The Cloud Business Podcast – Opportunity in the Cl

In this episode we talk about the importance of having a number support networks to help you grow your business. Don’t think of just peer support also consider how important family and friends can be to provide balance in the challenging world of business. Resources - New Office 365 planner coming - New office 365 admin center - Office 2016 for Windows available - Office 365 customers moving to AU data centers  The post Episode #033 – Support Networks appeared first on Cloud Business Blueprint - Opportunity in the Cloud is only a Click Away with Robert Crane, Nigel Moore.

In this episode we talk about what you need to consider if you are buying a business. There are many challenges in bringing something totally new to you business and there is much you need to consider. It is also more than just due diligence there are intangibles to consider such as culture integration. All in all not something to enter into lightly and we hope that can share our experience and provide you some insight before you head down that path. We of course cover all the latest updates from the cloud as well as answer a listener question. All that and more in this episode. Resources Snip Office IT Pro script project Built to Sell Cloud Finder Cloudally Skykick   The post Episode #032 – Buying a business appeared first on Cloud Business Blueprint - Opportunity in the Cloud is only a Click Away with Robert Crane, Nigel Moore.

In this episode we share our experiences and thoughts around merging a business. We talk about how to work out who to merge with, how important personalities and culture are, as well as defining future roles. We highlight how bigger is not always better and what happens when merges fail and how to work out the best exit strategy. In today’s competitive and consolidating world the topics of mergers and acquisition are now of much greater interest. So listen along and learn from our experiences. Resources Azure AD Connect goes GA New Office 365 PowerShell Site Azure VM Backups Skype for Business preview The post Episode #031 – Merging a business appeared first on Cloud Business Blueprint - Opportunity in the Cloud is only a Click Away with Robert Crane, Nigel Moore.

Change is the only constant in life and this also extends to your customers. As you business grows and matures so too will your customers and prospects that you focus on. The trend is toward greater consumerisation and automation in traditional IT services but customers will demand more tailored services. How are you going to provide this in the future? It probably means you are going to have to explore more business consulting that pure technology. In this episode we share our thought and ideas on what the future holds and what a business should be doing today to prepare for these changes. We also cover the usual gambit of news updates and a listener question, so tune in. Resources Windows 10 available on the 29th of July - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-10-faq Azure VM backups coming out for preview - http://azure.microsoft.com/blog/2015/03/26/azure-backup-announcing-support-for-backup-of-azure-iaas-vms/ Office 365 customer lockbox available - https://blogs.office.com/2015/04/21/announcing-customer-lockbox-for-office-365/ Office 365 Advanced threat protection - https://blogs.office.com/2015/04/08/introducing-exchange-online-advanced-threat-protection/ The post Episode #030 – How will your customers change? appeared first on Cloud Business Blueprint - Opportunity in the Cloud is only a Click Away with Robert Crane, Nigel Moore.

Most businesses have customers but few pay attention to the ones who generate the most profit. In fact few can readily identify who these clients actually are. In this episode we dive into why it is so important to understand who are your most profitable clients and how to ensure that you focus on them. We also cover the usual round of cloud updates along with our regular business question and questions from listeners. Resources Microsoft Ignite Conference Sway coming to O365 Office for Android Tablet New MS store in Sydney The Pumpkin Plan Client Heart Beat The post Episode #029 – Who are your most profitable customers appeared first on Cloud Business Blueprint - Opportunity in the Cloud is only a Click Away with Robert Crane, Nigel Moore.

What is your definition of wealthy? It may not be as easy to define as you think because for most people wealth goes well beyond mere money. We’ll share our ideas on what being truly ‘wealthy’ is all about and let you form your own opinions. We’ll also wrap up all the latest news and happenings in the cloud world as well share a few reflections and tackle a listener question. All this and more coming up in this episode. Resources Skype for Business client roll out – http://blog.ciaops.com/2015/04/skype-for-business-client-goes-live-in.html Office Online and Dropbox web integration now available – http://blogs.office.com/2015/04/09/office-online-and-dropbox-web-integration-now-available/ Delve apps for iOS and Android – http://blog.ciaops.com/2015/04/delve-apps-released.html Office 365 video app – http://blog.ciaops.com/2015/04/office-365-video-for-iphone-now.html SharePoint Team Site default increase – http://blog.ciaops.com/2015/04/default-sharepoint-online-team-site.html Checklist manifesto – http://www.amazon.com/Checklist-Manifesto-How-Things-Right-ebook/dp/B0037Z8SLI/ Ticktick – http://www.ticktick.com To Do list - https://en.todoist.com/ The post Episode #028 – What is wealthy? appeared first on Cloud Business Blueprint - Opportunity in the Cloud is only a Click Away with Robert Crane, Nigel Moore.

When, if ever, do we lower a price to win a bid or a customer? Listen in as Robert and Nigel give their thoughts on why it is generally not a good idea to be discounting your price. The secret is to be adding value, and value in the customers eyes. The podcast also has a round up of all the latest Office 365 news and some business learnings. Resources Azure backup prices changes – http://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/backup/ Samsung to ship Office365 on Galaxy S6  - http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/news/b2b/33499/samsung-to-ship-office365-on-galaxy-s6.aspx 30% increase in Office 365 subscriptions shows bright future for Freemium Innovation – http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/news/b2b/33499/samsung-to-ship-office365-on-galaxy-s6.aspx AU data centers go live – http://blogs.msdn.com/b/auspartners/archive/2015/03/31/office-365-and-crm-online-services-land-on-australian-soil-today-what-you-need-to-know.aspx MS Small biz hacks – http://smallbusiness.support.microsoft.com/en-us/gp/hacks-small-biz-hacks RemoteApp in Australia – http://blogs.msdn.com/b/rds/archive/2015/03/26/announcing-remoteapp-availability-in-australia.aspx Skype for Business client roll out – http://blog.ciaops.com/2015/04/skype-for-business-client-goes-live-in.html Networking podcast episode – http://www.cloudbusinessblueprint.com/podcast/episode-007-business-networking/ The post Episode #027 – Discounting appeared first on Cloud Business Blueprint - Opportunity in the Cloud is only a Click Away with Robert Crane, Nigel Moore.

This episode tackles a listener question in this episode all about making the transition from enterprise to small business. Nigel and Robert give their thoughts and experiences on how to make the transition to the rough and tumble world of working inside a start up small business. Even if you have never worked in either, this episode will hopefully give you some insight into what life’s like on the other side of the fence. Resources http://blogs.office.com/2015/02/17/sign-page-branding-cloud-user-self-service-password-reset-office-365/ http://blogs.office.com/2015/02/20/extended-email-retention-deleted-items-office-365/ http://products.office.com/en-AU/mac/mac-preview   The post Episode #026 – Listener question appeared first on Cloud Business Blueprint - Opportunity in the Cloud is only a Click Away with Robert Crane, Nigel Moore.

Running a business is only one facet of your life, however it is far too easy to let it consume and affect many other aspects of your life, and not always for the better. In this episode we examine that importance of maintaining a good work/life balance. We look at aspects such as working from home, the importance of fitness, sleep and what the warning signs are that you have crossed the line. This episode, also importantly looks at how you promote this concept of balance to others within your team. In our Q & A we talk about some simply ways that you can be more productive. Resources Headspace Stop, Breath and Think   The post Episode #025 – Lifestyle balance appeared first on Cloud Business Blueprint - Opportunity in the Cloud is only a Click Away with Robert Crane, Nigel Moore.

There are plenty of opportunities to expand into as yet untapped markets for your business. Looking a little to the left or the right of what you currently do may open up a world of opportunities. The biggest challenge is to be open to this and always be looking for additional revenue opportunities. With the world of technology moving so fast it creates many opportunities for those who keep their eyes open and their mind clear. In this episode we’ll share some tips and tricks around recognising and exploiting new markets and opportunities. You may be surprised at how easy it is. Resources OneDrive now with unlimited storage for Office 365 subscribers Lync rebranded to Skype for Business Bold – by Peter H. Diamandis Built to Sell – by John Warrillow Microsoft Virtual Academy Khan Academy The post Episode #024 – New Markets appeared first on Cloud Business Blueprint - Opportunity in the Cloud is only a Click Away with Robert Crane, Nigel Moore.

It is much easier to retain clients than obtain new ones. That’s why a good customer retention strategy is key for many businesses. What works? What doesn’t? And how should you start planning such a program is what we cover in this episode along with all the normal segments such as news and Q & A. Resources www.Clientheartbeat.com www.surveymonkey.com     The post Episode #023 – Customer Retention appeared first on Cloud Business Blueprint - Opportunity in the Cloud is only a Click Away with Robert Crane, Nigel Moore.

We are joined in this episode by Cloud Business Blueprint community member Ben Love from Grassroots IT. We get Ben’s input on question around hiring good staff. What does it involve? What are the processes? What should you be looking for? We all share our experience, good and bad around finding people who you can trust to run your business so you don’t have to do it all yourself. We of course cover all the recent cloud news (and there has been plenty) as well as our normal segments. So join us to learn about finding good people for your business. Resources Installing office 365 on an RDS server Office 365 P and M Plans changing Our Guest – Ben Love ben@grassrootsit.com.au Twitter: @_benlove LinkedIn Blog post on hybrid cloud Overview of our CPD process Our webinar last week on recruitment E-Myth – Michael Gerber The post Episode #022 – How to hire good staff appeared first on Cloud Business Blueprint - Opportunity in the Cloud is only a Click Away with Robert Crane, Nigel Moore.

In this episode we share our major business learnings. Benefit from the things we have learnt and what to avoid when it comes to making a successful business. Whether you run a large or small business there will be lessons here worth learning. We’ll also catch up with the latest cloud news and show you how to share your Exchange Online calendar publically. Resources Office 365 P and M Plans changing July updates for Office OneNote for Mac update 10x increase in public folder limit Unlimited external SharePoint users Microsoft Australian Partner Conference Free Microsoft eBooks Sydney Cloud Business Meetup – Monday 18th August Microsoft Australian Partner Conference – 2nd to 4th of September Office365 Nation (Seattle) – 26th to 28th of September 80/20 Sales and Marketing (Penny Marshall) SharePoint Confluence Screensteps The post Episode #021 – What advice would you give other business owners? appeared first on Cloud Business Blueprint - Opportunity in the Cloud is only a Click Away with Robert Crane, Nigel Moore.

Feedback comes in all shapes and forms. You need to have a strategy to deal with it all. Importantly any feedback is a blessing no matter how it is delivered and especially when it comes to negative feedback you must not let your emotions get the better of you. In this episode we examine the strategies you can use to effective take and process feedback. Nigel and Robert share their experiences and learnings from many years of customer service. Resources Chaning Office 365 plans Optus to offer Office 365 OWA for Android now available Office 365 roadmap Yammer now part of M Plans The post Episode #020 – Handling Feedback appeared first on Cloud Business Blueprint - Opportunity in the Cloud is only a Click Away with Robert Crane, Nigel Moore.

Knowing what you are good at may sound easy but do you really know? What you think you are good at maybe completely different to what someone else believes. The same applies to most aspects of your business? What do you do well and what perhaps should you not be doing at all? This podcast takes a look at that question and provides experience and comments on how to go about assessing the strength of not only yourself but also of your business, employees, etc. Resources ConnectWise Toggl Sugata Mitra: Build a school in the cloud The post Episode #019 – What Are Your Strengths? appeared first on Cloud Business Blueprint - Opportunity in the Cloud is only a Click Away with Robert Crane, Nigel Moore.

Simply wanting something is unlikely to ever bring it to fruition. You need to take practical steps to ensuring that you achieve your goals and the first step we recommend is to be very clear about what these are. From there we cover a number of suggestions and experiences about achieving these goals and learning to profit from mistakes. You need to be practical and realistic about achieving your goals and in this podcast we share our own experiences about what works and what doesn’t along with all our usual segments including news and Rob’s reflection. Have a listen and let us know the processes you have used to achieve your goals. Resources Perry Marshall – 80 / 20 Sales & Marketing Chris Ducker  - Author of Virtual Freedom Recruitment Agent for Full Time Offshore Ted Talk on Keeping Goals to Yourself Four Hour Work Week – Tim Ferriss The post Episode #018 – How committed are you to business success? appeared first on Cloud Business Blueprint - Opportunity in the Cloud is only a Click Away with Robert Crane, Nigel Moore.

Having the right pricing strategy is key to ensuring that operate a profitable business. However, do you know what you should charge? Have you ever taken a close look at whether you are perhaps charging too much or too little? In this episode we do exactly that. We examine the ways that you should be determining what you charge your customers, rather than just guessing. We’ll share our experiences and thought on how you should be setting your pricing to ensure that everyone gets value. Resources The Intelligent Investor – Benjamin Graham The post Episode #017 – What price will your customer pay? appeared first on Cloud Business Blueprint - Opportunity in the Cloud is only a Click Away with Robert Crane, Nigel Moore.

There are a lot of things to consider before you start growing your business, with the first question as to whether it will give you want you want. In this podcast we provide you with some tips and tricks as well as advice learned through experience about what you need consider before you launch down the path of business growth. There is of course also the regular news questions and answers and Rob’s reflection all encapsulated into another jam packed episode of the Cloud Business podcast. Resources Microsoft Garage series OneDrive for Business plans E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson The post Episode #016 – Does your business scale? appeared first on Cloud Business Blueprint - Opportunity in the Cloud is only a Click Away with Robert Crane, Nigel Moore.

Does the cloud make it easier for competition to enter the market? If so how does it? In this podcast Robert is joined again by Mark Penney from SMB Cloud Advisor to discuss this topic. We examine the unique threats that the cloud provides and what steps you should be taking to avoid the pitfalls that coincide with this. In the end we provide a number of recommendations that you should be taking as a business to avoid being caught off guard. We also do our usual round up of cloud news and talk about the importance of being contactable with customers via methods that you select. Resources SMB Cloud Advisor Microsoft delays its portal in Australia Robert’s recent OneDrive presentation at MVP ComCamp  Robert’s new Office 365 PowerShell book available from http://www.ciaops.com/publications The post Episode #015 – How big is the threat of new entrants? appeared first on Cloud Business Blueprint - Opportunity in the Cloud is only a Click Away with Robert Crane, Nigel Moore.

In this episode we are joined by a special guest, Mark Penney from SMB Cloud Advisor. Mark and Robert discuss the challenges of becoming the ‘boss’ in a business. In many ways it is much tougher than people imagine and should be seen as a role that requires constant work rather than merely being able to put your feet up on the desk. There are plenty of great tips on how to ensure that you become a leader rather than just a boss. We also answer the question about whether joining an industry peer group is worthwhile and what you should be doing to make sure that it is right for your business. Resources www.smbclouadvisor.com E-Myth – Michael Gerber Mastering the Rockefeller Habits – Verne Harnish www.meetup.com www.flyingsolo.com.au The post Episode #014 – What are the advantages/disadvantages of being the boss? appeared first on Cloud Business Blueprint - Opportunity in the Cloud is only a Click Away with Robert Crane, Nigel Moore.