When you consider marketing automation, it's easy to think about how far the world of marketing has evolved over the last century. We could even go back 1,000 years if we wanted but we're going to focus on the last 100 years since it encompasses the advent of radios, television, computers and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning.

The Shift Toward "Remote"

With the sudden coronavirus outbreak in the United States, there's a relatively decent chance your employer has already shifted to a work-from-home paradigm, at least for positions where the tasks are majoritively online or easy to complete while away from the workplace. This is especially true for business professionals, since that type of work seems uniquely suited for remote operations. Even if your company hasn't opted to make that sort of transition yet (43% of American employees worked remotely even before the pandemic), there are plenty of organizations which have altered their plans in a precautionary attempt to keep their employees safe and healthy. A few well-known names include General Motors, Google and Microsoft -- even the federal government is allowing greater opportunity for teleworking. That said, there are pros and cons to flexible work.

Undeniably, COVID-19 has had a massive impact on the day-to-day workings of the business world (click here to read about some of the impacts, and how VTR is helping), and amidst all the chaos and confusion, it's easy to lose track of important events and deadlines. Many business professionals rely on conferences and other organizational events to meet their continuing education needs, but because of the virus, a large number of such conferences have been moved to a virtual format, postponed or canceled altogether. In order to help curb a bit of the confusion, we've compiled a list of important events for HR professionals, members of the American Payroll Association, and certified public accountants in order to clarify whether they have been canceled, postponed or are still continuing as planned.

Regretful Purchases

Who doesn't have a story they continue to tell about a regretful purchase? We are used to hearing people reference 'Buyer's Remorse' when speaking about large purchases along the lines of homes and cars. However, this concept can apply to any purchase, all the way down to a $10 trinket. 

I’ve worked hard to provide good customer service for a very long time. I started out at VTR (then VLC) as an intern in the support department.

Even waiting tables in high school, my focus was on “supporting” people through their meals, making sure everything was as it should be, and that my tables had all the tools they needed (refills, ranch, napkins, etc.) to best enjoy the food, the restaurant’s actual product.

The longer I work directly with clients (whether they be businesses or individuals), and especially since I have more recently worked to coordinate our other departments, the more I am convinced that service and support is one of the most important things we do. 

By far, the most underrated element of every business has to be managing payroll. I use the term, "underrated," because I feel like most entrepreneurs, myself included, expect running payroll to be the least of their worries when they are gearing up to go into business for themselves.

Having customer focus is giving them the attention they feel they deserve. In a past blog, I mentioned my love for philosophy and, undoubtedly, one of the concepts I’ve latched onto is that of via media: the middle way. Aristotle, the ancient Greek thinker, emphasized this concept in the realm of ethics, theorizing that the Good is found in the middle, avoiding the extremes of excess and deficiency. 

Story-Based Learning

The Exposition
Rising Action
Climax or Turning Point
Falling Action
Resolution

Referenced above are the standard five key components to a story plot. Pretty simple when you think about it. This is the framework for virtually every movie or book you've seen or read.

One could argue that stories are the greatest gift to mankind.  

At one point or another, we've all wanted to know how to get promoted. Let's lay out a plan that will help put you at the front of the pack for the next promotion that you know you deserve. This is a simple 3-step process that will help ensure that your superiors know who you are and what you can do for the company.

All too often, we find ourselves discussing the great things that technology, education and business do to enrich our daily lives. Today we break the trend and will explore the opposing side of the benefits we can take for granted. To do this, we are going to explore the third-party provider world and when it fails us miserably.