on your email or paper bill which will show your Biller code.
2. 2. Log in to B2Bpay
3. 3. Select Add a new Biller
4. 4. Enter the BPAY Biller Code
5. 5. Make the payment by filling in your reference details and amount.
6. 6. That’s it! Your bill payment is complete.

To find out more about B2Bpay and sign up – visit our homepage.