Employment and businesses over the years have changed in so many ways, even more so now with the expansion of online services.
Dolphin Outsourcing is making the most of this tidal wave of change by ensuring our employment strategy works for people from within their own homes. Whilst providing a cost effective way of businesses getting the support they need, whether they have a huge office building, work off their kitchen table... Or ANYWHERE really!
Cloud based systems mean that businesses (and clients) can work together in unison to see each other’s movements, work simultaneously on projects and see updates live.
Project Management:
Trello – a very adaptable project management system which allows companies to plan internal and external projects across staff and devices. More and more on mobiles and tablets! Gone are the days that a business owner must be tied down to a PC or lug around a laptop bag! Their web/app based system allows for multi-level complexity, reminders, to-do lists, custom sections and personalisation. This from free service can be used by any business owner at any level to keep an eye on what they and their team are up to, day to day. Not only this, but Trello can be used to plan a business, plan a marketing or social media strategy plus so much more.
We teach businesses and the self-employed how to use it - using another web-platform called Zoom. (https://www.dolphin-outsourcing.co.uk/training)
Video chat:
Zoom – you’ve quite possibly heard of a number of other platforms for web-based video chat. Zoom again offers from Free so this opens up video chat service to any business owner. Their monthly fee to upgrade is reasonable and all in all very user friendly. Being a remote and virtual company, the team at Dolphin Outsourcing regularly uses this as a way to run team meetings and speak with clients. The ability to share your screen with others on the chat, throws out the guess work so you all know exactly what is going on. I use this a lot with 1-2-1 clients (https://www.dolphin-outsourcing.co.uk/1-2-1-business-guidance) so that we can get to know each other better – even if we are hundreds of miles away!
In a digital age, we are reverting back to wanting to engage with PEOPLE. Platforms like Zoom enable a human touch, whilst allowing business owners to reach beyond their circle of known associates.
Automated booking:
All is well and good, until it comes to booking in a meeting! With everyone running off different schedules, having fast paced lives means booking an appointment to suit 2 or more parties, can become an endless ping-pong of unavailability. This ping-pong can take up a huge amount of time and cause both parties frustration. This is solved by automation! Coming in many forms like Facebook appointment booking, built directly into your website (like you’ll see on www.dolphin-outsourcing.co.uk/booking) or using a system like Calendly. Calendly enables any size business to jump feet first into automatic booking. From free – you’ll see a trend here! – you can grow as your business need grows. From a basic start point of trying a single appointment type, to scaling up to multiple appointment names, times, locations. On-line, in-person. Groups or 1-2-1, you have the potential to use this platform. Its integration opportunity will allow most websites to integrate their Calendly booking platform straight into their website (check your site and Calendly for compatibility). You are able to upgrade to enable reminders AND follow up emails and texts; allow for payment on booking (through systems like Stripe and Paypal) – these options can really then further broaden you ability to book appointments quickly and easily – for both you and your clients.
Card payments & direct debits:
Setting up these payment options used to cost businesses a fortune. So used to be only available to larger corporations. Not anymore! With systems like Stripe and GoCardless (to name just two) card payments and direct debits are now within easy reach to any size business. Neither (as of Feb 2020) take a monthly set fee, they only charge for the transaction. With rates both more affordable that the likes of Paypal, these are the head runners for affordable payment options when running a remote organisation.
Stripe allows invoice creation directly on their platform, or to link to others – Calendly and Wix websites both allow this integration. After an easy set up process – your clients can buy products or book services or pay their monthly bill. For regular fees, Stripe will also allow this – but it will be a reoccurring card payment. Rather than a direct debit – there IS a difference!!
Gocardless, is a user-friendly platform, where you are only charged for the transactions. You can send an invite from the platform to your clients, or share a link anywhere you like – social media, whatsapp, text, email – you name it! As long as they have the link they can sign up. We’ve embedded our link into our contracts! Which makes it a really simple click of a button
The great thing is you can have a generic “come sign up” or a “come sign up to a plan”. Having the flexibility is just a huge benefit to any organisation that has a variety of sign up options. You can also do 1-off payment requests. So if any direct debit was to fail, or missed the normal date – you don’t have an issue as you can request is directly from their account as a 1-off payment. The same fees will apply as normal.
We discuss Microsoft Vs Google in a different blog – as these are the main 2 big players in the world of applications and business functionality.
Feel like you could do with some guidance on any of these platforms? We do 1-2-1 or group training virtually – you just need to be able to figure out Zoom – we can then show you the rest! (https://www.dolphin-outsourcing.co.uk/training)