Customer service software is a centralized platform that helps businesses manage their customer communication touchpoints. Designed to deliver excellent customer support, it typically requires an omnichannel approach that includes shared inboxes, live chat, in-app phone features, and ticketing tools. This article answers the question—what is customer service—and explores how it works, customer service tool types,…
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FICA Tax: What It is and How to Calculate It
FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) is a federal payroll tax on the paychecks of employees, as well as mandated contributions from employers to fund the Social Security and Medicare programs. Both employees and employers are responsible for paying 6.2% of employee gross earnings for Social Security and 1.45% of gross earnings for Medicare. These are…
What Is the Fraud Triangle in Accounting?
Designed by well-known criminologist Donald R. Cressey, the fraud triangle is a model for identifying the existence of fraud as exhibited in three risk factors: incentives, opportunities, and rationalization. It’s a guide for small business owners and managers to assess the possible areas in the business where fraud might exist. In the accounting process, we…
9 Sales Pipeline Stages Every Team Should Create
Sales pipeline stages are the steps within a sales cycle that identify the internal activities needed to move a prospect from initial contact to buying your products or services. These include tasks like prospecting, lead qualification, and product delivery—all of which can be tracked using customer relationship management (CRM) software. There are nine common stages…
Industry-specific CRM or General Use CRM: Which to Use?
Customer relationship management (CRM) software provides businesses with a centralized location to input, store, and manage leads and customer interactions. Industry-specific CRMs offer more niche and specialized tools to help particular business types, including insurance, healthcare, and hospitality, move customers and prospects through sales cycles more quickly. Meanwhile, general-use CRMs provide more universal features applicable…
New Employee Information Form: What to Include (+Template)
A new employee information form collects vital new hire data that you need to have on file. Your form should include some basic information, like the new hire’s name, contact information, and emergency contact details, as well as some pertinent employment-related details, like their role, hire date, and pay rate. Keeping this information helps you…
Accounting 101: Basic Terminologies, Accounting Cycle & More
In simple terms, accounting is the process of recording and summarizing transactions for the purpose of generating reports relevant to decision-making. Regardless of the business size, it is an important business function to ensure that all of the owners’ resources are used efficiently and effectively. Many certified public accountants (CPAs) and business executives define accounting…
Lead Generation: A Guide for Small Business
Companies of all sizes use lead generation to ensure they are regularly attracting new potential buyers into their sales funnel. In this article, you’ll learn more about what lead generation is, proven strategies for small businesses, and which software tools will keep your sales pipeline consistently full of opportunities. What Is Lead Generation? Generating leads…