Page 10 - Home Business - Fall 2018

to that of competitors is snappy via SEMrush;
and home business owners can create custom Top 5 Smart Home Systems to Improve Your Home Offi ce
dashboards with analytics across multiple plat-
forms via Cyfe. Additionally, it’s easy to meet ith a smart home offi ce,
industry ‘infl uencers’ to help match your busi- HD video calls and a
ness needs via Klear; to get topics and sugges- Wlightning-fast internet
tions on what to post in your blogs on Klout; connection, many of us have
found ourselves rarely needing
and to track hashtags, accounts, keywords and
to go to the offi ce in person.
mentions on Keyhole.
Here are fi ve modern home
Th rough the right kind of analytics, it’s also pos- integrations that can make your
sible to further understand market drivers and home a better place to work
than any shared offi ce.
challenges, including what your customers are HOME OFFICE
most interested in on a web site, what’s driv- 1. Get a Business-grade
ing them there (via keywords), and where they WiFi Connection in
may not be visiting (and where you may need Your Home
to improve your eff orts). And while mobile ap- Don’t skimp when it comes to
plications are currently somewhat prohibitive choosing your internet provider.
and costly to build, we will soon be able to more Read reviews and see what
kind of speeds they’re able
simply create customizable apps that allow easi-
to produce in your local area.
er communications between customers — even
When it comes to hardware, online calendar so that you don’t miss any
for home businesses (with the new challenge important calls.
make sure you get the latest model
being how to get ‘found’ in app stores). of router. Consider also using a range
4. Don’t Forget to Keep Your Home
extender to boost the signal from your
Tracking Trends to Keep Thriving and Work Telephone
home offi ce to the rest of the house. These
As the online world continues to evolve, it’s also Lines Separate
are pretty much essential if you have family
important to continue monitoring the shift ing It’s true that you can replace almost all of
members trying to download or stream at
landscape. Day-to-day management can take the same time. a phone’s functionality via smarter uses
up a considerable amount of time and it can be of your computer. However, some of us
easy to become so involved in daily activities 2. Control Entry in and out of Your do our best work with a telephone in
hand. If you’re one of those people who
that growth opportunities can pass right by. By Home Without Getting Up
The smart home solution is a handy two- uses a phone at work, remember to install
choosing an informed digital partner with ded-
way video intercom system, paired with separate work and home lines. This helps
icated support teams, it’s much easier to keep
smart locks on the front door. Install a you keep your professional life and your
your fi nger on the pulse of the latest trends. private life neatly divided into two camps,
video camera close to your front door so
In the year ahead, there are numerous trends that you can get a good look at anyone and it’s also useful when working out your
who arrives. Most smart models allow you business expenses.
in technology, management and marketing
to get a live feed on your desktop, and
that are relevant to home business owners. For 5. Protect Your Business
thanks to audio intercom, you can ask
example, the value of online and electronic Against Break-ins
them what they need. If it’s essential, you
commerce has become increasingly important, can let them in by remotely unlocking the You’ll want all your accounts protected by
with many more consumers requesting cashless front door. secure passwords (each of which should
(only) payments. Th e barriers to entry here are be distinct and updated every three months
3. Could a Voice Assistant Replace or so). Consider two-factor authentication
low and the benefi ts can far outweigh the extra
Your Secretary? for the most sensitive accounts. Of course,
payment that it may cost a business.
Amazon’s Alexa has shown the world you’ll also want everything backed up
Additionally, syncing Facebook shops with that voice recognition software has come regularly in a secure location. Make sure
Instagram pages can produce even more ex- on leaps and bounds since Apple fi rst you’re using reputable anti-virus software
posure when it comes to social shopping. Live unveiled Siri. Nowadays, voice assistants and a correctly confi gured fi rewall. For the
have several amazing applications that physical security of your home business,
video content is a growing tool for building
you’ll want in a home offi ce. For starters, you’ll want motion detectors that activate
engagement with audiences and sparking their
they’re an easy way to set reminders, lights when triggered.
interest while online. Catching the attention of
timers and alarms to help you manage your Marvin Dudziec is the M.D. of MDfx: a leading smart home
micro-infl uencers, or folks with growing online workday. They can also be synced to your solutions company. Visit https://www.mdfx.co.uk/.
followings, can prove a worthy eff ort. And per-
sonal data security will continue to become an
increasingly signifi cant topic.
a never-ending venture to gain attention as Mayumi Nakamura is President & CEO at Bellevue, Wash.-based
PSP, Inc. and Dreamersi (www.dreamersi.com), a stress-free product
Start Today! a home business, by making the most of re-
focused on making it easy for companies to create and maintain digi-
In today’s marketplace, technology is a nec- sources available and using the ‘right’ approach tal ecosystems to help them do business. Offering simple-to-use plat-
essary element to success and home-based for setting up and maintaining your digital forms with dedicated support teams, Dreamersi is focused on helping
companies grow and easily increase sales. Mayumi’s LinkedIn profile
businesses need digital footprints that lead ecosystems through simple-to-use platforms, is available at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayuminakamura and
to successful client interactions. While it is you and your home business can thrive. she can be reached atmayumi.nakamura@pspinc.com.
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