It’s the right time to embrace the cloud accounting for SMEs

In the age of rapid technological growth, times are changing, and this doesn’t exclude how businesses work.

As mobile technology evolves, our requirements for accessibility changes too, meaning running a business from a central, stationary, hub, is no longer a necessity, or even convenient. These days, being able to travel and remain connected is an integral aspect of modern life, both personally and professionally.

An estimated 70% of all workers now work from home at least once a week, while it is estimated that, in just a few years, 40% of all workforces will do so remotely. The shift from working on site is in full progress, and at this moment, it’s the right time to embrace the cloud accounting for all SMEs.

What is the cloud accounting?

If you’re unfamiliar with the cloud, what you need to know is that, in essence, it is simply an online resource for the storage and access of data and programs. In the same way, you access information on your localized hard-drive, the cloud allows you to do so online. Therefore, you can access and use any cloud compatible software using any device that has internet connectivity, anywhere in the world.

The reason the cloud is different is that it facilitates for shared data to reach all intended people with access immediately, in real time, with a user-friendly interface. The cloud accounting integrates this superior accessibility with familiar accounting software, like QuickBooks 2019 Desktop, offering you quick, shareable, up to date information, and an improved overview of your current finances. 

Is the cloud safe?

Managing your business accounts online may sound like a risk, however, you’ve more than likely already had experience using something similar if you’ve ever used internet banking. Information stored in the cloud is only accessible with personal account information and is otherwise encrypted for your protection. Here’s some essential  cloud storage solutions you would want to look into to boost small business.

In many ways, data stored with the cloud is safer than on your hard-drive, as your information is not vulnerable or at risk from device theft or damage. Online sharing and accessibility remove the need for physical file sharing, like with USB drives, email, etc, so data is at less risk of being copied and falling into the wrong hands. With your data being stored and accessed online eliminates the need to make copies and gives you greater control over who has access. 

How can any SME benefit from the cloud accounting?

Aside from the greater security of your data, there are many ways in which the cloud accounting can benefit SMEs. If you’re considering utilizing the cloud and integrating QuickBooks 2019 Desktop, or any other accounting software, we have listed just some of the improvements it can make within your business below.

• It is cost effective.

As managing your accounts with cloud compatible software is provided via a subscription service, all the maintenance costs are upfront. There are no potential unexpected fees or additional charges for customer support, software updates, etc, as all aspects are managed by the service provider remotely.

• It is time effective.

As software changes, upgrades, and maintenance are all managed online, it saves you all the time you’d usually spend downloading and installing programs to keep your system up to date with traditional software. This allows you to reinvest your time better in other aspects of your business, or even your personal life.

• It offers flexible accessibility.

The flexible access afforded to you by online accessibility means the opportunities are endless. With the cloud accounting, you can manage your business at work, from home, or wherever you need to be in the world.

In addition, the ability to share data across any device with internet connectivity, allowing for multiple users to access the same data simultaneously, improves productivity and collaboration. The cloud will contain all up to date information pertaining to your business in one place, with an easy to use operating system, both fully customizable and manageable.

Six top email tips and tricks for startups

There’s no doubt that email has made our lives simpler and more convenient, but this has come at a price.

Sometimes we can feel overwhelmed with the sheer volume of email traffic we get and it’s hard to know where to start to get on top of it. Furthermore, the settings and functions available in modern email software can seem mind-boggling, even to the tech-savvy.

Working in a busy and ambitious startup only exacerbates these issues. So, if you’ve ever felt burnt out or befuddled by your inbox, have a read of the following simple tips that will help keep your emails organised and your inbox running smoothly.

Switch on ‘undo send’

Gmail has a handy but not very well publicised ‘undo send’ feature in its settings. By switching it on, you can stop or withdraw the email you’ve just sent. This is really useful if you’ve spotted a typo or have sent the email to the wrong recipient. To activate ‘undo send’, just navigate to the settings cog in the top right corner of the screen, click ‘settings’, then choose the cancellation period that works best for you.

Create a good email signature

Having a good email signature that contains information about your company not only looks professional, it’s also required by UK law if you’re operating a Limited Liability Partnership, a private or public company. This legislation requires professionals to include key details about their business in their email signatures, such as the company’s office address, its place of registration and its registration number.

In addition to the legal considerations, including an email signature in your correspondence just looks more professional than not including one. Bear in mind that email signatures can appear differently across different devices and email platforms, so you might want to spend some time investigating ways to achieve consistency in your company signature through third party software.

Use default replies

Spending a bit of time creating or utilising default replies is worthwhile. If you frequently use the same responses in emails, for example to customers or clients, making use of this feature can be a time-saver. Gmail has integrated this feature into its email software, presenting you with reply options it thinks would be useful (e.g. ‘Thank you!’, ‘Great’, ‘No I don’t, sorry’). You can also create customised responses in most modern email software, so have a play around with your email settings and see what is available to you.

Make use of task lists

Task lists are now a common feature in most email software and you can make use of this feature to stay on top of your workload. Task lists can be used in a variety of ways; use them to set reminders to email a colleague or follow-up an email, or to make a note of when a mailshot needs to be sent out to your customers. The faster you familiarise yourself with your email software’s task list function, the easier it will be for you to manage your inbox.

Monitor your spam filter

It’s important to make sure your email software’s spam filter is working correctly. Make sure that you properly flag email as spam when it hits your inbox so the filter can learn and adapt in classifying messages as spam.

Also, although current spam filters are very sophisticated, non-spam does sometimes end up in the folder. It’s therefore worth checking your spam folder regularly to make sure no important emails are ending up in there by mistake. For startups this is particularly important as customers or clients could be kept waiting as a result of an email incorrectly landing in your junk folder.

Filter your emails by priority

It sounds obvious, but one of the best ways to manage email traffic is to quickly prioritise your incoming emails. Not only will this help you stay on top of things, but it’s also a great way to declutter your inbox. You can achieve this in a number of ways and what method you choose will largely depend on the size of your startup and its particular needs.

For example, email software such as Gmail allows you to assign a star to an email, so you could colour code your emails by urgent (red star) to semi-urgent (orange star) and non-urgent (yellow star). Other features are more sophisticated and involve sorting email automatically into folders using filters. You could have folders labelled ‘to do’ or ‘important’, for example.

Nearshore Software Development: A Guide

Do you want to make your company more responsive and better at completing projects? Continue reading to learn about nearshore software development and how it benefits you.

Every business and company is searching for ways to receive better results while reducing their investment costs. This is true for your IT industry, where the salaries continue to grow, and reliable/qualified employees are highly demanded.

Let us educate you on what nearshore software development can do for your business.

What is Nearshore Software Development?

Nearshore outsourcing is when you get your services or work performed by people in countries adjacent or next to yours. For instance, companies inside the US will outsource their work to Mexico and Canada.

Geographic proximity helps make communication and travel less expensive, and you’ll have some cultural similarities. With nearshoring, there is a higher chance that the workers are able to speak the same language.

Nearshore software development is an “in between choice” when we think about onshoring and off shoring. Technically, nearshore software development works like offshoring, but the only difference is the location. Offshoring works when a country buys services for a foreign country.

Here are some quick reasons why companies turn to Nearshoring:

• Culture similarity and geographic proximity helps make communication and travel less expensive and easier
• Your developers will have a strong portfolio of completed projects and technical skills. For instance, Ukraine is ranked 4th among the world’s top educated nations.
• Nearshore companies provide services that are cost-efficient and cost-effective options. You’ll have a higher quality product for the fraction of the price than using offshore development plans.

Nearshore development businesses have the same country location that has similar time zones. Or, they’ll have minimal differences. This helps the users have a higher level of communication and is a more cost-effective way to manage your company.

What are the Advantages?

These are some of the reasons why your business could gain a lot from using nearshoring their development teams:

Enthusiastic Workforce/Stability

When you have a nearshore contact system for your employees as your customer care, call center, or office workforce is a reliable compared to traditional outsourcing companies. Why? Because your employees demand these jobs.

Possible Tax Savings

Major IT outsourcing companies’ governments are attempting to support the industry by creating good taxation laws. This is why businesses see offshore software development as a way to reduce their taxes during tax season.

Longer Hours Because of Time Difference

Many businesses that have experience in offshoring state that the difference in time zones when both the nearshore development team and your in-house development teams are combined.

Due to the time difference, your offshore developers will be able to leave work later than the onsite programmers and start earlier than them.

That way, your employees work on the project will continue more than 7-8 hours per day, and it will be completed quicker.

Closing Remarks

Businesses are changing, and you will need to change your strategies in order to survive in such an evergrowing market. Ultimately, it can help your business when you keep your employees nearby and works for long-term growth.

Disclaimer: All of our information is used for business purposes only. If you plan on using this form employee outsourcing, make sure that your company is ready for the change and do so at your own risk.

The most successful online slots software developers

Online gaming software companies are key players in not only the provision of games but also the existence of the entire virtual casino platform.

These companies are credited with single-handedly expanding the gambling industry into the online platform and making it the thriving niche it is today. Even though casinos act as the primary platforms to access games, software firms operate behind the scene to not only provide sets but also power the platform on which they run. Slots are the most focused on games by software developers. When trying to discern the best of the lot, some of the elements that can be assessed include:

• Licensing information: Like casinos, online slots software developers are also granted licenses that govern their provision of real money games. A firm holding a reputable license means that its releases have been put through a variety of tests to confirm their fairness and ability to support real money gameplay.
• Mobile affinity: Mobile gambling has become a vast indulgent across the globe and a considerable target market for software companies seeing that the platform boasts more than three billion users worldwide. Software firms with mobile games offer convenience to play on the go. A lot is offered at Vulkan Vegas as well.
• Entertainment value: Slot gameplay has seen minimal change over the decades, which makes the application of skills the same in all of them. However, the best online game developers incorporate entertainment value on top of straightforward gameplay in the form of themes and bonus rounds.
• Free and real money gameplay: The provision of free and real money game versions means that they will be available to a broader scope of players. Both variations of each game are the same with the only difference being that fun credits are used in the former instead of actual cash.

In this piece, we breakdown some of the leading online slots software developers that have managed to garner solid reputations in the gaming business.

NetEnt

NetEnt is undeniably the biggest name in slots development today, overtaking even industry giants like International Games Technology. This firm came to rise back in 1996 in Sweden when the industry was quite young, and it has played a significant role in forging the path taken by the niche to make it what it is today.

The entity is recognised for being the very first slots provider to incorporate the use of Java software in games, which aided in the entry of mobile gaming. This software has since been replaced with HTML5 technology for NetEnt slots’ compatibility with many more mobile operating systems and seamless gameplay. Some of those that still run on flash technology are being redeveloped to incorporate the tech.

NetEnt employs the use of more than seven hundred creative staff in their global offices to churn out games that deliver as much entertainment as they do simplicity. The games’ developer is credited with spearheading the use of three-dimensional tech in the creation of sets, which is the highest demanded in casinos today. The game provider has released more than three hundred titles since its entry into the market with a significant focus on quality over quantity. Some of its most popular titles to date include:

• Dead or Alive II
• Gonzo’s Quest
• The Invisible Man
• Starburst
• Aliens
• Vikings
• Mega Fortune
• Jimi Hendrix
• Dracula, etc.

These games are available for play in both free and real money play modes in more than three hundred licensed casinos worldwide.

Microgaming

Microgaming has more than a proven track record as a gaming software company that makes it’s a revered name on the web. This games developer is regarded as the father of all things internet gambling having been the first to ever provide gaming services online back in 1994. More than two decades of experience shows in the way the slots developer conducts business, which has maintained it as one of the top five gaming companies in the world even with the rise of fierce competition over the years.

One of the most significant steps that cemented Microgaming’s place among the crème de la crème of the gambling world was the launch of the Quickfire platform back in 2010. This subsidiary of the developer acts as a forum for smaller companies to gain recognition in the gambling market without having to invest in a platform where their games have to run. Also, it aids casinos easily pick and choose the sets they would like to include in their portfolio without having to take everything from a developer. This platform supports a community of hundreds of gaming firms, and one of the biggest beneficiaries is SkillOnNet, which tables more than five hundred games.

Microgaming carries a catalogue of more than 1200 games with a focus on various categories. Slots are the centre of attention in this portfolio with more than 850 titles that can be found in hundreds of Microgaming casinos online. These sets are centred on a variety of themes ranging from holidays and history to popular films and celebrities. Some of the highest-ranking Microgaming slot releases include:

• Jurassic World
• Jungle Jim El Dorado
• Hellboy
• Golden Era
• Game of Thrones
• Avalon II
• Mermaid Millions
• Secret Santa, etc.

Yggdrasil Gaming

Yggdrasil Gaming is one of the relatively recent entries in the world of online gaming software development having been launched in 2013. Even with its somewhat young nature, Yggdrasil has grown to command staggering heights of popularity that match those of successful pioneer companies. Such massive success is credited to the fact that the names behind the company’s establishment have a long history of working in the gaming business. For instance, the founder of the entity, Fredrik Elmqvist, worked as the CEO of NetEnt before opening the firm. Considering NetEnt is the most popular of all online game developers, Fredrik had a lot of experience in driving a gaming software company into success, which is reflected with Yggdrasil Gaming.

Yggdrasil Gaming’s name has an atypical ring to it, which is sourced from a giant ash tree in Norse mythology that is said to connect the nine worlds in the universe. The online gaming software company lives up to its name with the delivery of slot games that meet diverse needs from varying stake limits to themes. Yggdrasil Gaming’s portfolio is dotted with popular titles like:

• Cazino Cosmos
• Beauty and the Beast
• Vikings Go to Hell
• Cyrus the Virus
• Joker Millions
• Nirvana
• Orient Express
• Penguin City
• Seasons, etc.

Parting Shot

In the world of casino gambling, slots face the highest appetite from gamers such as those featured in https://vulkanvegas.com/en/category/slots. These online slots software developers work to satisfy this demand in select style and offer their games in a wide range of gambling dens. Both free and real money play modes can be enjoyed, and those in the latter category are certified as fair by reputable vetting firms.

Embracing AI: Where to start on your path to digital transformation

The term ‘Artificial Intelligence’(AI) evokes mixed reactions – from fear of the unknown to excitement about the possibilities this new technology has to offer.

Whatever your views on AI, the sooner you and your business start to embrace it, the sooner you will see where the positives lie and how to use it to improve business efficiency and drive innovation.It’s relevant for SMEs just as much as larger enterprises.

Amyn Jaffer, Head of Intelligent Automation, Ultima explains that many companies are, understandably, unsure of where to start when it comes to introducing AI. You may also be among those wondering what exactly AI means and how it could make a positive difference to your business.

AI can be defined as an area of computer science that emphasises the creation of intelligent machines that work and react like humans. It’s a very broad term for a wide range of technologies and capabilities which can have a profound impact on organisations in any vertical. This broad scope often makes it hard to establish which aspects of AI are likely to suit any particular business or scenario, but starting with one of its simpler forms is the best approach.

The benefits of process automation

Intelligent Automation (IA) is the use of Robotic process automation (RPA) software with artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities to handle high-volume, repeatable tasks that previously required humans to perform them. These tasks can include queries, calculations and maintenance of records and transactions.

As well as being relatively simple to implement, using software robots is both affordable and effective, making it an ideal place for any SME to startits path to digital transformation. And the potential benefits are impressive.

Take, for example, an HR department.Here, Intelligent Automation can be used for processing applications and absence management, as well as ensuring that each company department has the same information about each employee without the typical challenges of multiple system records.With these tasks managed in an automated manner, the HR team is free to focus on the more strategic aspects of their roles.

As another example, Intelligent Automation can be used to simplify the process of reporting on credit for thousands of customers. In one case, a retailer reduced reporting time by 91%, creating savings of more than £100k, by using a ‘virtual worker’ to produce credit reports.

Any large-scale activities or groups of repetitive tasks that draw on or feed information into multiple systems are also candidates for intelligent automation. In practice, this could mean using cognitive services such as text and sentiment analysis to process and respond to natural language text within formats such as emails, documents and live webchats. The aim is to extract data from these sources without the need for human intervention.

Contact centres are simplifying the service agent process by using Natural Language Processing (NLP) to extract key information from emails and messaging chats, allowing their agents to focus on providing the best experience for their customers. Similarly, speech recognition software can be used to answer the phone and respond automatically to customers as software robots are capable of analysing calls and finding the right information to help the caller. The robots gather the required information in milliseconds, making the service more efficient so that real people can deal with more challenging customer services issues.

Cognitive services can also be used to improve business efficiency through visual recognition. One company is using this technology to tag information in photographs – a task that would take hundreds of man-hours to do, but just seconds with cognitive services.

The next level: intelligent data analytics

With these processes in place, companies can move towards introducing more sophisticated AIto mine their data and start to ask questions of that data that will deliver unique business insights. By automatically collecting and sifting through vast amounts of data and then training robots to make sense of the data by asking the data pertinent questions, you can start to solve the problems that have been keeping you up at night. For example, analysing your customer data to establish insights into how different things affect your customers’ purchasing decisions can give real business benefits and drive innovations in how you supply and market your goods.

Ultimately, we’re all likely to have a ‘virtual worker’ by our sides helping us to do our jobs, cutting out mundane, repetitive tasks and freeing us up to be more creative and focus on business goals and innovation. To reach this stage the right foundations need to be in place,and the adoption of Intelligent Automation is the best place to start.

Not only is it simple to implement in many processes throughout most SMEs, software robots also provide positive, short-term ROI which is good for demonstrating to boards the tremendous potential of AI. We’re just at the beginning of the intelligent transformation journey- join in and make your company’s future bright.