Customer service is a crucial skill for all businesses. As a client, which would you rather work with: A business that takes four days to respond to an email after two follow-ups about being overcharged, or a business that has a friendly customer service agent answering the phone, email, or live chat in minutes and…
Whether you’re preparing to reopen your doors, choosing to continue social distancing for a while longer, or branch out into an entirely new business, there’s no time like the present to seek a little business inspiration. At PATLive, we’ve been curating some of our favorite podcasts to help small businesses plan and prepare for the…
While large corporations are everywhere, Americans tend to prefer working with smaller businesses whenever possible. Small businesses are seen as more accessible. They aren’t bound by rigid policies that don’t make sense like corporations, and they’re often perceived as being heavily involved in the local communities. Customers often trust them more and feel more invested…
Managing a team and a business is no easy task, and it can be stressful even under the best circumstances. Trying to tackle business ownership or leadership during a worldwide crisis like the one we’re currently experiencing with the coronavirus pandemic, however, is a challenge that many have never faced before. There’s one thing that…
Starting a business is an exciting time but can also be stressful and very involved with paperwork galore. According to the Small Business Association, more than 627,000 new businesses open their doors each year. Unfortunately, the same report found that around 595,000 businesses close every year, too, meaning that getting off to the right start…
When it comes to growing your business, what worked for advertisers five years ago does not have the same effect today. For example, social media marketing platforms are so inundated with paid advertisements that users are conditioned to ignore them completely. Instead of spending more and more on the same ad channels to be competitive,…
Most small businesses operate on tight budgets. They’ve got razor-thin margins, and with fluctuating markets and the need to reinvest money back into the business so that it can scale, it’s not surprising that most are constantly on the lookout for ways to save money. Unfortunately, too many businesses end up cutting “mission-critical” expenses that…
Swamped with work, many law practices eventually turn to a legal answering service to help them manage their constant stream of incoming calls from clients and potential clients. High-quality answering services accept calls, answer questions, take messages, collect client information, and book appointments as if they were an in-office secretary who worked closely with the firm’s attorneys….
All businesses understand the value of customer acquisition, placing enormous amounts of time, energy, and money into attracting and converting new customers. Adding new customers to your roster is essential for growth, so this is a justified priority. Too many brands, however, stop there; they land one customer, and they move onto the next. This…
Every business with an online presence will experience it at some point. That dreaded, awful feeling that comes when you see a “less than glowing” review from a customer pop up online. Maybe their order came late, or not at all, or arrived broken. Perhaps they felt they ended up with lackluster customer service. We’re…
