Trello is a web-based project management program with an easy-to-use interface and a lot of flexibility for organizations of all sizes and sectors. It’s an excellent option for entrepreneurs and company owners searching for a low-cost solution. Trello’s base plan is free, but they do offer two paid versions: Business Class and Enterprise.
Features
The first thing people will notice that distinguishes this platform from others is that it has no restriction on the number of projects, users, or tasks. The site also provides templates that are customized to specific sorts of tasks.
Trello divides projects into boards, similar to the software in Pinterest, and divides diverse chores into easy, basic phases. Time-sensitive activities may be assigned a due date and time, and when done, just drag and drop them into the next phase of your board.
Productivity & Creativity
Whether you’re working on a design sprint that has to be structured into phases or a creative project for your newest client that needs to go through numerous review procedures before completion, the platform can help you get everything organized and done as efficiently as possible.
Product Development
Trello may help you assign tasks to different members of your team and keep track of product phases and deadlines.
Sales
If you want to organize your sales cycle with Trello, the software makes it quite straightforward. Lists may be established to track lead information, score, and status, and team members can be allocated to different cards.
In one page, you can move cards down your pipeline, designate due dates for tasks for your clients, attach necessary documents, and keep track of where your leads are in your sales or CRM pipelines.
Event Planning
Trello is also a wonderful tool for event planning, even if you are not a professional event planner. You may make a board for a specific event and lists to help you keep track of deadlines, task status, and dates.
OneNote is a digital note-taking program. It gives you a central location to keep all the information you need for your daily life. Notes are easy to organize, print, and share with no paper loss or loss of information. The best part is that your notebooks are kept online where you can access them on any mobile device.
You can use OneNote in your business to stay on top of tasks, research, meetings and much more.
Project collaboration
How do you organize and collaborate on projects using OneNote? With the aid of notebooks, sections, and pages, OneNote enables you to save information. You may designate notebooks for each of your various work projects and include sections for group notes that list details based on the project’s condition or stage.
Additionally, you may share a OneNote notebook with your employees. All you have to do is invite them to it and they can access the data. By exchanging information, everyone can keep track of the project and provide updates as needed. The notebooks can also be sent through email or converted into PDF files.
Meeting notes
Team meetings are commonplace, and when working with a remote team, they become even more crucial. But it’s simple to overlook recording meeting minutes and ensuring that everyone on the team has access to the material. OneNote enables you to take meeting notes, organize them in a specific notebook, and distribute them to your entire team or organization.
Research
Use OneNote to organize and retain your notes whether you’re conducting market research or just gathering data about your potential or existing clientele. One can assemble text notes, and include data gathered in other Microsoft Office programs, such as Word. And you may add any content you come across that would be relevant for your project, such as photographs, videos, links, and documents.
Blog post hub
OneNote can be used to store your blog post ideas if you run a business blog. You can compile all the information on the subjects of your blog posts in individual notes and include all pertinent links. Additionally, you may create drafts of your blog entries in OneNote, where you can also keep track of published posts and their related URLs for quick access whenever you need it.
Scanning documents & embedding Excel spreadsheets
OneNote can be used on smartphones, making it simple to scan documents with your phone and store them in OneNote notebooks. Contracts, receipts, and any other document pertaining to your customers or your business can be scanned. Instead of printing them out and losing them, you can tag those scans so you can quickly locate them anytime you need them. Excel is an excellent tool for organizing your money, other numerical data, and keeping track of crucial metrics.
You may insert Excel spreadsheets directly into your notes using OneNote.
As a result, it will be simple for you to keep track of pertinent information in your notes and have it on hand for team or client meetings. Additionally, you may attach notes to your Excel data, allowing you to solicit suggestions and criticism from your staff, colleagues, and even clients.
With so much versatility Microsoft OneNote has become a popular platform for business collaboration and organization around the world.
As a small business owner, creating a trusting environment between you and your customers is essential. Happy customers equate to a happy business. Sometimes despite our best efforts, customers can have unhappy experiences at our businesses. Below are some etiquette tips on how to deal with angry customers, as well as how to build customer trust.
How to Handle Angry Customers
Don’t take it personally When dealing with a customer who is angry or unhappy with their experience at your business, although it may seem like a personal attack against you as a business owner, it is important to put the situation into perspective. Your personal feelings about the situation should not affect your attitude or demeanor.
Stay calm If a customer begins to raise their voice or yell at employees, nothing is gained from returning that behavior. In fact, by acting in a similar manner you will likely cause the situation to escalate. It is essential to maintain control over yourself and your emotions.
Apologize Whether or not you agree with the legitimacy of what a customer may be angry about, in order to come to a resolution an apology is almost always necessary. If you want said customer to return to your business, an apology is what does the trick.
Find a solution Sometimes, apologies alone do not solve the problem at hand. One way to create resolution is by asking the customer what they feel should be done or put forward to solve the issue. This way, customers feel as though you are listening and valuing the feedback they are giving.
Keep it brief It is in the best interest of both parties to resolve problems quickly. The longer you linger with an unhappy customer, the more opportunities there are for further issues to arise. The less time you spend dealing with a customer like this is less time you spend with other productive customers.
How to Build Customer Trust in Your Business
Keep it transparent Most of the time, trust is built off of honest communication. Make sure you are being straightforward and honest with your customers about variables such as shipping times and product costs.
Own up to mistakes Bumps in the road are inevitable when you own a business; the best thing you can do as a business owner is take responsibility for your mistakes. Despite a customer’s feelings, humility goes a long way.
Anticipate customer needs As a business owner, it is important to evaluate your customer base frequently. In doing so, attempting to anticipate the needs of your customers will automatically build trust in your business. If customers trust that you deliver their needs without even needing to ask, a strong environment is created.
Communicate As they say, communication is always key. Putting in an effort for strong communication between business employees and customers is necessary to maintain trust in your business. Communication can solve many problems before they even have the chance to arise.
In the age of digital technology, shopping has changed exponentially. Whether your small business offers a series of products or services, having a professional website is essential for sales. A website is essentially showcasing your business to the world, which means it must be unique and memorable. Refer to our previous blog on Establishing a Professional Domain, which explains how you can create a website from scratch.
Tips on Making your Website Stand-Out:
Create a gallery page! Consumers love seeing visual representation of what your business offers. Having a page on your website dedicated to pictures can give customers an idea of what they would be getting when supporting your business. Make sure that the pictures showcased on a gallery page are high-quality and professional.
It is important to showcase your staff on your businesses website. Clients often want to know who they will be working with, so creating short employee bios is a great way to allow for easy introductions. Consider adding in some fun questions to these bios, such as your favorite movie or best childhood memory.
Do your best to keep website content fresh and updated. It is never fun to read old information that is no longer relevant, especially if you are a consumer looking to buy a product in real-time. Post announcements, accomplishments, and everything in between on your website.
Encourage sales by including customer testimonials on your website. Success stories and examples of how you have helped people naturally encourage and inhibit trust between your business and potential customers.
Don’t be afraid to use color and fun fonts on your site! While minimalism can often hold true to the motto less is more, a memorable website will often have elements that stick out which forces us to remember them. Using bright colors and lettering is one way that you can make your website unique.
Add a blog component to your business website. Becoming a nuanced expert in the form of blogging can grab the attention of customers by teaching them new things. Share your knowledge in the form of a blog that can be regularly updated!
Small businesses bring charm to our economy, which is one of the many reasons they are so beloved. Despite the success your small business might face, maintaining a level of personal touch is important in order to keep customers engaged. By finding the delicate balance between technology and human interaction, customer loyalty will likely increase.
Here are four ways that small business owners can maintain their personal touch:
Keep customers informed As you are working with clients to sell a product or perform a service, let them know where they are in the process. This can be executed through text updates, emails, or letters that are sent directly to individual households. By providing clients with direct contacts they can reach out to if they need assistance, people will feel personally connected to your company.
Show customers growth It is important to let clients know that you are not only aware of their needs, but you are excited to support them in the future. Taking the time to get to know your customers can help to navigate a mutual understanding, which will help not hinder communication and loyalty. Individuals will feel more prone to support your business if you take the time to get to know them.
Use a CRM System A customer relationship management system (CRM) allows all your team members to access data about past and present clients that have supported your business. Using a CRM system allows you to write down notes and details about a customer, so that connection and the growth of trust can be built between consumers and employees. Remembering details as little as someone’s name or birthday can make customers feel special.
Use social media to your advantage Oftentimes small businesses become involved in their local communities. If your company is involved in local community service work, or helps the community in any capacity, consider posting pictures and updates to social media sites. Featuring the work that you do to give back to the community can highlight the human elements of your business, which oftentimes makes customers inclined to support you in the end.
