Blog Layout
Team Communication Tools: How to free up 25-30% more time in your business
Andrew Stubbs • Feb 14, 2018

The world has changed. Work has changed. 

The possibilities provided by cloud and mobile technologies are beyond what most people would even have considered possible just a decade ago.

But have you adapted and updated your systems to keep up with - and take advantage of - these exciting and fast-moving changes? Or are you still determined to drive the steam engine?

You may not realise it but if you're still emailing and Cc-ing and Bcc-ing the whole office in on messages - and this is your main (or only) internal team communication method - then you are still puffing away on the steam engine.

You're left behind while everyone else is taking fast bullet trains to get to their destinations safely and more effectively; you're relying on out-dated technology.

The McKinsey 2012 Social Economy report found that:

  • The average corporate user spends about 25% of the workday answering and sending email
  • 25% to 30% of time spent on email could be saved if the main communication channel was switched to a social platform

Most businesses could use a little more time and productivity back in 2012. What about now?

Years later and the bottom line is this: If you run a team of professionals that needs to collaborate on work, you need to start taking advantage of the many tools available beyond simple email, in order to be more productive.

There is an array of project management, collaboration, chat, and email enhancement tools that help your team communicate more efficiently and get work done more effectively.

So what tools are available – and how, specifically, can they help you be more productive?

Chat and messaging tools

Chat tools allow you to securely and privately talk to individual team members or interact with the whole team.

There's no writing emails, no waiting for emails to be read, no wondering if people have read what you wrote or received attachments…it's all a lot more direct, real-time, and collaborative.

You attach relevant links and files as you go, virtually rendering email defunct for some organisations in terms of internal communications. Some organisations even use chat tools as the main interface and communication channel with clients.

Below is a brief overview of a few of the most popular ones.

  • Slack

Slack is built for communication between everyone from freelancers to large enterprises. It has customisable real-time messaging, archiving, and also search… from mobile or desktop devices running Windows, Mac, or Android. 

It features built-in internal and external sharing options, open channels, file sharing, notifications, and there is flexible file browsing and integration with Google Docs and Dropbox.

Free versions are available, which are great for freelancers.

  • Hipchat

Hipchat is designed specifically for chat amongst team members in small and medium businesses. Available for Windows, Mac, Android, and Linux, it is fully customisable.

The app offers easy screen sharing, secure guest access, SSL encryption for security, simple file sharing, and unlimited chatrooms.

A free version is available; a paid version offers more functionality (such as video calling) for a small monthly charge.

  • Telegram

Telegram is a free app, regardless of the amount of chats stored (unlike Slack). It also offers similar features to Slack but with unlimited search history. It only works off mobile.

A great feature of Telegram is secret chats, by which you can share sensitive information like passwords. Privacy is a big deal. It also offers audio notes – another cool feature.

Being open source, there is a support community to back it up.

Collaboration tools

Collaboration tools go beyond simple chat tools. They may include a chat component to them but their key function is to organise work and to make collaboration on projects and project management easier.

As the nature of work has changed with the mobile and cloud revolution, more people work remotely than ever before.

Nowadays, it's not just the travelling salespeople who aren't based in the office. The office itself might not even exist!

Collaboration tools allow remote teams to work together as if they were at adjacent desks in the office – often from opposite sides of the world. This is partly what has enabled the wholesale hiring of freelancers in many businesses.

Below is a brief overview of just a few of the most popular from the many collaboration platforms available.

  • Basecamp

Basecamp is a cloud-hosted project management platform. Created 10 years ago, it is one of the most established and popular online suites available, with many millions of users. It is capable of looking after large enterprises or small businesses.

Simple to learn, reliable, and full-featured, it's easy to organise people, delegate tasks, and monitor the progress of projects.

  • Trello

This is another of the leading project management tools available but different in design to Basecamp. It uses a 'kanban' board set up.

Within these boards (projects), a series of cards represent tasks. These cards can be used to invite team members to, in order to assign tasks and track the progress of a project, and to categorise work in relation to the project. Simple to use and reasonably priced.

  • Wrike

Wrike is another project management tool that allows you to prioritise assignments and monitor updates in real time.

It assists with task management, has an interactive timeline, allows document collaboration and discussions in tasks, and can be used on iPhone and Android as well as desktop. 

Wrike can also be integrated with email, Google Docs, and Dropbox.

  • Asana

Asana is another of the most popular project management tools to replace the need for email.

It makes team communication and collaboration easy, with the ability to easily create projects and tasks, and to follow the progress of projects.

Team members can be added to projects and tasks, with files shared and messaging made easy between them. It is compatible from both desktop and mobile devices. 

  • Podio

Podio has a dedicated following of over 400,000 teams and makes communication, organisation, and project workflows simple. 

This customisable tool is suitable for small and medium business, as well as freelancers. It has a strong social core, with activity streams featuring comments, likes, and status updates. Anyone with a company email address can join and collaborate on a thread. 

Email integration tools 

Email may still have a place in your business, even with social tools being introduced. But, like with an old car that still gets you from A to B, it may need a few accessories to do its job efficiently.
There are several email tools that can jazz it up and help email to better meet the requirements of a modern business. 

Email should no longer be treated as the sole communication tool; instead, it needs to interact with the social tools you introduce.

Email inboxes need to be unified and shared across teams and no longer designed as separate silos of info for individuals: email needs to be integrated into the new reality of a collaborative, information-sharing platform. 

Here are just two of the great tools available – a simple search on Google will suggest more:

  • Karbon

Karbon is actually is actually a workflow management application, with a focus on the accounting industry. It helps accounting firms manage client work and email communications.

One of its main features is email triage: This allows all emails to enter into a single repository to be assigned out as work comes in: a much more efficient way of organising emails than the traditional individual account set up.

  • Hiver

Hiver is another tool that helps you manage your email better. Effectively it turns Gmail into a help desk, bringing all the features you need for your help desk right into your Gmail account.

It is able to rapidly delegate emails so that communication becomes more seamless and customers receive better, more streamlined service.

Collaboration: there's no time like the present

During the 90s and noughties, email became an indispensable business tool. Now, however, it is replaceable.

In fact, in many cases it needs to be replaced as it ends up wasting too much employee time and damaging productivity.

The beauty of most of the chat, collaboration, and email enhancement tools detailed above is that many of your staff will already be familiar with how to use them.

They are probably using similar social apps for chat and messaging in their private lives. This creates a low barrier of entry that should be embraced by businesses: very little training is required! 

Of course, you will need to create some usage guidelines but simplicity is key here: Most of these tools are so easy to use that you can literally implement a new system and have people using it to collaborate almost immediately. 

If you would like assistance in selecting the right chat or collaboration platforms for your business, one of our qualified professionals can help. Simply contact us here: (02) 9299 1555.

Why Your Business Needs to Invoice Using the New Peppol Network

By Andrew Stubbs • 05 Jun, 2022
Here's some good news if your business sends invoices to business or government customers. Peppol* is on its way. (That's Peppol, not Peppa .) Ever had this conversation in your business? You or one of your team: "Hello, I'm calling to follow up the invoice we emailed to you last month. It hasn't been paid yet." Customer: "Really? We didn't receive that invoice?" In addition to the time and expense of following up, the cash flow delays create stress for you and they hurt your business. Thankfully, the adoption of Peppol will solve this problem. What is Peppol? Peppol is an obscure acronym for Pan-European Public Procurement On-Line. What's more important than what it stands for, is what it enables. Peppol is an international 'eProcurement' framework for the electronic exchange of information. It creates a standard approach for governments and businesses to structure and exchange information such as invoices and other documents. What Peppol means for you and your business Peppol makes electronic ordering, invoicing and shipping between governments and private companies faster, simpler and more secure. This means your business will get paid faster when dealing with government and larger businesses. In 2019, Australia and New Zealand adopted this platform for e-invoicing which, when implemented, will make 'we never received your invoice' issues virtually impossible. The new e-invoicing system is more secure than email and provides many other benefits. Which countries are adopting Peppol? There are currently 40 OpenPeppol member countries: 32 countries in Europe plus Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, China, Japan, Mexico and Singapore. Each country has a Peppol authority. For example, in Australia that's the Australian Tax Office (ATO). Is Peppol already in use? Yes it is. For example, the SuperStream system in Australia-which many businesses are currently using to automate the payment of employee superannuation contributions-is based on the Peppol protocol. How does e-invoicing work? The system connects the accounting systems of all businesses and government departments via the secure Peppol network.  Suppliers generate sales invoices in their accounting systems which are sent to Peppol.

Company Director? Why You Need to Apply for Your DIN

By Andrew Stubbs • 04 May, 2022
If you're a director of an Australian company-or you plan to be-take 5 minutes now to read this article. All existing directors (and intending directors) of Australian companies need to be aware that the Australian Government has announced the introduction of a new mandatory Director Identification Number (DIN) system. (You'll notice the term director ID is also used for DIN.) This system is the initial step in the Modernising Business Registry (MBR) Program which has been established under the Treasury Laws Amendment Act which was legislated by the Australian Government in 2020. More information on the MBR program can be found here . What is the DIN system trying to achieve? The DIN aims to provide accountability and traceability of a director's relationships over time, across all companies and will provide information on a director's involvement in what may be repeated unlawful activity, including illegal phoenix activity. It should also solve the problem of false or fraudulent director identities. What are the key features? It is mandatory for all directors, foreign directors and alternate directors of Australian companies to hold a DIN. The DIN is a unique 15 digit number. The first 3 digits will be 036 which is the identifier for Australia. The last digit is a check digit to help with accuracy when quoting your DIN. Like your tax file number, you will only be issued with one DIN which you will hold for life - even if you cease acting as a director for any period. To obtain a DIN, you will need to prove your identity so you will not be able to hold multiple DINs. Other office holders (e.g. company secretaries) are not required to register. The director is responsible for updating the DIN records for any changes in personal information within 7 days of the change. The director must apply personally. The process cannot be completed by your accountant, lawyer, spouse or executive assistant. There are significant penalties for non-compliance. How do you apply for a DIN? Directors have 3 options for applying. You can apply online from 1 November 2021. To use this method, you must first establish your identity via myGovID (an app you download on your smart device which is different from myGov). Once set up, your myGovID will make accessing a wide range of government services easier. (It's not just for your DIN application). For information on how to set up a myGovID please go to https://www.mygovid.gov.au/set-up During the DIN application process, you will need additional information such as your tax file number (TFN) and your residential address as per ATO records. It would also be advisable to have other personal details such as bank account details, medicare card or a recent income tax assessment available in case these are required. You can also apply by phone ( 13 62 50 ). During the call, the operator will ask for the identity documents you would have used to obtain your myGovID (passport and driver licence) as well as the additional information listed above. These details will be confirmed with the records held on existing government databases and, assuming the details agree, your DIN will be issued. Or you can apply by mail, but this is not recommended because the process for doing this seems vague ("Write to us") which means you can probably expect a lengthy process of certifying documents and coping with the vagaries of the postal system. One of the other two methods would be a better choice. When will you need to apply for a DIN? Transitional arrangements will allow directors to become familiar with the new requirement. When you need to have a director ID will depend on when you were appointed as a director.

7 Best Practices for Setting Your Small Business on the Success Track

By Andrew Stubbs • 07 Apr, 2022
If you're a small business owner, you're always on the lookout for better ways to go about routine tasks to boost growth and underpin reliability. So, yes, you have the will; now, what are the ways? What are those consistent routines you can instill that will have the most benefits? This article looks at the top 6 things you can do to help your business thrive. We're going to cover finances, goals, marketing, technology and you ! So, let's take a look… 1. Your finances are a scorecard … and a predictor Boil it all down and dollars in the bank are the report card on the health of your business operations. Surprising then that so many people don't really pay much attention to how much they've earned, nor how much they're likely to earn. As much as it might feel like a chore, reviewing your sales and financial projections and then using them to ascertain if you need business financing is a discipline worth cultivating . If you suspect that your cash flow is precarious, you should be checking out your options today. First metric to check: your credit score. If it is too low, you need to take steps to shore it up. Next, check in with your bank or finance broker about what loans are available. 2. Goal setting, goal achieving, goal celebrating So, if you're using current and future dollars in the bank to keep score, the next thing is to do something about it. This is where goal setting comes in. If thoughtfully set and persistently pursued, goals help you orientate your willpower and your energy at each moment of the business day. This is the hidden power of goals: giving you a good sense of direction and a way to channel your instincts towards wise objectives. Constantly checking in with your goals makes them a benchmarking tool to keep your business pointed in the right direction. Yes, just having goals helps. Actually achieving a goal helps too, of course! 3. Increasing the impact of your marketing Marketing is not magic. It is not a mystery. It is not an art. However, many less-than-reputable marketers will try to claim that it is. They do so to gain wiggle room to pad their invoices and cover up their lack of skill. What this means is that it is easy to waste money on ineffective marketing. The good news is that there are many low-budget marketing strategies that actually work to help grow your brand and reputation. Scout around on the internet and choose one or two new tactics. Deploy them and test them. If they work, double down. If they don't, try something else. If you can't tell if they're working, also try something else. Social media is the obvious starting place for these low-stakes experiments and the old classics of LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are where to trial them. 4. Bringing your business up to date technologically The ability of modern productivity and project-management tools to give small players the same capabilities as the big boys simply cannot be ignored. Harness them properly and they'll let your small businesses operate with the same productivity as the titans of your sector. And, if your business is in the services sector, the increased controls that business technologies can yield also lets you be highly agile - that's something the big boys can't do. So, ask yourself: are you taking full advantage of what's out there? Don't worry, the answer to this question is always 'no' - the field is simply moving too fast for anyone to be able to take full advantage. However, if you have a realistic view of your needs, then you have a yardstick to help assess all the solutions out there. When you know what you need the technology to do, then you can wisely choose what hardware, software, platforms and techniques to introduce. 5. SEO has changed and it is going to change again Google - indeed all platforms offering broad search functions, from Youtube to Facebook - are constantly altering and optimising their algorithms. This, in turn, means SEO practice must constantly evolve to keep pace. So, if your SEO approach hasn't been overhauled in a few years, the time has come to give it some attention. Do a review of best practice and score how you cater to SEO in your online presences. Yet, because the underlying concept of SEO has not changed, the corrective actions you need to take may not be major. Then again, they might be! It is better to know unpleasant news sooner than outright bad news later. 6. Download the right new apps The remote work trend has gone mega and this means mobile productivity apps are very much of-the-moment. See, you can get a surprising amount done with just your phone and tablet. And apps are how it all happens … plus connectivity and a full battery, of course! Usually, apps are best for keeping an eye on things, boosting effectiveness on the "busy" tasks and enabling you to give your stamp of approval to work that needs your say-so to progress. In general, these are not value-adding tasks, just the value-neutral tasks that get in the way of the value-adding tasks. Now, there is no end of apps out there. So, as always, don't bother looking until you have some idea of what you need. 7. You are the ultimate business tool Health is the single most important aspect to consider for anyone running a business. It's the non-negotiable factor that governs everything else you are capable of. To adapt a quote from Arnold Schwarzenegger, being fit and healthy is "a status symbol. It reflects you worked hard for it; no money can buy it. You cannot borrow it, you cannot inherit it, you cannot steal it". This means that you must get enough sleep every night (most people need 7 hours or more). This means a healthy diet must become your preferred way of eating. This means that you should exercise every single day (except when sick). This means you must give your mind a rest too . Meditation isn't some mystic monkish thing, it's simply the practice of letting your thoughts come and go while you - the observer - stay peaceful and undisturbed by them. Think of it like this, meditating is mediating your mind. Take stock, choose wisely, make small steps in the right direction In this article, we've talked about some improvements you can make to what you're already doing. You don't have to do all of these at once. Start with the one that seems easiest and then stick with it to see if it works. Remember, it's not always about big changes. Often, you can make major improvements in outcome by making small changes to input. Doing the little things better. So take stock, choose wisely and be sure to make those small steps in the right direction for success today, tomorrow and the next day.
More Posts
Share by: