Everything You Need to Know About BusPatrol’s Smart Buses

At BusPatrol, they’re always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to get your children to school in a safe and timely fashion. They’re creating exciting innovations in transportation nearly every day.

Their marquee solution is the Smart Bus. These vehicles are a safe and high-tech method for ensuring that your children get to their destination safely each time they leave for school.

There is a lot to keep in mind, however. They’re improving their technology every day, so there are always new features and safety measures being added to these smart vehicles

Keep reading for an in-depth breakdown of all the must-know information regarding BusPatrol’s Smart Buses and how they can impact the way your children receive their education.

What is a smart bus?

A smart bus is a bus outfitted with a suite of technology dedicated to making sure your child gets to school safely. This technology interfaces with a complex web of other technologies, like GPS signals, security cameras, and cellular modems.

All of these different pieces of tech work together to cultivate the safest environment possible for your child. They also optimize the traveling experience, which means your child will be able to get where they need to go faster.

BusPatrol’s Smart Buses connect with a complex interface in real-time, which allows their experts to monitor its location. Cameras located on the bus’ exterior also allows BusPatrol to capture bad actors. This technology lets them capture the license plates of those who speed, illegally pass the bus, and ignore stop signs. This information is then sent in to the authorities, making the road safer for both you and your child.

Best of all, this information can be processed instantaneously using cutting-edge, Cloud-based technology to instantly deliver information like license plate numbers to the authorities. Likewise, should an accident occur, GPS monitoring capabilities allow buses to send help to the scene instantly.

This technology is instrumental in making substantial improvements to the way we protect our children in the future. The system is a highly complex network of interactions between BusPatrol systems, GPS networks, and the local authorities.

Smart Bus technology allows these buses to ensure your child is as protected as possible during their morning commute.

How do they monitor driving behavior?

Smart Buses are monitored in a variety of methods. Each is carefully designed to ensure access to all the necessary information to make improvements to the systems and to take appropriate action in worst-case scenarios.

To start, the cameras on BusPatrol Smart Buses are always active. That’s right: always. As soon as the bus is put into motion, the cameras located both inside and outside of the bus are activated. As you may have guessed, this gives access to a comprehensive view of any potential dangers that may present themselves.

The footage recorded by these cameras is instantaneously transmitted via a cellular LTE network. A team of driven, passionate individuals monitor the information sent by these buses whenever a child is secured inside one of our vehicles.

The stop-arm located on the side of the bus is a huge part of the process. Once the arm extends, the Smart Bus systems send every bit of relevant data to a processing center. Systems will automatically store all recorded events for a minimum of seven days, which means there will always be access to crucial information concerning your child’s safety.

Cameras serve another crucial function: they encourage bus drivers to be on their best behavior. Any inappropriate actions, like ignoring traffic signals and taking illegal turns, will be instantly noted by the support team. Should this kind of behavior become a pattern, BusPatrol will ensure that a new driver is provided as soon as possible. Violations are sent both to the school employing the driver and to the local authorities.

Are Smart Buses the future of school-age transportation?

Absolutely. As technology becomes more and more advanced, we owe it to our community to ensure that it is used effectively and responsibly.

Smart Buses have already been adopted by several school districts, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. BusPatrol hopes to service your community, and more importantly, your children, as soon as possible.

Saleh Stevens Discusses Why They Will Be Trouble if Facebook’s Currency Succeeds

Facebook is a company that doesn’t exactly have the public’s trust right now. Mark Zuckerberg recently went to trial over the fact that Congress believed Facebook to be auctioning off our private data to companies. Facebook is a web-based app that is integrated into all of our lives. We log into it daily to talk to our friends and family. There have been other elements of Facebook that have been developed to keep us hooked on the platform. However, finance expert Saleh Stevens believes that nothing is as dangerous as Facebook creating its own currency.

Understanding Facebook’s Desire to Expand

Cryptocurrency is a type of currency that can be used online. It is not hindered by region and can be used by most major retailers online. However, Facebook has decided that it wants to enter the cryptocurrency game. It has been reported that Facebook is beginning to develop its own Libra cryptocurrency. This new currency would be used by over a billion people around the world. While the intentions may be good, there may be other problems that will arise if we end up accepting this new form of currency.

The Issues With Facebook’s Cryptocurrency

The main problem that comes to mind whenever we think about this issue is control. Big tech companies have been working diligently to free us away from government control. However, the problem lies in the fine print. Saleh Stevens believes that these large tech companies can then subjugate the individuals who use their cryptocurrency to do as they please. Though government intervention is a hard pill to swallow, nothing is as bad as a bunch of tech companies doing what they want without regulation.

Cryptocurrency Isn’t Regulated

Bitcoin is currently not regulated by any government system. While this is something that many cryptocurrency enthusiasts enjoy, it can become a major problem if it goes mainstream. A cryptocurrency that is not being regulated can cause major fluctuations in the online market. This can hurt individuals that end up putting all of their investments into a brand new cryptocurrency. However, this isn’t even the worst part of it all.

Tech Companies and The Search for Power

As mentioned previously, tech companies can reshape the environment around them as they see fit if this cryptocurrency goes live. Big tech companies can get away with crimes since they aren’t being regulated. They will not face accountability for their actions either. Libra, the cryptocurrency being developed by Facebook, is being handled by a currency organization known as Calibra. This is a subsidiary group that Facebook is creating to help regulate its own currency. However, this can present major problems on its own. How can we trust Facebook to regulate something when it only has its own interests in mind?

A Hard Sell

While we may fear a financial apocalypse, many people are still skeptical of cryptocurrency. Bitcoin is only used by 7.1 million people around the world. This is a considerably small number when compared to the general population. We can only trust the skepticism of the general population to reject Libra and not use the cryptocurrency being provided by Facebook. However, currencies do take time to develop. We hope that people can see the dangers of an unregulated currency and how it can only benefit big tech companies.

CEO Of PCIHIPAA Featured On IdeaMensch

Jeff Broudy is pioneering a “compliance as a service” business focused on providing HIPAA compliance and data security solutions to small- and medium-sized medical and dental practices. The PCIHIPAA reviews have proven to be positive among medical practices.

While working at Intuit to help build its merchant processing portfolio, I recognized that many of our competitors were (and still are) charging Payment Card Industry compliance and noncompliance fees. However, many were not helping merchants get compliant because they were making money on noncompliance fees. We first started PCIHIPAA to focus on the “PCI” part and quickly realized that medical and dental practices were also experiencing pain points with HIPAA compliance, so we married the two.

To read the full interview visit:
https://ideamensch.com/jeff-broudy/

5 Technologies That Changed The 21st Century

There have been plenty of technological innovations in the last 21st century such as hoverboards, self-driving cars, and smartphones. Modern technologies have relied on the use of smartphones and other smart devices. The way that people enjoy music, television shows, and movies have changed. The five examples show some of the most significant technological advancements in the 21st century by leader Danny Errico.

Bluetooth Technology

Bluetooth technology was introduced in 1999, and people’s lives were changed forever. The technology has been rolled out to desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets. Many devices have incorporated the use of Bluetooth technology. This technology is no longer associated with Bluetooth headsets. Bluetooth technology has been used for everything such as audio transmission, file transfer, home security, multiplayer games, and to listen to text messages aloud. It’s most notable achievement is the Internet of Things (IoT), which has emerged from this technology.

Fiber Optics

Fiber optics technology has changed the infrastructure of devices such as the internet, telephones, and televisions. These are the types of technologies that people think of when they hear about fiber optics. This technology has also changed other healthcare technologies such as medical engineering inspection and medical imaging. Fiber optics require the use of glass that’s as thin as human hair and can transmit data over long distances.

3-D Printing

3-D printing has been used in a wide variety of industries, such as the food industry and healthcare. With the use of 3-D printers, healthcare providers can deliver products to their patients on-demand. This technology could disrupt disruption and manufacturing channels. Specialists also use this technology for dental work, hearing aids, organ transplants, prescription medications, and prosthetic limbs.

This technology is also changing the food industry. Most of its breakthroughs have been seen in this industry with establishments printing 3-D food. This concept has revolutionized the food industry thanks to creativity, customization, and sustainability. That means customers may enjoy brownies, burgers, pasta, pizza, or quiche from a 3-D printer.

Self-Driving Vehicles

The latest development is self-driving vehicles. In order for this technology to work, ride-sharing and public transportation must also support this innovation. Self-driving vehicles can reduce traffic and the number of accidents on the road. This technology is more than just about vehicles, it’s about improving the streets that are consistent with economic, environmental, and social goals.

Social Media

Social media has become one of the biggest inventions of the 21st century. It has made a significant impact on the world and on society. Social media has changed the way people get their news. While there is plenty of good with social media, there is also plenty of bad. It has contributed to the rise of online bullying, fake news, and inappropriate content. This type of activity has caused organizations across several industries to train their employees on social media management.

These are just some of the latest advancements from the 21st century. This list isn’t an exhaustive list of course. But there are the most innovative advancements because of the way they changed people’s lives forever. At the beginning of the 21st century, Blackberry phones were the cellphones that everyone wanted. Touchscreen smartphones have started out large, then went smaller, and are now larger than ever.

Also in the early part of the 21st century, 3-D printing was just a concept that was thought up by scientists. Thanks to their fruition and experiments, 3-D hardware and software became possible. Technology has improved this innovation. 3-D printing has allowed engineers and researchers to create some of the above-mentioned inventions at the speed of light.

How Lumber Companies are Modernizing

The lumber industry is one of the oldest industries in American history. Production and distribution of wood products increased over time due to increased growth of city buildings. Since most forests in the cities were depleted over time, lumbermen started cultivating for more stock from rural areas. Most houses in historic America were made of wood products with a masonry coating to look like stone, but stones were rarely used. To ensure durability, old trees were used for harvesting of timber and challenges such as rotting, or insect harm was overcome using preservatives. The lumber industry has experienced dramatic changes and different challenges over the years due to increased demand for wood products as cities continued to grow. Some of these changes were evident in terms of marketing, transportation or distribution, technology, and building modernizations.

1. Marketing Standardization

While most industries that produce building materials embarked on promoting and advertising their products, the lumber industry did not adopt advertising until the mid-1900s. Most lumber companies started by advertising specific types of woods and marketing was very slow for these companies. Again, different trade organizations could not agree on different issues, and this made it hard for wood manufacturers to work cooperatively. Today, most wood product manufacturers have embraced community service, use of digital marketing strategies and media channels to market their products. Most lumber companies have embraced modern marketing strategies and are targeting cabinet makers, refacing companies, commercial millwork shops, and construction companies because they all need their products to complete their projects. For instance, waterfront companies will need dock material made of timber for their decking projects because it is one of the developments that add value to waterfront properties.

2. Distribution and Transportation Of Lumber Products

Distribution channels for the lumber industry have always been complex, and the networks involved poorly integrated. There were numerous middlemen, and the variation between the regional and local standards made the industry more complicated. This led to increased costs for delivering goods from manufacturer to wholesalers, from retailers to railroad and wholesalers to railroad and between everyone else and the consumer. Transportation was a big challenge as well, and most lumberyards had to be located near rail lines or harbors to allow easy delivery of wood products. Today, lumber companies are found anywhere because transportation means are available everywhere. Supply channels in the industry have been revolutionized by technology advancement and globalization whereby communication has been made more effective, and travel or transportation of goods has been made easier.

3. Use of Technology in The Lumber Industry

Technology is changing all industries in one way or another, and the lumber industry is not left behind. Due to the challenges faced earlier in marketing, production, and distribution, a need to embrace technology in different operations has considerably increased. Here are some of the areas where technology has shaped production in the lumber industry.

• Sawmilling

Previously, lumber companies were using personal judgment to decide on yields expected from certain material. However, with modern techniques, people are using qualitative and quantitative data to produce cutting patterns of materials automatically. Products depend on the needs of the client after analysis of the data input is complete. Such techniques are expected to improve quality, reduce wastages of materials and improve business competitiveness.

• Drying

Drying of wood products has been modernized through vacuum drying and high-frequency heating, which are techniques that allow fast drying of both hardwoods and softwoods. The good thing about these technologies is the fact that they can be adjusted to the need and urgency of the products being produced. People were using the kiln dryer previously, and it has proven to be slow and less effective especially with the increased demand for wood products. This is one of the reasons why several solvents and emulsion systems have been developed for non-water-soluble constituents.

• Wood Treatment and Preservation

Most of the products that have been used for wood preservation were considered environmental unfriendly, and therefore a need for more efficient and sustainable strategies arose. More research is being carried out to come up with alternative solutions to improve margins of preservation. Most companies dealing with decking projects would consider properly treated dock material because of the heightened exposure to water.

• Development of Reconstituted Wood

Production of different types of boards has led to increased demand for composites and reconstituted wood products. For instance, plywood is a special wood product that needs high-quality wood to be complete while fiberboard or particle board only requires fragmented wood to produce. This means that after producing some quality timber products, one can use the byproducts produced in the process to produce other important products. Both the main product and the byproducts are made more durable through chemical treatments that help in sticking different parts and particles together. For example, sawdust can be mixed with plastic to produce plastic wood composites that are more resistant and partially biodegradable.

Change is inevitable, and every company needs to adapt to the changes that come in the industry, and this will help them to remain relevant. The lumber industry is one that has experienced dramatic changes over the years for improved efficiency.

How the Future of Finance has Been Changed by Bitcoin

How Blockchain is Innovating the Finance Industry

Digital transactions are becoming part of every aspect of daily life. Smartphones are included into decisions about attire. From entertainment centers to automobiles and the work environment, most things occur on, or originate over, a digital medium. It is this type of environment that is occurring alongside the rapid transformation of the global financial system.

A Solution for the Times

Is this year’s 16% fall (since January) in the Hong Kong stock market just a downswing? Consider recent headlines about the largest cryptocurrency mining company in the world, Bitmain Technologies. The Wall Street Journal reported on their IPO interests in Hong Kong. This may be a sign of cryptocurrencies becoming a viable financial alternative during a failing global economic climate.

After all, blockchain technology was born out of the financial crisis of 2008. It conceivably holds the key to bridging the gap between old world finances and the digital age. Cryptocurrencies are not bound by the national borders that banks and governments must contend with. Hopefully, it won’t take a complete market collapse to realize that cryptocurrencies offer benefits in terms of a common ground from which the financial markets can operate unimpeded.

Blockchain Technology and the Future of Finance

Now consider social media and online retailers. Facebook accounts are global but concentrated in the United States. Other social media giants are regionally centered or isolated behind national barriers. There are a growing number of blockchains tailored for social media. As far as online retail giants like Amazon and Alibaba, both are turning to their own blockchain solutions. Putting these types of applications on blockchains may diminish national barriers, but they may also promote private ones.

Whether an Amazon/Alibaba blockchain has a global reach may not make much of an impact to digital finance if private barriers arise. Industry giants like these are sometimes likened to the monopolies that staunch the growth of business enterprise. The early days of Apple and Windows, as well as, Apple and Android, illustrate how technological advancements can bring about barriers. Distributed and decentralized blockchains, like Bitcoin, offer an unbiased neutral ground. This is essential for the future of digital finance to remain a burgeoning global system.

Cryptocurrencies are becoming more Prevalent in Business

Several companies are filing blockchain patents. Notice that three of the top spots are held by Fintech giants. Here are the ranking by iPR Daily in order of their blockchain-related patent applications:

Alibaba – 90
IBM – 89
Mastercard – 80
Bank of America – 53
People’s Bank of China – 44

According to Cointelegraph, since 2017, the overall patent filings by country amounts to 225 from China and 91 from America.

Why Mining Cryptocurrencies is Important

Cryptocurrency news makes fewer mainstream headlines of late. Stable Bitcoin prices are part of the reason. Still, there is much growth in crypto mining companies and private companies developing their own blockchain technology. Miners ensure the validity of blockchains. They protect against malicious users by preventing them from forging transactions. It is a decentralized alternative to the centralized transactions of banks that are checked by people and software.

Among the most common blockchain protocols are Proof of Work. This is what Bitcoin uses and is considered the most secure. The original blockchain is a decentralized, transparent, and immutable means for exchanging value. It achieves its ends through the immense computational power expended by mining rigs to validate transactions.

Innovating Digital Transactions

Nando Caporicci recognized the importance of cryptography for digital transactions. He is part of the community which is pioneering the new fintech validation mechanism that enables cryptocurrencies to trade globally. Nando’s business dealings focus on building customer relationships in the computer industry. From there, Nando went on to build mining rigs for Bitcoin. People like him are still needed if the modernization of global finance is to succeed on a systematic digital platform.

About Nando Caporicci

In addition to his experience in building Bitcoin mining rigs, Nando Caporicci used his B.S. in Political Science and Masters in Business Administration to contribute to Chalice, online advertising, and virus removal. He is a family man with two children. For recent news about him, visit his Crunchbase page. Also, connect with Nando on twitter and Facebook.

How to Get a Data Center Job at Google

For those who have never worked in a data center or furthermore worked on Google’s data center team previously then you wouldn’t understand what it takes or have the expertise that is needed to join Google’s data center. The ability to have a have a flexible and sharp mind is also two traits that can get you in the door alongside having expert knowledge. Joe Kava, who is the VP at one of Google data centers for nine years and he even mentioned that there is no textbook like a game show that you can refer to. As mentioned by Data Center Knowledge. Although the previous years managed to hire over 100 people in a year, the hiring rate has slowed down a little despite the industry growing at a rapid pace. More than likely not knowing how to enter this specific job industry.

How Google operates
Google’s data center is a hands-on job because the skills that are learned are learned on the job because Google was the first to build support applications for its network. The need for versatile, talented Operators to expand their infrastructure within the cloud platforms at a universal scale is at a competitive all high. Joe Kava has also mentioned that the technology that Google possesses was created in-house, so it’s near impossible to have someone with that exact expertise. As mentioned before, the hiring rate has slowed which is opposite for the industry, but this is because the core team of Google as of now is big enough to where hiring can be stagnant at times. But don’t let that deter you from applying for a data center career at Google.

What to have
To get your foot in the door, there are a few traits that will mark you as hirable. For instance, having a general cognitive ability is the number one sought after trait that even those at Google possess. You also want to be well-versed when it comes to troubleshooting. Many tasked handled at the data center include software. So being able to initiate a protocol when the systems fail or figure out solutions in various scenarios is looked for, too. Coming from Joe, so this is important because he does the hiring, he hires based on the company’s overall staffing philosophy that Laszlo Bock, who was the former senior VP of operations, created. The want to be in the data center sector is being popular to where it is also becoming harder to get hired.

Ideally, if you have prior experience with the following, they are something that will also help you get hired at Google in their data centers: the ability to manage servers and install operating systems, troubleshoot and properly configure network connections, and complete service maintenances to increase production. The knowledge needs to be there, but you personally do not have to complete these specific jobs because they are automated now. But that is to be expected in IT work centers and large facilities. So, what would you be doing? Facilitating the process and being the human error fixer. Having the ability to learn and adapt is also a behavioral trait that will be assessed.

Furthermore, having knowledge of computer science, electrical, or mechanical engineering are ranked as number 2, 3, and 4 as far as comprehension goes. If you have skills in design and operations that are not limited to electrical and mechanical engineering, security, and statistical probability analysis. Expert knowledge in control systems is becoming important. Google’s data center network has become a very complexed world, therefore, being as versatile as possible can make you a great candidate.

Education
When it comes to education, it is looked at carefully. As mentioned above, many of those skills and knowledge are obtained when studying as an undergrad and graduate. If you have a degree in engineering, more than likely your resume will stand out to Kava. Don’t be disconcerted if you have not completed higher education. You are still able to apply and get hired, but a college degree is preferred. If nothing more, remember that expertise is the most important factor.

If the data center industry is not on your “jobs to apply to” list then visit the tech blog of Sean Seshadri. Sean Seshadri has been speaking about the tech world for years now and has valuable information for techy individuals that are interested in uncovering more about the tech world.

Chase Rubin: Proposable.com Announces Development and Release of New Proposal Software

Summary: An industry leader in the creation of comprehensive cloud proposal platforms and software products, Proposable.com is announcing the development and release of new software products designed to further enhance the efficacy and efficiency of the proposals created and delivered by Proposable’s diverse base of clients.

Proposable.com is announcing that it has continued to add to its extensive list of product offerings through the development and release of new proposal software products specifically designed to increase delivery and closing rates while also providing a greater degree of efficiency in the creation of impressive and eye-catching proposals. The new software products are available to clients of the company on an immediate basis, and Proposable.com also emphasized the many benefits associated with the inclusion of the e-signature workflow capabilities within the newly developed and released software product offerings.

In announcing the release of the newly developed software products, Proposable.com noted the need for greater efficiency optimization due to the increasing demands placed on sales personnel and other professionals in workplaces across all industries. According to Proposable, the new software products continue to provide time-saving features that also result in improvements across every metric associated with the efficacy of a proposal created through the use of the company’s new software offerings.

“We have long understood the inefficiencies associated with many aspects of the proposal process, which is part of the reason why we here at Proposable have worked so diligently to streamline this process in a manner that also enhances the effectiveness of every proposal delivered to a prospective client,” said Proposable’s designated spokesperson. “Our new product offerings build upon the exceptional level of success our proposal platforms, software, and templates have yielded for our clients, and we have incorporated the specific feedback offered by clients to further enhance the capabilities of our software.”

The spokesperson indicated that the recently released software products will be followed by additional software releases, as Proposable is deeply committed to ensuring its clients are able to continually generate the best possible outcomes through the use of the proposal platforms, templates, and other software products offered by Proposable. With new and upgraded features that include a “drag & drop” builder, content library, flexible estimates, proposal analytics, e-signatures, sales pipeline reporting, and a great deal more, the newly developed software is rightly considered a truly comprehensive example of an ideal all-in-one cloud proposal software and platform.

About Proposable.com

Proposable.com specializes in providing its clients with efficient, effective, and innovative software products designed to enhance every aspect of the sales proposal process, including proposal creation, delivery, and closing.

Author Bio: Chase Rubin is a tech enthusiast that loves trying out new software’s.

Blake Rubin Shares How To Spend An SaaS Marketing Budget Wisely

Marketers in high growth companies such as start-ups typically measure their marketing traction and success using known parameters such as traffic, conversion rates, leads and various metrics that define lifecycles. For most core SaaS companies, long-term growth strategy remains the foremost objective without overlooking rapid increase in free subscription and ultimately paying conversions. As the company grows, a lot more attention is placed on sustainability and push to expand the market share. According to Kuno Creative, during the set-up stage, companies must aim to break even before the seed capital and goodwill is depleted. The aforementioned entails demonstrating growth in Monthly Recurring Revenues (MRR) in the first year or so and ensuring additional funding flow to guarantee sustainable organic growth.

The most successful entities here are those that are able to traverse the landscape by ensuring growth in qualified leads and the existence of market fit products. The other important aspect is having the ability to develop fruitful engagement. Whilst strategizing on survival and growth strategies, the marketing budget should be spent only on products that are deemed or proven to be market fit. Growth in qualified leads can be achieved successfully by building steady traffic and directing the traffic into subscribers using targeted campaigns that appeal to the audience. Once the lead is captured, the startup needs to keep the subscribers fully engaged. The traffic that flows into the business can be measured by analyzing the email opens, comments on social media and form conversions for downloads among other measurement analytics.

Marketing Strategy

Once the firm is off the ground and on the path to sustainable growth, the marketing strategy should quickly turn to achieving accelerated growth. The rapid growth stage requires firms to pay close attention to the competition, new funding streams and profitability. Most companies at this stage of development are focused on increasing the customer lifetime values and the monthly recurring revenues and reducing customer acquisition cost. When a firm reaches mature growth phase, they still need to focus on growth even though the elements such as substantial sales, existence of multiple offices, large workforces and sustainable rounds of funding may continue to work in the firm’s favor. Research has shown that a large number of SaaS based companies take between 6 to 8 months to mature before becoming viable entities.

Sales and Marketing Budget and Planning

The question as to how much and where marketing departments should spend their money largely depends on the industry, product and budget. When defining a marketing budget, whichever model the sales and marketing department decides to use, sufficient resources should be set aside to help the company attain the set goals. Sales and marketing is a crucial element in any business, since it forms the highest outlays in SaaS firms. According to Saascribe.com, SaaS companies spend between 10 to 40% of the forecast Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) on their marking budgets. Another study has shown that highly successful SaaS companies plough between 80% to 120% of their revenues back to sales and marketing. For most part, spending caps attributed to sales and marketing depends on the product, budget, growth plans and marketing team or agency a firm wants to use.

The reason why SaaS companies spend a lot of money on marketing is because this type of business model is very different from that of the traditional businesses. SaaS entities are constantly under pressure to grow their recurring revenue and fund acquisition sprees. For high growth, non-SaaS entities looking to operate their marketing departments, the four basic tenets for a sustained SaaS marketing plan according to Blog-Hubspot includes; setting goals, tactics, resources and evaluation. Setting the goal is crucial if a company wants to develop a path to sustainable growth and future. One way to do this is by setting clearer goals and operational guidelines that will help identify areas of strength and weakness. The plan needs to focus on aligning the marketing and sales teams towards achieving shared goals and providing the necessary resources to help achieve these goals.

Use Metrics and Data

Marketers can use funnel metrics and revenue growth goals to set up prudent revenue objectives by developing a service level agreement and collaborative effort between the sales and marketing teams. The next step in ensuring successful SaaS marketing is deploying the right marketing tactics. The most effective strategies include using email marketing and lead nurturing; content marketing and paid content promotion and retargeting through the social media. The most successful content marketing strategies include blogging, influencer outreach and eBooks. Content is a crucial resource for any businesses that wants to grow its market and make forays online because it can go a long way to improve brand relations and influence the purchasing decisions of prospective customers. According to Blake Rubin, an outstanding 82% of customers feel positive about a company after reading their custom content.

Fewer B2B firms, especially those in the tech sector have sufficient scale and brand name to make it out successfully without enlisting the services of efficient sales team. For most mid-tier level companies, the sales team is mostly tasked with maximizing ROI on Google platform and the likes. Leaner start-ups, on the other hand, often take a more targeted approach by deploying smaller and well-streamlined sales and marketing teams. On the overall, most startups that make successful exits are those that have designed their own unique solutions. The other pivotal characteristics include well-coordinated sales and marketing teams that can capture and win the attention of prospective clients. Startups across various industries can also grow better by teaming up with larger companies; developing marketing channel friendly solutions and co-opting marketing hacks into their respective solutions.

Use Friendly Solutions

Using channel friendly solutions may involve linking up with firms that have bigger capacities in terms of sales force and marketing budget. When a smaller firm enters into an arrangement with a bigger firm, opportunities for capturing a bigger captive audience and new market opportunities may come knocking. Well-informed marketing hacks can also go a long way to sell a brand. However, this is not an easy thing to do, especially for startups targeting high growth. To stay on the right path at all times, every potential marketing opportunity that comes along the way should be grabbed and directed accordingly. Once the goals, budget and tactics are aligned, attention needs to shift to the resource availability and allocation. Resources should be allocated according to the set defined goals. To attain this objective, managers need to choose whether to hire an in-house or outsourced agency.

Stay Competitive

In the current competitive business environment, where every dollar spent counts companies are increasingly looking at the agencies to outsource executives, write content and undertake services such as staff recruitment. Outsourcing also helps reduce management expenses and fixed overhead cost. However, before a company decides to outsource key services to an outside agency, it is important to weigh the options to find out if the decision will affect the company’s bottom line. The other important aspect of resource is building a good marketing team structure. The team needs to be competent enough to tackle the most pressing challenges in order to attain long term growth. The last step in developing a successful SaaS marketing strategy is evaluating your plan using effective measuring metrics such as MQL velocity, SaaS metrics and opportunity sourced by market.

The whole process of developing a sound marketing plan is never easy. However, having a clearer and well throughout strategy can help define success from the outset. If you are experiencing challenges, you can hire a SaaS firms with experienced marketing teams to help you align your goals and budget with marketing strategies that support growth. SaaS on-demand software’s can be accessed by different users through the web browsers. Since SaaS is distributed instantaneously without physical distribution channels, the need to use middlemen and distribution partners is pretty much eliminated. SaaS has become a very powerful delivery model for various business applications from payroll processing software and management software’s to office and messaging software’s.

One of the emerging trends in SaaS according to Wikipedia, is the development of SaaS integration Platforms (SIP). The system is designed to give subscribers access to a number of applications through a single source whilst enhancing application development and deployment. Blake Rubin is at the forefront of developing custom SaaS solutions designed to help companies grow and stay competitive in the new information age. Rubin is especially committed to transforming the way global enterprises create quality softwares. Some of the advanced solutions offered by the company include qTest Manager, qTest Explorer, qTest Pulse and qTest Insights, a powerful real time visual and reporting tool. qTest is a popular custom test case manager while qTest Explorer is a sophisticated documentation and recording tool.

4 Reasons Women Should Start Their Own Tech-based Business

Technology opens us a lot of opportunities that weren’t available over the last decade. Now, there are tech startups that are growing every day, and it is interesting to note that some of the Fortune 500 companies are tech companies themselves.

According to Chrissy Weems, now is a great time for women to start their business. She did her research on some facts about technology and business, and this is what she found out:

Technology stores information – technology is important for clients and businesses because it stores information. There is more data stored in the past two years compared to all the accumulated data over the past entire history of the human race.
Technology is fast-evolving – within the next 5 years, there will be a total of 50 billion smart connected devices. This means that all of these devices will be in sync to share, gather, and integrate information.
Technology brings connectivity – in 2015, there were a total of 1 billion people who use social media such as Facebook. People are more connected through technology more than ever.

With so many positive facts surrounding technology, now can be a great time to jump the bandwagon for women to start their own tech-based business. Here are some reasons why.

4 Reasons Women Should Start Their Own Tech-based Business

Tech-based businesses are set for growth.

A tech-based business is always set for growth–this is because people can access it more easily compared to physical businesses. With a tech-based business, there is an opportunity to quickly scale your company from a single employee into multitudes within a short period of time with lesser costs. Alternatively, you can even automate processes to further increase your growth without making any heavy investments.

Tech-based businesses can focus on women’s needs.

When we think of tech-based businesses, we often think of social media applications, developer tools, and other seemingly unfamiliar things to the average woman. According to Chrissy Weems, being a woman in the tech scene can give you a competitive advantage because you can understand what are the needs of your particular audience. It can also be helpful to get the perspective of women and how they can progress as leaders and influencers with this type of business.

Tech-based businesses are easier to manage.

Any business will be a challenge to grow. However, having a tech-based business means that it is easier to succeed because many tech entrepreneurs even earn money in the comforts of their home using a single laptop. Success for those in technology doesn’t mean always having the best location, best equipment, best staff, or best anything else–it levels the playing field for those who want to truly succeed even with limited resources. Even as a mom, a busy wife, or a woman with a career of her own, making a tech-based business can be easy compared to setting up something that is physical.

Tech-based businesses have great partnership opportunities.

With the connectivity of technology, tech-based businesses can easily find network connections that are mutually beneficial. This is helpful because some businesses are dependent on each other. For example, it is easier to find international suppliers with the power of the internet. It can also be easier to network with influencers who can market your products or services. This makes reaching out to other companies more of a breeze compared to traditional means where you don’t have many prospects aside from those available in your community.

Women can truly succeed with business. By considering the opportunities in starting a tech-based company, they can explore their options and learn more about what works for them.