June 29, 2009
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Is your company looking for a way to find out what your customers are interested in? Do you have an idea for a new product but not sure many people would be interested in it? Then a survey may be the best way to find out. Here are a couple things you may need to know when shopping for survey software and setting up your message.
These are just some of the survey software options out there. Make sure you do your own search to find the right one for your company. Most sites have a features page or video demo that you can use to see available services and how easy the software is to use.
Survey Monkey. Their site is not only easy to use but it is easily customizable too. You can add your own logo and specify what type of responses can be given for each question. Once your survey has been sent out and replied to by candidates you can analyze the responses in several different ways. You can get updates in real time which allows you to view the results as soon as they are collected. At the end of the survey a download spreadsheet is available also with all the raw data from the survey. Pricing ranges from free for the basic package to a yearly pro service that is $200 a year.
WorldApp Key Survey. This survey offers both customer and employee surveys but they go way beyond that. You can choose from a customized survey that you build yourself or make one from their over 200 templates. The software can also send out email reminders to surveyors who have yet to complete the survey. Also, whatever your company size they have solutions for everyone from individual professionals to enterprises. This company offers a 30 day free trial which can give you enough time to see if you like the software before committing to it. You can also request a demo by one of their customer service agents who can help you with any questions you may have before signing up.
PollDaddy. This is a free way to create surveys and polls for your website, blog and social. This survey feature is added directly to your site to give customer and clients a way to give feedback. This is a great way to get “voluntary” feedback because you aren’t targeting surveyors or giving them anything in return. If a customer likes or dislikes your service or you are thinking about adding a product or feature they can give their feedback if they want, not feeling pressured to do so. PollDaddy free service has limited features but they do offer two Pro accounts that you can pay for. PollDaddyPro and PollDaddy 2 which range from $200 to $899 a year. Check out their account comparison page to see the difference in features.
Not many people have can take time out of their busy day to answer questions, let alone do it for nothing. It is a good idea to, in the opening statement for your survey offer the surveyor something a free gift, a coupon for a percent off services or products. Anything to make them feel like you are making it worth their while. The average survey is between 10- 20 questions so try to stick with that. Any more than that and the surveyor may not likely feel impelled to spend time taking it and if it’s too short you may not find all the information you’re looking for.
Finding out your key demographic information is easier than ever using survey software. Most programs are easy to use and can add great benefit to your business and how it promotes its services it customer or sells its products in the future.
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Small Business, Software As A Service-(SAS)
June 11, 2009
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In today’s tough economy cutting travel expenses is a great way to cut overhead. Getting rid of business trips doesn’t have to mean losing clients though. Why not try web conferencing? What is generally called using in today’s web 2.0 languages a webinar collaborating with your potential clients or prospects is as easy as logging onto your computer.
Most webinar programs today offer more than you think. Engage your viewer’s with live streaming video and polls and surveys that allow your participants to share their views and opinions or record your event to send to participants for reference. Another advantage of a webinar is that you don’t have to find somewhere to put all these people. Have you had trouble in the past trying to find a venue for your conference or meeting? Worry no more. With a webinar you no longer have to spend time and resources searching for a place to accommodate a couple or even hundreds of people. Here are a couple examples of the top webinar programs out there to get you started:
Gotowebinar.com – Go To Webinar is one of the top rated programs out there. Some of the features are desktop viewing, ability to change presenters, integrated audio using VoIP and collaborating with other members in real time. Pricing is provided in two ways 1) you can pay monthly for $99.00 a month with a total annual cost of $1,188 or 2) you can purchase a whole year up front for $948.00 and save 20% over paying monthly the total. A 30-Day Free Trial is available as well.
Instant Presenter – The thing with Instant Presenter is that it is not just a webinar service. There are several features that you can use for smaller conferencing needs like e-classes and sales presentations. Their webinar services are also full of great feature: no software to install, live audio and video personalized meeting URL. With Instant Presenter you can get a two-week free trial and there are two ways to pay which is Pay per Use or Unlimited Monthly Use. For your next meeting consider a webinar before you hop that next flight to not only save you money but time as well.
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Most companies are well aware that insurance exists to help them recover property damage. If there is a disaster, many businesses can rebuild their buildings and replace their office equipment. However, many companies are unaware that insurance exist that can help a company recover lost profit in the event of a disaster.
Business Interruption insurance compensates for time that profit is lost due to the damage of property. It is designed for those situations where the loss at or of the site directly causes a loss of income. So, if your location is critical to your ability to produce revenue, then business interruption insurance is truly vital.
Businesses most in need of this kind of insurance include manufacturing, wholesale, and retail businesses. This is due in part because the ability of that business to produce profit is almost entirely tied up in its equipment and location. Business less affected would include many service businesses.
A few companies that offer Business Interruption Insurance:
• AIG
• FM Global
• IPI
Make sure the policy limits are sufficient to cover your company for more than a few days. After a major disaster, it can take more time than many people anticipate to get the business back on track. There is generally a 48-hour waiting period before business interruption coverage kicks in.
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