New Vision Technology Group, Inc.

Managed Services for Small Businesses: Can DIY Approaches Compete?

New Vision — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:09:24 +0000

The do-it-yourself (DIY) approach is attractive, yet its presence is encouraging for small businesses. Experts affirm this trend, where managed services are emerging as a cost-efficient and more reliable option. For small businesses, there seems to be no question as to the logical choice with a managed service provider (MSP).

A Look at the Numbers and Opinions

Can DIY approaches realistically contend with their MSP counterparts? A look at the situation from HR Management gives an emphatic “no.”

The stats are particularly revealing in this area. Not only is the trend gravitating towards MSPs, but the numbers uncover the location of small businesses’ confidence:

According to Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), DIY numbers dropped from 59 percent of companies in 2007 to 40 percent in 2008. By 2009, it nearly hit the halfway mark at 49 percent of companies using MSPs.
2009 SIA statistics revealed that 59 percent of buyers with an MSP rated their workforce program as “cutting edge/best-in-class.” HR Management reports that for DIY, only 19 percent of buyers rated their program in the same fashion.
An Aberdeen Group study from 2009 revealed that DIY resulted in inflated costs, poor visibility, and uncontrolled spending due to complications present in this process. With MSPs in place, organizations had cost savings of nearly 40 percent.

Why is an MSP approach so effective? According to Joan Davison, in the report from HR Management, more effective management is granted from these services. Also, the MSP is able to give dynamic levels of support to a business, allowing the business to grow and receive appropriate support without major changes.

She adds that an MSP is not restricted by internal politics. As these areas are kept separate from the internal workings of a small business, the controlled service can achieve savings and performance goals without distractions.

The Bottom Line for Small Businesses

Most small businesses cannot afford to spend precious time and resources dealing with specific areas of running the business. The previous numbers certainly speak to an accepted reality present in the business world.

Having an “IT Guy” gives way to affordability and complicated inner workings. With an MSP, though, there is a cost-efficient option that can grow with the company. There are also no further problems when an issue arises, as the MSP will be better able to handle it. Having a team of experts for less – money and time – is certainly preferable.

Imagine the ease of a managed backup service able to provide you with instant support and several locations for your data – all at a scalable setup and affordable price. With a DIY approach, things become complicated and costly to match every strength of the MSP.

It bodes for other areas as well. Instead of handling business email services in the small business, business class managed email hosting can offer superior support when issues arise. It’s hard to compete with advanced security features, seamless integration, and a way to receive help when something happens. With a DIY approach, what will happen when your small business gets with a denial of service (DoS) attack? If the IT Guy can’t handle it, your business could take a significant hit across the board.

Overview

Complications and weaknesses in support and scalability are difficult to overcome for small businesses with DIY approaches. Due to these issues and the implications on the budget, small businesses are turning to MSPs that can offer superior service for less.

Expect full-service companies like New Vision Technology Group to increasingly manage technology services for small businesses. It seems to be the logical choice in every area.

What Can an Email Address Say About Your Business?

New Vision — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 23:32:51 +0000

Appearances can be deceiving, yet, at the same time, they can have weight in the business world. Like the look of your building and website, you email address and account can form a vital first impression. With this relatively simple issue, it’s a hit-or-miss proposition.

Professionalism in the Email Address

On the hunt for an attorney for your small business, you see something odd: the listed email is johndoelaw@yahoo.com. Something just isn’t right.

Some real-world examples can be more or less obvious. It might be johnslaw@yahoo.com, johndoe@yahoo.com, or awesomeattorney@yahoo.com – but it doesn’t matter. If you don’t meet expectations in this simple area, you are at risk of losing a business contact or customer.

What is that expectation? Utilize a professional email address that uses your domain name. With your first name, full name, or even a basic “contact” or “admin” as a starting point, put that in front of your @domainname.com. Using a free email address is a dead giveaway.

Taking Email a Step Further

Having a professional email address can help maintain that professional image. Yet, it’s certainly not the end of the story.

What is included inside of the email is just as important. Apart from the professional email address, Hannah Morgan mentions professional font and writing practices, along with a suitable email signature. The latter can include contact information as well as social media integration, if desired and as relevant.

Along with a professional email address, these items can certainly set the right tone for your business-to-business and customer interactions. Managed email services can help with these visible areas, as well as reliability and security features that businesses require.

Overall, a professional email address is certainly a must-have for any business. It sets an important tone that would otherwise be a turn off to a potential connection of some kind. Similar to the look of your website, the email address itself is another important element that can reflect – positively or negatively – on your business.

How Can Mobile & Social Media Marketing Help my Small Business?

New Vision — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 20:25:12 +0000

Two of the most prominent trends in technology are undoubtedly social media and the emergence of mobile devices. Aaron Smith recently reported that Facebook has passed the one billion user mark. Mobile devices have also made headlines, as, according to research reported by Mark Walsh, mobile devices will overtake desktops in 2013 as the most common Web devices.

For any business, there is much to gain with social media and mobile-specific marketing.

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is a proverbial gold mine for small businesses. Nearly every aspect of online marketing is touched by social networking. Add in some extra niche networks and you have a lot of possibilities.

Facebook marketing and Twitter marketing are the two global giants of social media marketing. One of the most impressive advantages of these networks is the word-of-mouth advertising that occurs. Businesses are experiencing impressive growth by creating shareable, useful, and even entertaining content. However, some businesses are putting off customers with poor social media use.

These primary social media networks are offering more than just another marketing platform:

Brand Awareness: This was listed as the top business goal in a July 2010 study of U.S. marketers. Establishing a strong social media presence can certainly improve brand awareness.
Customer Service: Many customers flock to Facebook and Twitter for customer service. As this trend progresses, offering customers quick service on these networks can be a great asset for their convenience.
Much More: Chris McLaughlin reports that social media – along with sharp marketing practices – can offer much more than increased profits. He notes a local restaurant group that is giving back to the community, where social media plays a key role in greater awareness for the cause.

Social networks can also connect with the business’ blog to interconnect marketing avenues and offer further possibilities. With niche social media sites like YouTube and Pinterest, there are even more options for small businesses to zero in on its target customer base.

Mobile Marketing

Does your business utilize SMS marketing to offer great deals to customers – similar to an email campaign? Mobile marketing opportunities like this can offer a great deal to small businesses, much like social media.

Mobile marketing is not far removed from social media marketing. Smith notes that 102 million Facebook users – over 10 percent of the site’s membership – exclusively access Facebook’s mobile site. Half of Facebook users – now at one billion – use it at least once a month.

How can your business cater to mobile users? Here are a couple of examples that utilize mobile marketing principles:

Website: Is your business website optimized for mobile users? Take a look and see if you’re catering to potential customers who use their mobile device. If not, responsive design practices and/or a specific mobile site can allow your business to capitalize on this opportunity. Otherwise, 61 percent may look at a competitor.
QR Codes: Increasing by 300 percent in 2011, QR codes could offer marketing relevance for your small business, depending on your industry and customer base.

Overview

Take advantage of Facebook marketing with mobile-friendly blog links. Consider YouTube videos that engage clients and offer SMS deals. There are a wide range of opportunities that utilize social media networks and mobile devices.

These two areas are experiencing a great deal of growth. It is that growth that should be noticed by small businesses – as customer engagement, brand awareness, customer service, and the wide range of online marketing practices (SEO, link building, email lists, etc.) can call be improved by deploying efforts in these two areas.

You can learn more by visiting www.txt2vip.com

102 – Account Executive – Northern NJ

New Vision — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:07:24 +0000

Northern NJ Account Executives Needed
Sales | Manalapan, NJ

New Vision Technology Group is Growing!

New Vision is currently seeking an Account Executive for our txt2vip Mobile Marketing division.

The Account Executive will be responsible for local sales, account management and developing the text message campaigns that our clients need to reach their BEST audience.

Recent college grads are welcome to apply.

What you will do as an Account Executive:

-Build and maintain client relationships through prospecting and on-going service calls.
-Develop a client base and meet sales revenue and profit goals.
-Develop and implement effective marketing plans specifically targeted to assigned territory and client type.
-Work with individual clients to determine their marketing needs.
-Manage accounts receivable for your client base.

We Offer:

-Excellent recurring commission compensation
-Performance-based Incentive & SPIFF Program
-Sales and product training
-Unlimited earning potential

Requirements:

-Strong cold-calling, business development and prospecting skills
-Creativity for developing the perfect ad for your clients
-Strong negotiation and listening skills
-Professional appearance, ethical behavior, and a desire to work in a professional and positive environment
-Reliable transportation

[Apply Now]

About New Vision Technology Group, Inc.:

Since our inception more than a decade ago, New Vision Technology Group has been delivering comprehensive Managed Services to small businesses and entrepreneurs nationwide. We’ve grown rapidly by leveraging the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of the “cloud” to make enterprise-class services affordable for businesses of all sizes.

The team at New Vision Technology Group has a long history of managing complex IT projects. We’ve serviced all major industries including education, automotive, manufacturing, financial and professional services. And we’re ready to provide that expertise to our favorite market – small businesses and entrepreneurs.

http://www.nvtgi.com

About the txt2vip brand:

txt2vip offers text message VIP marketing programs to businesses of all sizes, allowing them to quickly deploy a text message VIP marketing program (text campaign) or integrate into their existing web site with ease. With our innovative marketing tools, you have complete freedom on interacting with your consumers leveraging the fastest growing communication method… text messaging. Try it now! Text “2VIP” to “71441″ for more info.

http://www.txt2vip.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UaYOpU2ZlL8

101 – Account Executive – Southern NJ

New Vision — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 18:48:32 +0000

Southern NJ Account Executives Needed
Sales | Manalapan, NJ