Yes, You Can Use a Mac for Work (and an iPad Too)

photo by ugmonk

photo by ugmonk

 

Many people are haters on anything mac (except they like their iPhone). But to be honest, it usually comes down to the fact that Apple is expensive and most of us are bad at being patient enough with wanting a new laptop that we settle for the best option that we can afford at the time. This article is probably not for you. 

The second reason is not a hatred towards mac as much as a mandatory PC environment at work. The business world uses a lot of PC only software and some of the versions made for the mac are troublesome to open files on Windows and Mac because of formatting issues.

So we relent and give in to buying a PC because it is just familiar and easy to give in.

BUT....have no fear, you can have your cake and eat it too.

The MacBook Pro was judged to be the "best performing" Windows laptop, according to a study by PC services company Soluto. Also ZDNet last year said that running Windows 8 on a Mac is better than running it on a PC. So there are many people out there running tests and concluding similar ideas.

Virtual software has advanced so much in the past few years that running Windows inside your Mac operating system is seamless. Parallels 10 just recently updated and runs windows programs like they are part of your mac OS. However, running Windows natively will still always be the fastest and most reliable way to operate which is why you can still use Boot Camp. Boot Camp comes on every mac for at least the last 5 years.

A lot of small business owners already own iPhones and even an iPad too. They get frustrated because syncing with them over their PC has produced more problems than solutions. Now, you can utilize a mac with anything you need for Windows and have the incredible smooth syncing of iCloud with all your devices.

Macs also tend to have a longer shelf life. My wife is still using my old MacBook Pro from over 5 years ago and it still runs great. Every PC we have ever owned tends to slow down dramatically within the first year and then it becomes a computer with constant maintenance  issues.

Switching to a Mac environment will save you time which is priceless since every business wishes they had more time. There is also more longevity in your computers which means a lower turnover rate of replacing machines.

So the next time you are looking at replacing your work computer, try a Mac. You won't regret it.

My Business Has a Website, But Do I Need a Social Media Presence?

Many small businesses have a website which is a great thing. However, most people don't market their website or buy ads with Google or Bing to help their website get found in search engines. But this is ok and normal. I don't know many small business owners who have a lot of extra time on their hand to learn Google AdWords.

But now with Social Media being so important, everyone is joining everything so that they can say they are on Social Media. The first problem with this is that being on Social Media is a broad term and should not be a static statement. The second is that unless you are creating content on these different Social Media platforms, then it's actually probably hurting you more than helping you.

Establishing your website is extremely important and should be your number one priority for your online presence. But, Social Media is too big to ignore and every small business should be on a Social Media platform. But don't get caught up in trying to be on all of them. For example, if you are a visual media company then you should probably be on Instagram and Pinterest since you want people to see what you do and share it with others. However, a financial focused business might not have as much use with putting up pictures, but they could use Twitter to share compelling stats and figures that might draw a customer in to ask more questions.

The most important thing you can do as a small business, is define the goals you hope to achieve and then make sure that whatever Social Media platform you choose will align with those goals. If you don't know how to set good goals then look up SMART goals. That will get you started. 

If you are still not sure if you should be on Social Media or what platform you should be on, then send me a message and I will be glad to help you out.

David Doughty
Multi-Media Storyteller
@daviddoughty83
daviddoughty.com

Online Time Management for Small Businesses

How can a small business owner think about Social Media and digital marketing when their plate is already full with just keeping their business a float? Not to mention trying to make room for family time and a resemblance to a social life?

Luckily their are tools out there to help streamline your company's digital footprint so that you can make every step count. I will give my 3 recommendations in Social Media, Project, and Email Management, so that you can save time and resources while getting everything done.

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGMENT

Hootsuite

Hootsuite

Hootsuite allows you to manage all of your social media platforms from one place and schedule future posts so that you can work around the schedule you want. The dashboard also allows you to see the analytics of what posts are getting looked at and shared so that you can know what is working and what isn't. It can also show you what people are saying about your company so that you can be quicker to put out fires if need be.

You can also share your workload amongst teams, departments, or regions. Assign tasks, receive real-time notifications, and have internal conversations right from the dashboard. Hootsuite is an incredible time-saver and a must have for any small business.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Basecamp

Basecamp

Basecamp helps you bring people together with different roles, responsibilities, and objectives toward a common goal: Finishing a project together. Basecamp helps small businesses delegate tasks and track progress of goals and deadlines set. There is a calendar integration and a notification system to keep everyone on the same page. Another great thing about Basecamp is it's ability to give clients their own login so that they can make comments and suggestions to the progression of their project. A great tool to centrally focus your team.

EMAIL MANAGEMENT

MailChimp

MailChimp is still my top choice for email management. The ease of use and vast template options for any kind of email need is far better than anything out there. The subscriber profiles for each person on your email list will tell you which emails they opened and what they clicked on. Each campaign you send also gives great detail on where in the world each email was opened and what was clicked on. 

Now, MailChimp has a responsive design so that no matter what device you are on, you can send out email campaigns from any device. This is truly a dream for any small business owner on the go. And MailChimp already integrates with hundreds of apps and services, like Salesforce, Eventbrite, Google, Twitter, Facebook, Shopify, and SurveyMonkey. Sync your data, import content from other sources, and see how your newsletters affect your business.

With the addition of these tools, you can worry less about how you are going to keep up with Social Media and Digital Marketing and focus more on your customers and their needs.

If you need any advice or help getting your small business jump-started on some of these or other online tools, please contact me and I would love to help.

 

David Doughty
Multi-Media Storyteller
@daviddoughty83
www.daviddoughty.com