Office 365 is a staple in many small business offices. And now, the tool includes a new feature aimed at helping businesses track employee productivity.
Another staple for a lot of small businesses is PayPal, which just announced the ability for users to instantly transfer money to bank accounts. Read more about these updates and other headlines in this week’s Small Business Trends news and information roundup.
Small Business Operations
Track Employee Productivity with New Office 365 Workplace Analytics Add-on
There’s a new version of Microsoft Workplace Analytics available. The overhauled tool first launched in 2016 is the latest in a marketplace demanding more technology to increase employee productivity. The new software is available now as an add-on to any Office 365 enterprise plan.
Finally, PayPal Allows Instant Transfers to Bank Accounts
PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) users in the U.S. will soon be able to instantly transfer money to their bank accounts and have the cash show up in minutes. This is in contrast to the three to five business days it currently takes the popular payment platform to process funds. U.S. users will be able to move the money via eligible debit cards linked to their PayPal account.
Economy
Raising the Minimum Wage is Not Just Bad for Business Owners
Workers and business owners have been at odds over the minimum wage debate for years. But a recent study actually shows some workers also suffer due to significant increases to the minimum wage. In Seattle, businesses must pay a minimum wage of $13 per hour, one of the highest in the country.
Best 10 States for Online Business: Care to Guess No. 1?
Virginia is the best state in the U.S. for online businesses. At least that’s what a recent study by business internet and phone provider Frontier Business found. If you are wondering what exactly makes Virginia the best state for online businesses, balanced factors like technological infrastructures (broadband speed, access, business phone, business bundles, etc.
Employment
Best 5 Tips for Seasonal Hiring
While some businesses may have already hired extra staff for the summer, others are still in the throes of interviewing and reference checking. Hiring seasonal workers can be a stressful task for a business owner, but using these five tips can make it easier.
Marketing Tips
AdWords Introduces New Editor Version to Make Setting Up Campaigns Easier
It has been almost three years, but Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has finally released Version 12 of the Adwords Editor. Number 12 will, according to the company, simplify the management of your campaigns with new rules and tools. Just in case you don’t know what AdWords Editor is, it manages large Adwords accounts.
Retail Trends
Take Advantage of These 4 Kinds of Back to School Shoppers
Does your retail store benefit from back-to-school shoppers? You can if you sell apparel and accessories; books, music or video; computers or consumer electronics; office supplies; or toy and hobby items, such as sporting goods. eMarketer has identified these as the five core product groups that experience the biggest lift in sales during the back-to-school shopping season.
Amazon Has Created Its Own Holiday — Prime Day — And Your Business Can Too
You don’t need to wait until Labor Day to host the next big sale for your business. Instead, you can follow the example set by mega online retailer Amazon and just create your own holiday. Amazon will host its annual Prime Day on July 11. The company created this holiday back in 2015 to offer deals on its products and those from Amazon merchants.
Walmart Holds Open Call 2017, 500 Made in USA Companies Compete for Store Shelf Space
Recently, 500 companies — mostly small businesses and startups — went to Walmart (NYSE:WMT) company headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, to pitch their products to company buyers. If they’re selected, they’ll get to sell their products at Walmart stores and on the retailers website. It could mean huge growth for those small companies.
Trump Sugar Deal with Mexico Could Drive Up Costs for U.S. Food Companies, Restaurants
Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey disagreed Thursday with President Donald Trump over a sugar deal with Mexico, arguing that it would only favor a handful of U.S. sugar producers and refiners.
Small Biz Spotlight
Spotlight: Strongarm Protects Small Businesses from Cyber Threats
You’ve no doubt heard about some of the cyber attacks that have impacted large businesses and even governments in recent years. But small and medium sized businesses can fall victim to similar types of attacks as well. Strongarm is a small business that aims to help those small and medium sized businesses avoid cybersecurity issues.
Cybersecurity
The Petya Ransomware Attack: Could Your Small Business Be Impacted?
Less than two months after the WannaCry ransomware attack was launched globally, a more sinister version called Petya was unleashed on June 27, 2017. Computers in Ukraine have taken the brunt of the Petya ransomware attack, but more than 20 countries and over 80 organizations have been impacted so far.
Microsoft Says This Magic Ring Could Make Passwords Obsolete
Could the days of requiring passwords to log on to operating systems be over? According to Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) they could be. Leveraging Windows Hello, technology that recognizes you instantly via a fingerprint reader or a device’s camera, Microsoft is taking online security a step even further by working with Token.
Only 1 in 4 Small Businesses Well Prepared for Cyber Attack
Only a quarter of small businesses feel they are “well prepared” for a cyber-attack on their company. This is according to a recent survey on IT risks organizations face during their everyday work by Netwrix Corporation, provider of a visibility platform for data security and risk mitigation in hybrid environments.
Technology Trends
Could 3D Printed Tire Open Door to Small Auto Parts Manufacturing?
For decades, automotive manufacturing has been reserved only for large businesses with huge factories and plenty of resources. But that all could be about to change thanks to 3D printing. Michelin just unveiled an airless, 3D printed tire-wheel combination concept. The product could help drivers avoid issues like flat tires.
Small Business Travelers Now Three Times As Likely to Choose Uber (Infographic)
The sharing economy is on the rise — and small business travelers are loving it, a new study has found. According to data gathered by accounting software provider Freshbooks, ride sharing service Uber is leading a new shift in business travel. Airbnb, another leading name in the sharing economy, however is not seeing the same exponential growth among business travelers.
Get Inspired in Your Business with This Microsoft Twitter Chat #MSBizTips
Looking to jumpstart your business? Maybe you could use a good dose of inspiration. Inspiration is important for business owners in any niche or industry. You always need to be able to think differently and get a little creative in solving problems or trying new things. But that inspiration isn’t always easy to come by.
Google Adds New Test My Site Features
If more than half of the visitors to your mobile site abandon it for any reason, you would want to know. Speed is the reason, and the new features added to Test My Site from Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) will give you valuable information on your site’s performance.
Yahoo Mail’s New Look Probably Won’t Win Over Business Users
Yahoo (NASDAQ:AABA) Mail has finally gotten its much-needed and long overdue facelift. The new Yahoo Mail redesign looks cleaner and more organized. It comes with several new features that were earlier available to just the premium Mail Plus customers. And oddly enough — or not — it resembles Gmail quite a bit.
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