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Tag: Business Solutions

  • Give Yourself the Gift of an Easier Work Day This Black Friday with Microsoft Office at a Great Price | Entrepreneur

    Give Yourself the Gift of an Easier Work Day This Black Friday with Microsoft Office at a Great Price | Entrepreneur

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    Black Friday is a great time to snag those things you’ve been putting off purchasing or know you’ll need in the future. And if you have a new (or new-to-you) computer on your list this year, as an entrepreneur, you’re definitely going to need a new license for Microsoft Office to work efficiently.

    Right now, for Black Friday, you can score a great deal on a lifetime license for the fleet of Microsoft staples to be used on one computer. If you’re a PC user, you can score Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows for $59.97 (reg. $219), and if you have a Mac, you can get Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021 for $49.97 (reg. $219), right here through November 27, with no coupon code needed.

    Because your days are packed, you probably want to make your work day as seamless as possible. That’s where the good old Microsoft Office staples come in — there’s a reason they’ve been around forever: these go-tos have been making work tasks easier to complete for decades.

    PC users can take advantage of lifetime subscriptions to classics like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more recent additions like Teams, OneNote, Publisher, and Access. And those working on Windows must ensure their OS is updated to Windows 10 or 11.

    Work on a Mac? Don’t worry. This deal includes lifetime access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and OneNote. Before installing, just make sure your OS is updated to Version 11 Big Sur or later.

    Take advantage of these Black Friday prices and make your work life a little easier, with no coupon code required now through November 27 at 11:59 p.m. PT:

    Prices subject to change.

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  • Get an Ivacy VPN Lifetime Subscription for Just $39.99 | Entrepreneur

    Get an Ivacy VPN Lifetime Subscription for Just $39.99 | Entrepreneur

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    Don’t let the holiday season sneak up on you. There are tons of deals out there that can benefit you, your business, or a person in your life who deserves a thoughtful gift. One of the most universally appealing is the liberating and digitized VPN solution. During a special Black Friday price drop that lasts through November 27 only, you can get this lifetime subscription to Ivacy VPN on sale for just $39.99 (reg. $97).

    This subscription enables the user to protect up to five different devices with access to the VPN network. For all of them, it supports unlimited streaming, unlimited browsing time, and faster speeds when accessing the internet. Ivacy’s strict no-logs policy keeps your online activity private and secure from the VPN team and the hackers and trackers beyond.

    In addition to limitless bandwidth and advanced connection reliability, Ivacy says it brings the power with its P2P optimized servers, which allow users to torrent faster without compromise. It supports multiple logins, so you can protect your devices for a remarkably affordable rate. It also comes with advanced features like split tunneling, an Internet kill switch, and dedicated IPs to help prevent unauthorized access to remote servers.

    Speed, reliability, and security make Ivacy a majorly appealing buy this holiday season. It’s also remarkably well reviewed, with 4.4/5 star ratings on both the App Store and Google Play and 4.8/5 stars on Trustpilot.

    Entrepreneurs surely know a lot of people who could use improved internet access. Gift this discounted subscription to one of them while this price drop is still available.

    For Black Friday, this lifetime subscription to Ivacy VPN is on sale for the exclusive price of $39.99 (reg. $97) when you order through November 27 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

    Prices subject to change.

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  • Get This AI Meeting Assistant and Save More Than $100 | Entrepreneur

    Get This AI Meeting Assistant and Save More Than $100 | Entrepreneur

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    Even when you make a point to have fewer meetings, it seems like we can’t eradicate them entirely — especially in the world of remote and hybrid work. So, you might as well make meetings more efficient and actionable. Laxis AI Meeting Assistant can help you do just that, whether you’re focused on sales, business development, content marketing, product research, customer success, or anything else.

    Trusted by more than 20,000 business professionals and 3,000 organizations, Laxis AI Meeting Assistant extracts key insights from every interaction to help you take more diligent notes, unlock valuable insights, and drive smarter decision-making. It will help you follow up with customers, empower your teams with information, and streamline customer interactions with ease.

    Pre-meeting, Laxis gives you personalized meeting templates to help you keep the meeting on track and quickly integrates with tools like Zoom, Google Meet, Cisco Webex, and Microsoft Teams. During the meeting, it records and transcribes live conversations and video chats, allowing you to highlight and tag action items throughout.

    Post-meeting, you can upload the existing audio files for transcription, apply your own template to the transcription to align with similar meetings and automate data analysis. LaxisChat can answer questions based on past conversations during the meeting, and Laxis AI Writer gets to work after the meeting to automatically generate follow-up emails, meeting summaries, customer requirements, action items, and project updates.

    This tool has earned 4.7/5 stars on GetApp and Capterra, 4.9/5 stars on G2, and a perfect 5-star rating on Product Hunt.

    Find out why when you sign up for a One-Year Premium Subscription to Laxis AI Meeting Assistant for just $47.99 (reg. $160).

    Prices subject to change.

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  • HR Teams Need This 1 Thing to Unlock Organizational Success | Entrepreneur

    HR Teams Need This 1 Thing to Unlock Organizational Success | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Industry leaders have long recognized HR as the fulcrum of organizational success. It stands to reason, after all, that the department charged with molding an enterprise’s identity and culture should have the most profound impact on how it achieves its organizational goals. It also follows, then, that with generative AI models at the vanguard of business innovation, human resources should be considered a pivotal area of development for leaders seeking to optimize their organizations through digital transformation.

    Current data bears this logic out, with recent research showing that 76% of HR leaders feel their organizations must leverage AI in the next 12 to 24 months to keep up with competitors in terms of organizational success. Yet, while some are embracing applications like generative AI in HR, benchmarking indicates that around 48% of leaders are still not exploring their use. This raises some key questions, namely: Are the benefits of AI genuinely significant in HR? And if so, why aren’t HR leaders taking the plunge to embrace it?

    I’ll explore these questions in this article, shedding some light on how enterprise leaders can confidently leverage AI to best empower organizational success.

    Related: Why Every Company Should Be Thinking About Artificial Intelligence

    Transformative potential

    In HR departments, where there is such a strong administrative focus, the power of AI to automate repetitive tasks and expedite data processing is nothing short of transformative. As such, the potential applications for AI are both extensive and varied.

    One area where AI can have a major impact is employee relations. For instance, enterprises can utilize AI to analyze responses to pulse surveys, allowing them to gain meaningful insights into employee sentiment without needing to invest substantial resources in the process. Additionally, AI can be used for predictive analytics, using massive volumes of current and historical data to forecast changes in employee turnover. In this sense, AI can enable enterprises to be more dynamic and responsive to HR trends to boost employee engagement and retention, even when operating at scale.

    AI can also serve to enhance talent acquisition. Businesses can leverage the power of AI algorithms to scan the resumes of job candidates and shortlist the most optimal matches — a traditionally painstaking task. Moreover, AI applications can help promote better outcomes in the screening process by selecting candidates based solely on objective, standardized criteria, eliminating the possibility of unconscious biases skewing results.

    Were this not enough, AI can also be applied to a plethora of other HR duties, from performance analysis to resource allocation, risk management, and more. So, if the benefits of embracing AI are so considerable, then what’s at the root of HR leaders’ misgivings?

    The AI fear factor

    In my view, the trepidation around AI in HR can primarily be attributed to an aversion to perceived risk.

    Of course, there certainly are risks associated with using artificial intelligence in HR. Utilizing generative applications, for instance, naturally raises concerns about ethics, privacy, and security, as it requires companies to provide large quantities of potentially sensitive data to AI models. In fact, Gartner predicts that by 2025, 70% of all enterprises will rank the ethical use of generative AI among their top concerns, and understandably so. In many cases, however, I believe that the perception of the risks around AI is skewed by a misunderstanding of how such tools should be implemented.

    In essence, it would appear to be a question of adoption. Companies that are leading the exploration of AI in HR are those with a proven track record of successful transformations, such as IBM, who have emphasized the benefits of the technology in improving aspects like candidate selection, hiring cycles, compensation planning and employee support. Those who are more hesitant, then, must be those who are less confident in their ability to adopt the technology.

    When uncertainty prevails around the implementation of new technologies, the potential benefits of using them, however immense, will always be dwarfed by the perceived risks.

    Related: The Top Fears and Dangers of Generative AI — and What to Do About Them

    The thoughtful approach

    To gain the confidence to embrace AI wholeheartedly, enterprise leaders need to carefully evaluate their approach to its adoption. That starts with dispelling misconceptions about the technology.

    AI models are not the all-knowing, ungovernable entities that they are often suggested to be. Quite the opposite, in fact. While modern AI models are undoubtedly impressive in their ability to process, analyze and extrapolate from data, the fact remains that they can only work from the data they are fed. This is why data governance is critical.

    By establishing comprehensive policies and guidelines on how data assets should be stored, updated and maintained, organizations can keep a firm grasp on what data AI models will have access to. Additionally, by designating teams to conduct regular assessments of AI models, companies can prevent erroneous or discriminatory outcomes in HR that might result from machine learning biases.

    In conjunction with proper data governance and regular auditing, businesses should seek to develop more comprehensive onboarding processes for those utilizing AI tools. This should entail the establishment of designated communication channels for employees to provide feedback on AI-powered technologies.

    Moreover, a thoughtful approach to AI adoption should involve the utilization of a digital adoption platform, which can provide employees with personalized, real-time guidance on how to use AI tech proficiently. Such a platform can help mitigate risks associated with user error and enable IT to monitor the use of new tech to weed out shadow AI.

    By employing these measures, companies can create an internal framework that enables the seamless integration of AI tools for HR.

    Related: Watch Out for These 5 Artificial Intelligence Problems in HR

    The future of AI in HR

    While AI applications have enormous potential in human resources, the sensitive nature of the data they will be required to handle is proving a cause for trepidation at many organizations. That needn’t be the case, however, as taking a thoughtful approach to adoption can assuage the concerns associated with the use of generative AI.

    By engaging in proper data governance and auditing and implementing purpose-built adoption solutions to facilitate the transition to AI, you can confidently embrace new technologies in HR. As a result, your enterprise will be empowered to evolve its internal culture, improve overall performance and reach its organizational goals with greater consistency and velocity.

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    Alon Ghelber

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  • Meet the Pizza-Making Robots Churning Out 600 Pies Hourly at PizzaHQ | Entrepreneur

    Meet the Pizza-Making Robots Churning Out 600 Pies Hourly at PizzaHQ | Entrepreneur

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    What happens when you mix automation with excellence? You get a robot revolution.

    PizzaHQ is leading the way by focusing on automation and efficiency to deliver affordable pizzas at a breakneck pace.

    Co-founder Jay Udrija and PizzaHQ are building a robot-powered pizza chain whose “relentless focus on process” also comes with a commitment to quality to set them apart.

    PizzaHQ, headquartered in New Jersey, is a high-volume “pizzeria” that manufactures its food offerings using innovative restaurant technology to produce lots of quality pies for a low cost and at a fast pace.

    Not compromising on quality is crucial to the PizzaHQ brand. It’s one thing to get a quick, cheap pizza, it’s another to get a quick, cheap, AND perfect, pizza.

    “What we didn’t want to do was sacrifice quality,” explained PizzaHQ co-founder Jay Udrija to Shawn Walchef of Cali BBQ Media. “We really wanted to keep the authenticity of New York-style pizza and mimic the same product that we had at the time.”

    Along with traditional pick-up and delivery sales powered by Toast, PizzaHQ can use its pizza manufacturing technology to make custom pies for large corporate events, stadium service, and more.

    An advantage of automation is not just the obvious business benefits: cost savings, operation efficiency, ease of training, etc. Another reason to incorporate automation into a restaurant business is consistency for the consumer.

    “You get a consistent product every time,” Jay Udrija said. “There’s not going to be extra cheese one time and regular cheese one other time. It’s going to be the same cheese because the machines are much more consistent.”

    “We’re able to deliver a better product, we’re able to deliver way faster, we’re able to deliver at a lower price point.”

    Incorporating back-of-the-house technology and front-of-the-house technology like Toast, DAVO Sales Tax, and other tools for the modern restaurant operation allows PizzaHQ to prepare themselves for an even bigger future of getting pizzas into the hands of as many people as possible.

    “We are committed to being a tech-forward brand,” Jay said.

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    About Restaurant Influencers

    Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

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    Shawn P. Walchef

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  • Get a Lifetime of Web Hosting for Just $40 | Entrepreneur

    Get a Lifetime of Web Hosting for Just $40 | Entrepreneur

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    If you’re running a business, there’s a very good chance you need a website. There’s also a very good chance you need to be conscientious about your spending. So, going with just any web hosting solution isn’t going to cut it. You need to meet performance with price, which is precisely what DoRoyal Web Hosting does. As we gear up for Black Friday, you can get a lifetime subscription for just $39.97 (reg. $225) if you order through November 16.

    DoRoyal is a leading web hosting solution that gives you everything you need to get your site up and running quickly. They’ve been in business since 2012 and have earned a 4.3/5-star Trustpilot rating.

    With DoRoyal, you get unmetered bandwidth and web space to grow your website, an online file manager to stay organized, and a Softaculous script installer to expand and customize your website to make it exactly what you want it to be. It also offers security features like a Spam Assassin and anti-virus technology built-in.

    With a Jester’s Plan, you’ll have 8GB of disk space support and unlimited domains, subdomains, email accounts, and databases.

    Verified user Al Dente writes, “I have never had the kind of support that I have had at DoRoyal. They act on the instant and don’t close a ticket until it has finished to your satisfaction. Best hosting service in the business, whether you run a blog or a corporate website.”

    Lock in a lifetime of quality web hosting at a reduced price.

    Now through November 16 at 11:59 p.m. PT, you can get a lifetime subscription to DoRoyal Web Hosting for just $39.97 (reg. $225).

    Prices subject to change.

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  • Start Learning AI and ChatGPT with Python for Only $30 | Entrepreneur

    Start Learning AI and ChatGPT with Python for Only $30 | Entrepreneur

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    Developing Python skills can be a quick way to start learning artificial intelligence and ChatGPT, and according to a Goldman Sachs report, 300 million jobs could be replaced by AI in the next ten years. The 2023 Ultimate AI ChatGPT & Python Programming Bundle can help you develop the skills you need, and it’s on sale for just $29.97 from November 1st through November 9th.

    You can train at your own pace with interesting, up-to-the-minute classes offering just the type of practical skills that can kickstart an entirely new career path, even with no previous tech knowledge or experience. Total beginners could start with Python 3: From ZERO to GUI Programming to get a comprehensive overview of Python 3 and learn basic programming skills.

    You can learn how to code by playing in The Create an Escape Room with Python course; former students rated it 4.9 out of 5 stars. Managing game projects will provide you with fundamentals you’ll find useful in all kinds of object-oriented programming. The course is offered by the leading e-learning platform Zenva Academy, which specializes in teaching tech skills.

    You don’t have to complete all the courses before starting a programming career. The Python MTA 98-381: Complete Preparation Course helps prepare you for the Microsoft certification that can make your resume shine and give you an edge over other job applicants.

    There are two courses on using Python libraries Django and Tkinter to design ChatGPT AI bots, plus a more comprehensive class on just Tkinter. The Complete Python Hacking Course: Beginner to Advanced is a great start for a security specialization.

    The Computer Vision & Deep Learning with OpenCV and Python: Build 15 Projects course can set you on the road to the hottest field in AI, with innovations in robotics, self-driving cars, medicine, and much more.

    Get The 2023 Ultimate AI ChatGPT & Python Programming Bundle for just $29.97 (reg. $154) from November 1st through November 9th at 11:59 p.m. PT.

    Prices subject to change.

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  • Embracing AI Will Make Your Business Stronger — Here’s How. | Entrepreneur

    Embracing AI Will Make Your Business Stronger — Here’s How. | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Artificial intelligence provides businesses with a way to unclog bottlenecks and execute their value propositions as efficiently and effectively as possible.

    Take the hubbub around ChatGPT, for example. With a simple prompt, AI can craft a script, a blog post or an academic paper with at least most of the necessary components. According to Botco.ai, 73% of businesses they surveyed have harnessed the power of generative AI to produce various forms of content.

    For organizations that invest a lot in corporate communication and marketing, this sounds like a dream come true. Type a few lines and AI does the heavy lifting. No need to break the bank by hiring pricy vendors or setting up an in-house content squad. It’s like a content creation fairytale, right?

    Here’s the catch: Creating truly engaging content takes more than a few clicks in an AI tool. It demands a smart business strategy tailored to your specific goals and objectives. Even as more companies begin to defer some of their efforts to AI, that kind of expertise still needs to be human.

    Related: Writing Content With AI Won’t Help You Win Against Google Search Rankings. Here’s Why.

    Adding a human touch to AI content creation

    Although AI undoubtedly excels in terms of speed and bulk content creation, it’s crucial to recognize the potential pitfalls that can emerge when entrusting the entire content creation process to AI.

    First, there’s the issue of planning. Regardless of your industry, content goes far beyond being a mere collection of words on a page; it’s a strategic endeavor that requires careful consideration. Crafting an effective content strategy involves creating an editorial calendar, which entails much more than just selecting dates and establishing a posting schedule. An editorial calendar takes into account myriad variables, such as content types, timeliness, cadence and more. While AI can assist in certain aspects, it has its limitations in comprehensively managing all of these interlocking aspects.

    Second, if you opt to use an AI tool, quality control is the true indispensable role of humans when it comes to AI content creation. While AI can indeed generate content, it isn’t very useful without a human hand to guide and refine it. This human element provides crucial details related to previous articles published, incorporating timely hooks and ensuring alignment with the preferred tone of voice and in-house style. Speaking of style, there’s also the critical task of reviewing and editing AI-generated content for plagiarism and consistency.

    Related: 3 Principles for Scaling Content With AI Without Sacrificing Quality

    Teamwork makes the dream work

    Generative AI solutions aren’t the enemy; they’re a valuable asset that can streamline aspects of your content creation process. However, to harness their true potential, partnering with knowledgeable humans is key. If you’re looking for a partner to help enhance your AI content creation efforts, here are some considerations to keep in mind:

    1. Don’t say ‘yes’ to a hard no

    According to a survey by Salesforce, AI is making some serious headway in the world of content creation. It found that marketers use generative AI for basic content creation (76%), copywriting (76%) and more. Those surveyed also predicted that generative AI would save them five hours of work every week. So, while AI might still seem like a bit of a wild card in some areas, the pros of teaming up with AI for content far outweigh the cons.

    However, a word of caution: If you come across a potential partner who’s allergic to the idea of AI, that’s a red flag. Whether it’s ChatGPT lending a hand with outlining content or Grammarly performing some baseline editing magic, AI has carved out its spot in the content creation world. So, when you’re chatting with agencies or potential partners, ask them how they’re making AI a part of their workflow. If they say, “We’re not using it yet, but we’re on the lookout for ways to weave it in naturally,” that’s a good sign they’re forward-thinking.

    2. Don’t stop at the what — ask the how, too

    According to the Botco.ai study, nearly half of the people they talked to — 49%, to be precise — said AI had a hand in shaping their final content. How AI helps the content creation process can differ from one company to another, but when you’re considering a potential partner, you’ve got to ask them to spill the beans on how they’re specifically using AI.

    If they’re just starting to dip their toes into the AI pool, throw them a curveball and ask where they’re planning to use it in their content creation process. Alternatively, if they’re already using AI extensively, find out which parts of the content creation journey it’s lending a hand in. And here’s a little pro tip: Pay extra attention if they mention using AI for plagiarism checks. In a world overflowing with content, having AI play detective for copied text is as close to perfection as you can hope for.

    Speaking of perfection (or being far from it), we recently put our team and ChatGPT to the test by having them write the same article. We found pretty quickly that AI had a nasty habit of using hypothetical stats instead of real ones. Fortunately, that’s exactly why the human touch is essential. A human can verify facts and add an extra layer of credibility, which is why your preferred partner must ensure a human touch is included in their content creation process.

    Related: AI Wrote Half of This Article. Here’s Why Entrepreneurs Should Take Note

    3. Don’t forget about KPIs

    AI isn’t just good for the company bank account; it’s a game-changer for your employees, too. A study from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that access to AI increases worker productivity by 14%, and it can help employees multitask and handle more complicated questions faster.

    Now that’s some pretty clear success right there, but success can look different for everyone. So, when you’re teaming up with a company that’s riding the AI wave, you’ve got to speak the same success language. Is it all about keyword rankings? Or maybe it’s all about the clicks and conversions? Or even worse, what if Google wakes up tomorrow and decides to throw a penalty flag on AI-generated content? Are you ready to pivot like a pro if that happens? Fortunately, by keeping a close eye on KPIs, you can be ready to switch gears if you notice your rankings starting to slip.

    Ultimately, the secret sauce to thriving in the age of AI-powered content is teaming up with a savvy, open-minded and results-driven partner who’s got your back. Blend the magic of automation with the expertise of a proven agency, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for content success.

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    Kelsey Raymond

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  • 5 Ways to Protect Your Company from AI Pitfalls | Entrepreneur

    5 Ways to Protect Your Company from AI Pitfalls | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Going into 2024, AI is shaping more and more aspects of our brand experience, including customer service.

    However, while AI can bring numerous benefits — from automated workflows to increased productivity among team members — there are many potential pitfalls that can harm businesses. Even tech leaders like Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Geoffrey Hinton have warned against AI technologies.

    So, what missteps do you need to avoid when harnessing AI for your business, especially for customer service? And what strategies can you leverage to do so?

    Here’s the full run-down.

    1. Develop a comprehensive understanding of AI

    To begin with, you need to spend some time developing a comprehensive understanding of AI before you think about deploying it. Many pitfalls originate from a lack of knowledge about what AI actually is and what it can — and can’t — do.

    Many businesses see AI as a magic wand to increase their efficiency effortlessly. This impression is fuelled by online hype discourse as well as the sales copy used by providers of AI tools.

    To demystify AI, you should familiarize yourself with basic terminology, the significance of training data and the different types of models and machine learning algorithms out there. This knowledge will also help you seriously assess any AI tools you might consider using in your business.

    Related: Does AI Deserve All the Hype? Here’s How You Can Actually Use AI in Your Business

    2. Resist the urge to rush ahead

    A second strategy to shield your business’ customer service from AI-related pitfalls is to resist an urge to rush.

    Over the past year, AI adoption has been rapid in countless sectors of the online sphere. It’s easy to get the feeling that your company will be left behind if you don’t adopt AI immediately.

    To a certain extent, this is true. AI is quickly becoming standard in many areas. However, it must be implemented with care, especially in external-facing areas like customer service. A botched roll-out of an AI-based customer communication tool, for instance, will do more long-term reputational damage than a longer delay in adopting it.

    3. Understand the liabilities and limitations of AI tools

    Next, you need to gain a better understanding of the weaknesses and limitations of customer-facing AI tools.

    While the capabilities of generative AI like ChatGPT, Jasper and Bard are certainly impressive, it’s important to keep in mind that their performance is based on a huge amount of training data and statistics. These models have been trained to recognize patterns and to imitate them, not to be innovative, understand nuance or solve problems through creative and interconnected thinking.

    For instance, researchers have found that ChatGPT can only solve between 40 and 75% of a set of commonsense questions.

    Similarly, generative AI models are liable to misinterpret colloquialisms, neglect cultural context and fail to consider nuances in professional jargon. All of this may be problematic depending on your niche as well as the location and demographic characteristics of your customers.

    One way to mitigate this is to employ advanced contextual reasoning AI models and models that integrate structured knowledge bases. These tend to perform much better at differentiating between literal and figurative language, for instance.

    Related: Why Are So Many Companies Afraid of Generative AI?

    4. Identify sensitive domains

    Another strategy to prevent any negative effects on customer service is to identify domains and situations that are too sensitive for AI to handle.

    For instance, AI chatbots may be able to take care of routine inquiries such as scheduling appointments or giving updates on the status of orders. But when a customer has a complex question that requires an understanding of information fragmented across different conversations, it will most likely require a human agent to handle it.

    Similarly, when an upset or agitated customer reaches out, relegating them to an AI agent can amplify these negative emotions, especially if the AI gives responses that, while correct, can easily appear uncaring or callous.

    Related: How to Turn an Upset Customer Into Your Company’s Best Advocate

    5. Invest in meticulous brand calibration

    Finally, one crucial strategy to keep your company safe while reaping the benefits of AI for customer service is to invest in brand calibration.

    Your voice is an essential element of your brand identity. The voices of successful brands — the tone and manner in which they communicate with customers — are instantly recognizable and consistent. When you implement AI, it’s crucial to ensure that it’s capable of reproducing your voice. Otherwise, your customers will notice the discrepancies, leading to brand dilution.

    As mentioned above, all AIs rely on training data. Many tools out there can use brand-specific data to calibrate and adjust the voices and modes of output.

    Conclusion

    For customer service, AI brings unprecedented opportunities for enhancement, as well as potentially disastrous pitfalls.

    By adopting the strategies above, you’ll benefit from the former without suffering the latter. With them in mind, carefully re-evaluate any tools you use already and thoroughly assess new ones before deploying them.

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    Hasan Saleem

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  • Why Entrepreneurs Still Need To Leverage People (Even With AI) | Entrepreneur

    Why Entrepreneurs Still Need To Leverage People (Even With AI) | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    This story originally appeared on Under30CEO.com.

    The internet is getting excited about the prospect of AI. After the release of ChatGPT 3.5 last November, we’re still very much in the early stages of people working out what’s possible with the technology. Everyone wants to know how far it can be taken.

    The prospect of AI becoming a superintelligence is leading many to wonder whether it could present a new form of entrepreneurship. Historically, business leaders would leverage a combination of people and capital to push their enterprises forward. In the last twenty years, that’s expanded to “networks,” but in the future, it could involve AI, too.

    You can understand why AI has so many people excited. As some commentators are putting it, it’s like having legions of highly intelligent grad students at your fingertips, ready to work for you for free.

    But, of course, it’s not quite that simple. While AI might be impressive, it can’t replace people yet. Plus, there’s an argument to suggest that many consumers don’t want it to replace people. Having a human in the loop is beneficial and makes them feel like they are getting a better service.

    For this reason, we’re still very much back at square one. While AI might be useful in some circumstances, it is not a wholesale replacement for labor.

    Emotional intelligence

    One of the reasons humans still need humans is the emotional intelligence they offer. People tend to be excellent at getting on the same wavelength as other people and understanding their needs.

    That’s what live virtual receptionist services, such as Go Answer, specialize in doing. These services believe in the power of having a real person available to speak with customers. It’s a key differentiator.

    “The whole point of our services is to ensure businesses have somewhere there to take their calls, even when the owner or senior management is asleep,” the company says. “Having a human in the loop enables firms to display their emotional intelligence even in the middle of the night instead of forcing customers to speak to robots, which they might not want to do. The great thing about human agents is their flexibility. General intelligence lets them understand even the most convoluted customer requests. A machine might not be able to do that, or use its executive function to contact someone who knows the answer.”

    While machines are developing a theory of mind and getting to grips with human emotions, they tend to lack the intelligence that a person could offer. Knowing what to say and how to say it remains a challenge.

    Complex decision-making

    Related to this, human beings can also better make complex decisions. Members of staff can weigh up all their options and ask which is the best from a range of alternatives, given some available options.

    Machines can do something similar, but, again, they may lack relevant context. They might also misunderstand various stakeholders’ objectives and requirements which could skew their decision-making in the wrong direction.

    Related: 7 Ways to Use ChatGPT at Work to Boost Your Productivity, Make Your Job Easier, and Save a Ton of Time

    Again, entrepreneurs require humans for these purposes. So-called “agentic” AIs simply aren’t at the stage where they can direct production or manage business processes. Bottlenecks in their functionality and lack of embodiment mean that we’re still years away from these kinds of applications.

    Corner cases

    Entrepreneurs still need human beings for corner cases, too. AIs depend heavily on a normal distribution of outcomes, but the real world doesn’t always behave in that way. Instead, there are extremes of the distribution and corner cases with qualitatively different solutions.

    Humans are great at these “exception to the rules” scenarios, but machines are not. While they can handle the former, they do a poor job of the latter.

    “We found that when customers talk to robots, they break easily,” Go Answer says. “Even minor deviations from standard questions produce frustrating replies that don’t really deal with customers’ concerns. Eventually, many become so frustrated that they simply give up and quit the service entirely. But with humans in the loop, this simply doesn’t occur. A person can tell that a customer is becoming frustrated and they feel emotionally compelled to resolve it. If a query isn’t being resolved, they find ways to approach it from different angles or arrange callbacks once they have more information. AIs don’t have this proactivity or short-term memory.”

    Personalized customer experience

    Human agents may also be better at providing customers with a personalized experience compared to AIs. Colleagues can better understand the types of interactions clients want based on their character profiles and conversation history.

    “This is something our agents focus on from the start,” Go Answer says. “It’s why we offer a personalized service to the businesses we work with. Virtual assistants understand that they should apply a flexible and almost improvised approach to customer conversations depending on subtle cues and their requirements. Simply reading a script and saying the same thing every time isn’t an endearing approach and it doesn’t serve companies well.”

    Better innovation

    Entrepreneurs also still need people to spearhead innovations. While AI might be cutting-edge, it tends to regurgitate the best of human ideas instead of developing its own concepts and novel approaches (though this might be changing).

    Innovation validation is a critical aspect of a high-functioning business that AI simply can’t replace. You can’t hand software a new prototype product and gather meaningful feedback, simply because AIs don’t derive any pleasure or services from using most consumer products designed for humans. Therefore, entrepreneurs will always need people in these circumstances. Having individuals with whom they can bounce off ideas is essential for iterating on products and making them better.

    Making ethical decisions

    Finally, entrepreneurs need people to make ethical decisions. Unfettered, machines will often make psychotic recommendations to achieve certain ends if they are the most rapid approach for doing so.

    Making ethical decisions requires moral judgment and nuance. While some engineers believe AI might be conscious, most agree that it can’t and doesn’t view morality through the same lens as people. As such, it is up to humans to make the best choice for the direction in which to send a business.

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    Kimberly Zhang

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  • This PDF Support Platform Is Only $69.99 Through November 9th | Entrepreneur

    This PDF Support Platform Is Only $69.99 Through November 9th | Entrepreneur

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    PDFs can be weirdly time-consuming when they’re sent to you in any version that’s not totally finished and concrete. For some reason, a simple click and type doesn’t give you the power to annotate, mark up, or sign this document type, which is used remarkably often for things you need to sign, like contracts. To help simplify the business of dealing with this file type, this PDF Expert lifetime license is on sale for just $69.99 (reg. $139) from November 1st through the 9th.

    This acclaimed PDF editor is usable with an iPhone, iPad, and even a Mac computer, which makes it compatible and easy to integrate for a wide range of businesses. With this lifetime license, you can easily approach PDFs and make virtually any change you want with ease.

    From an editing standpoint, you can easily change text, update typos and text, add images, and even links to any PDF you have. From an annotating one, you can add comments in the margins, highlight important bits of text to find easily later, add stamps, and more. The license also features a range of organizational tools, like some that allow you to merge and split PDFs.

    PDF Expert was named an Editor’s Choice by Apple, and it’s used by over 30 million people around the world.

    The amount of time this tool could save a business makes it a worthwhile investment. It’ll be even more worthwhile during this limited-time savings event taking place in November. Don’t miss your chance.

    Get this lifetime license to PDF Expert, available for the exclusive price of $69.99 (reg. $139) from November 1st through the 9th at 11:59 p.m. PT.

    Prices subject to change.

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  • Save Hundreds of Dollars on This AI Resume Builder | Entrepreneur

    Save Hundreds of Dollars on This AI Resume Builder | Entrepreneur

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    A common misconception about entrepreneurship is that when you work for yourself, you’ll never have to search for a job again. In fact, it’s often the opposite. When you’re self-employed as a contractor or freelance worker, you have to pitch yourself and your talents to bring in new clients. That means keeping a solid resume handy, and AI Resume Builder can help you do just that. We’re offering it at an extra discount from November 1 to 9 as we gear up for Black Friday.

    This tool combines an AI resume writer and an ATS-friendly resume builder in a single place. Drag-and-drop layouts make it easy to create an ATS-friendly resume within minutes that will beat the filters and ensure your resume rises to the top of the pile.

    With easy toggles and enhanced design controls, you can change from one-column to two-column resumes, add colors, alter the spacing to fit more, and much more. AI Resume Builder makes it easy to create a custom resume that best represents you and your skills.

    AI Resume Builder lets you build multiple resumes for different job profiles, add social links, and utilize the built-in AI engine to streamline resume reproduction.

    AI Resume Builder has earned 127 upvotes on Product Hunt, and users love it. User Antoine Boudet writes, “A well-crafted resume can make a huge difference in securing a dream job, and it’s clear that the Resume Builder is a valuable tool in this process.”

    Upgrade your resume with a bit of help from AI.

    As we head into Black Friday, we’re offering a lifetime subscription to AI Resume Builder for the exclusive price of $32.97 (reg. $468) from November 1 to November 9 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

    Prices subject to change.

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  • How to Know When to Persist, Pivot or Give Up and Pack it In | Entrepreneur

    How to Know When to Persist, Pivot or Give Up and Pack it In | Entrepreneur

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    This isn’t your standard “persevere and conquer” pep talk. You’ve heard it all — ‘Push through, never give up, you can achieve anything if you set your mind to it.’ Sure, resilience is crucial, but let’s be real: That advice starts to ring hollow when you’re up against wall after wall and you experience rejection after rejection.

    At some point, you’re left wondering if the struggle is even worth it. Most articles don’t tell you that resilience isn’t just about bull-headed tenacity; it’s also about discernment – understanding that there’s a fine line between tenacity and futility. The wisdom lies in knowing when to dig in your heels and when it’s smarter to pivot. Often, a “no” is not a stop sign — it’s a detour sign that says, “Adjust course.”

    Related: Why Saying ‘No’ Can Actually Help Your Business or Startup

    The case of the unwavering pursuit

    In the mid-90s, my young and struggling advertising agency grappled with the constant challenges of an upstart company, such as personnel, cash flow and client acquisition. We were small but ambitious, armed with a unique approach for helping large companies market and sell their products to consumers through resellers, such as dealers or retail outlets.

    Undeterred by our size and confident in our approach, we had our sights set on the big, national players. One of those big players on my radar was Troy-Bilt. For two relentless years, I pursued them with the confidence that we had a unique marketing solution they couldn’t afford to ignore

    Given that they were just a two-hour drive away in Albany, NY, I took the liberty of making several unscheduled visits. To say the reception was lukewarm would be generous. At one point, I flat-out asked their V.P. of Marketing if I was becoming a nuisance and should just go away. His answer never wavered: “No need to leave; always good to talk, but we’ve got nothing for you.” Then, two years into this dance, the phone rang. It was them. “Scott, we’re ready to give you a shot.” That shot transformed into a multi-million-dollar annual program that sustained for several years.

    Related: 5 Ways to Master the Persistence That Makes a Great Entrepreneur

    The psychology of ‘No’: Your mindset dictates your response

    Rejection is far more than a bruise to your ego — it tests your emotional intelligence and resilience. Often, what hurts us most is not the rejection itself but our emotional response to it. We ruminate, second-guess and eventually let that “no” settle into our mindset as a prohibitive obstacle. But if we can shift our perception and see rejection not as a blockade but as feedback, we turn the tables.

    Mindset matters. A resilient mindset interprets a “no” as a “not yet” or “not this way.” It’s an invitation to revisit your strategy, adapt, change course and charge forward. Your next victory is as much about your mental calibration as it is about the external opportunity.

    Related: Never Underestimate the Power of Adversity: How Hardship Builds Resilience

    When to push forward and when to pivot

    Ah, the million-dollar question: When is a “no” really a “NO,” and when is it a “try again, but differently”? Even the most tenacious of us need to recognize that some doors are meant to remain closed. Perhaps you’re chasing a deal that isn’t the right fit or sticking to a strategy that’s clearly not working. In those moments, the wisdom to pivot is invaluable.

    The key here is data and intuition. Collect and analyze data on your efforts. Are you getting closer to a “yes” or further away? Your gut feeling, informed by experience, will often be your best guide. And remember, redirecting your energy doesn’t mean defeat — it means you’re savvy enough to focus on battles you can win.

    Related: The Art of the Pivot — 6 Steps to Reengineer Yourself for a Career Change

    Rejection is often not about you

    We often internalize rejection as a fault in our personality, skills or ideas. That’s rarely the entire story. External factors — economic downturns, corporate restructuring or internal politics — often contribute to that “no” more than you might think.

    So, when you hear that dreaded word, take a step back. Separate your personal attachment from the situation to objectively analyze why you were rejected. Was it the wrong time for the company? Were there budget constraints? Perhaps a change in leadership? If the rejection involves factors out of your control, don’t let it weigh down your self-worth or deter your progress. Instead, revise your strategy, recalibrate your pitch, and knock on the next door with renewed gusto.

    After you’ve paused to analyze the rejection, knowing full well that many variables could be out of your hands, it’s time to look forward. Start by refining your game plan. There’s an art to taking a “no” and letting it sculpt you into a better, more prepared individual. Pivot your approach, retool your game plan and consider “no” a constructive critique on the road to “yes.”

    Now, you’ve got to build some mental muscle. Rejection stings, but resilience is the salve. Put rejection in your rearview, as your focus needs to be on the road ahead. Every setback is just a setup for an even greater comeback.

    And please, for your own sake, don’t get tunnel-vision chasing one opportunity. Diversify your approaches; it’s like having multiple lines in the water when you’re fishing. One might not bite, but another will. Keep your connections fresh and your network dynamic. Your next opportunity could come from the most unexpected conversations.

    So, as you continue on this unpredictable path, never lose sight of your dream. Every great story — from Edison’s thousand attempts to create a light bulb to J.K. Rowling’s twelve rejections before Harry Potter saw the light of day — includes an anthology of “no’s.” Yours is no different. The ‘yes’ you’re searching for, the one that changes everything, could be just around the corner. And the lessons learned from each “no” along the way? That’s your roadmap, filled with detours that make the journey richer, not just longer, but only if you dare to persevere and the wisdom to pivot when needed.

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    Scott Deming

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  • Make iOS Navigation Easier with This Handy App, Now Just $19.97 for Life | Entrepreneur

    Make iOS Navigation Easier with This Handy App, Now Just $19.97 for Life | Entrepreneur

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    As an entrepreneur, you have to learn to be self-sufficient. According to TSheets, 26% of entrepreneurs end up turning to the Internet for business advice to figure things out for themselves. That also means they’re usually independently managing their personal and work content, oftentimes consolidated on just a few devices.

    If you’re in need of some extra help managing your content across your iOS devices, there’s now an app for that — AnyTrans One-Stop Content Manager for iOS. And right now, a lifetime subscription to this handy service is just $19.97 (reg. $79), and no coupon code is needed through October, just in time to help you save money ahead of the holiday season.

    With AnyTrans One-Stop Content Manager for iOS, you have your very own iOS content manager that can help you transfer, manage, and back up your data quickly and easily. It makes working within your Apple ecosystem a breeze, offering a way to consolidate access to your content in one spot across your iPhone, iPad, iTunes, iCloud, and more.

    Imagine having all of your photos, files, iMessages, books, Safari history, voice memos, and more easily accessible across all of your devices. That’s why AnyTrans One-Stop Content Manager for iOS offers a straightforward one-click transfer, which is especially significant when you get a new iPhone. It also provides a convenient backup, quickly saving everything in various formats, including for printing purposes as needed.

    Get organized ahead of the holidays with a lifetime subscription to AnyTrans One-Stop Content Manager for iOS for just $19.97 (reg. $79), now through October 31st at 11:59 p.m. PT.

    Prices subject to change.

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  • Get Two Microsoft Office Licenses | Entrepreneur

    Get Two Microsoft Office Licenses | Entrepreneur

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    Too many of us have gotten lost in our everyday routines for so long that we haven’t thought about updating our tools in forever. To begin with the basics, maybe it’s time that you upgrade the suite of tools that you use for writing, creating spreadsheets, building spreadsheets, sending emails, and other daily essentials. You can actually update your own suite. A lifetime license for Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Mac or Windows is only $49.99 (reg. $219).

    There are a couple of reasons to hop on this deal. The first is that it’s great — you get a lifetime of access to quintessential productivity apps that have been proving themselves for decades. The second is that it’s a two-pack deal, so you can secure an early holiday gift before the madness of November and December for a great rate.

    Each license includes lifetime access to these programs:

    • Microsoft Office PowerPoint
    • Microsoft Office Excel
    • Microsoft Office Outlook
    • Microsoft Office Word
    • Microsoft Office Teams (basic Only)
    • Microsoft Office OneNote

    The Windows version also comes with Microsoft Office Access and Microsoft Office Publisher. And don’t forget that this is not Microsoft 365, which means there are no monthly fees associated with this deal. It’s a one-and-done purchase for a download keys that will help you install the lifetime license onto your computers.

    This deal is rated 4.8/5 stars on average by verified purchasers.

    Secure two lifetime licenses

    • Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021 license for $49.99 (reg. $219).
    • Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows license for $49.99 (reg. $219).

    Prices subject to change.

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  • Most Effective Ways to Enhance Your Business with AI | Entrepreneur

    Most Effective Ways to Enhance Your Business with AI | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    This story originally appeared on Readwrite.com

    Your business might be everything you could ever want it to be, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. We should all be striving for success in everything we do. Exploring enhancement opportunities with the latest technology and AI makes sense. Not every business owner will know the most effective ways to use tech to their advantage, so it doesn’t hurt to perform research.

    How to Enhance Your Business With AI

    Automated Employee Screening

    Many HR processes can be time-intensive. This can be frustrating if your job involves hiring new employees quickly to fill employee shortages. Your business may not have time to browse hundreds of applications and interview dozens of potential employees.

    Related: How to Use AI and Automation to Boost Your Business Goals

    That’s where recruitment AI or automated employee screening comes in. Some AI programs can perform initial assessments of potential employees on your behalf to determine their suitability. Once the AI has done its job, you can make your hiring decision from a much smaller pool of potential applicants to save time.

    Social Media Management Tools

    Most business owners know how effective social media can be for enhancing a business. Yet, they can find these platforms overwhelming when there are so many to join. Fortunately, many social media management tools are designed to help companies streamline this critical task. You no longer need to create posts on each platform. Instead, you can schedule them and monitor the results within one piece of innovative software.

    Accounting Software

    Accounting is a crucial operation within businesses. Accounting processes show you where you’re growing your revenue, whether customers pay their bills on time, and if you’re making profits or losses.

    However, it can be complex and time-intensive. As a result, many businesses outsource accounting to professionals at a significant cost. AI in accounting could be a game-changer. AI accounting software can analyze financial data, predict trends, calculate financial health, and identify patterns to help you make budgeting decisions.

    Manufacturing Robots

    Worker shortages are affecting many industries, manufacturing included. While you might think you just have to wait until skilled workers come along, that might not be the case. Many technology companies are working on robotic systems to supplement human workforces.

    They can work with and around humans, adjust their behaviors to suit workflow speeds and tackle tasks you might otherwise need to hire humans for. It’s important to note that these robots aren’t designed to replace humans. Instead, they are being marketed as ‘cobots’ or collaborative robots who work independently in a shared space with humans. In most situations, they are coded to perform single tasks.

    Related: These 5 Companies Have Added Robots to Their Workforce

    As a result, they can free up human employees for more complex and skilled tasks. While expensive to implement in some industries, manufacturing robots might save your business money in the long run.

    Enhancing your business with AI and technology won’t happen overnight, but it can happen with effort and time. Don’t be afraid to try new processes and technologies in your business, even if you’re unsure if they’ll work for you. You might then be in a strong position to see your business thrive.

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    Bran Anderson

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  • Are Your Webinars Actually Engaging? Here’s How to Find Out. | Entrepreneur

    Are Your Webinars Actually Engaging? Here’s How to Find Out. | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In 2020, larger conferences and gatherings moved from being in person to being held on online forums like in the form of webinars. The popularity of webinars hasn’t slowed down since then — the number of webinars grew by 153.4% in 2020, and by 2025, the number of webinars will be 10x over the pre-pandemic level, according to Zoom.

    Also by 2025, the number of virtual/hybrid events will grow to 52% of all physical and online events hosted, up from less than 5% pre-Covid-19, Zoom reported. Webinars and virtual events also present a sizable growth opportunity: Zoom predicts the market will nearly triple in size by 2025, reaching $4.4 billion, compared to $1.57 billion in 2020.

    The benefit of being able to attend events half a world away at a fraction of the cost and without the hassle and exhaustion of travel is simply too appealing. For those running webinars, though, it can be difficult to gauge how effective their efforts really are. If you’re wondering how to measure attendee engagement, here are a few suggestions for measuring your webinar’s impact.

    Related: Why Webinars Should Be a Key Part of Your Business’s Online Strategy

    1. Use pre-webinar metrics for a baseline

    Before your webinar starts, you can review your registration numbers. This will offer insight into how well your audience received your concept before they experienced it live.

    While your number of registered attendees doesn’t determine how many will actually attend, it does show how many people were interested in your topic. This gives you a good baseline number that reflects initial interest.

    2. Use next-generation webinar software to track your live data

    Real-time insights features can help companies understand how well their viewers are engaging with their content during the webinar.

    Many data-driven webinar platforms are seeking to provide more insights into engagement through live webinar analysis and reporting to help give marketers the information they want. Out of the marketing managers polled about future webinar needs, webinar platform Hubilo found that 76% of respondents don’t feel like current webinar platforms facilitate engagement or conversions. Marketers want next-generation platforms that allow for more use of audience data and profiles.

    As a marketer using webinars, pay attention to the analytics features of the platform you’re using. Look for live features and post-event reporting that can help you track engagement and gain insights that can be used later to build connections with your prospects and customers.

    Related: 8 Ways To Attract a Large Webinar Audience

    3. Measure revenue and leads

    A pair of post-webinar metrics that are worth monitoring are revenue and leads. If you made a money-related call-to-action during the webinar — such as signing up for a course or buying a service — you can use the subsequent review to get an idea of how engaged and intrigued your audience was.

    Leads are similar. If you are selling something but you didn’t try to close during the presentation, consider how many people follow up with questions, sign up on your email list or otherwise express interest afterward.

    4. Pay attention to Q&A participation

    Q&A sessions are important because they enable you to interact with your audience. You can clarify points and demonstrate expertise. It is also an opportunity for your audience to direct questions, clarifications, compliments and criticisms toward you, the presenter. This doesn’t just lead to fascinating and powerful interactions. It also allows you to gauge how well your audience is resonating with your message.

    Keep in mind that this isn’t a hard, data-driven metric. Nevertheless, it can give you multiple takeaways.

    For instance, if you get a lot of clarification questions, that shows the topic is engaging, but your delivery needs improvement. If you don’t get many questions at all, that can mean the presentation felt boring. If you get questions that dig deeper, that’s the best sign, as it shows your audience grasped your original idea and wants to know more.

    5. Ask for feedback

    Finally, one of the most direct forms of measuring engagement in a webinar is to ask for feedback. For instance, you can ask attendees for their honest feedback in a follow-up email survey. You can even give them your email during the live event and request that they send any constructive feedback or thoughts to you directly.

    By doing this, you open the door to individual feedback from your audience. Don’t take any single criticism or compliment too seriously. However, enough feedback can show you trends and patterns, such as people saying it was too long or that you used overly complex words. Use this information to improve future engagement.

    Improving engagement with your webinars

    Webinars are a popular option right now. However, it’s difficult to understand how effective a webinar is.

    Use the metrics above to begin getting a better idea of how each webinar resonates with your target audience. Use things like registration, feedback and live analytics to understand your audience and tailor your presentations to meet their needs and encourage their engagement.

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    Kimberly Zhang

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  • How Generative AI Will Revolutionize The Future of Your Brand | Entrepreneur

    How Generative AI Will Revolutionize The Future of Your Brand | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Is artificial intelligence the future of branding? AI is limited — even stunted at times. Branding requires a deft touch — an understanding of who people are, what makes them tick and what they want. It’s about building the human connection, following through on promises made, and reaping the benefits: customer satisfaction, engagement and loyalty.

    AI tools in any business realm require a delicate balance in order to get the best outcome, but generative AI tools are already making an impact in the world of branding. There are tons of AI tools out there that offer unique features that may not have previously been in our branding skill sets — but now they are.

    Here are some ways in which entrepreneurs are even now using generative AI to enhance their branding efforts.

    • Enhancing and streamlining the brand design process.
    • Creating a wide variety of unique branded designs.
    • Increasing appeal with personalization.

    Related: What is AI, Anyway?

    Using generative AI to streamline the brand design process

    Iteration is one of the most common pitfalls that startup owners fall into — and one of the biggest black holes into which your time falls, never to be regained. For instance, getting a logo just right takes time, feedback and more time.

    This is why generative AI for visual design in branding is one of the most valuable applications. The creative touch of a human designer is vital, but there’s no doubt that using AI can streamline the process of design.

    A quick example is the use of logo design software. For example, at my company, LogoDesign.net, we use AI to help users get suggestions on iterations — and to generate hundreds of variations of a single design all at once. For an entrepreneur wondering whether their logo would look better in black and white, in red and black, enclosed in a circle, with a different style, and a dozen other possibilities, generative AI is the tool to use.

    Using generative AI to create content that is uniquely on-brand

    One of the main selling points of generative AI is the ability to create different types of content. Branding requires a host of visual content — logos, advertisements, web design and more. Color choice, font choice and all the other elements need to be set and recognizable.

    But within the set-in-stone elements of branding, there’s still a lot of room for branching out. Generative AI tools can be excellent jumping-off points for crafting a variety of branded content that stays within the realm of the brand while bringing in the appeal of the truly unique.

    An excellent example of this is a 2017 campaign by the eat-it-by-the-spoonful brand Nutella. This campaign, titled Nutella Unica, used generative AI to create a whopping seven million custom, unique product labels for its jars. Using AI algorithms to create the designs allowed the minds behind the campaign to set on-brand parameters for the designs. It generated a seemingly endless parade of wholly unique designs. Without AI behind it, such a design task would have taken up far more time — and a lot more of the budget.

    This example is evidence that AI branding and design tools can be used to expand brand designs while still maintaining the aesthetic and spirit behind the brand.

    Related: Six Reasons Branding is More Important Than Ever Before

    Using generative AI to increase appeal with personalization

    Along with branching out to new potential demographics for a brand, there’s also the focus on pinpointing established or intended audiences and giving them what they want. The type of content, what the content includes, and other content that they’re likely to be interested in are all factors that can be fed into generative AI and utilized to refine branding and advertising.

    Ads like these can also be fed by other data about demographics to create a branded ad design with a heightened appeal to the individual. There’s data behind every aspect of design, from how people react to certain fonts to which colors appeal more to women than men and vice versa. Generative AI can be utilized to tweak and fine-tune targeted ads to create the optimal experience for each individual. Ultra-personalization of branding and marketing content is a step forward for creating that connection between client and company.

    Custom products and on-demand production can cut down on overhead costs for the company and be a good thing on all fronts. Print-on-demand sites indicate how these AI tools can be more widely utilized; they give the customer the opportunity to influence the design, and they’re automatically more invested, engaged, and likely to buy from the brand.

    Ensure that they have a unique, educational and entertaining experience as they interact with your website and product catalog, and you’re building investment and loyalty.

    Related: Six Ways to Build Customer Loyalty

    AI design tools — changing our branding now and forever

    AI is everywhere, and the process of branding can only benefit by incorporating these new tools, expanding our ability to interact with our audience. It’s not perfect by any means, but AI has been progressing by leaps and bounds and will continue to do so.

    You don’t even need a crystal ball to tell you that.

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    Zaheer Dodhia

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  • Get MS Office and Learn How to Use it for Just $49.99 | Entrepreneur

    Get MS Office and Learn How to Use it for Just $49.99 | Entrepreneur

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    There’s never a bad time to check in with your office apps and see where some updating can happen. For those who are behind or not actively using Microsoft Office, you might want to get with the program. This has been the most respected and well-known office suite for some time, and for a limited time, you can get a lifetime license for Microsoft Office Pro 2021 for Windows with a free Microsoft training bundle for just $49.99 (reg. $239).

    Microsoft Office is designed to support all of your office production needs. It includes pioneering programs and apps for creating spreadsheets, writing documents, creating presentations, and more. This lifetime Windows license requires the user to have Windows 10 or 11, and Windows 11 Pro happens to be available for a fantastic rate for a limited time.

    This special deal also comes with a free Microsoft training bundle included. Comprised of 25 hours of content, this in-depth educational asset comes with breakdowns on each of the above programs, and each course comes with the tagline, “From ZERO to ADVANCED.” This is a great tool for training new employees on the office suite, learning yourself, and having a resourceful bundle of content to check back to with questions for years to come.

    Overall, this deal is rated an impressive 4.8/5 stars by verified purchasers.

    Get this Microsoft Office Pro 2021 for Windows lifetime license and a free Microsoft training bundle for just $49.99 (reg. $239).

    Prices subject to change.

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  • This PDF Tool Lets You Edit and More — and It’s Just $30 Through EOD Today | Entrepreneur

    This PDF Tool Lets You Edit and More — and It’s Just $30 Through EOD Today | Entrepreneur

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    Most of us have had to work with PDFs. And we all know how challenging they can be. However, the PDF (Portable Document Format) has become the standard for sharing and preserving documents, so it’s not easy to avoid them. This PDF Reader Pro for Windows is the ultimate solution for all your PDF needs, offering robust features that will revolutionize your PDF experience. And you can grab it at this best-of-web price of $29.97 through 11:59 p.m. Pacific today only.

    With over 90 million users, this tool gives you the power over PDFs. This brilliant tool helps you create, edit, annotate, merge, convert, compress, OCR, fill forms, and sign documents in just a few clicks. All of these features, and others, allow for a more efficient and convenient use of the PDF format.

    Perfect for business leaders, those in real estate, lawyers, teachers, and many others, it allows you to streamline your day-to-day with valuable features for Windows users. Get a multi-tab view, a split view to compare files, and custom theme colors to make things your own.

    You can even organize your PDF pages in a variety of ways, including via a page editor, merging or combining multiple documents, and more. And if you need to convert PDFs to or from other types of files, this PDF Reader Pro can do that, too.

    The PDF Reader Pro helps many happy customers make easier work out of dealing with PDFs. It even has a 4.5/5 star rating on G2. One verified buyer raved, “Amazing product for this price-point. Interactive interface makes it easy to use. Will definitely recommend it for any interested buyer.”

    Pick up the PDF Reader Pro for Windows at the exclusive price of $29.97 (reg. $59) while it’s available — only until October 15 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific.

    Prices subject to change.

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