Do you know the value of your CRM?

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In 1989, a small-time collector was perusing art at a flea market. He ended up buying an uninspired pastoral painting, purely for the frame.

When he got it home, he removed the painting. He had no intention of keeping it. To his dismay, he discovered the frame was cheaply made and not salvageable.

But he found something else inside. Folded behind the painting was a copy of the Declaration of Independence. He could tell it was old, but he didn’t think it valuable. Then a friend urged him to research it.

As it turned out, the hidden copy was one of only 24 first prints of the historic document. In June of 2000, it sold at Sotheby’s for $8.1 million.

Hidden Value

If you do a quick Google search, you’ll find a slew of similar stories.

The original Velvet Underground demo someone bought for 75¢. The 11th-century Chinese pottery bought for three bucks and later sold for $2.2 million. The Warhol sketch purchased for $5 that turned out to be worth an estimated $2 million.

Sometimes there’s immeasurable value right under our noses, but we don’t see it. For many small business leaders, that’s true of their CRM solution. If you think of your CRM as little more than an elaborate database, you could be one of them.

How Your CRM Can Be A Game-Changer

A CRM (short for “customer relationship management”) solution is a powerful, robust tool—if you know how to use it. Unfortunately, we’ve worked with plenty of SMB owners who are barely scratching the surface.

Below is a quick list of some of the powerful things your CRM can do that you might not know about.

Streamline the sales process.

The goal in sales is to convert leads to prospects and prospects to customers. A CRM helps with that process by providing a clear picture of where each contact is in the process. By reviewing previous sales attempts, you can determine what strategies work best, equipping your sales team for better closing rates in the future.

Close the right deals.

One of the challenges of sales is qualifying potential customers. The faster you can determine who is and who is not a likely to buy, the less time you have to waste pursuing dead ends. A CRM gives you a framework for making that call faster, ensuring that you close the right deals—for you and for your clients.

Know your market.

You can also use the data in your CRM to tease out trends and movements in your market. If customers are migrating from one kind of product or service to another, you’ll see it in the reports. If your business is seasonal, that’ll become clear, too.

Meet customers’ needs.

Cross-selling and upselling get a bad rap. Neither is inherently bad. It’s all about knowing what actually helps your customer base. The better your customer records, the more easily you can identify the products and add-ons that will help the most.

Manage customer communication.

When all communication is housed in one place, it’s much easier for your employees to deliver top-tier customer service. This is especially true in the moment, like when they have a customer on the phone. A CRM makes that extra insight possible across your team.

Personalize communication.

Automatic messaging can include order status updates, shipping notifications, and simple thank you messages. A CRM gives you the ability to automate each of these with some nice personal touches. That way your customers know what’s going on at all times.

Incorporate social media.

The most current CRM tools also incorporate options for social media contact. Given the marketing potential of social media, this is a must-have for small business owners. And a CRM makes utilizing social media—for everything from announcements to events to contests to customer stories—so much easier.

Let CCS Technology Guide You to the Perfect CRM

With all the CRM solutions out there, how do you find the one that’s best for your business? And once you’ve found it, how do you transition your current process over to the new CRM?

The easiest way also happens to be the smartest way—get some help from the experts.

The pros at CCS can take you through the whole process, ensuring you end up with the best possible CRM solution for your business needs. If you’re ready to unleash the power of a CRM, give us a call. We’re ready to help.

Office 365: An overview

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Microsoft changed the game dramatically a few of years back. The introduction of its cloud-hosted productivity suite was big. Office 365 is a subscription-based service designed to replace the older license-based business model.

With an Office 365 subscription, companies buy time-limited access to a host of Microsoft’s tools. The service comes with the latest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more. Also included are premium mobile applications and online, browser-based versions.

In tech terms, Office 365 is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) package. SaaS is fast becoming the most popular way to deploy enterprise software. However, the shift does prompt a key question.

Is the new model better than older, licensed versions of Microsoft Office?

Office 365 Advantages

The older, licensed-based model was simple. You bought copies of Microsoft Office and that was it. You had a productivity suite . . . and nothing more.

But with Office 365, you gain an array of perks and benefits not available within older versions.

Get the Services You Need

One of the main advantages for small and medium-sized business is the potential for cost savings. With Office 365 you’ll enjoy a predictable monthly cost. The budget-friendly nature of a fixed expense is particularly nice for SMBs.

Microsoft offers a variety of plans for businesses. Options include packages based on users count and included applications. Many small business leaders find this model appealing because they can pick and choose what they want. For example, what if you need Microsoft’s applications, but you don’t need an exchange email server? With Office 365, there’s a package for that.

Microsoft’s basic plan for businesses includes all the core components of its suite – Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Access and Publisher. It also includes cloud-based storage and costs less than $10 per month per user. You also have the option to add several of Microsoft’s web services. This plan includes Exchange, SharePoint, Skype and more. Alternately, you can choose a plan that only includes the web services without the applications.

You select the components you need.

Always Updated

Microsoft rolls out updates and upgrades for the Office suite on a regular basis. Office 365 means you’ll always have access to the latest new features and tools. Gone are the days when you’d have to buy a whole new copy to avoid being stuck with an antiquated version.

Remote Access

Remote access is another huge benefit. You can access your documents and files via any mobile device. That gives your staff the ability to be more flexible and more productive.

Cloud Storage

Office 365 subscribers also get access to OneDrive for cloud-based storage. Currently, every Office 365 plan comes with 1 TB of storage per user.

A Solid Solution

There’s a lot to like about Office 365, and very few downsides. It’s a product that provides tremendous bang for the buck. We strongly recommend it for SMBs.

If Office 365 sounds like it would be a good fit for your business, CCS Technology is here to help. We can guide you to the right package for your organization. What’s more, we can also assist with the migration to Office 365, making sure the move is painless.

Give us a call today.

Is your network safe from cyber attacks?

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Before the landmark work of Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch, humanity had some . . . interesting explanations for causes of disease. A prominent theory held that “bad air” was to blame for ailments. Odd though that sounds, it makes sense.

With no knowledge of germs, people relied on basic observations about sickness and health. They saw that people living near foul odor (like primitive sewer systems) were more likely to fall ill. The most noticeable issue was the smell – hence the theory.

Eventually, Pasteur and Koch would develop what is now known as “germ theory.” This changed how we conceive of disease. But there’s a valuable lesson in humanity’s previous mistaken understanding.

You can’t adequately protect yourself from something if you don’t understand the true nature of the threat.

When your network gets sick.

There’s a modern, technical equivalent to germ theory: cyber crime. On some level, we all acknowledge the similarities. After all, we call malicious software “viruses.”

Unfortunately, a lot of business owners understand as much about ransomware as folks in the Middle Ages understood about bacteria. Too many of us talk about malicious software like it just appears out of the ether.

We know how horrible viruses are when they strike. But do you really understand where they come from? If you don’t, your network could be exposed.

The origins of malware.

Malware doesn’t spontaneously appear. Viruses and ransomware are the direct results of intentional effort. Said another way, cyber attacks start with cyber criminals.

Their motivations vary from financial gain to political statements. Their objectives are the same either way. Cyber criminals create malware to disrupt computer systems and take networks offline. Even if they don’t make money from the attack, the financial impact on affected businesses is still considerable.

The effects of cyber crime.

A recent Business Insider article starts with this ominous opening line.

“Warren Buffett sees cyber attacks as a bigger threat to humanity than nuclear weapons.”

That may sound like a dramatic overstatement, but the most recent cyber crime statistics lend Buffett’s assessment uncomfortable credibility. Cybersecurity Ventures estimates that the total cost of cyber crime will hit $6 trillion dollars by 2021. (Yes, that’s “trillion” with a “t.”) What’s more, half of all small to medium-sized business experienced at least one cyber attack in the last year. Finally, according to the Denver Post, “60% of small companies that suffer a cyber attack are out of business within six months.”

The financial impact of a single cyber attack is significant enough to undo the foundation of your business. That’s no small thing.

Stopping cyber crime.

You can’t stop something if you don’t understand it. Our efforts to stop literal epidemics weren’t nearly as successful as they could have been before we understood germ theory. Similarly, stopping cyber crime comes down to understanding the very nature of it.

If you want to protect your company, you have to tap into some serious know-how.

Of course, most small business owners don’t have the time for that. It can take years of experience to really understand the nature of cybersecurity. On top of that, the landscape of cyber crime is always changing. It’s not easy to stay current.

Which is why so many small businesses turn to outside help. Not only does it save you time, but it could easily save the future of your business should you experience a cyber attack.

CCS Technology and cybersecurity.

Here at CCS Technology, we understand the complexity of keeping your network safe. We know what’s at stake, and we know the kinds of tactics cyber criminals rely on. We have a consistent track record of safeguarding our clients, and we can help you beef up your security, too.

If you’re interested in giving your organization the protection you need from cyber crime, get in touch with us today. Our friendly technicians are ready to walk you through every step of the process.

Related Post: Cybercrime: 5 Things You Need to Know

What is hybrid cloud storage?

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Cloud-based storage is hardly a new technology. It’s been a common IT solution for a number of years. For the most part, cloud storage is seen as a practical, convenient, flexible solution. However, despite its advantages, not everyone is convinced.

That’s because some still have concerns about the speed of access to data hosted in the cloud, possible latency, and security and compliance challenges. To address these fears, a new solution is now available – hybrid cloud storage.

How does hybrid cloud storage work?

Hybrid cloud storage is essentially a mix of off-site (cloud) and on-site storage. You keep some data in one place and some data in the other. This blended approach makes sense for several reasons.

Flexible Options

With hybrid cloud storage, you have multiple options for data storage. Your information can reside in an on-premise server, in a public cloud server, or in a private cloud server.

On-site storage works well for quick access. Public cloud servers are convenient, as all the maintenance is taken care of on your behalf. Private cloud servers require more effort on your part but come with a higher level of control and security.

The good news is that hybrid cloud solutions give you the ability to choose the blend that’s right for your company.

Strategic Storage

How do you know what data should go where? That’s a matter of your overall IT strategy.

For example, a financial firm might decide to store critical data (such as customers’ financial details) on its own local servers, while less sensitive data might be stored in a public cloud server. Alternately, a company might use both the private and public cloud, leaning on the latter for data archiving, backup, disaster recovery, workflow sharing and distribution and the former for high-security data.

You don’t have to go all-in on a single type of storage. Rather, you can mix and match according to your needs and requirements.

Scalable Growth

Many companies use hybrid cloud storage to supplement internal storage. This makes sense, particularly as a part of your growth strategy. If your business is expanding, it can be difficult to keep up with storage needs. However, cloud servers give you an easy way to add storage space quickly.

Use your local storage for the data you access more frequently and relegate data archives to the cloud. In that way, hybrid cloud storage can really take the bite out of some normal growing pains.

Cost-effective

There’s one final benefit. For a lot of organizations, there are some real cost savings to a hybrid cloud approach.

No, that’s not a guarantee that your company will save money. However, the cost of purchasing and maintaining all your own server space can be prohibitive for small businesses. A hybrid storage strategy allows for options to lower those expenses, limiting the amount of onsite storage you need while still meeting your company’s storage needs.

The challenge of hybrid storage.

The main challenge for companies interested in a hybrid storage solution is knowing which options to choose. You can’t capitalize on the advantages of the hybrid cloud if you don’t deploy your infrastructure the right way. Luckily, CCS Technology can help.

CSS Technology has years of experience setting up hybrid cloud storage solutions. We’re here to make sure you enjoy all the benefits of the hybrid cloud without any headaches. If you’d like to learn more about how a hybrid cloud approach might work for your business, give us a call. We’ll be happy to put our expertise to work for you.

Managed services make a real difference

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File this under “not a chance.”

A dentistry student in Denmark was having a slow day at the office. He was there. All the dental equipment was there. But patients were not there.

So he thought to himself, “You know, I really ought to take care of that wisdom tooth. I know it needs to come out. Oh, hey. Look. I have everything right here, and pulling it myself sounds like fun. Let’s do this!”

And do it he did. He pulled his own wisdom tooth using a mirror, and he even filmed the whole thing. Remarkably, he’s on record having said he did it “for fun.”

That’s one dentist whose idea of “fun” is very different from ours.

A bad time to outsource.

There are a lot of reasons why the average (sane) person wouldn’t follow the Denmark dentist’s lead. After all, dentists go to school for years to learn how to perform extractions.

In fact, that’s not the only thing you outsource in your personal life. You probably don’t do your own dry cleaning. Or grow all of your own food. Or fly the plane yourself when you go on vacation.

In each case, you turn to a professional to handle the highly technical stuff you don’t know how to do. Really, that’s what managed services are in the IT world. “Outsourcing” may not sound appealing, but relying on an expert for something that requires special skill just makes sense. Especially in business.

If you don’t, things can get messy, the process can be painful, and the outcome may not be what you want it to be. That’s true whether we’re talking about pulling teeth or managed services.

Messy.

Technology is anything but simple. Dealing with your smartphone or your home computer is one thing. Setting up and maintaining your business network is something else.

Managed services providers have years of experience helping clients find the right hardware, software and cloud solutions. They have the insight to know the best questions to ask to make sure your needs are fully covered.

While you clearly know how to run your business (that’s how you got where you are), knowing which blend of IT solutions will work best for your staff is a more nuanced thing. A professional opinion can save you quite a few technical messes. (Because who has time to clean up messes?)

Painful.

We’ve seen it plenty of times. When small business leaders tackle IT solutions on their own, sometimes the results aren’t just messy. They’re painful.

Trying to work with IT solutions that don’t really fit is crippling. It slows you down, interferes with customer services, inhibits productivity for your entire staff, and ultimately eats into your bottom line.

THAT’S painful. Managed services can help you avoid that.

Disappointing.

When things don’t work as smoothly as they could, there’s an undeniable effect on employee satisfaction. (And on YOUR satisfaction.)

According to Fast Company, happy employees are typically 12% more productive than their less satisfied peers. That’s a wide enough margin to give you a significant edge over the competition.

And, of course, happy employees tend to have better interactions with customers, too. In that sense, managed services have a trickle-down effect. Even your customers will benefit.

CCS Technology knows managed services.

Is it possible to handle all of your own IT support? Sure. Just like it’s possible to pull your own tooth. But is it ideal? Hardly.

Working with a managed services provider like CCS Technology can make a powerful difference in your productivity, profitability and overall satisfaction. It’s an investment, but one that most certainly pays off in the long run.

If you’d like to learn more about our managed services solutions, we invite you to get in touch with us. We’ll be happy to go into greater detail with you, and we’ll put together a plan that’s custom-tailored just for you.

Give us a call today.

Why you need help with your IT project (even if you think you don’t)

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There’s one nutrient that’s responsible for more than 300 of your body’s enzyme reactions. It lowers calcification in the arteries, reduces muscle cramps, lowers the risk of high blood pressure, boosts energy, acts a natural antidepressant, and even helps you get better sleep.

Do you know what it is?

Probably not. Most people don’t. Or at least, it seems most people don’t.

It’s magnesium. As many as 80% of Americans don’t get enough of it, despite the overwhelming benefits.

What you don’t know can hold you back.

Okay, so you’re ready to Google magnesium right about now to find out if you should be taking supplements. Given that we don’t hand out medical advice (and those stats are NOT medical advice!), that’s probably not a bad idea.

But not yet. There are other areas where a lack of knowledge can come back to bite you, including one area we know well.

Regardless of the size of your business, you have to tackle the occasional IT project. Whether it’s something (seemingly) simple, like purchasing new software, or something huge, like restructuring your whole network, IT projects are bigger beasts than they appear.

What you don’t know can make projects tough to pull off.

The Most Common Mistakes

Granted, you know how to get things done. You can’t run a business if you can’t be productive. But IT projects come with some unique challenges. Here are some of the most common mistakes business leaders make when undertaking IT projects on their own.

No clear goals.

Knowing that you want to solve a problem isn’t the same as knowing the desired outcome. Without a well-defined goal, there’s no way to manage the project efficiently. You might find a good solution, and you might not.

Either way, staying on schedule and under budget isn’t likely.

Attempting too much.

Most projects aren’t really single projects. They’re several individual, smaller projects with their own end points that culminate into a larger objective. But inexperienced project managers often make the mistake of trying to do it all at once.

Poor communication.

Projects are rarely completed by individuals. Far more often, they’re a team effort. When you have several people pulling together to achieve a common goal, a lack of communication can absolutely kill your chances of success.

From the beginning stages of the project all the way through implementation, clear, open communication is essential.

No flexibility.

There are times when a project appears to have one solution before you dive in . . . but once you’re actually working toward that goal, you discover there’s a better solution.

The idea of changing course once you’ve already started is jarring and upsetting. But sometimes it’s necessary. It’s important to be open to minor tweaks and, at times, total redirection.

Going too far too fast.

The temptation to take on too much can be strong. Once you start talking about how things could be, it’s easy to dream big. And dreaming big is good, but your project needs to be achievable, too. Overly aggressive goals and timelines will undo a project before it even starts.

Murphy’s Law.

If something can go wrong, it will. Even if you plan out everything.

Good project managers expect the unexpected. Something will cost too much. Some part of the solution won’t work as well as you hoped. Something you thought would finish on time will come in late. Keeping the overall project on track means adjusting to those hiccups and having the agility to correct quickly.

IT Projects with CCS Technology

Making your IT project a success is important. You rely on technology every day. It’s critical that upgrades, updates and new installs go smoothly. That’s why doing them on your own is a considerable gamble.

If you’d like some help, we have good news. CCS Technology knows how to navigate IT projects.

We can guide you from the beginning. Or, if your project is already underway but not going as planned, we can help get it back on schedule and maybe even under budget. We’ve got the know-how to make your IT project a success.

Give us a call today to let us know how we can help.

Lock onto your targets with the right IT support

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It sounds like science fiction, but it’s not. Rather, it’s one of the latest developments in modern weaponry. It could have dramatic effect on how we use guns.

It’s called the AimLock Stabilized Weapon Platform, and the US military is currently testing it. The new technology marries a traditional rifle with some impressive, real-time computing power. The shooter aims, but the gun’s casing assists by compensating for movement and wobble. This should make it far easier for soldiers to hit the intended target, even from a moving vehicle.

The system is still in early development, but tests are promising. Eventually, a shooter will be able to “lock onto” a target by aiming near it. The advantage for the battlefield would be considerable.

Talk about a game-changer.

How’s your IT support aim?

IT support has more in common with aimlock than you might think. Hang with us. The similarities are compelling.

1. IT support helps you establish targets.

What does IT support have to do with your business goals? A lot.

It’s tempting to think of IT support as nothing but, well, support. It’s right there in the name. And it’s true – good IT support does play a support role. But it has the potential to play a significant strategic role, too.

When your IT support is top-tier, you’ll have some useful data at your fingertips. You’ll know what processes currently work and where your bottlenecks are. You can use that information to plot a course for growth, working to eliminate hiccups. The more efficient you are, the lower your costs and the higher your customer satisfaction.

Solid IT support can be a tool for streamlining your organization.

2. If IT support isn’t lined up, it’s really hard to hit your targets.

Of course, efficiency isn’t your primary target. Profitability is. And sub par IT support makes that more difficult than it should be.

Ineffective IT support is like the end-all-be-all of shooter wobble. It’s like trying to sharpshoot from the bed of a pickup truck that’s doing 65 on a street full of speedbumps. Could you still hit your target? Sure, but it’s not likely.

Practically every area of your company relies on technology. It’s woven into everything from your phone system to your calendar. It’s easy to forget how prominent it is . . . until you don’t have it.

Effective IT support minimizes those painful moments. Proactive maintenance keeps you running at full capacity as much as possible, and responsive helpdesk support gets you back online when there’s a misfire.

3. The right kind of IT support can help you lock onto your targets.

When your technology works the way it’s supposed to, you can focus on what really matters to you. You have the freedom to engage with your staff, drive organizational growth, tackle aggressive projects, and ensure work/life balance. Those are the things that improve ROI and quality of life.

That’s so much better than spending hours trying to figure out why the printer isn’t working.

Your IT support partner.

IT support is only as good as the provider. With the right IT support partner, your aim gets considerably sharper. That’s how you connect with bullseyes.

Here at CCS Technology, we have a passion for providing that kind of IT support. We don’t see ourselves as a vendor, but as an extension of our client’s organization. We take sincere pride in delivering the best IT support around. And we have the expertise to make that claim stick.

If you’re looking for an IT support partner, we invite you to give us a call. Let’s recalibrate your sights. With the right IT support, you can hit the targets that matter most.

 

Three reasons you should be using cloud services

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You’ve probably heard about the businesses using cloud services. A lot of organizations are headed in that direction. But why? What are cloud services? And how can they provide you with a business advantage?

Most folks are already using cloud services, even if they don’t realize it. For example, email services like Gmail are all based in the cloud. If you’ve ever taken a video call on Skype, that too is a cloud service. And if you share business files with services like Dropbox, again, you’re in the cloud, baby.

But cloud services go way beyond these basic offerings. In fact, these days it’s possible to replace your entire IT infrastructure with cloud solutions. What follows are a few compelling reasons to consider jumping on the bandwagon.

Let’s talk about the power of the cloud.

Cost Savings

One of the main reasons many companies opt for cloud solutions is potential savings.

Cloud services eliminate the need for big investments in storage and server hardware, as well as potentially lower software costs. With the cloud, applications are offered on a subscription or pay-as-you-use basis. You only pay for what you actually use without the costs of creating and maintaining an infrastructure on top. Most providers allow companies to scale usage to fit their needs, so they can adjust for peaks and troughs in demand.

Greater Flexibility & Scalability

Cloud services provide more flexibility and agility than traditional computing methods. With the cloud, your employees are no longer tied to their desks. They can access their files wherever they are, 24 hours a day, from just about any device. They can also work collaboratively with the rest of the staff, even if one of them is on the other side of the world.

Another major benefit is the flexibility to scale services according to your needs. You can toggle your level of service based on current need, adding to or scaling down on the fly. With traditional in-house tech, these kinds of changes are rarely quick. But with the cloud, it’s possible to do so in seconds.

This means that’s possible to achieve a degree of flexibility that was previously unheard of, enabling you to respond rapidly to your customers’ needs or changes in your business.

Better Performance, More Features

The major cloud service providers all have thousands of customers, which means their data centers are equipped with hundreds of cutting-edge, high-performance systems to handle those workloads. All of that raw computing power translates to a major advantage for you. Your cloud provider can offer a level of performance that’s orders of magnitudes higher than you’re likely to have in-house on your own.

Cloud providers also use the most up to date versions of software, which means you’ll be able to access all of the latest features. In addition, their administrators are able to optimize hardware and software for performance. Talk about bang for your buck.

If your company isn’t already invested in cloud services, isn’t it about time you asked yourself why? Contact us today to find out how cloud solutions can take your business to the next level.