Duke

In today’s world, just about every business is going to need internet access. It’s nearly impossible to thrive if you don’t have some sort of internet access, even if that means internet access from your home computer. However, rural areas have found themselves without effective internet access for many years. If you currently have DSL internet access and you’re looking to upgrade, consider these steps to finding alternatives for your rural small business.

Step One: Ask Yourself the Important Questions

First off, you’re going to need to ask a couple of questions before you can upgrade. These questions are important because they can help you decide whether you need to upgrade and what speed you might need in your upgraded internet access. Here are a few of the most important questions to ask yourself.

• What internet services do you use every day and every week?
• How fast is your internet connection right now?
• Do you need an internet connection that’s faster than the one you currently have?
• Do you share your internet connection with customers?

Of course, these are only a few of the questions that you should probably ask yourself when you’re considering an upgrade. You may want to ask other questions, depending on your company’s unique situation.

Step Two: Research Different Internet Options

There are all sorts of different internet options available for companies nowadays. This includes companies in rural areas; with many internet options, you can receive high-quality and high-speed internet access even if you’re in a rural area. Here are a few of the internet options that might work for you.

• Satellite service
• Wireless internet
• Fiber-optic internet connection
• Cable internet
• Dial-up internet, especially as an emergency backup

Some of these options may be less effective than other options. For example, you don’t want to opt for dial-up internet as your only internet access because it’s unlikely to be fast enough for your needs. However, not all rural areas will have super high-end options like fiber-optic.

Step Three: Upgrade to the Right Option for Your Needs

Every company needs different internet access options. If you’re thinking about upgrading, it’s likely that you don’t have fast enough internet for your needs, and DSL definitely isn’t fast enough for most businesses nowadays. However, you might not know what is.

Your best bet is to do a lot of research. There are many different ways that you might be able to upgrade your internet access; satellite service, for example, offers internet access across nearly 100% of the United States. All you need to do is find the service that works best for your company’s needs and budget.

Conclusion

Even if DSL internet was the only internet option available for you at some point in the past, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s still the only internet option that you have available. There are plenty of options available for small businesses in rural areas. It’s all about what you need for your business to thrive. Don’t be afraid to draw on internet options other than DSL so you can provide your employees and your customers with a better experience.

Working from home? You’re not alone — the number of employees working from home rose by 173% between 2005 and 2018. The number of remote workers is likely to increase, considering there are myriad benefits to remote work for employees and employers.

Employees save time and money by forgoing commutes; they don’t have to spend as much on work wardrobes or eating out; and enjoy more flexibility overall than if they have to travel to a workplace.

Remote employees also save their employers money. Smaller office spaces usually cost less than larger ones, and overhead is generally lower as the number of remote employees increases. Meetings that might have been in-person if staff worked in the office can be accomplished through Zoom calls. Further, many employees may be able to be even more productive without the distractions of a noisy office. However, with these benefits come new challenges, such as staying connected with and managing the performance of remote staff.

When employees work on-site, it’s easier to keep tabs on what types of work they are performing, offer feedback, and touch base. Managing the performance of remote employees can be more challenging, but it can be done efficiently and fairly.

For example, remote employees should be given specific work requirements, so they know what is expected of them. That may include their daily schedule and hours (and whether or not those hours are flexible), and allotted time for lunch. Regular check-ins between managers and employees can help team members stay on track and allow managers to better assess the type of work employees are performing and the quality of that work. It also gives managers a chance to address any issues that may have arisen while the employee works from home.

Managers should also be proactive in giving feedback, recognizing that remote employees rely on it to judge their performance and progress. Regular communication can also help alleviate employees’ feelings of isolation and reduce work-related stress.

The accompanying resource describes practical strategies for employers to use with their remote staff. More effective performance management can benefit individual employees and the company’s productivity as a whole.

Author Bio: Sara Drake is Director of Marketing for Advanced Resources, a talent solutions organization headquartered in Chicago. Drake, who has 15 years of experience in the industry, focuses on talent solutions through staffing, consulting and workforce solutions.

The prevalence of the digital realm in business today is nothing to be ignored. Embracing digital connections will give your business a wider reach, and a more efficient manner of operating.

Your chance of success in any industry is sharply enhanced when you know how to make the most of the tools technology provides.

Take a few moments to explore some simple tips to help your business capitalize on the perks of today’s technology, and start crafting a more efficient operation now.

Never stop improving your website

Your most useful digital tool is your business website. Never stop working to enhance your business website, and always make communication a priority in your design.

Take the time to look at examples for tangible design ideas. This assisted living facility in Glendale setup a website that makes communicating with the facility simple for interested web users.

Build a collection of engaging content

Digital marketing is a must-have for success in any realm of business, and building a collection of engaging content will boost your visibility online. A business blog is the best host for your engaging and informative content.

Add a blog section to your website design, or build a separate digital address for the content. Either way, your blog posts should be written to be relevant to your operation’s target audience.

Learn to work social media

Social media is a massive outlet for business, but you have to really put some effort into becoming an active part of the digital communities. Your business should have a profile on several of the most popular social media channels, and the content should always be fresh.

Working social media for the benefit of your business takes a consistent effort. Your followers will be loyal, but you have to give them something to anticipate. Dig into social media management for business owners, and start learning how to properly run your social media presence today.

Always aim to please mobile users

No matter what realm of the web you’re working, your digital efforts should always be driven towards pleasing the mobile users online. Mobile web access is at an all-time high, and people expect your pages to function with ease on the favorite smartphone or tablet. Make certain your digital content is designed for mobile-friendly interactions, and you’ll have a better response.

Consider remote capabilities

Your business can benefit greatly from the remote capabilities granted by digital technology. Consider what remote employees could do to save your operation some money.

Consider what complete cloud integration could do for communication and collaboration within your organization. Tying your work to a central, digital location means you can get work done at any time from anywhere.

The business applications are becoming popular day by day. The increase in its popularity is due to the advancement in technology and the availability of mobile devices for everyone. The top organizations came out with their best mobile versions to help their consumers. You surely have heard about the Microsoft business apps. They provide interesting features, tips, and tricks to support the use of the complete Microsoft Office package on electronic devices. Many reasons have increased the use of business applications. The most popular reasons are as follows.

Direct Problem Solving Approach

The technical business operations require the best after-sale services from the companies. But it is difficult for the companies to remain available for the 2 hours for their consumers. It can increase the operating cost. The companies that deal with technologically advanced and innovative products have created business applications. They support and provide 24 hours of assistance to the users. It includes a complete set of guidance, tips, tricks, and steps to solve common problems. Many applications are supported by the google assistance and video conferencing services that can fastly easily solve the issues during emergencies.

Direct Communication

Companies keep updating their products regularly. In such a scenario, spending on broadcasting the news, latest information, new launch, offers via media or advertisements can be costlier. The best way to settle all these issues is through the creation of a virtual platform for business updates. It will save the cost of the company. Plus, it will give the platform to communicate with the customers directly. The more use of mobile applications has eliminated the middlemen and reduced the chances of false news in the market. The company can also test their loyal customers and can have a true knowledge of their regular customer base. It improves the branding of the companies. The analysis of consumer behaviour and their purchasing pattern has also become very simple through the use of these applications.

Increases Sales

The main motive of every business is to think of the strategies to increase their sales. Earlier, the launch of a product and service and its result and excitement in the market took time. The business applications have fastened the process. As soon as a sale is announced or a new product is launched, people start booking through mobile devices. The studies have shown that most of the p[eople for search on their mobile phones before purchasing even a simple product. It is the best opportunity when a brand can take advantage of the call to action from the customers. Creating applications that showcase more benefits of purchasing the product or service online will motivate more sales. Engage with your customers. Make your presence felt in the market.

The development of business applications is a great idea to boost sales. It is beneficial both for the seller as well as for the buyers. After creating the virtual platform, the next step should be to maintain those applications and remain more active. Upgrade features and add more benefits to your customers.