What is Content Marketing?

Why is a Content Marketing Strategy important?

Benefits of Content Marketing

Builds Brand Awareness

Helps build relationships

Great For Digital Marketing Solutions

Educates

Content Marketing Great for sales and lead generation

Helps you stay relevant and trendy

Conclusion:

Especially for businesses looking to scale, outsourcing tasks to qualified people is adding value and allowing them to scale faster. Businesses can leverage qualified software engineers, IT support, marketing, accounting, and administrative support at the fraction of the cost it would take to hire full-time employees.

Africa has a talent pool that has become lucrative to businesses looking for growth and savings. Even though India remains a top leading destination, Africa ranks as the 2^nd best outsourcing destination and this growth is due to the advancements in technological infrastructure and an increase in the number of skilled labor.

Why Do Businesses Outsource

Cost reduction and the need for enhanced efficiency are the primary reasons why businesses outsource. As costs and competition rise, businesses are now adopting outsourcing as a strategy to reduce costs and increase efficiency, by allowing other companies with expertise to complete tasks on a project by project basis or as an on-going agreement.

According to Deloitte, 59% of business choose to outsource in order to reduce costs while 57% of business choose to outsource to allow them to focus on core business. Other reasons why businesses outsource include;

1. To solve capacity issues
2. To enhance service quality
3. Because it’s critical to business needs
4. For access to intellectual capital
5. To manage business environment
6. To drive transformational change.

The affordable labor and growing economy of Africa are the major factors that fuel the outsourcing of business functions to the region.

What is insourcing?

Why Africa Is The Next Best Outsourcing Destination

1. No language barrier

Some outsourcing destinations have different cultural and linguistic abilities. However, some countries in Africa are former British territories, which means their culture and English-speaking skills are good for business.

Language is key to building a strong relationship with your virtual assistant team. Destinations like Zimbabwe are official English-speaking countries with a high literacy rate. Which means that communicating is a lot simpler than what you’d anticipate.

2. Time flexibility

Time varies with regions; however, outsourced virtual team members are able to work according to your schedule, allowing them to integrate with your local team and performing tasks efficiently.

For instance, if you are in Texas U.S.A your day would start at 08.00 hrs. which is 14.00hrs. in Zimbabwe. This does not affect your normal working schedule as the virtual teams are equipped with high-speed internet and office space in a high rise building with all the necessary amenities needed to help your business function well regardless of time zone differences.

3. Education

Another reason to choose Africa as an outsourcing destination is that people in Africa value education and with the growth of online learning platforms, it is easier to for them to get certified in key competencies. Zimbabwe has one of the highest literacy rates within the Sub-Saharan region, with at least 86.9 % of its population educated up to college level. With over 20 universities, there is a huge pool of talent that is qualified to take your business to the next level.

The pool of educated professionals is large, allowing your business to benefit from skilled individuals who will prioritize your needs and, help your business scale.

4. Cost efficiency

Saving money is always a priority for any business. Insourcing can save your business up to 70% on payroll costs.

Statistics show that the added annual cost for a new position can be equal to, or more than 150% of the actual pay. By adding a position at an annual salary of $36,000, the “real” cost to the business could be in the $54,000 range. The option to add a Virtual Team to your business can reduce this by as much as 70%.

By outsourcing to a destination like Zimbabwe you are guaranteed a big save on your finances.

Here’s a guide on how to start outsourcing from Africa.

5. Sustained Quality

As a business, you want to maintain your standards and improve on them. Your product and your brand are the reason your business stands, finding a team that will help you add value to your product offering is important.

Insourcing ensures that your quality is not compromised. Virtual team members are trained, professional and well equipped in various areas of relevant industries. This plays a part in keeping your performance at its A-game.

6. Embracing technology

Africa by January 2018 had an urbanization rate growth of 55% and a technology penetration rate of 53%. This is evidence that as an outsourcing destination Africa is able to elevate your business and help you scale, with an understanding of technological trends.

7. Flexibility

Insourcing tasks, allows your business to maintain financial flexibility, especially when there is an uncertainty in demand. Some business process providers offer short-term service removing the stress of a lengthy contract.

As mentioned before Insourcing to places like Zimbabwe gives you a competitive edge, to focus on your core competencies.

8. Cultural adaptation

The disparity in culture is not a problem when it comes to insourcing to Africa. African people are known to blend in well with new and diverse cultures. With clear and concise command of the English language, it makes it simpler for you to understand and connect with your virtual team.

9. Frees up your time

You can insource general repetitive tasks to your outsourcing partner in Africa. This allows you to focus on the core areas of your business. Dental practices, for example, insource tasks such as insurance verification and patient scheduling, allowing the dentists and other staff to focus on other key areas.

10.Data Security

Data security is a huge element when it comes to outsourcing and the constant sharing of sensitive data. Insourcing partners have to have security protocols is put in place that is robust, to ensure that all your data is secure.

Think about it, Africa is the next big thing, and you could be missing out on making your business a success. Get in touch with us today, and get the ball rolling to scale your business.

Africa is a culturally diverse continent that has shown substantial growth in relation to technology, cultural adaptation, and education.

This growth has given businesses from other continents the opportunity to benefit from talent through virtually insourcing Africa. Outsourcing is utilized by companies to dial down and focus on the core aspects of the business, spinning off the less critical operations to outside organizations.

Choose Africa as your next outsourcing destination.

ZimWorX is a leading Texas-based insourcing company that provides virtual assistants and administrative support for businesses. Moreover, we provide both short and long term virtual insourcing services customized to suit your business process needs.

Contact us today

There’s numerous factors that contribute to the standing of a business, such as your social media presence, customer service and, product quality.

What is Online Reputation Management?

Your online reputation determines how others perceive your business when they search for or come across it online. Consequently, online reputation management (ORM) proactively influences the information people find on your business.

Online Reputation Management, or ORM, is a multi-faceted concept that is aimed at creating a positive public perception of a brand, business, or person. Reputation management includes monitoring reputation, addressing any content or customer feedback that could damage the brand, and using strategies to prevent and solve problems that could damage an entity’s reputation.

Online reputation management is the practice of monitoring the Internet reputation of a person, brand or business, with the goal of eliminating negative mentions entirely, or pushing them lower on search engine results pages to decrease their visibility.

The primary goal is to suppress any negativity directed towards your company.

For example, different strategies can help you push damaging and harmful content further down the Google search engine results pages (SERPs) by ranking your own or third-party more desirable material above it. Why is this important? Because the top five listings in Google’s search results receive about two-thirds of all clicks.

ORM is not only about managing or optimizing content in search engines, it’s also about managing negative business reviews and encouraging happy/satisfied clients to contribute more positive feedback.

85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations

The age of direct advertising where companies sell their products or services to a passive audience is in the past. Now it is all about engaging with your clients, listening to what they have to say, and learning/growing as a result

What does reputation management actually involve?

• Addressing criticism publicly
• Publicly asking for feedback
• Allowing employees to engage with your audience
• Speaking with your audience directly

Here are the four distinct digital marketing channels involved in ORM, channels also referred to as the PESO Model (paid, earned, shared, and owned.).

Paid Media

Paid media includes all marketing efforts that require payment to feature your business on external websites and networks. This includes PPC advertising with Google AdWords, display ads on Facebook, and sponsored posts on industry/influencer blogs. Paid media extends your reach and drives traffic to your web properties by building new relationships with partners and customers.

Earned Media

Earned media describes the coverage of your business on external web entities for which you didn’t pay. It requires you to stand out from your competition with great content, products, or services that users consider worth sharing, mentioning, reposting, and reviewing.

Social Media

Pages and profiles on social media are “an extension of your brand and create additional avenues for people to interact.”

Owned Properties

Your business websites and blogs are properties owned by you, which means you have full control over them.

Where to start with Online Reputation Management

In a time when brand crises hit the mainstream media news after they spread like wildfire on social media, understanding brand reputation management can protect your company.

Online content adds a dimension to your brand – and ultimately your reputation – because the same brand can be perceived differently by online and offline audiences. The best way to manage brand reputation is to tell a cohesive story – to a receptive audience. While controlling the message in an age of social media is no longer an option, you can still steer the dialogue.

1.      Become well respected

According to numerous business experts, trust is a perishable asset and it is hard to gain. Making people respect you and your brand is far more important than any other online reputation management commandment. Gain the respect of your audience and in some aspects gain the respect of your competitors.

2.      Be transparent

Honesty is the best policy. Telling the truth helps cement the relationship you have with existing clientele. Ethics of business dictate that you maintain transparency.

3.      Keep an ear out on what they are saying about you

Social media monitoring can bring business! These days, lots of people ask questions via Twitter and Facebook because they are evaluating whether or not they should buy from you. Word of social media mouth moves faster than you think, a bad tweet or review about your business can go viral damaging the standing of your business.

4.      Address criticism

Constructive criticism is important for any brand. Addressing criticism from clients allows you to come out as an industrial leader or makes your brand relatable.

5.      Your Google page is your business card

First impressions count, and we do judge many books by their cover. If the words “scam” and “rip off” are associated with your brand, then that is something you should worry about.

6.       Ask for help if necessary

If your online reputation management efforts are not enough to protect or restore your brand image, you have the choice to request help from a professional.

The Virtuous Cycle

Virtuous Cycle: Take care of your online reputation and you create a virtuous cycle of positive, quality materials that reflect well on you.

The Vicious Cycle

Vicious Cycle: Ignore your online reputation and you risk falling victim to a vicious cycle of misinformation and rumors.

Why you should care about your online reputation

Online reputation is becoming so pervasive, it’s almost time to drop the word “online”

1. Perform an Audit of Your Online Reputation

Before applying Online Reputation Management processes, you have to conduct an extensive online reputation audit.

The idea of an online reputation management audit is to uncover how people see you online and what kind of issues you are facing in challenging that view. To do that, you have to do some brand monitoring.

Brand Monitoring

There is a way to conduct some quick audit of your brand reputation manually:

• Just open up an incognito window and enter your brand name into Google search.
• Take a good look at the sites that appear on the very first page.
• Identify what Google My Business-related features come up on that page and evaluate your presence there: ratings, comments, reviews, user-generated photos, etc.
• Separate the websites into the ones you control and the ones you have limited power over. With your social media accounts, they are highly manageable; with third-part listings, you can reach out to site owners and add/remove misleading bits. With a critical news piece, you can reach out to the author and try to talk to him about his dissatisfaction or convince them that they have got a wrong perception of your company or product.
• Read through the reviews on these sites and try to understand the general sentiment; this is an important step for further prioritization over the platforms that require the most urgent attention.

Certainly, at this stage, this may seem like an exhausting process to conduct the audit manually. Below you will see how SEMrush’s Brand Monitoring — a tool designed to help you manage online reputation — can give you a helpful overview at the end of an audit.

2. Establish an Online Reputation Management Strategy

Now when you know what the online landscape around your brand is, it is time to set up an online reputation management strategy. However, before we get into details about it, you have to get your priorities straight.

ORM Prioritization

Getting started with online reputation management can seem overwhelming. Thus, prioritization is important, as you cannot jump on every single mention. Once your audit is complete, it should be easier for you to prioritize what you should focus on first. Try to balance out a few factors that should impact your decision:

• Set up your online reputation management goals:If it is about response time, it is wise to focus on platforms you have direct access to.
• Define your boundaries and limitations: Review how many resources you can allocate for the ORM project. Bear in mind that this is an ongoing process. Be realistic in your assessment.
• Prioritize your ORM by impact:Be realistic about the scope of the job. Impact is the biggest criterion for your choice as you have to try and allocate your resources into the channels with the highest stakes for your business.
• Prioritize tasks: Which tasks are critical and must be addressed first? There should be a plan for handling critical and challenging tasks. Choosing the easier tasks to get done first isn’t always the best option.

Have a Crisis Management Strategy in Place

You can never anticipate a crisis, but this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t prepare for one. So, a sound crisis management strategy should always be in place as things escalate online at an unprecedented speed.

The Internet is our first stop for everything

Not only do people view the Internet as their first source of information, but they also trust what it tells them. More importantly, they make decisions based on what they find online.

• Two out of three people see the Internet as the most reliable source of information about a person or a business (Edelman Insights)
• 70% of hiring managers have rejected a candidate because of something they found online
• When looking for a local business, 97% of people read online reviews
• Over 80% of reputation damage comes from a mismatch between the buzz and the reality

Looking at statistics like these, it’s clear that what happens online affects your entire existence.

Online and offline are blending

As we globalize, the online world becomes more and more enmeshed with the rest of our daily activities. From smartphones to smart TVs, from the “Internet of things” to the self-driving cars of the future—you are living each day increasingly online, even if you never touch a computer.

That means there are more and more ways for you to leave an online mark, positive or negative.

Now, you might not think that people are searching for you, but chances are they are. Common reasons include:

• Employers doing pre-interview research
• Insurance companies doing risk assessments
• Customers looking for recommendations

No matter how “under the radar” or “low-tech” your lifestyle, there is a good quantity of information about you online—and people are seeing it.

Your online reputation sticks with you

If someone writes something negative about you online, it can put you at a serious disadvantage over the long term—especially if you’re not aware of it. You might never know why you didn’t get that apartment you wanted, or why a job offer never materialized after that phenomenal interview.

Search algorithms prioritize popularity

No algorithm can tell whether information precisely reflects you or not, so popularity becomes the main measuring stick of what makes a good search result.

That’s why embarrassing photos, frivolous lawsuits dismissed years ago, and other kinds of irrelevant but intriguing “clickbait” often dominate online reputations.

On 27 & 28 June 2020 GBP Solutions Pastoral Care Department, in collaboration with ChengaOse Association, successfully distributed food hampers to over 360 families in Epworth, Ruwa, and Murehwa. This is the second round of food distribution in response to the ‘Covid-19 induced’ food crisis in communities. The Covid-19 pandemic has left a lot of families in dire need food as they totally rely on the informal sector, which is currently on an indefinite shutdown.

The food distribution exercise could not have been successful without the generosity of our benefactors, the selfless GBP Solutions staff who gave their time and energy to be part of the exercise, and lastly but not least, Pastors Lucia and Davis Mambure whose hearts are large enough to accommodate the mothers and their children living with mental and physical disabilities. God bless you all.

“Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to help them” (Proverbs 3:27)

The biggest questions most business owners are asking themselves are:

1. Will my business survive?
2. Can I afford to keep my business open?
3. How can I help my business during a crisis?

What is a crisis?

A crisis is an event, or a series of events, that causes major disturbance for a business. A crisis typically occurs suddenly and poses intense difficulty or danger for the business, usually in a situation where time is short and decisions have to be taken quickly.

Some disasters are inevitable and some are surely unavoidable, but there’s always a solution that can help your business get out if stronger and better than it was before.

What is in-sourcing?

In-sourcing is a business practice performed within the operational structure of the organization. This means that hired team members become part of your business even if they work remotely.

The greatest advantage of in-sourcing is that it gives you the chance to be on top of things.

How can in-sourcing help you in a crisis?

In-sourcing allows you to choose from a pool of highly qualified individuals that have a range of expertise. This not only elevates the personnel in your business but gives your business a competitive advantage as your rivals might not have the same expertise.

In-sourcing gives you the innovation card as you are able to find new processes that help you adapt to the globalizing world.

Why is in-sourcing the answer to my crisis?

1. Low operating costs

According to Investopedia Operating costs are expenses associated with the maintenance and administration of a business on a day-to-day basis.

Lower operational and labor costs are one of the primary reasons why companies should choose to in-source. If properly executed it has a defining impact on a company’s revenue recognition and can deliver significant savings. In a crisis the last thing your business needs is to spend money it probably doesn’t even have.

2. Focus on core competencies

Businesses also choose to in-source so that they continue focusing on their core business processes while delegating mundane time-consuming processes to remote team members.

3. Global reach and expertise

In-sourcing enables businesses to tap in to and leverage a global knowledge base, having access to world-class capabilities

4. Risk management

It helps businesses mitigate risk and is also among the primary reasons embarked upon. In-sourcing gives protection from natural calamities, accidents, market fluctuations, or technical crises. Disaster recovery mechanisms and detailed backup plans provided by the offshore partner will help you to respond rapidly and get operations back on track quickly.

5. Newmarket expansion

It helps businesses expand and gain access to new market areas, by taking the point of production or service delivery closer to their end-users. Have processes delivered by dedicated teams that have operational and domain expertise.

6. Accelerate migration to new technology

Migrate to new technologies with minimum downtime and increased productivity and quality by in-sourcing IT processes. Enjoy enhanced productivity and quality.

7.      Curb talent shortages

Overcome talent shortages and increased demand for skills in countries like the U.S.A. In-source to offshore locations such as Zimbabwe which have a large pool of qualified, English-speaking professionals.

8.      Run your business 24X7

In-sourcing to a country like Zimbabwe, which is in a different time zone, gives you the added advantage of making full use of your 24 hour day. Your in-sourced team can take over and continue work even after the business has closed. They can complete critical tasks and send it back for your review the next day.

9. Improve customer

In-sourced expertise will produce quality deliverables faster, increasing your turn around time to the customer. With on-time deliveries and high-quality services your customers will be delighted! In-sourcing can help you benefit from increased customer satisfaction and thus creating a stream of loyal customers.

10. Gain competitive edge

In-sourcing helps your business gain a competitive edge in the market. Through strategic in-sourcing, you are not only providing your customers with great services but increasing your productivity while managing your in-house resources intelligently.

In the midst of a crisis, the most important thing your business needs to do is to stand firm and show that as a brand it is able to carry on no matter the adversity.

1. Outstanding claims

Your remote team member can be checking the status of outstanding claims.  Insurance companies are still working.  Online access is still available to insurance companies.  Your remote team member could be able to resend claims that were not received, close claims that have been previously paid, and send the additional information that the insurance that has been holding up the claim.

Your remote team member can clean up the employee’s list.  Certain software companies, Eagelsoft is an example, help clean up the insurance that is attached to the employees.  If you look at this report and see multiple employees with the same insurance and same group number then these duplicate employees should be condensed into one plan.  This will eliminate the need to get run down of benefits on multiple plans that are the exact same.

3. Can contact inactive patients

Your remote team member can re-activate patients that haven’t come into your office in the last 18-24 months or (whatever time frame you decide).  Keeping them inactive is costing your practice money through re-care systems and inaccurate patient counts.

4. Complete chart audits

Your remote team member can complete chart audits on patients that have credits.  They can review EOB’s (most are found online) to determine if the patient’s credit is a legitimate credit balance.

5. Complete benefits rundown

Your remote team member can complete a full rundown of benefits on larger employers in your system.  Make it perfect and accurate.  Then make sure the plan is in the system correctly using coverage books or blue books to make sure that a treatment plan clearly reflects the correct estimated patient portion.

6. Cleaning up your re-care system

Your remote team member can assist with cleaning up your re-care system.  Those systems that allow multiple re-care systems may be being used incorrectly. You might need to remove some re-care from a patient or you might need to assign a re-care system.

7. Social media posts

Your remote team member could help with your social media posts.  Get yourself set up for the next few months with outstanding posts that promote your practice and make your practice unique from the other cookie-cutter posts.

8. Auditing accounts for the A/R reports

Your remote team member could be assisting with auditing accounts for the A/R reports.  Do you know for sure the account balances are accurate before you send out statements?  Sending out a statement with an inaccurate balance will create a major headache for your team.

9. Collecting information

Your remote team member can help you gather the information you need to renegotiate your PPO contracts.  Ask them to determine the process for negotiating and get an action plan.  Provide them with your Provider Relations Representative contact information or they can simply reach out to each insurance company to ask the difficult questions.

If you need additional information on how to implement any of these 9 tips you can reach out to us.

Congress has allocated a significant amount of money to support small businesses, as the latest Corona Virus stimulus package. Getting the know-how or the correct information on accessing it can be somewhat difficult.

The funds from the CARES Act stimulus package, which President Donald Trump signed into law on the 27^th of March, are divided among three Small-Business programs that offer forgivable grants and loans, as well as loan deferral. These Small Business Administration programs are also applicable to Non-profits that meet the necessary size requirements.

This guide will focus on the two that allow businesses to apply for new loans, though the full menu of relief options is available on the SBA’s website.

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

The first is the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which allows organizations to get up to $10 million in loans that are 100 percent forgivable if they do not lay off any employees or if they rehire employees they’ve already laid off.

Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL)

The second is the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL), which includes a $10,000 grant that businesses can apply for and they do not need to pay back. The rest of the EIDL loan, which caps out at $2 million, is not forgivable but can be more flexible than PPP in the types of expenses it covers.

According to some experts, it’s possible for businesses and non-profits to apply for both. “We encourage you to apply as quickly as you can because there is a funding cap,” reads a statement from the Treasury Department. Both programs also have a limited amount of funding, applying sooner is also important in case their allocated funding is fully used.

Currently, the EIDL application is already live and accessible here. The PPP application has been live since the 3^rd of April, and the Treasury Department released an example of what it would look like.

This guide is will give a broad overview of both programs, but for specified questions, organizations can reach out directly to the Small Business Administration via a new 24/7 phone helpline: 1-800-659-2955. Businesses are also encouraged to connect with advisers at small-business development centers, women’s business centers, and SCORE, who are available to provide free guidance. (Contact information for the closest regional advisers can be found on their websites.)

What does the stimulus package include?

The Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program are the main options for small businesses and non-profits to obtain financial support during the Coronavirus Pandemic. (It’s worth noting that organizations can receive both loans and that an EIDL loan can also be refinanced into a PPP loan.)

• The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP): The bulk of the funds in the stimulus package, roughly $349 billion (for small businesses), is dedicated to establishing the Paycheck Protection Program, which is intended to guarantee businesses the loans they need to cover eight weeks of payroll, along with some utilities and rent costs.

If businesses adhere to the conditions of keeping employees on payroll, or rehiring them by the 30^th of June, the loans are likely to become forgivable. Businesses are able to request 2.5 times their average monthly payroll costs for this loan.

Organizations can apply for PPP by contacting their banks and other lenders, or through this form on the SBA website.

• Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program and Advance (EIDL): There is $10 billion in the stimulus bill allocated for the EIDL, a program that has existed for some time.

This money will go towards two things: It sets up a grant program that would provide a $10,000 emergency “advance” that businesses won’t have to pay back, and it funds low-interest loans organizations can use to cover operating expenses, which will have to be repaid. The loan amount that organizations can request will be based on the amount of “economic injury” that they have sustained because of the pandemic.

Businesses and non-profits can apply for the EIDL directly on the Small Business Administration website.

When do applications open and when can I expect relief?

The EIDL application is already up and running, while the PPP application was just opened on the 3^rd of April, for small businesses and non-profits. Another PPP application will go live on Friday, 10^th of April, for independent contractors and self-employed individuals.

The PPP is an entirely new program the SBA is trying to get off the ground, which raises uncertainty. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said that the goal is same-day approval for loans, but it’s not yet clarified how quickly the entire effort will be fully functional. Banks have raised concerns about the rushed rollout, and some have limited who they are accepting loan applications from.

However, the EIDL program is already actively fielding applications, and the $10,000 grants that are part of it are likely the fastest way for businesses to obtain relief at this point. Once a business is approved for these grants, it will be able to receive them within three days of approval, according to the SBA.

Any business or non-profit that applies for an EIDL loan can specify that it is interested in this emergency advance, and organizations can still receive it even if they aren’t approved for the full loan.

According to Michael Chaslow founder of the USC Small Businesses Clinic “Businesses applying for EIDL loans are eligible for an emergency advance of up to $10,000 that does not need to be repaid,”. He goes on to say “It seems that a business in need of immediate cash should pursue this option.”

First, determine eligibility

The first step for companies and non-profits interested in the stimulus package is to figure out whether they’re eligible for these specific loans, which are predominantly focused on helping organizations that have suffered hardships because of the coronavirus outbreak.

In addition to meeting the size standards that are set by the SBA, businesses and non-profits need to show that they’ve been negatively affected by the coronavirus.

Businesses and non-profits eligible for the PPP program are required to have been operational on February 15, 2020, and to demonstrate that the economic fallout from the coronavirus has hurt them.

These include:

• Any business with 500 or fewer employees
• Any 501(c)3 non-profit that has 500 or fewer employees, or otherwise meets the SBA’s size requirements
• Restaurants, hotels, or other businesses categorized under “Accommodation or Food Services” that have 500 or fewer employees at each independent location
• Tribal businesses and 501(c)9 veterans organizations
• Independently owned franchises
• Self-employed workers, independent contractors, gig workers, and sole proprietors

Businesses and non-profits eligible for the EIDL program are required to have been operational on January 31, 2020, and to have experienced negative economic effects because of the coronavirus crisis.

They include:

• Any business with 500 or fewer employees
• Any private non-profit that has 500 or fewer employees — or otherwise meets the SBA’s size requirements
• Sole proprietorships and independent contractors
• Tribal businesses, cooperatives, and employee-owned businesses

Next, figure out which loan makes the most sense for your business state

Organizations have to evaluate which loan program makes the most sense for their immediate needs.

Applying for both loans in the stimulus package is encouraged to make sure that businesses have more options — as long as they don’t use the two loans for the same purpose. (An EIDL loan could not be used to pay employees for the month of March if a PPP loan was already being used to do that, for example.

The focus of the two programs, ultimately, is slightly different.

Under PPP, the loans are predominantly aimed at covering payroll costs (up to $100,000 per employee) but can be used to address other expenses as well, including utilities, rent, and interest on mortgage payments. Loans used to cover these costs are 100 percent forgivable at the end of the eight-week period during which they are used, but if the money is used for other expenses, that portion of the funds will not be forgiven.

Under EIDL, the grants and loans can be used for a broader array of costs, including rent and mortgage payments, salaries, workers’ paid leave, and the business’s operational needs. This is because small business owners don’t have to worry about as many rules around loan forgiveness, there’s slightly more flexibility regarding these funds.

If a business or non-profit is looking for a more rapid influx of cash, the EIDL route is better — as it includes quick approval of the $10,000 emergency grant.

“Everyone should be applying for the disaster loans, that’s where there’s a potential for $10,000 in grants, as soon as the provision gets authorized,” says Cynthia Wikstrom, the campaigns director for the Main Street Alliance, an organization focused on advocating for small-business interests.

The difference between the two programs is that the PPP loans are entirely forgivable if companies meet a specific requirements, while EIDL loans (except for the $10,000 grant) are not. The cap for PPP loans is also higher, at $10 million per organization, while the EIDL loans cap out at $2 million.

What are the application processes?

Applications for these loans will go through two different channels.

• To apply for the EIDL loan and the $10,000 grant: Small-business owners and non-profits can apply directly with the Small Business Administration at this website: https://covid19relief.sba.gov/#/. When small businesses submit their applications for the EIDL loan, they can indicate they are interested in the emergency grant at the same time.
• To apply for the PPP loan: Organizations can call their current bank or lender directly, and the application is now live at the SBA website. At this point, banks are just beginning to accept applications, and calling now to indicate interest in the loan can help businesses get in the queue quickly.

The 1,800 banks that currently participate in the SBA’s 7(a) loan program are expected to participate in the PPP option also, and the Treasury Department is poised to approve additional lenders in the coming weeks.

Participating institutions include hundreds around the country such as TD Bank and Bank of the West, although some institutes — like Bank of America — may require businesses to have an existing credit card account or loan with the institution to be considered for PPP.

A comprehensive list of banks that currently offer 7(a) loans can be found on the SBA website. In order to move the process along quickly, SBA is not expected to be involved in the approval process, and banks will be able to move forward with candidates independently.

Businesses and non-profits need to provide information about their payroll costs. The requirements across the two programs differ slightly, though both have relaxed the need for a personal guarantee of the loan:

• PPP: Businesses are able to obtain 2.5 times their average monthly payroll costs for this loan, up to $10 million per organization. Costs that can be included as payroll costs include worker salaries, paid leave, health care benefits, commissions, and tips.

Average monthly payroll costs will be calculated using either monthly costs the business experienced from February 15 to June 30, 2019, or average monthly costs the business experienced from January 1 to February 15, 2020, if the business did not open until this year.

Businesses should begin preparing documents that demonstrate their monthly payroll and operational costs including payroll tax filings and rental contracts.

• EIDL: There are no personal guarantees needed for loans less than $200,000, according to Forbes. Businesses should have documentation that shows their operating expenses and revenue.

Be aware of the terms for loan forgiveness and for repayment

Components of both the EIDL offering and the PPP program are entirely forgivable, and each offers its own unique terms for repayment, which businesses should keep in mind as they are weighing the two.

PPP Terms

The PPP loans are forgivable, depending on whether businesses lay off workers and how they use the money.

• The loan will be completely forgiven if businesses do not lay off workers at all or if they rehire workers by June 30, 2020.
• If a business lays off workers and does not rehire them, a portion of the loan will not be forgiven. If a business reduces the wages it pays out to a worker by more than 25 percent during the time that it is using the loan, part of the loan will not be forgiven.
• If the loan is used for costs that are not approved by the bill, those portions will also not be forgiven and will have specific repayment terms.
• Repayment could be deferred for six months and will have an interest rate beginning at 1 percent. The maximum term of repayment is two years.

EIDL Terms

• The $10,000 EIDL grant that businesses and non-profits can apply for is forgivable and can be used for a wide range of business needs.
• Aside from the $10,000 grant, the rest of the loan is not forgivable.
• The loan will have a 3.75 percent interest rate for small businesses and a 2.75 percent interest rate for non-profits, and repayment can be deferred for six months. The maximum term of repayment is 30 years.

Will this stimulus package who were already laid off?

The rules (1) require businesses to spend 75 percent of their loans on payroll in order to qualify for forgiveness, and (2) clarify that firms that have already done layoffs can secure forgiveness by “quickly” rehiring laid-off workers. Taken together, this provides a powerful incentive for businesses to bring staff back on, since (essentially) any money you save by lowering your monthly payroll costs will just end up going to the government.

In summary, the loan facility allows for business continuity. Strategize and see the best way your business can utilize these loans. Prioritize your team member’s well-being and your business will stay afloat in this trying time. Leverage this stimulus package.

Source: VOX

Insourcing is a business practice performed within the operational structure of the organization. The biggest difference between outsourcing and insourcing is the methods in which work, projects, or tasks are performed between various companies and departments.

Insourcing is inclusive in nature. This means that hired personnel becomes part of the organization even if they work remotely. For example; Productive Dentist Academy has in-sourced two individuals who work from our business process center in Zimbabwe.

Unlike outsourcing that treats the hired personnel as a third party, in-sourcing says that the employees are part of the organization no matter where they are.

Insourcing is a business decision that is often made to maintain control of critical production or competencies.

Why choose insourcing?

In-sourcing is a business arrangement that is designed to control critical business processes and service quality as well, such as digital marketing, bookkeeping services, and outreach coordination.

In-sourcing revolves around your agreement with your insourcing partner.

This delivers the lowered cost access to lessen the labor rates. This also provides complete flexibility.

Insourcing is one of the best solutions for businesses that are concerned with culture, security, compliance or client needs.

Global BP Solutions as an insourcing partner gives you a chance to expand your team with professionals at an affordable price. The companies that prefer keeping their intellectual property and confidential information in their hands only, insourcing is the option best for them.

Advantages of in-sourcing

1. Competitive Advantage

In-sourcing offers you to build exclusive competitive advantages. This means that because of the exclusive services you receive through in-sourcing you are able to give value to your customers.

2. Organizational Culture

The element of inclusion in in-sourcing makes it easy for your virtual team to blend in and become part of the culture. This helps the organization have an easy way of communication.

3. Cost-Effective

Using existing employees, resources, business skills or equipment to do a job may be cheaper. This works best if you already have the ability or capacity to do what you need internally or if the benefits outweigh additional overhead costs.

In-sourcing is a wise business move, as it allows you to gain professional team members who will adapt and bring benefit to your organization.

Every environment has toxic team members, whether corporate or social. However, there is a difference between difficult team members and toxic team members. A toxic team member is anyone who is abusive, unsupportive, or unhealthy emotionally—someone who basically brings you down more than up.

There is always that one person on your team who has nothing positive to say, riles up other team members, and makes work life horrible.

If you can’t fire them, how do you deal with their behavior?

What feedback do you give? How do you mitigate the damage they inflict?

There’s a pattern of de-energizing, frustrating or putting down teammates,

according to Christine Porath, an associate professor at Georgetown and the author of Mastering Civility: A Manifesto for the Workplace.

Five kinds of Toxic Teams

Toxic team members are in the habit of making every situation worse than it already is and desensitize their teammate’s feelings or thoughts. This behavior usually distracts the team from their goals.

The goal, of course, is to unlock the promises of team dynamics: better decisions, increased productivity, more innovation and higher levels of engagement.

According to Liane Davey, an organizational psychologist and consultant, a toxic team can be fixed, and anybody on the team can fix it, even without the initial support of the team leader or peers. In her latest book, You First: Inspire Your Team to Grow Up, Get Along, and Get Stuff Done,  Davey explains that there are five kinds of toxic teams:

• The Crisis Junkie Team—stalled by unclear priorities and lack of role clarity, this team lurches along until a crisis forces it to unite around a common goal.
• The Bobble Head Team—amalgamated by shared values and perspectives, this team maintains harmony at the cost of little innovation.
• The Spectator Team—fragmented by team members who have “checked out”, this team sinks into apathy.
• The Bleeding Back Team—plagued by underground conflict and personal histories, this team keeps the peace in public but fights in private.
• The Royal Rumble Team—scarred by attacks and emotional outbursts, this team swings back and forth without ever moving forward.

We’ve all experienced these types of teams at some point, and have never know how best to deal with toxic behaviors. Most of the time people don’t realize that they’re destructive.

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How to deal with Toxic Team Members:

• Make sure all feedback is direct

Toxic team members are occasionally ignorant to their behaviors and to the effects they have on others. They are usually defensive and quick to respond when questioned on certain things.

Discuss what kind of behavior you’d expect to see instead and develop an improvement plan with the employee.

What do you expect them to change?

Strive for clearly defined, measurable goals. This allows the team members to have a positive impact on their peers.

• Be clear about the consequences

People tend to respond more strongly to potential losses than they do to potential gains, so it’s important to show offenders what they stand to lose if they don’t improve.

Toxic team members need to be made aware of the results that come from their actions.

For example, if a team member says something out of line to a peer a warning letter must be issued. This should also be communicated prior to any conflict.

• Understand your team members individually

Take time to see how each of your team members function. Comprehend your team members individually and see what makes them tick. This allows you to find a compromise or solution to any rising conflict.

For instance, knowing that team member X does not like taking much will help you navigate a way around them without infringing on their work or how they interact with others.

• Separate the toxic from the non-toxic

Even if you can’t get rid of a bad apple, you can isolate it from the rest of the bushel so the rot doesn’t spread. People close to a toxic employee are more likely to become toxic themselves, but the good news is that the risk also subsides quickly.

Principles to live by;

Do:

• Speak with the person to try to understand what’s causing the behavior.
• Give concrete, specific feedback and offer the opportunity to change.
• Look for ways to minimize interactions between the toxic employee and the rest of your team.

Don’t:

• Bring the situation up with your other team members. Allow them to mention it first and then provide suggestions.
• Try to dismiss the person unless you’ve documented the behavior, its impact, and your response.
• Get so wrapped up in handling the issue that you ignore more important work and responsibilities.

Behavior in an organization is a key element to note. It affects many areas either negatively or positively, so just make sure that you understand your team.

At Global BP Solutions, we select the prime of teams to do all your work virtually. Through our training programs we equip each team member with emotional intelligence and conflict resolution skills. In-source with us today and get a team member dedicated to making your business smart.

Global BP Solutions is a leading Texas-based insourcing company that provides virtual assistants and administrative support for businesses. Moreover, we provide both short and long term virtual insourcing services customized to suit your business process needs.

Contact us today

However, a virtual team consists of colleagues working from different locations working together as one team and towards the same goal.

Through insourcing, many companies have grown their teams substantially and have seen the cost-benefit of having a virtual team. Insourcing incorporates a selection of professional minds from anywhere around the globe at the lowest possible investment.

Read more: Insourcing vs Outsourcing

With cloud computing becoming prevalent, the idea of virtual assistants has slowly risen and become more apparent, because companies are finding new ways of expanding and entering new territories. As your team grows, you will need to find apparent ways to keep everyone motivated and ready to work efficiently.

Productivity within the organization is determined by numerous factors. Identifying a lack of productivity usually begins by noticing goals that haven’t been met, low team morale and seeing a shift in the work systems.

What causes low virtual team productivity?

• Lack of clarity and direction
• Poor communication
• Difficulty with delegation

How to ensure that your virtual team productive and motivated?

1. Plan

Having a detailed route or way of executing tasks is very important.

A team with no direction will never be able to achieve its goals. Your virtual team understands the importance of time and the essence of getting tasks completed rightfully. One way of planning is defining a working system that allows you to plan ahead and have a forecast of what your virtual team is meant to do. This will help your team understand the work process.

2. Communicate        

Communication is the lifeline of any team to survive your team and you need to have seamless communication.

The best way of having a good communication system is to understand your team member’s abilities, weaknesses, and strengths, so you can see which way of communicating is more effective.

Even though communication is vital for remote teams, information overload can quickly become a problem. Endless emails, project management system updates and non-stop messages combine to create a backlog of correspondence for people to sort through.

It’s a must for information to shared freely in virtual teams, but no one should be forced to go through messages that don’t apply to them or their work.

It’s critical that virtual team members highlight their preferred means of communication and make it clear when they’re busy or otherwise unavailable.

Productivity and clarity in communication go hand in hand, keeping lines of communication as clean as possible ensures that team members will be focused on their work.

A virtual team is non-traditional, which means how you communicate is definitely different from how you would team members you share an office with.

Effective communication makes it possible to get the best out of your team. Making a wise investment in modern technological tools that simplify the communication process allows you to have a seamless line of communication.

Virtual communication technology refers to any technology used to communicate with each other when they can’t be face to face. It favors the ability to see and hear one another in real-time, simulating the experience of a physical visit. Through tools such as Zoom and Skype, teams are able to always be in touch regardless of time differences or other geographical factors.

According to Techwalla, Video conferencing uses a similar VoIP protocol with audio and video applications to allow companies to conduct virtual meetings. With video conferencing, employees from anywhere in the world can sit in on a single meeting and interact visually and verbally with their coworkers.

This technology can save companies millions of dollars in travel and productivity costs. Developments in collaborative technologies ranging from shared workspaces to multi-point video conferencing unquestionably are making virtual teaming easier.

Develop a charter that establishes acceptable behavior when participating in virtual meetings, such as limiting background noise and side conversations, talking clearly and at a reasonable pace, listening attentively and not dominating the conversation. The charter also should include guidelines on which communication modes to use in which circumstances, for example when to reply via email versus picking up the phone versus taking the time to create and share a document.

With numerous ways of communication aforementioned, people often choose a communication tool according to how convenient it is, but in some cases, certain tasks are more aligned to particular tools, and if a wrong tool is chosen then tasks may take longer to be done.

According to the Sloan Review, the purpose of communication should determine the delivery mechanism.

Again, clarity is the foundation of any form of communication. Make intentions clear, leave no room for assumptions or personal interpretations. Prioritize keeping everyone in the loop. Maintain constant communication with your Virtual Team.

For your team to feel noticed and to be productive, be responsive and supportive. Trustworthiness equals to openness, which allows for transparency. Virtual Teams are likely to have members from different cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. Creating communication systems that are inclusive and open allows for productivity and understanding.

3. Have a systematic work process

Lack of systems in place, a virtual team can fall apart very quickly. While virtual team members will all have their own set of work habits, the team must have a standardized approach to make decisions, share information, and solve problems.

4. Remember the Big Picture

Working in Silos is always an issue. Isolation can often cause remote workers to lose sight of the team’s overall goals. It becomes easy to focus on a specific task sitting before them rather than thinking about how their work affects the rest of the team. Virtual team productivity is a key piece to the big picture.

Communicating goals and highlighting accomplishments that push the team closer to those objectives are important not just for raising awareness, but also for reminding team members that they are there to support one another.

Regular virtual meetings, as well as the occasional in-person meeting, constantly remind team members that they are all working together to accomplish something meaningful. taking proactive steps to boost team member engagement, companies can leverage high-functioning virtual teams to deliver results.

5. Nurture Virtual friendships

Your team are human beings wired to connect with others.

People can get connected from outside of work but it’s great to fill some of this need at work as well, much more in a virtual team. Just like on the third tier of Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs as humans a sense of love belonging is needed, so building friendships allows for this to take place.

Having a virtual team means having to compromise in order to get things done in the right way. Some emotional intelligence goes a long way, this means that understanding how people deal with things emotionally helps your business grow and your work environment becomes conducive.

Mastering Virtual Team Productivity

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At Global BP Solutions, we believe that growing a business requires hiring people that are motivated and skilled enough to help you build and maintain this growth. Managing your remote assistant and ensuring that he os she is productive can be made easy because by using platforms designed to work with virtual teams.

Furthermore, your team works according to your schedule and time zone. As a result, you are able to scale efficiently.

Recruiting qualified virtual assistants enables business owners to focus time and resources on other key business development areas.

We offer a wide range of customizable services, that include virtual customer service, graphic design, insurance verification, digital marketing, bookkeeping and accounting to mention but a few.

An ideal working environment is what everyone wants. Being able to feel comfortable with the people you work with allows the team to improve its work and to get work done effectively. Working environments also influence work culture which can translate to employees to naturally offer great customer service.

Team dynamics differ with every business. This means that you have to structure your communication in a way that helps improve your relationships with your clients. Improving your team communication is based on a few things such as understanding what makes your team productive, finding a communication model that works, and implementing it.

Communication is one of the things you cannot afford to compromise on as a business. Why? Communication by definition is the exchange of information, which means that as a business you revolve around varying information. This information must be handled well and passed on effectively.

Nearly 75% of employers rate collaboration and teamwork as “very important,” yet only 18% of employees actually get communication evaluations during their performance reviews, and 10% actually get a form of training in regards to effective communication.

How do you improve your team’s customer service skills?

1. Have an open-door policy:

An open-door policy means that as the leader you have given your team the opportunity to freely talk to you about issues that affect the business. This means letting your team know you are open to discussing work projects, goals, and anything else at any time.

According to an article by Forbes keeping an open-door policy means literally having your door open. In the case of virtual teams, it means dedicating a good part of your time to the needs of your employees. Through this, you are promoting a culture of openness and transparency. It also gives fast access to information; for instance, if a client is unhappy their query is able to be resolved in good time. The open-door policy provides for accessibility.

2. Allow reciprocal feedback

Constructive criticism is a must if your business is ever going to be productive. Allow your team to make suggestions, discuss and criticize elements within your business that might need improvement. This allows your team to make an impact on how the business is run.  Just simply saying “fix this” in response to a submitted project isn’t helpful to you or your team. To be effective, feedback needs to be clear and detailed, as well as easy to comprehend. This facilitates the active improvement of customer service skills.

3. Decide which communication model works best for you

Different situations require different ways of communicating. For a project involving virtual team members working remotely, a video conference is an excellent way for everyone to keep in contact about progress and milestones.

4. Be open and honest with your team members

Honesty is the best policy. Being upfront helps with transparency within your organization.  The single most effective way to improve interpersonal communication in the workplace is to instill a sense of trust among your team members.

5.     Take Ownership for Mistakes

The best managers can relate to their team members. That includes owning up to the decisions that you make and admitting when you could have done something differently. Everyone makes mistakes, so by confessing your flaws, you are showing your employees that you are just as human as they are.

Communication requires clarity and understanding. Good team communication is imperative to your success. The above steps will help you improve communication with your virtual teams which will result in successful or good customer care.

Global BP Solutions is a leading Texas-based insourcing company that provides virtual assistants and administrative support for businesses. Moreover, we provide both short and long term virtual insourcing services customized to suit your business process needs.

Contact us today

1. Evernote

Evernote is a digital notebook that allows you to jot down the important bits of your life. It allows you to upload pictures; audio files and documents for reference, which makes it easy to track progress and thoughts. It is accessible on smartphones and computers.

The app allows you to track your to-do-list. Creating to-do-lists can boost your productivity by ensuring that you stay focused.

2. ZOHO

Zoho is a web-based online office suite containing word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, databases, note-taking, wikis, web conferencing, customer relationship management, project management.

It allows you to collaborate with your team on projects and track their progress.

3. Dropbox

Dropbox is a file hosting service. It allows you to save various files in a cloud, these can then be retrieved at any time.

4. Zoom

Zoom is a video conferencing, online meetings and group messaging integrated into one easy-to-use application. This allows you to have ease f access to your workforce and communicate effectively.

5. Hootsuite

A social media management platform. Hootsuite allows you to schedule content, get analytics and interact with your clients.

6. Basecamp

This is a project management app, that provides a map of tasks and how best they can be completed. Basecamp is an easy way to see where you could be going wrong with your projects.

These apps help you put work into motion and help you achieve your goals. Insourced virtual teams can help to boost your productivity, free up your time and save you up to 75% on payroll costs.

The real cost

Typically, you’d think that hiring a person just means getting them a space they can work in and that’s it.

Hiring someone goes beyond sourcing their salary. Statistics show that the added annual cost for a new position can equal up to, or more than 150% of the actual pay. By adding a position at an annual salary of $36,000, the “real” cost to the business could be in the $54,000 range.

A survey by glassdoor indicates that US companies spend $4000 on hiring a new employee alone. This includes the hiring process and the procurement of equipment the employee will use. For a small business this is not sustainable.

Insourcing to Africa allows your business to have their work done in an efficient manner at a lower cost. The option to add a Virtual Team to your business can reduce this by as much as 75%.

There are tangible and intangible implications of hiring internally, which are often misconstrued.

Payroll costs also include:

• Salary or Hourly rate
• Health insurance
• Workman’s Compensation Insurance
• Retirement account
• Office or workspace
• Computer
• Software
• Training

Finding an Insourcing partner is key to saving a chunk on your payroll. This allows you to have a great and dedicated Virtual Team that is not only affordable but is professional. However, insourcing from a location such as Zimbabwe can lower your payroll costs by up to 75%! Now that’s a bargain.

Read More: A Definitive Guide To Outsourcing to Africa

Outsourcing is hiring an outside organization to complete specific tasks. Insourcing is a business practice performed within the operational structure of the organization. The biggest difference between outsourcing and insourcing is the methods in which work, projects, or tasks are performed between various companies and departments.

Insourcing at Global BP:

• Full-Time, dedicated team member
• Hired thru resume review and video Interviews
• Work the same hours as your office
• Contracted rates, saving 60-75% of traditional costs
• Virtual, saving brick and mortar space

Benefits of  insourcing:

• Elevate current team to focus on high return/priority tasks
• Improve office efficiency
• Leverage growth/expansion opportunities
• Improve bottom-line profitability
• Embrace virtual team members into their culture/become part of the family

Insourcing Opportunities:

• Marketing
  • SEO/PPC
  • Web Development
  • Creative Design
  • 2D/3D animation
• Accounting
• CRM Manager
• Human Resources
• T. Support
• Logistics
• Customer Service/Help Desks
• Sales Support
• Lead Generation
• Data Entry

From your first call to onboarding your virtual team member, the timeline can be as quick as 5 business days. You are just a week away from experiencing the WOW factor of a Virtual Team member and changing lives in the process.

J.W. Oliver is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner for GlobalBPsolutions.com based in Texas with a BP center in Africa. A Christian based business with a desire to help business and ministries be their very best while helping support others globally.