The subject matter expert’s crucial role in company growth

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Subject matter experts are great additions to company teams. Aside from having the know-how and the education to back it up, these people have also spent a significant amount of time in their respective industries. Most of these experts handled different roles and worked their way up, leveraging their knowledge about the internal and external affairs in the industry.

Having a person who is familiar with the inner workings of a company can be trusted with its direction. Aside from this, SMEs have also spent time learning about the dynamics outside of the company. Combining these experiences will strengthen plans when it comes to strategizing for the company’s next projects. In many cases, these SMEs are also the bridge between the management and the employees. As most of them have worked their way up, they serve as the voice of the employees while fully understanding what managers intend to do.

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Experts are crucial for companies to succeed. SMEs, with their wide range of skills and understanding, can help a company visualize its next steps. For those in technical industries, seeking the help of an SME will lead to more polished processes, advanced methodology, and better problem-solving skills. For creative businesses, getting SMEs can foster open-minded approaches and out-of-the-box solutions that will result in breakthrough campaigns. As for the legal industry, hiring SMEs can help with court cases in matters like liability lawsuits and also serve as expert witnesses.

Right now, the number of subject matter experts is still growing. Despite this, there is always a need for these people in the workplace. One way for companies to gain a subject matter expert is to train notable employees to become one. Investing in their training and education might cost a lot for both parties, but it is something that will also benefit them in the long-term.

More talk: Three new smartphone apps for communication

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Communication is becoming easier as the days go by. There’s always a new app that makes connecting with others so much easier. Aside from the usual home screen lineup feature Facebook and its ever-evolving features, here are some smartphone apps that will make reaching out to others easier.

Wizard School

This app is a great way for parents to share online content with their children. For parents and guardians who want to see what their children are looking at online, this app gives access to all their kids’ creations with this app. Users can also explore get their creative juices flowing with videos, photos, and drawings. Featuring a messaging option, parents can easily get in touch with their children via smartphone.

Pyrus

Pyrus was developed to cater to dynamic work teams. With real-time messaging, task delegation, and approval flows, managers are always a step ahead in overseeing the team. Equipped with quick-sharing options, submissions and presentations are sped up.

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FreshTeam

With walkie-talkie style messaging and unlimited file sharing, this is perfect for groups who are always on the go. The app also allows conference calls and location sharing for up to a hundred users for group. Designed for professional teams, all these shared information in a group can also be made private, especially when the user is off-duty.

Hundreds of apps are being released daily. However, there are only a few of them that can truly make connecting with people easier especially for teams in a dynamic workplace. Keeping information safe and private is also a primary concern. Thankfully, recently launched apps like these three prioritize this aspect. Even with increased access to people, this doesn’t mean that their safety has to be compromised. These three apps have developed their privacy controls while making calls and messaging efficient for all their users.

How AI chatbots are impacting businesses

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“Bots are the new apps.” This was the bold declaration of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella during the company’s Build Conference in 2016. AI technology has already become commonplace in businesses – and not just in Fortune 500 companies.

Ever since 2011, when Apple’s Siri made digital assistants mainstream, natural language processors have shown potential to be useful in accomplishing basic and advanced tasks. The challenge was processing and parsing human language, which was obviously not easy for computers to do. But hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in developing this technology.

What has emerged is another useful AI technology called chatbot. While digital assistants are commanded through voice commands, chatbots respond to text. Microsoft, Apple, and Facebook are just a few of big-time organizations that publicly touts the value of the technology.

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There are small businesses that have already adopted the AI chatbot technology. And 80 percent of companies, based on a survey by Oracle, expect that they would be able to implement chatbots in their operations by 2020. The reasons for the optimism are the following:

Conversational commerce

Conversational commerce, the latest buzzword brought about by AI chatbot technology, means that a product or service is purchased because of a conversation with an AI. Currently, chatbots are already capable of carrying a coherent dialogue with humans. Soon, they could become the primary channel used for online marketing and shopping.

Customer service

Chatbots are also extremely useful in the customer service aspect of business. Some companies have already customized chatbots to communicate with clients to discuss their concerns, to answer frequently asked questions, and to even process payments. These businesses can save time and money in responding to numerous inquiries.

Personal assistance

Secretarial and administrative tasks, such as scheduling appointments or meetings, ordering office supplies, and many others, can be assigned to AI chatbots. Not only is it an affordable tool, but it can also save valuable time.

Work–life balance for the consummate entrepreneur

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Entrepreneurship is as much about making personal sacrifices during the starting point of the enterprise as it is about raking in money and being one’s own boss. The public is slowly becoming aware of this, romanticizing the image of the haggard young entrepreneur who lives off instant ramen and works multiple shifts in a slapdash effort to bring his vision into reality.

And while a little sacrifice can be expected from the new entrepreneur from time to time, this kind of romanticized belt tightening is neither an attractive nor a sustainable way of running a business. Poor diets and inadequate rest can lead to health issues that will slow down the entrepreneur, and the stress from this lifestyle will affect his decision-making process. For the person who is both the owner and primary worker of the enterprise, the decline in work quality associated with exhaustion may put off customers.

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Moreover, for many entrepreneurs who build businesses long after they have already settled down with a family, committing a significant portion of time or money to the business is out of the question.

The realities of determining the amount of time and money that can be diverted to a new enterprise should be considered when setting up the budgets and schedules. It is recommended that new business owners allocate at least a year’s worth of living expenses to their budgets.

Of course, making the most of the budgets dedicated to both living and enterprise expenses should also be a high priority for entrepreneurs. There are more ways to satisfy basic needs well, and the right selections can help stretch out budgets considerably without cutting corners.

What startups can learn from the success of Uber

Ride-sharing app Uber has become an important part of an average person’s life. It has disrupted taxi franchises all over the world with its no-fuss way of getting a ride. While it still has a lot of flaws, it has attracted millions of users in many countries for its efficiency.

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In the startup world, companies are vying to become the next Uber. If there’s anything that makes the famed app stand out, it has something to do with being at the right place at the right time. The company has eliminated a problem in a person’s daily routine that involves waiting for a long time for an unsure ride. For most Uber users, gone are the days when they have to deal with rude and overcharging cab drivers. The app also allows its drivers to be accountable for their trip as their names and plate numbers are displayed. Tracking the ride also makes a person feel safer in an uncertain society.

Time, tools, and talent are not enough to make it as a successful startup. Even if these three things are important, there has to be a social element for an app to take off. Involving a community of users makes a difference especially in terms of creating jobs. With this setup, users also have the power to evaluate the service. Participation, in this case, becomes a crucial factor for growth.

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As a business, expansion is also necessary. For startups that have the desire to be omnipresent, catering to different platforms will make the difference. Making products for a niche audience may not be enough to reach global prominence. In the case of Uber, the developers have done the legwork by making the app available to different smartphone operating systems and even having a desktop app for Microsoft users. Though this means more work for the company, the effort is meaningful, as it becomes an indispensable option for its users.

As startups develop their services, they must always prioritize their users. Efficient operations, user-friendly interfaces, accessibility, and relevance must all come together to create an app that will fill a gap in society.

Generation Me and the sharing economy

The sharing economy seems to be a good solution for a shaky global economy and even the threat of climate change. Combined with the power of smartphones and idle assets, this sustainable business model is a great way for people to make a profit even outside their day jobs.

Sharing economy services like Uber, Lyft, FlipKey, and Airbnb are more than just breakthrough ideas. These services provide a solution for the average consumer’s needs like transportation and accommodation. Technologically-assisted carpooling and couch surfing made the lives of millions easier.

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It is safe to say that sharing economy is still in its early stages. In the coming years, it will be the typical business concept for the Generation Me demographic. In these days where ownership is no longer a necessity or demand, those who have the means and the capital to buy luxuries like cars and weekend homes can choose to share it with others for a reasonable price.

On the sociological side, this opens up a new definition of community and consumerism. On the ecological side, all the sharing saves up energy and keeps waste to a minimum. Outsourcing work and even daily errands are also becoming common in the sharing economy industry.

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The sharing economy offers an abundance of benefits. Keeping the trust of consumers, however, will make it even more profitable. In a business such as Uber or Airbnb, not all providers deliver what is expected of them. Companies must go to great lengths in employing and evaluating people who will provide the services to ensure consumers’ loyalty.

As sharing economy becomes the norm, local and national authorities can contribute their expertise to make the experience safer for everyone. In this day and age, many have been empowered to share their services with the rest of their community. In turn, what they offer can turn into a profitable business that can impact how the current generation operates.

The advantages of investing in the education sector

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Education is a universal right. Aside from ensuring enrollment rates, states must also work towards improving the quality of education. The rising rates of illiteracy and disinterest can be addressed through more student-centric and accessible e-learning strategies.

However, the problem is less lack of material than absence of funding. Economic downturns usually augur budget cuts for learning initiatives. Lack of government funding saps opportunities for private investors to develop profitable innovations in education technology.

The traditional classroom setup, it is now being generally accepted, could be counterproductive for some types of learners. To engage differently adjusted learners, curricula and syllabus should be designed around their pace and capacity for knowledge.

There is still a demand for apps, software, and other platforms that facilitate learning, especially for children. As lifestyles are constantly changing, the learning tools that worked for students of the past decade may no longer work for the current generation. Due to the influence of their parents, children these days are becoming dependent on mobile devices.

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This trend opens up opportunities for apps and software that encourage learning and track a student’s progress. In the same way, teachers also need new tools and materials that will engage their students. On the teaching and educational management side, there is also a need for efficient software aiding the documentation of student progress and the creation of educational materials.

Along with this shift, the classroom setup is also evolving. Interactive boards, e-books, and collaborative curriculum are becoming commonplace in affluent places. Bringing these improvements to the mainstream invites private investment. Businesses can consider contributing to these efforts as investing in human capital. Helping others acquire necessary skills and knowledge to become productive members of society will lead to a stronger workforce in the future. This could also be solutions for illiteracy and out-of-school youth.

Global and private initiatives towards improving education technology will increase towards the year 2020. This outlook needs the work of not only education professionals but also those from information technology and business. The collaboration of these three powerful sectors has the potential to influence millions of people.