How to Be a Good Manager
There’s a difference between a manager and a leader. A manager’s responsibilities might include task delegation and timecard, but a leader focuses on the growth and well-being of your team members. The best managers know how to do both roles, and can strategically incorporate the strengths of each employee to build a successful organization. According to Deborah Sweeney, vice president and general manager of business acquisitions at Deluxe Corp., good managers use emotional intelligence and soft skills to achieve this.
“Traditionally, we have been taught to believe that the person with the highest IQ in the room is the smartest,” Sweeney said. “However, science is increasingly proving that individuals with emotional intelligence and its four core skills – which include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management – are actually the top performers within any company.”
Common Business Management Software Features
- Accounting — automating your billing processes, compiling financial statements, and managing accounts payable and receivable.
- Inventory control — tracking stock levels, managing sales orders, and generating purchase orders.
- Employee scheduling software — streamlining the process of scheduling employees for work. The software allows managers to schedule employees for their shifts based on availability, skill sets, and other requirements. Building schedule templates and running reports is easier with this type of software.
- Lead management software — helping sales reps track prospects from initial contact through close of the sale. The software can help reps prioritize leads that are most likely to convert into customers based on demographic information and sales history.
- Customer relationship management (CRM) software — helping businesses track customer interactions in one place. From initial contact through purchase and follow-up. This type of software may include marketing automation tools to help businesses target prospects more effectively over time. With CRM software, businesses gain insight into their customers.
With so many different types of business management software available, it can be challenging to pinpoint which ones are useful and which are not. Here are five tips to help you choose the best business management software
Do you need business management software that handles invoicing, CRM, and email marketing? Are you looking for management software that will integrate with Quick Books or another accounting program? Identify your company’s needs to choose the most suitable software. Be clear about your goals to ensure that the system you choose meets all of your company’s needs.
If there is a particular feature you are looking for, such as time-tracking or project management, compare different systems to determine which has the best features in this area. When comparing features, make sure they are relevant to your business and not just “bells and whistles” that won’t benefit you.
Business management software has various features, from primary inventory control to complex accounting functions. To get the most for your money, compare several products and decide which ones are essential for your business. Be sure to evaluate each program’s reporting and forecasting capabilities as well as its inventory tracking and invoicing functions.
Some business management systems work on both PC and Mac platforms, while others may only work on one or the other. Ensure to check this before making a purchase. Also, keep in mind that some apps are designed only for desktop or laptop use if you use an iPad or other tablet.
Not all software is compatible with your operating system, so be sure to check before you buy. What’s more, consider what type of hardware you have in your office. Will you need more memory or a faster processor to run the software? Read the system requirements and test out a trial version before committing to one program.
Your budget is always an essential factor when choosing any software solution. Still, it’s crucial when selecting a business management app because it can have hidden costs depending on which one you choose.
It can be tempting to go for the most expensive plan if we’ve been primed by society to think that paying more means getting better quality service. But this isn’t always true, especially when it comes to choosing business management software.
Depending on where your business is now and where you see it going in the future, you need to think about how fast you want it to grow and if that aligns with the app’s scalability.
For example, if you are a small retail store, a business management app that only allows you to ring up sales might be sufficient. But if you hope to expand into an eCommerce site in the future, you’ll want a business management app that can allow customers to make purchases online rather than just in-store.
10) Automate, Automate, Automate
While technology sometimes makes the modern business owner busier than ever – one wonders how Steve Jobs would have managed social media marketing when he was still working out of a garage – it also offers numerous opportunities to streamline and make things easier. With a near-infinite number of apps, programs, and online services available, there are at least as many ways to take difficult, time-consuming tasks and let the computer handle them for you.
Take, for instance, billing and accounts receivable. Certainly this is one of the most important jobs in any business’s schedule, but it’s also tedious and hardly quick. By automating your billing with Subscription DNA, you can free up time for other things, like marketing, strategizing, product development, maybe even taking a vacation.
Whatever your business model, Subscription DNA’s cloud billing options can help save you time and take better care of your clients. From signup to subscription management, processing, premium content paywalls, and more, Subscription DNA does it all. Contact Subscription DNA or fill out the form below to learn more.
Sources:
https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6129-good-manager-skills.html
https://blog.proofhub.com/tips-to-choose-the-best-business-management-software-5deff98316e2
https://www.subscriptiondna.com/blog/10-best-time-management-tips-for-small-business-owners/