Support As A Service For Your Company: Full Guidance And Useful Tips

Published on: 16 April 2021 Last Updated on: 30 December 2024

Customer support is a powerful thing that can help your business to grow. Customers pay attention to how quickly and effectively you respond to their requests and what information you provide.

For example, according to McKinsey, 70% of customers measure their experience based on customer service level.

If the company is not ready to provide good customer service, it’s better to find other solutions than to lose customers. And one of these solutions is called support as a service.

Support as a service: what is it

Briefly, it means outsourcing customer support functions. Let’s imagine that you are managing a middle-sized company and are going to organize customer support. What options do you have?

At least two. First, you may build a customer support department inside the company. Second, you may hire an outsourced customer service responsible for clients’ communications and requests.

What choice is better? You may pick up any of these options considering available financial, human, physical, and other resources. Let’s compare the main pros and cons of both decisions.

An in-house customer support department-

Pros:

The customer support team is fully involved in all processes.
You hire every team member.
You may manage everything on your own.
The success of your external communications with the customers is in your own hands.

Cons:

It’s pretty expensive (needed equipment and installation may cost thousands of dollars).
You pay customer agents for the whole working day and not for the number of calls.
You are not flexible and can’t change the whole customer department in case something doesn’t work.

An outsourced customer support team-

Pros:

You may choose from a variety of different providers unless you find an appropriate one.
You may influence all processes that take place inside an outsourced team.
You should not think about any technical aspects of customer support.
You pay only for the delivered service.
You free up a lot of resources inside the company and use them for more critical tasks.
Your customer service team may speak different languages.

Cons:

It’s possible to get poor service because not all providers guarantee good quality.
Sometimes you may experience issues, misunderstandings, and mistakes.
Your customers may not be satisfied.

Related Reads: Making Sure You’re SOX Compliant

Support as a service: who uses it

During the last five years, support as a service became widespread among different businesses. This model has a lot in common with another approach called SaaS (software as a service) or providing cloud software solutions on demand. Support as a service is popular in:

E-commerce:

People like shopping online (especially now, during pandemic times). They also want to choose goods on the weekend or late in the evening after work. So, customer support has to be ready to provide customers with the required information at any time. In these circumstances, an outsourced customer support team is the best option for businesses.

Tech and finance business:

Hiring a customer support agent with the relevant tech or software experience may last for several months. It’s a lot, taking into account that the company loses money during this time. Professional support as a service provider knows how to find required team members fast and effectively.

Season businesses:

Before Christmas or summer months, some companies experience an increasing number of customers’ requests. As a result, their internal customer support departments cannot handle all questions and answer them quickly. An outsourced customer support team on demand may solve this issue and take over part of requests only for a limited time.

Available services-

Another essential question is what exact services an outsourced customer support team may provide. In general, all normal functions of customer support.

Calls:

According to Zendesk, more than 50% of customers prefer to use phones for communication with the brands. That means that voice customer support plays a significant role in building a positive customer experience.

Emails:

Letters are an excellent alternative to calls. They allow sharing more detailed information with customers. But for better results and effectiveness, you should establish special rules on how soon customer agents have to answer letters, tone of voice to use, etc.

Live Chats:

If your company works with millennials and young generations, think of using modern communication tools like live chat or messengers. According to Statista, live chat has growing popularity in almost all industries.

Support as a service: how to start

Here is a checklist of everything you need to do to start collaborating with an outsourced customer support company.

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What to Expect from Upcoming IPOs in the Next Quarter

The Indian IPO market is expected to heat up again in the next quarter. With the economy steadying and market sentiments improving, many companies are lining up their initial public offerings (IPOs) in the coming months. As an investor, especially a retail investor, upcoming IPOs present an interesting opportunity to allocate a portion of the portfolio to high-growth businesses early. However, not all IPOs are created equal. With so many companies hitting the primary market, how do you separate the wheat from the chaff? Which IPOs should one apply for, and what factors should be considered before investing? This blog post discusses what investors can expect from IPOs in the next quarter and provides a framework for analyzing and shortlisting the best upcoming IPOs for your portfolio. Strong IPO Pipeline Investment bankers have a strong pipeline of companies planning to launch their IPOs soon. These include prominent startups from e-commerce, fintech, FMCG, and technology sectors. Some of the major upcoming IPOs to watch out for include the following: Ather Energy: Ather Energy has recently received approval from the capital markets regulator to float its initial public offer. The e-mobility unicorn plans to raise Rs 3,100 crore through its maiden share sale. Oswal Pumps: The IPO can supposedly have mixed fresh issues of equity shares that are worth 1000 crore INR. Also, the offer-for-sale (OFS) of close to 11.3 m equity shares will be made available by promoter Vivek Gupta. Schloss Bangalore: The parent company of Leela Hotel Chains, Schloss Bangalore, is also planning to offer a mix of the latest issue of equity shares (worth 3000 core INR) and the OFS of stocks, which cost around INR 2000 by Project Ballet Bangalore Holdings. iValue Infosolutions: iValue Infosolutions offers various digital services like security analytics and network security. It doesn't have any listed peers on the Indian stock exchanges. The IPO is expected to have only OFS components with 18.7 m equity shares but no fresh issue components with it. Factors to Consider Before Investing in Upcoming IPOs The fast-growing Indian startup ecosystem provides immense potential for wealth creation. It is, however, crucial to remember that IPO investments usually carry higher risks than investing in established entities. An investor must assess multiple aspects of the issue to make informed decisions. Here are some key factors to evaluate: Business Model and Market Opportunity Study the company's business model, target market, and future growth drivers to gauge the strength of the underlying business. Analyse if the company operates in a large addressable market and if tailwinds exist for long-term growth. For example, the rise of online spending presents a huge opportunity for e-commerce and fintech players. Financial Health Review key financial metrics like revenue growth, profitability, cash flows, operating leverage, and capital efficiency to assess the business's financial health. It is better to prefer companies with a proven track record of predictable and profitable growth. Valuations Valuations play a critical role in IPO investing. It is crucial to compare the company's earnings and price-to-sales multiples with listed industry peers to determine if the IPO is reasonably priced or overvalued. It is important to note that tech IPOs in the recent past have commanded higher valuations due to high growth potential. Competitive Advantage It is crucial to understand the company's competitive positioning and moats, such as network effects, branding, or superior technology, that make its business difficult to replicate. Durable competitive advantages suggest that the company can maintain growth and profitability. Risk Factors Carefully read the prospectus's list of risk factors, including operational, financial, compliance, and external risks. Evaluate whether the company has concrete plans to mitigate these risks. Purpose and Use of IPO Proceeds Analyse how the company plans to use the IPO funds. It can be beneficial to look for companies that utilize capital for productive purposes, such as expanding capacity, clearing debt, or gaining strategic capabilities via acquisitions, rather than just providing an exit route for investors. Promoter Credibility and Skin in the Game The credibility of the promoters or founders and their commitment to the business matter a lot. This is usually reflected in the portion of ownership they plan to retain post-IPO. Founders with enough skin tend to take a long-term view of steering the company. Tips for Retail Investors Applying in IPOs Here are some handy tips for retail investors to increase the probability of getting an IPO allotment: Open a demat account with a bank or broker that has a higher allocation in public issues. This can help increase one's chances of allotment. Ensure sufficient funds are in the bank account linked to the demat account 2-3 days before the IPO opens. These funds will be blocked once one applies for the IPO. Focus on IPOs with larger offer sizes and avoid oversubscribed issues. Leverage UPI to apply as it typically has a higher allocation reserved for retail investors. Fill in the bid details carefully, and do not submit duplicate requests from the same account. Conclusion The IPO frenzy is expected to continue in the next quarter. For investors willing to stomach the risk, upcoming IPOs offer an opportunity to allocate a small portion of capital to new-age businesses that could create substantial wealth over long periods. Doing the homework, thoroughly evaluating company fundamentals and valuations, and investing discipline usually helps. Frequently Asked Questions Following are some common questions investors and traders may have about the upcoming IPOs. Q1: What are the key factors one can expect to influence IPO performance in the next quarter? Ans: The performance of IPOs that hit the markets in the next quarter can be expected to depend on several interlinked factors. These include prevailing market conditions, industry trends, company fundamentals, geopolitical events, and overall investor sentiment. Strong economic performance and growth outlook have historically supported higher IPO activity and valuations. Q2: How can investors identify promising IPOs in the upcoming quarter? Ans: Choosing the right IPOs to invest in requires rigorous due diligence by investors. Critical aspects like the company's financial health, growth levers, business model, competition dynamics, industry outlook, and the strength of the management team must be evaluated. Reading the IPO prospectus and analyst reports can help provide valuable perspectives. Q3: Which industries will likely dominate the IPO market next quarter? Ans: Private enterprises from high-growth sectors like technology, healthcare, and green energy can expect to drive IPO volumes in the next quarter. Companies with strong innovation pipelines and a strategy to capitalize on current market conditions will likely draw significant interest. Q4: What risks should investors consider before investing in upcoming IPOs? Ans: While upcoming IPOs are expected to provide exciting investment opportunities, they also carry their share of uncertainty and risks that investors should be aware of. These include prevalent market volatility, chances of overvaluation, lock-in periods, and lack of historical performance data, in addition to the industry-specific and macroeconomic risks. Q5: Are there specific IPOs generating high interest for the next quarter? Ans: Among the upcoming IPOs, companies with strong brand recognition, unique and innovative offerings, established track records, or those operating in areas with massive growth runways can be expected to generate the most investor interest. Tracking financial media coverage and reports prepared by financial analysts can help highlight the important aspects of upcoming IPOs. Q6: How can retail investors participate in upcoming IPOs? Ans: Retail investors should open a Demat account with a leading bank or brokerage firm to access upcoming IPO allotments. They must thoroughly understand the IPO allocation process, categories, and minimum investment thresholds applicable to retail investors. 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Ways To Improve Your Business’s Financial Health

Improving your business's financial health is essential to a successful enterprise. In today's increasingly competitive environment, companies of all sizes must take steps to ensure their long-term success and profitability. This article will provide advice on how you can assess the financial health of your business and tips on what actions you can take to improve it. Ways To Improve Your Business’s Financial Health As mentioned above, maintaining a business's financial health is crucial to the business. There are instances when the stakeholders need help understanding the ultimate objective of the business. Consequently, the business may fail. Therefore, as an entrepreneur, you need to understand the situation thoroughly. This section discusses some of the ways through which you can assess the financial situation of your business. Assessing Your Business's Financial Situation Take note of cash flow, assets, liabilities, profits, and losses. Your efforts to improve the financial health of your business may falter. Analyze any trends in these areas over time—what has been working? What could be improved? Make sure to factor in changes due to inflation or economic conditions. Therefore you must take the help of experts who can deliver your needs. They are professionals and can carry out audits to ensure you better understand the business, and that too with utmost clarity. Analyzing Your Current Profit And Loss Analyzing your current profit and loss is critical to understanding the financial health of your business. Start by gathering all of the relevant data from last year's performance--income, expenses, net income, etc.--and analyzing it thoroughly. Calculate ratios such as return on assets (ROA) or profitability index (PI). Compare historical trends in these measures to understand how your business has performed over time and where you can improve. Look for areas that are performing well as well as those needing attention and come up with strategies to improve them. Discuss the elements with the leader of your team. At the same time, make sure that you calk out the plans together to get better results on your investment. Therefore what you need is to have a thorough discussion on your project outcomes. Strategize your business based on the outcomes and can help you find solutions to your problems. Evaluating Your Cash Flow Good cash flow management is essential for business success. It’s important to understand where your money comes from, how much you have, and when it leaves the company. An effective way of evaluating your cash flow is by creating a financial forecast that accurately predicts income and expenses at different points throughout the year. If you have a strong knowledge of the cash flow in your business, you can have a better evaluation. It can help you identify your needs. It is indeed one of the approaches to understanding the health of your business. Additionally, tracking your invoices and payments closely can be beneficial as it allows you to spot any potential problems with customers who may not be paying on time or at all. Optimizing Your Expenses Optimizing your expenses is an essential step in improving the financial health of your business. It's critical to review and evaluate all expenditures, as well as identify any areas where money can be saved without sacrificing the quality of goods or services. One of the best ways to identify your expense is by utilizing an enterprise spend management system. Also, looking closely at your spending on labor, materials, overhead, taxes, and other business costs can help you reduce unnecessary spending. Additionally, some practices that may help improve efficiency include negotiating with vendors for lower prices, creating budgets and sticking to them, tracking expenses regularly, and automating processes whenever possible Take the assistance of the experts in finance to understand what you need to have at this point in time. It can help you successfully manage your expenses. Hence what you need is to form an understanding of the finances that you need. Finally, plan on the optimization. Utilizing Tax Strategies To Your Advantage Taxes can be a significant burden for businesses, but there are ways to leverage tax strategies to your advantage. By taking the time to understand how taxes apply to your company you could qualify for, you can reduce how much of your hard-earned money goes toward paying taxes. Additionally, staying on top of changing rules and regulations helps ensure you're always compliant with applicable laws and taking full advantage of all available tax benefits. Generating New Sources Of Revenue Creating new revenue streams can be a great way to improve your business’s financial health. Finding creative ways to generate income and reduce costs is essential for long-term success. Increasing sales or finding more cost-effective suppliers are two significant areas to consider when increasing profitability. Additionally, creating partnerships with other businesses in the industry may open up opportunities that would not have been available before. With careful planning and implementation of strategies, it's possible to create sustainable sources of income which will keep your business afloat during difficult times. Reducing Debt Reducing debt is a crucial part of improving the financial health of any business. To do this, you should prioritize paying down high-interest debts first while making regular payments on lower-interest loans. You should then focus on developing a budget and sticking to it to ensure that your business does not take out more debt than necessary. It's also essential to shop for lenders who can provide better terms or rates if you buy new loan products. Finally, creating a plan to save money and create additional revenue streams will help improve your bottom line and stabilize your finances. Conclusion To wrap up, it's essential to take a holistic approach to improving your business's financial health. You should evaluate your current profit and loss statement because these steps will help you ensure that you take the necessary measures to improve your company’s financial standing. With proper planning and dedication, you can make sure that your business remains as financially healthy as possible in the future. Read Also: What Are The Most Important Insights Which the People Should Know About Coronavirus Health Insurance? 7 Wise Financial Choices That Will Help You Follow Your Budget How to Become Financially Stable Before Age 30

High Purity Natural Products Scam | Real Truth Behind It

In this world, the current trend is all around high quality natural products. Therefore, many companies promote themselves as organizations that are involved with delivering the best products. Some of them claim these products to be natural. But unfortunately, that's the reason many people fall into the traps of these companies. If you are someone to whom the label that reads "natural" matters a lot while shopping, this article is especially for you. You must have heard about the new rage regarding high purity natural products scam. If you want to know more about it, you have come to the right place. Keep on reading this article till the end to know more… Overview When the chemical industry entered the market, it grew at an exponential rate. It provided people with faster and better results, was simple to use, and many other benefits. For example, if you purchased a fairness cream, you would notice immediate fairness after applying it. It turned your skin white. This also provided the food industry with an option to store foods for longer periods, which was previously not possible. People eventually realized that these types of products were not beneficial in the long run. These provided instant results to those who used them, but they proved to be harmful over time. It was now time for the industry to go back to its roots. Because natural resources are depleting daily, manufacturers were unable to produce completely natural products. As a result, manufacturers modified existing chemical products to make them less harmful and marketed them as high purity natural products. Then, around 2017, Mike Matton founded a cosmetics company called 'high purity natural products' in New England. The primary goal of this company is to produce natural products, primarily cosmetics, for well-known brands. They also make nootropics, gummies, nutraceuticals, and health and beauty products High Purity Natural Products: What Are They? While many people may feel confused about what the high purity natural products are talking about, it is best to say that these are not the ones that you think they are. What is the one thing that you know about high purity natural products? That they are made of ingredients that are pure and of great quality. However, while this can be true for most of the products that you see on the internet, the case is not the same for most brands. The companies market and promote themselves as free of certain harmful artificial chemicals ingredients. These harmful chemicals include: Lead, Formaldehyde, Asbestos, PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls). Many brands market themselves as natural and free of artificials. But that is not always true. That is the reason why people across the world have sued many companies. High Purity Natural Products: What Do They Claim? The first thing that you might want to know about high quality natural products is what they are. That is exactly what I am going to explain here. High Purity Natural Products is a company that was founded in the year 2017 by Mike Matton. This East Coast-based company started because they wanted to produce products that are made of natural ingredients and also to popularize the concept of Nootropics and CBD in the mainstream beauty business. In simple words, this company is a beauty company that makes beauty and wellness products with the help of nutraceuticals. The ingredients that are used in these products are the things that make the company different from other companies in the beauty industry. High Purity Natural Products: What Are The Products? The company HPNP (High Purity Natural Products) is known for making products that are made from natural ingredients. These products generally contain CBD or cannabidiol. This is one of the most active ingredients that are extracted from hemp plants. In case you want to know some of the products that the company makes, here is a list that you might check out: Vegan Gummies. Natural Vitamins and Supplements. CBD Softgels and Capsules. CBD Tinctures. Nootropic Capsules. Balms. Lotions. CBS Dip Pouches. These are only some of the major list of products that the company makes for its growing consumer base. Apart from these, there are also a number of products that the company makes for animals. Some of them are biscuits and juices. High Purity Natural Products: What's The Catch? Now comes the interesting part! You must have heard people discussing high purity natural products scam or high purity natural products fraud a lot recently. Even though there are enough reasons for you to buy the products from the Company, there are still some people that go by the popular belief that the company does not actually use natural products. The quality of the products, as well as their authenticity, has come to be questioned multiple times. People have complained time and again that the company's products are not up to the standard and must not be used by the common people. While it is true that the company had started out quite nicely, these allegations affected its reputation of the company more than anyone could imagine. Natural Does Not Mean Sustainable Certain chemicals are sometimes extracted from natural sources in an unsustainable manner. Palm oil is frequently referred to as a 'natural' ingredient by organizations that promote such products. While extracting oil from palm trees is generally considered sustainable, they are frequently grown on land that has been cleared of existing rainforests. Obtaining ingredients from nature implies influencing it in some way, which leads to arbitrary rules for determining whether practices are sustainable. Furthermore, natural resources are limited and quickly become unsustainable when extracted in commercial quantities. For example, distilling oil for chemical fragrances requires hundreds to thousands of times the weight of flower petals. Synthetic or laboratory-made chemicals, particularly at large manufacturing scales, can provide more sustainable and cost-effective solutions. They can be derived from crude oil byproducts or processed from commonly grown crops, thereby minimizing the impact on natural resources. High Purity Natural Products Scam: What Is The Real Truth? According to the latest news and reports, the allegations against the company have fuelled a lot of things on the horizon of the beauty and wellness industry. While there are a number of companies that started marketing their products as natural to gain a lot of attention and demand across the globe, the fact that there can be a scam involved has led to major investigations. And if we talk about the High Purity Natural Products scam and how real it was or is, then the answer is simple. It has been seen that the news handout of the scam related to the company is not at all true. However, because of all the negative attention that the company received, it has been difficult for the company to rise back up. They have even tied up with the Lendica Corporation to offer some of the best products and shipping services to the customers. The products that the company manufactures are of great quality. They have significantly brought down the costs of the product as well as the shipping charges to make sure that they can be available to a maximum number of their target audience after the allegations. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):- Now that you covered most of the parts of this article, here are some of the questions that readers frequently ask. 1. What Is High Purity Natural Products? While many people might confuse the name as being an umbrella term for several products that are natural and made of pure ingredients of high quality, the case here is not the same. High Purity Natural Products is the name of the company that claims to make their products from organic products like Nootropics and CBD. 2. Are High Purity Natural Products Costly? There is a reason why many people ask this question. High Purity Natural Products are not as costly as many would think. However, the ingredients that they use are natural, and some of their products also contain hemp and other CBD. All these are the reasons why some of their products lie on the higher end of the spectrum. Bottom Line: Truth About High Purity Natural Products High purity products, or at least properly marketing certain products as high purity and natural, is something that is trending at present. People are looking for sustainable, natural ways of making their lives better. That is the reason why people are willing to believe any brand or product that claims that they are natural and made of highly pure ingredients. The company High Purity Natural Products claims to sell products that are natural and made of CBD and other Nutraceuticals. However, many have concluded that their products are nothing but a scam. In case you were searching on Google about “high purity natural products scam,” I hope that you found this article to be of help. Also, if there is any other query regarding the same, feel free to comment them in the box below. Read Also: How Can Digital Marketing Increase Your Business? 6 Incredible Tips To Reach Your Small Business Customer How Customer Service Is Impacting Your Business In 2022!

Support As A Service For Your Company: Full Guidance And Useful Tips