New Kid on the Block – Link Solutions

By aucklandnorth. Posted in Cloud Software, Solutions.

Meet Alana, the new North Shore Regional Partner for Link Solutions. Link Solutions are great friends of ours because they help business owners get set up, integrated and trained properly on software that integrates with Xero. It can be a daunting process changing whole systems for your business, but having a person dedicated to your support and learning means you will achieve the desired outcome of switching systems in the first place- time saving, usability, and exceptional organisation, over a scary mess on your hands. We ask Alana about her role and how she can help.

What is your role at Link Solutions?

As the North Shore regional partner my role is to implement cloud based business applications into NZ SMEs who are typically referred to me by their accountants. I fill the gap between your accountant and the technologies you use to run your business.

Is there anything you believe businesses could be doing better?

I believe that businesses need to trust in technology more so that they can get back to what they are good at. Why spend hours doing manual data entry when you can implement a system to do it for you.

What is one of the best services in your view, that Link Solutions provides their customers?

Our service is a package. It’s the whole deal. I don’t think that any one part of that package is more valuable than another. Our process starts from identifying issues, strategic planning with management to find ways to resolve their issues, recommending suitable applications that integrate with Xero, implementing the solutions, and training the staff. Then phone and email support thereafter. Each of these steps is paramount to the success of the solution.

Where does your passion for helping businesses implement good systems come from?

Passion is a great word for the way I feel about helping businesses streamline their systems and processes. I have worked in several different industry’s doing accounts, operations, administration, and sales. I have seen how having bad systems and processes can be ridiculously inefficient. I am a problem solver and love finding ways to make businesses more efficient.

Do you have any tips and tricks for businesses that want to save time on Xero?

Now that they have Xero taking care of their accounts, businesses should be focusing on the rest of their processes. They can save time on Xero by streamlining the rest of the business. With systems pushing data through to Xero they will save time on manual entry. Let your inventory control system enter your bills for you, and your job management system do your invoicing.
If you would like to get a Free Strategic Planning Consultation with Alana, mention this Sidekick blog and email her at alana@linksolutions.co.nz or call her on 021 778 215.

Tips for Social Media (But not for Life)

By aucklandnorth. Posted in Sales and Marketing.

Here are a few suggestions from our Marketing team that they’d recommend you use in Social Media. However, they would NOT recommend taking these tips to the streets!

Talk back to everyone.

It’s not always the smartest thing to do in your workplace, your home or on the streets, but talking back could be the most important rule in Social Media!

Believe it or not, social media is all about being social (We know..mindblowing stuff). Don’t just do all the talking by sharing your own content – nobody likes that guy. You have to get involved by interacting and commenting on other pages and content too. Why not try and leave at least 1 comment a day on someone elses content? This will expose your brand to all sorts of different conversations and audiences. Make sure you always reply to each comment that is left on your page too, in a quick and friendly manner.

Follow strangers.

This one is definitely not a rule that’s taught in schools.

If there is someone out there that you’d like to work with in the real world, find them online and follow them as soon as possible. You’ll pop up in their notifications and if they like what they see, they’ll invite you into their social circles. It can be a great little step to include in your sales process. This rule applies to each of your new friends too. Anyone you meet at networking groups, in an online community forum or if you have just started doing business with them, should be added to your social media at the first opportunity.

Break things.

That’s right – we’re all for breaking things here at djca!

Like any of your business strategies, if your social media strategy isn’t performing well, break it! Don’t be afraid to change things up or take on a completely new approach – keep adapting and innovating your social media efforts until you find success.

Be overly emotional.

Let’s break down those emotional walls – we want to get to know the real you.

Don’t just consistently promote your products. Instead focus on demonstrating your brand’s personality and providing an insight into your company’s culture. Why not share a funny team photo or your social sports team results. Anything that shows off that you are in fact humans! Creating an emotional connection with your customers is far more valuable, compelling and sustainable than just touting your wares over and over again. Remember, people do business with people they like.

Slow and steady does NOT win the race.

How many turtles do you see doing well on Twitter? (Well other than this one.)

Did you know that your average tweet only stays in the spotlight for roughly 6-7 minutes? Or that a good Facebook post only really lasts a couple of hours? Social media is not about survival of the fittest – It’s survival of the fastest! Keep your posts and interactions frequent. Make life as easy as possible for you by downloading the handy smartphone apps, consider using a social media dashboard like Hootsuite, and spreading the responsibility around your work mates – why not have a social media champion from each department that can share content? You don’t need to write an essay each time, just as long as you’re staying near the top of the screen!