Where would we be without computers? How did we do things before Microsoft Office and Outlook Express? How would we get meeting notifications without calendar reminders?
Honestly, it’s not worth thinking about. It sounds like a dreadful amount of hard work.
Computers and the software packages developed for them have made running a business easier than ever before. From standard options like Excel and Outlook right through to niche market packages like highpoint.com which can do it all for your higher education facilities. There’s a package for everyone. Surely.
We should be thankful for them and the best way to do that? Get some use out of the many software packages out there that can simplify business tasks.
We need to look at the best software packages you can use, right now to boost your business.
Keeping a budget is absolutely key to running a good business. It doesn’t matter about the size of your bank account, but if you don’t know how much you can spend, you’re going to be in a heap of trouble. Planguru is a really simple budgeting software package that can manage your company’s financial outlook. With utilities that can handle payroll and ways to process financial statements and even forecast your business budgets, it’s a great way to break down money for your business.
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The other side of money in business is accounting. Freshbooks is one of many options one the marketplace for accounting via software. It is simple and easy to use and can be integrated easily into pre-existing software packages, like your payroll management and email systems. It’s also internet based through the cloud, so you can access it from anywhere!
Time management software is crucial to businesses from medical practices right through to energy corporations. If we aren’t managing time correctly, we could be wasting money. When I Work will help you schedule staff shifts and employee work hours and even allows staff access so your employees can view upcoming shifts, book holidays and request further time off. Packages like When I Work can save a lot of time and keep your employees working, instead of queuing up outside your office. Genbook allows your customers to book appointments and will even offer your reminders. A great way to book in clients, patients and even employees for staff or team meetings.
Email is crucial to running a business. It’s communication and business wrapped up and fired across the web. Outlook is the main choice, but it retails for nearly a hundred dollars per user. Mozilla Thunderbird can do the same thing, allow you to email big files and is free and totally customizable. Of course, you might want to move away from email for internal communications. It’s slow and sometimes clunky. Using instant messaging software that can integrate with other apps like Slack and Basecamp is a better way to build communication in your business.
There’s just so much software can do for your business and if you have a pressing need, it is likely that a package exists that can help you out. Look for it today!
When we think about charitable organisations, we always consider their purpose and the people that they aspire to help on a daily basis. As they are not businesses, however, we often overlook the fact that they need to generate money in order to fund their endeavours, raise awareness and affect lives across the globe.
More specifically, there are considerable gaps in knowledge regarding the challenges facing charities and the ways in which they leverage the money that has been entrusted to them. So while the UK’s charity sector is worth a staggering £60 billion each year, many nonprofits struggle to deploy this money in a way that drives productivity and promotes their message.
Image source Pixabay
3 Challenges Facing Charities and How They Can Overcome Them
With this in mind, let’s take a look at the key financial challenges that face charities as they look to create productive and successful campaigns. These include: –
1. The Failure To Manage Finances Professionally
The nonprofit sector is notoriously complex and constantly changing, particularly in terms of compliance and the need for transparent financial management practices. These skills usually come at a cost, however, while it can be difficult to source service providers with the necessary expertise to deal with charitable organisations.
Fortunately, outlets such as Just Accountants have a team of accountants who are well-versed in the needs of nonprofit organisations, from the cultivation of a viable infrastructure to the deployment and everyday management of funds. This will not only drive transparency and compliance, but it will also optimise productivity and ensure that as much money as possible is committed to an underlying cause.
2.The Issue of Administration Costs
Unfortunately, the vast majority of charitable communications were historically sent by letter, which incurred numerous administration costs in terms of creation and distribution. This instantly deterred potential contributors, many of whom were unsure as to how much of their money would be used by the organisation to cover their costs.
Thankfully, the adaptation of email and more recently social media has enabled proactive charities to negate this issue, primarily by using the global reach of channels such as Facebook and Twitter to inspire, engage and raise awareness. These flexible and freely accessible channels help nonprofits to reduce operational costs without compromising on their message, ensuring that they can raise huge sums of money and reinvest this into their chosen cause.
3. The Motivation of Advocates and Ambassadors
Aside from the power and reach of technology, the typical nonprofit organisation is only ever as effective as the people who represent it. These individuals must be strongly motivated and engaged with the cause if they are to help the charity to achieve its goals, but nonprofits lack the financial resources or infrastructure to pay the individuals who work for them.
Charities must therefore learn invaluable lessons from the worlds of business and commerce, where financial incentives have gradually become less impactful over time. Instead, modern employees are motivated by job security and the ability to add value to a business, as this delivers greater satisfaction and more tangible rewards. Charities must therefore ensure that their volunteers do not become mired in everyday administration and nonprofit bureaucracy, as they instead empower them as influential advocates of a powerful and impactful message.
