Are Smartphones Good For Your Business?

It’s not a stretch to consider that the development of any form of technology can be distilled down to two goals: for fun or for profit. Fun technology are all the gizmos, gadgets and electronics we surround ourselves with to be entertained and communicate. We don’t really need to send out a tweet of the meal we’re having but it’s fun! On the other end of the technology spectrum are all the practical applications for businesses. This would include all the innovations meant to increase productivity and profitability. There is where smartphone technology plays a key role. Can you run your business off your smartphone? Although it really depends on the nature of the business but the answer is yes; you can actually accomplish many important tasks right from the smartphone you hold in the palm of your hand.

One of the most important aspects of new smartphone technology is the ability to bring the power of the internet with you wherever you go. In some instances, uploading a webpage on your smartphone could be quicker than your laptop. This matters for businesses that maintain an internet presence with a company website. It allows managers and other staff members to instantly access their company’s website for status/sales updates. This powerful connectivity also allows companies to keep a watchful eye on financial markets all around the globe with immediate updates delivered by text.

There was a time when businesses were driven exclusively by paper. Contracts, sales orders, receipts and inter office communication was all printed out and delivered by hand. Nowadays that has all changed with the vast majority of companies conducting their communications and contract negotiation electronically. A smartphone provides the user with complete access to all of these documents and communications. It also allows for instant messaging for a quick answer to a business question.

Even though there are such things as electronic signatures, the need to sign “hard copies” is still required. Here the smartphone can bridge the gap by allowing any document to not only be reviewed but also to be printed out. This can be accomplished by docking the device or sending out the print request via WiFi or Bluetooth.

Smartphone technology also allows for complete backups of all information. What is read on a smartphone will also be available on a laptop, pad or computer thanks to iCloud downloads. Additionally, there is the matter of keeping track of your business. Your smartphone can store all important contacts and provide reminders for upcoming appointments. There are also apps which offer assistance in bookkeeping, payroll management and budgeting. Even a small business that sells products can use a credit card swipe attachment on the smartphone to accept payments.

With all of these smartphone innovations, businesses are finding it easier to stay in touch and get instant access to pertinent information. Because this technology is making businesses run smoother, it gives time for everyone to get back to having fun!

Canada’s New Anti-Spam Legislation – How does it affect your business?

Bill C-28, Canada’s anti-spam legislation, was recently passed and will come into effect later this year. While its intended target is deceptive forms of spam, Canadian small and medium sized businesses should be aware of the Act in order to ensure their compliance when contacting leads, networking and developing marketing campaigns. Here are highlights of the important aspects of Bill C-28 that you and your employees need to know:

Definition of Spam

Generally spam is considered to be mass, unsolicited email from unknown or unwarranted senders. However, the new legislation applies to the sending of “commercial electronic messages”, which can encompass email, instant or text messaging and social media messages and other forms that we may not consider to be spam. Many times information that is sent may not be considered to be spam by the sender, but can be viewed as spam by the recipient. It’s important to think of how the message will be received on the other end before sending.  Hopefully, the yet to be released regulations will provide some added details or thresholds to more readily define the scope of this term.

Expressed and Implied Consent

Electronic messages are not considered spam if the recipient consented to receive the message so it is important that you first determine whether or not you have approval from the recipient to send the message. Consent comes in two forms – express and implied.

Expressed consent, as defined in the Act, is what is known as “opt-in” consent, whereby the person or corporation expressly agrees to be contacted before any communication is sent. Usually this would come in the form of a newsletter subscription sign up, adding an email address to a written or electronic list, or checking a box to receive more information. This is a more viable option for business owners because it is less likely that an issue will be raised from those who have clearly indicated interest.

Implied consent has a broader use, which can actually be beneficial to marketers and small business owners, but could also pose to be harder to prove if any issue arises. According to the new Act, implied consent occurs when “[t]he person who sends the message, the person who causes it to be sent or the person who permits it to be sent has an existing business relationship or an existing non-business relationship with the person to whom it is sent;" (Bill C-28 Sec. 9a).

If a customer has purchased wares or services from your business with the past two years, there is considered to be an existing business relationship between you and your customer, which would be implied consent. There is no time limit on the relationship status if the customer has provided expressed consent for future contact. In terms of expressed and implied consent, it’s best to err on the side of caution and try to gain expressed consent for all users when possible.

Identification

Messages must clearly express to the recipient who the message is coming from, remaining consistent with the branding used when the recipient made initial contact with the company. There must not be any misleading information in the subject line that misrepresents the message or the sender.  All messages are required to include the active contact information and postal address of the sender.

Unsubscribe Option

Businesses who have an email newsletter must have an unsubscribe option clearly stated on each message so that users can easily halt future correspondence at any time. Some users may not know to use the unsubscribe link, so including contact information for your business is important to ensure that recipients are able to contact you in another form in order to be removed from the mailing list. If a client does contact you via other means to be removed from the list, unsubscribe the user manually and notify them of the removal immediately.

Tips for Small Businesses

If you have a newsletter sign up area on your website, make sure your database saves important information such as name and date of sign up – not just the email address - so that you are able to prove consent if a problem arises. Always give your customers your contact information in any messages sent as well as the option to “opt-out” or “unsubscribe” at any time. Customers should not be automatically placed in an email database, they must be able to choose whether or not they would like to receive information from you. Don’t bombard your customers with messages, it can easily frustrate your clients if their inbox is getting constantly filled with messages from you.  Setting up an account with email marketing software can ensure that your messages are compliant with the government rules. Senders who don’t comply with the new regulations can face serious fines, so make sure your messages are useful or informative to the user in some way, this will make customers look forward to your correspondence and make your database grow.

There will be more to come on this important topic when the regulations are released.