Business Tips
Employers: Ten Things You Should Never Ask In An Interview
By Amanda at Sage HR Advice
A wide range of interview questions is essential to help find the right employees for your business. However, asking the wrong questions can bring discrimination claims against you, threatening your company’s finances and reputation.
Before you conduct your next interview, stop and check that you’re not planning on asking any of the following danger questions.
1. “Are you planning on starting a family?”
This question may seem fair enough, but it’s loaded with potential discrimination. You could be accused of not employing someone because of the cost and resource issues associated with their maternity or paternity leave.
In fact, avoid any questions about children, childcare or family commitments. If it comes up in conversation that an applicant is expecting a baby, for instance, stress that this will not be taken into account in the selection process.
Posted under: Would You Like To View Sage 50 Data From Within Sage CRM?
With over 250,000 customers across Ireland and the UK, Sage50 really is the preferred Financial Solution for SMB’s, this proven solution has been the backbone to many organisations for the past decade.
What some customers do not realise is that they can now view valuable Sage50 data from within Sage CRM. In this article I can share with you some practical examples of Dashboards that can be created by pulling data from Sage50 into Sage CRM, these dashboards can be created on both Cloud and on-premise editions of Sage CRM.
Sage 50 Orders/Quotes Dashboard in Sage CRM
A Sales Manager who, as a CRM user, would like to view specific Sage 50 transactions for an upcoming sales meeting.
By using Sdata, there is now the ability to display both header and line item details of the desired transactions directly through a Sage CRM gadget.
For example; Sage50 Sales Orders, Sales Quotes and Sales Order Deliveries can be set up as Interactive Dashboard Gadgets in CRM, as below:
How To Choose A Social Media Expert For Your Business
By Beatrice Whelan, Social Media & Content Specialist at Sage
Many businesses large and small are looking for the help of social media consultants. As the industry is unregulated anyone can be a social media ‘expert’ so how does a business owner tell who is good and who is not so good, especially if they don’t know much about social media themselves. There really is no such thing as a social media expert just people that do social media well.
In his 2011 interview with TechCrunch TV, Gary Vaynerchuk said that “99.5 Percent Of Social Media Experts Are Clowns“ He talked about social media ‘experts’ that rave about Twitter Followers and Facebook Fan numbers without ever having a sales result. For me, results is one area that will definitely separate the good from the bad.
Results
Results won’t always mean direct sales, there are other results that your business can aim for when using social media, like brand exposure, obtaining and showcasing customer testimonials, PR, customer care, increased website traffic etc. Of course all of these things will lead to increased sales and yes sales themselves should also be another measurement of your social media activities. So when talking to the person that you are considering selecting as the social media expert for your business, ask them what results they have had when using social media in the past.
Are they measuring how many sales or conversions on their client’s websites are a result of social traffic? Can they show you how much PR coverage their other clients got as a result of social media activities? Can they show you an example of customer interaction via a social media channel that resulted in a positive outcome for the organisation they were helping? Do they even measure results? If they tell you these things can’t be measured then back away. If they only thing they measure is number of followers and likes then you don’t need them.
Corporate Concierge As A Customer Service Tool
By Karen O’Brien at Sage
The term “concierge” evolved from the French Comte Des Cierges, The Keeper of the Candles, who tended to visiting nobles in castles of the medieval era. In medieval times, the concierge was an officer of the king who was charged with executing justice, with the help of his bailiffs. In more modern times, a concierge is an employee of an apartment building, hotel or office building who serves guests with duties similar to those of a butler. The position can also be maintained by a security officer over the graveyard shift. While in Spanish regions, a similar position, known as the portero, exists.
In Sage, an idea was brought before the Executive Team. Instead of customers calling in and getting through to the IVR (Interactive Voice Response), they get through to an actual person, who could ensure they get through to the right department first time. Thus, giving the customer a wow factor experience rather than pressing buttons for options that at the end of the day, you are not even sure that these options will get you through to the correct person.
Karen O'Brien of Sage ready to take your call
Sole Trader or Limited Company
By Jason McDowell, owner of McDowell & Co Accountants
More and more people are finding themselves in a position where they want to start their own business. The recession has forced this on those who have been made redundant or simply cannot find a job through the PAYE system.
Having gone through the situation myself, I can honestly say the rewards of running your own business do far out way the security of being in paid employment.
But it isn’t easy. There are many issues to understand and hurdles to overcome with setting up your own business. As well as getting a grasp of the tax system in Ireland, managing cash flow, and trying to be an expert in IT, HR, Marketing, Accounting etc., you will also have the choice at some stage of whether you should operate as a sole trader or a limited company.
In this post I have outlined a simple table to show the differences between the two, which lets you decide what option might be best for your business.
Branding For the Future
By Sinéad Hayes, Sales & Marketing Manager with Advent
Over the past number of years, many SME’s put their energy into staying alive, keeping the business ticking over so that the payroll could be met at the end of the month. It was really a case of “all hands on deck” as people were being asked to do the tasks of a few people. Working hours were cut, so tasks had to be done in less time. Each month brought new challenges, but the ultimate goal was to stay standing.
I think that we have reached a point where this has changed. Many businesses are looking at new and exciting opportunities to grow their businesses. From speaking to some of our customers, the glass is definitely now half full. It seems that we have rolled up our sleeves and have come out the other end stronger and more purposeful.
But what now? Do we just put the business into fifth gear and carry on as before? Many indigenous businesses have taken the opportunity to make changes, adapt to new market conditions and re-invent themselves so that when they do press the accelerator, they know they will be moving in the right direction.
Cash Is King And Don’t Ever Forget It
By Michael Byrne FCA, partner with DBASS Chartered Accountants
Ten Steps For Improving Cash-Flow In Your Business
In the last few years, access to credit for companies has all-but dried up. This makes the balancing act of cash-flow management an even more precarious task. The quarterly Credit Watch survey from ISME found that the average payment period for small and medium enterprises is currently 71 days.
40% of companies were waiting over three months for some payments, with 12% waiting over 120 days. Observe the following steps to help keep your cash-flow levels healthy.
1. Prepare Regular Cash-Flow Forecasts
This will give you breathing space and minimise unpleasant surprises. Prepare projections for the coming year and roll these forward each month. This will allow you to look at the next twelve months to assess when cash-flow difficulties may arise. Plan your outgoings accordingly to ensure you can keep your business afloat. Approach suppliers and banks in advance of a cash-flow shortage to work on a solution.
2. Get Your Customers On Direct Debit
Direct-debits can take the hassle out of making a payment. The bank will charge the account holder if sufficient funds aren’t available to make the direct debit. As a result, most people will give direct debits priority and make sure they have money in the account. Getting paid regularly on a specific date will help you prepare more accurate cash-flow forecasts.
That Tweeting Accountant!
By Sian Phillips, an Accountant that likes to write.
We Accountants sometimes have a tag attached to our name and I don’t mean the letters ACCA or ACA. We’re classed as boring! Fancy that! We all go to the pub, have fun hobbies, families, pets…don’t we? Not always do we have our noses stuck in the books and never seeing the light of day. But how do you tell that to the normal Joe Bloggs who dreads’ getting a call from us as it’s that time of year again? He only sees us sifting through his books or boxes of paperwork, maybe picking up on this or that he thought he may have got away with. It’s not always that we have a client that we can save loads of the dreaded tax for unfortunately.
So how do we get away from this boring tag? Because we really do need to. Especially with Social Media as people will normally check out your bio and the word Accountant flashes up. You can almost imagine the sigh and bored look that then occurs and they probably go no further. You’re not in a networking meeting seeing people face to face so they don’t get to see the fun side of you and realise you are actually quite normal.
As an accountant you’re qualified (I hope) so for a client we may all seem much of a muchness. Not even location is that important these days as accounts are easily done remotely and a few hours drive to meet a client a couple of times a year is easy. Fees probably won’t differ too much although a client should be aware of the old adage “you get what you pay for!” So at the end of the day on Social Media it boils down to personality and getting it to shine through somehow. Online is the same as when you meet people face to face – you want them to like you and hopefully become a client. So be a bit of fun online, engage with other tweeters and chat. Your accountancy skills are a given so it’s your personality that now has to be sold. And you do have one really.
I often work with Tom Holmes at Ballymount Accounting and he is a relative newbie to Twitter but doing very well. Here are his comments on how he sees it for Accountants.
No Frontiers, The Important Details For Startups
By Tim McCarthy, McCarthy Accountants
As explained in a previous post about No Frontiers, Enterprise Ireland are offering financial support of up to €15,000 for entrepreneurs and early stage start-up companies who intend to create or develop an innovative and sustainable business (manufacturing, internationally traded service, or domestic service with potential to trade internationally). The New Frontiers Programme is aimed to assist entrepreneurs/ start-ups in developing their idea from a business proposition to a robust business plan.
McCarthy Accountants have been in touch with Enterprise Ireland and have got more details about this programme which we are sharing here and in the Linkedin Group New Frontiers.
The Programme is split into 3 Phases:
1. Phase 1 – Test the market potential of the business proposition (6/8 Weeks)
- This phase will consist of a series of Workshops, one two one sessions and master classes will be delivered over a 6 or 8 week period.
- Please note this phase is part-time and non-funded.
- Phase 1 is aimed at determining the business case (feasibility)
- Commencing in late March 2012
Accounting Software, Choosing The Right One For Your Business
By Laura Birchall, Business Advice Team at Sage
Choosing The Right Accounting Software For Your Business
Everyday new and established businesses look at their books and decide to get them under control. The simplest route is to buy an accounts and payroll package. When making this decision to invest in your business, focus on exactly what you need to have as opposed to what is nice to have. There are many software providers out there all too willing to take your cash when their products can’t manage basic accounting. As most business owners have never done this before, what sort of questions should you be asking when looking at accounting software?
Follow Sage On Linkedin
SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL
