Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool that can be used for more than just accounting. You can use it for social media marketing as well as to keep track of your business operations and various data. So let’s talk about Excel shortcuts.

Once you start using Excel to organize all that information and create various business reports, you’ll realize how time-consuming these tasks can be.

Luckily, there are several handy Excel shortcuts that will help you save time and show you how to use Microsoft Excel more efficiently.

In this post, we’ve rounded up various Excel shortcuts so you can spend more time focusing on work that matters instead of creating reports.

Related: 13 ways to use Excel

Why you should use Excel shortcuts

As mentioned earlier, Excel shortcuts can help you save time when you need to input large amounts of data into your Excel workbook.

Mastering Excel shortcuts also allows you to reduce the chance of human error because you can easily manipulate data and format it without having to stop what you’re doing and apply a certain formatting rule.

Another reason why you should use Excel shortcuts is because you will get a better understanding of Excel, which in turn will allow you to create more complex spreadsheets and reports.

How to use Microsoft Excel more efficiently: 25 Excel shortcuts

Now that we’ve covered why they are useful, here’s a list of the top 25 Excel shortcuts that every business owner should know to speed up their workflow and improve their spreadsheet creation and maintenance.

1. Move up through a selection of cells.
2. Jump to top or bottom of the spreadsheet.
3. Fill in cell with data from adjacent cell.
4. Insert new sheets.
5. Quickly format anything.
6. Add multiple rows or columns.
7. Choose how to paste information.
8. One-click select all.
9. Lookup function arguments.
10. Add a date or a timestamp anywhere.
11. Access print preview dialog.
12. Easily select an entire row or column.
13. Create, edit, run and delete macros.
14. Delete a row or a column.
15. Increase or decrease font size.
16. Add comments to any cell.
17. Automatically add cells.
18. Hide rows quickly.
19. Switch between open workbooks.
20. Search the spreadsheet or replace data.
21. Insert a function.
22. Remove spaces with TRIM.
23. Copy formula down the entire column.
24. Work with ranges.

Let’s get started!

1. Move up through a selection of cells

The Shift + Enter shortcut allows you to move up through a selection of cells in any sheet. It’s useful when you’re working with large amounts of data and need to scroll up to find a particular cell.

2. Jump to top or bottom of the spreadsheet

Press the CTRL + UP or Down arrow to get to the top or bottom of any column in your spreadsheet.

3. Fill in cells with data from cells above

Have you ever needed to repeat the same information in a few cells but not in the entire column? By pressing CTRL and D keys together, you can quickly fill in the cell with the information from the cell above. Alternatively, click in the cell that holds the information you need to repeat and then drag the handle down by x amount of cells.

4. Fill in cell with data from adjacent cell

Similarly to the shortcut above, you can quickly fill in the cell with the data from the cell that’s to the left of it by pressing CTRL + R. It’s useful when you need to repeat the same information in row cells — but not the entire row. You can also simply select the cell holding the data you need to repeat and drag the handle down across the needed number of cells.

5. Insert new sheets

Use the Shift + F11 to quickly insert new sheet into your current workbook. While you can certainly click the + sign at the bottom of the sheet, this shortcut is a much faster way of achieving the same thing and you can repeat it as many times as you want. Be sure to reorder the sheets to the correct order when you’re done adding them.

6. Quickly format anything

This shortcut is a lifesaver when it comes to formatting cells, rows, objects, and pretty much anything else in Excel. Simply select the information you want to format, use the CTRL + 1 shortcut, and Excel will bring up a dialog box with all the formatting options for that object.

In a similar fashion, you can quickly add borders around selected cells by using ALT+H shortcut on PC. To achieve the same on a Mac, use the CMD+ALT+0 shortcut.

7. Add multiple rows or columns

Using the CTRL + + shortcut, you can easily add as many rows or columns you need. Simply click on the column name or row number to select the entire row or column and use the shortcut as many times as you need to add more rows and columns.

8. Choose how to paste information

If you need to paste data from an external source, use CTRL + ALT + V. It will bring up the Paste Special Box where you can choose how you’d like to paste your data in. You can paste it as text only or with special formatting, and more.

9. One-click select all

You probably know that CTRL + A or CMD + A allows you to select all of the information in a sheet. However, there is an easier way to select everything in your spreadsheet. Simply click the top corner button of the sheet and watch the magic happen as the entire sheet gets highlighted.

10. Look up function arguments

No matter how often you use Excel, there are times when you can’t remember exactly how to write a specific function. Use the CTRL + A shortcut to look up any function arguments and learn more about the function.

For example, if you type in = match in an empty cell and then press CTRL + A, you will see the Function Arguments dialog popup. You can then see exactly which arguments any function takes and you can also click the right-hand side window to learn more about that particular function.

11. Add a date or a timestamp anywhere

If you’re updating spreadsheet with new information on a regular schedule, you probably know that entering time or date manually can be cumbersome. By entering CTRL + :, you can quickly add a timestamp while the CTRL + ; allows you to insert today’s date.

12. Access print preview dialog

Whenever you need to print your worksheet, take a few minutes of your time to preview how the sheet will look when printed. Press CTRL and P together to quickly enter Print preview mode. You can then easily make adjustments so that your sheet or workbook prints out exactly as you want it.

13. Easily select an entire row or column

There are times when you need to select an entire row or column. However, if you’re deep in your spreadsheet scrolling to the beginning of the row or column is tedious, not to mention a waste of time. Use Shift + Space to select an entire row and CTRL + Space to select an entire column no matter how far down or across you are in the spreadsheet.

14. Create, edit, run and delete macros

If you’ve used Excel for any length of time, you are aware of Excel Macros. They are one of Excel’s most powerful features that allow you to automate repetitive tasks. Save time creating or editing your macros by pressing ALT + F8 keys together.

15. Delete a row or a column

Press CTRL + – to delete the row that’s above a highlighted cell or a column on the left of it. By pressing the CTRL and the – together, you will get a small popup window that allows you to shift cells up or left which effectively deletes the row above or the left column.

16. Increase or decrease font size

If you ever want to quickly adjust the text size in your worksheets, all you have to do is press CTRL + SHIFT +. as many times as you want. This particular shortcut will increase text size. If you want to decrease the font size, press CTRL + SHIFT +,.

17. Add comments to any cell

If you’re collaborating with someone on a spreadsheet, you might need to leave them a comment or add your input. You can quickly do so without sending an email or messing up the spreadsheet with the following shortcut: CTRL + SHIFT + F2 for PC and CMD + SHIFT + F2 for Mac.

18. Automatically add cells

You can save time in your workflow by automatically adding all values. Use the shortcut CMD + SHIFT + T to automatically add all of the selected cells. It’s useful when you want to quickly check the values before inserting the SUM function or when you don’t need to add it but still want to get the total value of the cells.

19. Hide rows quickly

Sometimes, you might need to hide rows quickly. In such situations, you can use a handy shortcut instead of manually selecting rows, right-clicking them, and selecting hide. Simply press CTRL+ 9 on both PC and Mac to hide selected rows.

20. Switch between open workbooks

As a small business owner, it’s not uncommon to have several different Excel workbooks for different purposes. You might have a workbook to keep track of your sales, another one for your social media campaigns, and a third one to plan out your content. You can quickly switch between open workbooks by using the CTRL + Tab shortcut.

21. Search the spreadsheet or replace data

Use the CTRL + F shortcut to quickly search your spreadsheet. You will see the Find and Replace window pop up where you can specify whether you want to search the current sheet or the entire workbook, if you need to match case and to replace the information once or throughout the spreadsheet.

22. Insert a function

Excel functions can get quite complicated. The good news is that you don’t have to memorize them all. You also don’t have to know the exact syntax of the function. All you have to do is press = button or Shift + F3. Doing so will bring up the Formula Builder dialog where you can look up a specific function and quickly add it to your sheet.

23. Remove spaces with TRIM

Extra spaces in your columns and rows can lead to a lot of trouble when you’re working with Excel. You could be trying to calculate the value of rows and cells and get only zeros as a result. Another issue with spaces is that you cannot effectively compare cell values.

You can easily fix this by using the TRIM function. Simply type =TRIM(A1) into a new cell, where A1 is the cell you want to remove spaces from, and Excel will automatically strip any excess spaces from the specified cell.

24. Copy formula down the entire column

If you’ve added a formula in a new column and want to use it down the entire column, you can easily copy it with the CTRL + D shortcut. Here’s how it works in a nutshell:

• Start by going to to the column that has data.
• Press Ctrl+Down to go to the bottom.
• Move one cell to the right.
• Use the shortcut CTRL + SHIFT + UP to select the new column which contains the formula you created.
• Press Ctrl+D to fill down the formula.

25. Work with ranges

A named range in Excel can be used in several ways. You can use it for data validation, to create bookmarks in your spreadsheets or to refer your formulas to the exact same cell. You can easily choose a specific name range by using the CTRL + G shortcut. It will bring up the Go To dialog. If the name range is something simple, you can select it from the list. If your name range is more complicated, type it in and press OK.

Final thoughts on Excel shortcuts

Excel shortcuts are incredibly helpful when it comes to working with different Excel files. And when you’re learning how to use Microsoft Excel, shortcuts can make all the difference in the world.

With the help of these Excel shortcuts and tricks, you will be able to speed up your workflow, save time, and spend more time analyzing data instead of compiling it.

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To remain competitive in a disruptive market and drive growth, insurance companies must recast IT leaders as strategy partners.

When Property and Casualty (P&C) insurance companies position themselves for growth, they generally focus on acquisitions and the exploration of new products and markets. Such expansion involves integrating new information technology (IT) platforms with the intention of creating value for the business.

Most of the time, however, a value-based approach is not truly taken because business leaders tend to delegate this responsibility to their IT centers rather than partnering with them to develop a technology strategy.

The disconnect between business leaders and their IT departments creates roadblocks to innovation and makes companies vulnerable to market disruptors – companies that leverage new technologies to exploit the inefficiencies of traditional business practices.

One of the most notable examples is Esurance, a startup that burst into the market in 1999 on the dot-com wave, establishing itself as the first online insurance company. The new business model made buying insurance private, efficient and paperless for consumers.

The absence of a commissioned insurance agent allowed the company to offer competitive rates and the online platform empowered consumers to do comparison shopping. In short, Esurance used a new technology to undercut the traditional insurance model, which resulted in a significant loss of market share for many companies.

In an industry that is predicated upon the use of information, disruptors render the P&C insurance market exceptionally precarious because they force the need to innovate around information technology. To remain competitive in a disruptive market, companies must recast IT leaders as strategy partners to help them stay ahead of the technology curve and drive growth.

Positioning Insurance Companies to Drive Growth in a Disruptive Market

Since the insurance industry is a business of risk aversion and risk mitigation, companies tend to be resistant to change and are seldom positioned on the cutting edge of technological innovation. Building a strategic partnership between business and IT leaders enables insurance companies to find new and innovative ways to use their data to create timely and competitive insurance products.

To accomplish this, they must acquire the technological agility to meet shifting market demands. Naturally, this comes with significant challenges.

Given the data-driven nature of the industry, insurance companies become highly vested in their existing systems which must maintain and process huge stores of data. Therefore, the costs and hassles of adopting and integrating new technologies can become a daunting prospect.

Although there is no “one size fits all” solution, there are common requirements for enabling insurance data systems to be stable, nimble and efficient. These requirements include:

• Collecting data in the most user-friendly way
• Immediate availability of data in a way that can be understood and used
• Integrating external, non-insurance data to understand hidden patterns & find marketing opportunities
• Effectively combining and integrating insurance data from acquired companies

Multi-Level, Multi-Phased Integration: A Value-Based Approach to Change

To create the most value for their business in shorter time frames, companies must determine which technology changes will bring the most value at any given time.

Together, business and IT leaders must work together to build a prioritized growth strategy that incrementally adds value to business operations. Insurance companies that successfully position themselves for value-based growth generally embrace the following strategies:

• Conduct a Strategic Evaluation of Systems and Markets: Business and IT leaders must work together to create a strategy for using technology to create business value. It is a best practice to choose technologies that can evolve or scale up with business growth rather than locking into rigid systems that create data storage or maintenance burdens. For this reason, many insurance companies are choosing to move to cloud-based platforms.
• Preserve Source Data in its Original Form: Companies must take great care to preserve the original shape of the data that is generated in their systems. It is common for different applications to use the same data differently, and no company can anticipate how they may need to use data in the future. Instead, companies can use the concept of contextual modeling – conforming data to fit a particular use case. For example, a billing system may use the same data as a claims administration system, but each system will process the data differently and follow a different timeline. The system’s ability to use the data in its repository must not be restricted, and the original source data must remain intact and be reusable.
• Create a Scalable Integration Strategy Based on a Minimum Viable Product: Companies can begin their technology transformation journey by developing a minimum viable product (MVP) – a product that is built with just enough features to immediately add value to the business. For example, if a company is launching a new insurance line, they may not need to immediately integrate their claims system, since most claims applications allow data to be managed manually. The claims systems integration can instead be rolled out later as part of a scalable, multi-phased strategy. Taking the scalable approach allows companies to launch experimental products into the market within short time frames using only high-level data (such as financial reporting) rather than integrating a complete hierarchy of data that includes risks, coverage levels and other factors. Instead, they can begin with a basic systems integration which can scale up based on feedback from the MVP launch.

Final Thoughts

By forming strategic partnerships between their business and IT organizations, companies are better able to align their business goals with innovative technology strategies, select and implement appropriate platforms, and develop scalability strategies for future growth. Scalable integration strategies help to reduce unnecessary costs, mitigate risks, and position companies for growth and innovation.

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As a small business owner, you know how important it is to show your guests excellent customer service, but did you know that consumers’ high expectations also carry over to your social media presence? Droves of customers are turning to social media to effectively get their problems resolved. Time is a commodity.

In fact, 33% of consumers prefer to contact brands on social media rather than with a phone call.

This means that each and every mention, comment and post that comes in for your business on social media has the power to influence a customer’s opinion of your business and his or her likelihood to come by for a visit.

Skillfully handling customer questions and requests on your business’s social media pages can be the difference between impressing a customer or losing their business.

5 ways to wow with customer service on social media

Here’s how to up your customer service game on social media to keep your customers coming back again and again:

1. Listen.
2. Always respond.
3. Respond in a timely manner.
4. Ask questions.
5. Be personable.

Related: Beginner’s guide to social media for small business

1. Listen

Just because your business has a social media presence doesn’t mean you’re truly listening and providing good customer service.

You might already be monitoring the conversations about your brand. But social listening requires more. You need to absorb the information and the conversations taking place while also being able to provide additional insight.

Every conversation in your social listening feed offers something of value. You just have to pay attention.

As an example, let’s turn the tables.

Consider the last time you needed to call customer service. Did the customer service representative take down your request and provide one of the top three solutions to any problem? Or did the rep actually answer your questions in a quick yet personal and satisfactory way? As a customer in that situation, you were seeking resolution of your issue, not just simply that someone was available to service your complaint.

The primary lesson: You cannot simply implement social monitoring. You must engage in social listening to truly provide a better customer experience.

Twitter is a great tool for social listening because you can see all tweets from any user with a public profile.

Twitter also offers a number of integrated, free listening tools. If you are managing accounts across multiple social media platforms, here’s a good rundown of other tools at your fingertips.

Also, is your social media management integrated with your customer service operation?

In larger organizations, the marketing and communications department may own social media channels while traditional customer service is handled through a separate process. In that case, you’ll want to make sure both functions are coordinated so you can manage the inquiries efficiently and effectively.

One final point on social media listening for better customer service is to realize that customer requests and expectations will continue to evolve over time.

Your customers will move to new social networks and find new ways to communicate with you.

Related: Best practices for online customer service

2. Always respond

If a customer at your store or restaurant approached with a question, you’d help them find the answer. It’s the same on social media.

Engaging with your customers online helps them feel heard.

Customers are three times more likely to recommend your business after a positive social media customer service interaction.

Many of these reach-outs from your current and potential customers on social media will be requests for business information, questions about your products and services, real-time notifications of their visit to your business, or descriptions of previous experiences.

It’s important to respond to all of these communications in order to seem accessible, appreciative and responsive to your customers.

Related: The best tips for responding to online reviews

3. Respond in a timely manner

When customers reach out to you on social media with questions or comments, make sure that they get a response in a timely manner.

If it’s a complaint, you don’t want to let it fester unresolved.

And if it’s positive feedback, you don’t want to let those comments sit without saying, “thank you.”

A survey from Edison Research found that two out of every three people who engage with a company on social media expect a response the same day. Not only do customers want a fast response, but they want the response to be personalized to their specific problem.

Expectations run high. But the good news is that there’s a strong customer service payoff for brands who are on top of their social media game.

When they see management respond to reviews, 78% of consumers say they are more likely to believe that the business cares about them and their feedback.

You can do this by monitoring your Facebook and Twitter closely for any reviews, questions, mentions, complaints or concerns. Responding in a timely fashion, to both positive feedback and questions and concerns, is a great way to impress your customers and show them you’re listening.

Related: The small business owner’s guide to smart customer responses

4. Ask questions

When an issue is sensitive, don’t be afraid to ask questions so you can better get to the core of the issue.

A complaint or concern that comes in on your social media channels might not be something you were even aware of in-house. So, when responding to this kind of review, ask questions like, “What night did you come in for dinner?” or “Can you tell us what you ordered?”

You can also reach out to your staff to get a better understanding of what might have occurred to help inform your response to that customer.

If it really does seem to be an error your business made, apologize and ask for another chance to show the customer a better experience.

If it seems like the kind of issue that would be resolved more quickly offline, send your business’ email and phone number, so the customer can reach your business directly.

Related: 5 ways to manage your restaurants online reviews — good and bad

5. Be personable

Remember, your responses aren’t just for the person who reached out, but for anyone who might be checking out your business online.

Here’s how you can respond to both customer concerns and positive feedback:

• Use the customer’s name.
• Thank the customer for reaching out.
• Pick out details the customer mentioned and address them directly.
• Apologize if necessary and ask questions.
• Be friendly, but keep it professional.

Above all, just remember to be you.

Your personable response will go a long way for your customers.

Taking the time to make your online customer service as exceptional on social media as it is in person will impress your customers and keep them coming back to your business!

Need some extra help with your social media customer service efforts? GoDaddy Social can help you extend your customer service online and elevate your social media marketing strategy to engage with your customers like never before.

This article includes content originally published on the GoDaddy blog by Bryant Tutterow.

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Customers are the lifeblood of any business. This is especially true for small businesses that offer a service based around appointment scheduling — such as hair studios or those in the door-to-door sales industry. If you run a similar business, you’ll need a highly efficient way of moving potential customers through the conversion funnel — and online scheduling might do the trick.

However, the answer to creating a more effective process doesn’t necessarily involve handling every aspect in house. Instead, you’ll want to automate the majority of the steps and get the customers themselves to take on some of the strain and make key decisions.

Wouldn’t you jump at the ability to minimize no-shows with automated reminders for your customers and staff?

With Microsoft Bookings set up and in place, you can avoid conflicts by sending appointment confirmations and notifications to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Microsoft Bookings also allows you to set up a reminder email, which is sent based on how much notice you want to give before the appointment. Your customers can then add online appointments to their personal calendars with just a few clicks.

Everyone knows where they need to be and when. No-shows alleviated!

In this post, we’ll look at how manually managing your appointments could result in trouble. Then, we’ll look at how the Microsoft Bookings app can help with practically every aspect of the online appointment scheduling process. We’ll close with how to get Microsoft Bookings.

Let’s get started!

The problems with managing appointments and bookings manually

A service business — especially one that handles appointments — lives and dies by its ability to make sure customers are seen to efficiently. In fact, you could argue that all-around efficiency is the key to a successful small business.

What’s more, this effect is magnified when your income relies on setting a revolving door of customers in motion. The importance of managing your appointments and bookings appropriately can’t be overstated. Let’s start with a hypothetical:

You: Let’s get together Thursday and hammer out the details.
Your Customer: I’m booked solid Thursday. How about Friday?
You: I’m off Friday — three-day weekend. How about next Tuesday?
Your Customer: Drat, I have a previous engagement for Tuesday.

Sound familiar? Ask your staff, and most will probably admit they are busy and over-tasked.

Arranging a meetup to find a date and time that works for all involved can become a real science fair project. That is, unless you offer online scheduling. Then, your conversation might go more like this:

You: Check your email — I just sent you a link to my calendar. Book the date/time that works for you and I’ll send you a confirmation and reminder email.
Your Customer: Outstanding! It’s a pleasure doing business with you.

You simply don’t have time or energy for going back and forth, trying to nail down a date for an important meeting, many times ending at a discouraging stalemate.

The fact is, without online appointment scheduling, your business will experience lost productivity and efficiency.

This means having to regularly reschedule meetings when date/time conflicts arise — or when an appointment is forgotten or missed. The domino effect kicks in and results in an efficiency nightmare.

Many try to control the situation themselves on an in-house basis. On the surface, this is a tempting idea for a number of reasons. Most importantly, if you’re responsible for overseeing all aspects of your booking system, there’s only one place to look if something goes wrong.

While this simplicity can be comforting, there are also plenty of pitfalls involved.

To start with, you won’t necessarily feel any better about letting down a customer because you’ve handled their request personally. After all, you’re the one who’s failed to add their details to your schedule.

Likewise, you’re likely to lose a customer if you forget to set a reminder in your favorite calendar app.

You’ll find that the scope for human error is high when it comes to scheduling appointments — and the manual approach is often inferior to a system that’s designed intentionally for an optimal and organized workflow.

A closer look at Microsoft Bookings

If you’re looking for a better way to handle online scheduling, the answer might lie in a somewhat lesser-known Microsoft app.

Microsoft Bookings is a sleek and sophisticated way of scheduling times, making appointments and empowering the end user to get in touch with you.

This app offers a central booking page for your customers to peruse, containing everything they need to know about the services you offer and the times you’re available. Online appointment scheduling lets you retain control over what information is presented, while letting the customer make a decision based on their own scheduling considerations.

This makes doing business with you effortless, even when you’re not available to answer the phone or in front of a computer to respond to an email.

All customers have to do is first select the service they want and then, based on the availability you provide, choose a day and time when you or your staff are available. Then they enter their contact information and book the appointment.

It’s that easy.

You’re afforded more time to focus on your business’s needs, since almost all correspondence via Bookings can be automated. This is a significant time-saver, as are the automatic reminders customers will receive when their appointments are getting close.

Related: Automated customer service: How to leverage automation to create a remarkable client experience

Right after your customer schedules the appointment, they are sent an email confirmation with an option to add the appointment to their calendar. Outlook and Google calendar integration is available and helps contacts tie everything together.

For those customers who prefer to speak with you when making appointments, you can enter information manually and all confirmations and reminders will be sent as usual.

Those reminders in particular are crucial, since decreasing the number of no-shows is vital for maximizing your business’ revenue.

It’s easy to see how having a schedule packed full of solid prospects and potential customers is better than a calendar full of iffy leads and time-wasters.

Getting started with Microsoft Bookings

You’ll generally need to offer customers at least three things when they’re looking to make a booking or appointment:

• A choice of services
• A method for choosing a date and time
• Somewhere to add their personal details

A functional booking page for online scheduling will consist of these elements. In Microsoft Bookings, you can find corresponding customization screens for each in your main dashboard.

The Services tab, for example, lets you set a name, description, location and specific duration for a particular service.

You can also include buffer time that customers can’t book within, to avoid last-minute scheduling.

Then, the appointment itself and the customer’s details are added to the Calendar and Customers tabs.

Having all of this information under one roof is a very convenient way to manage online scheduling.

Although your customers won’t see the administrative side of your scheduling process, they will surely appreciate the end result!

Microsoft Bookings is responsive and works across platforms

Your Bookings web page is simple to use and looks great on both larger screens and mobile devices. This is extremely important for those businesses that rely on smartphones and tablets to keep their businesses on track.

You’ll also have full access to your customer, staff and calendar info where and when you need it with the Microsoft Bookings mobile app.

You can quickly come to rely on the app to email, call or text customers, or create new appointments, all from your phone. Tap, tap — done.

Standing out from the competition

Bookings beats out many of its competitors in ease of use, convenience and integration with the applications your business and customers are already using in their day-to-day activities.

For example, Facebook integration. If your customers are on Facebook, they’ll enjoy the ability to book with you in two clicks.

Once customers click Book Now, all their information is auto-completed for them based on their Facebook account. They simply have to click Book, and they’re done!

Additionally, when communicating with customers, you can link to your scheduling page from an email, your business’s website or your Facebook page. Offering online appointment scheduling simplifies scheduling and cuts down on that frustrating phone tag that we’ve all experienced.

What’s more, your customizable public web page lets your customers find available times and book appointments 24/7 at their convenience.

In the background, you can manage your private calendar schedule and those time-saving automatic confirmations and reminders. Specifying the services, times and staff that are visible on that calendar is up to you and can be done from any device, at any time of the day or night.

How to get Microsoft Bookings

Access to online appointment scheduling with Microsoft Bookings is easier to get than you might expect. This is especially true if you’re an existing GoDaddy customer.

Wondering how to get Microsoft Bookings? It’s a snap.

GoDaddy has partnered with Microsoft to provide round-the-clock access to the Office 365 suite of tools. The Business Premium plan includes versions of all the classic Microsoft Office favorites, such as Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Of course, Bookings is also part of the suite, which means you’ll have practically everything you need to run your business efficiently, right at your fingertips.

What’s more, the Business Premium plan is a steal given the value in the overall package (it includes other business tools as well, including DocuSign and MileIQ).

Related: What is Office 365 and how can it help small businesses grow?

Closing thoughts on online scheduling

When it comes to offering appointment-based services, the best approach is to make the experience as easy as possible for your customers. Offering online appointment scheduling is a smart way to accomplish this — and to save yourself valuable time.

Microsoft Bookings is one of the best solutions for doing just that.

It’s an efficient method of letting each customer choose their appointment date and time, sending automatic reminders, and keeping all of your bookings organized. Fortunately, it’s available via a Office 365 from GoDaddy Business Premium subscription.

This article includes content originally published on the GoDaddy Blog by Judith Kallos.

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With over 30.2 million small businesses in 2018 employing 58.9 million people across the United States, it’s no wonder small businesses are known as the lifeblood of the American economy. Whether you’re running a small mom and pop ice cream shop, or taking care of people’s car problems so they can get to work and kid’s soccer games, entrepreneurs dedicate much of their time serving their customers and community.  

In a survey commissioned by GoDaddy, 500 small business owners provided valuable insights into their worries, as well as their efforts to strike a balance between their professional and personal lives.

When entrepreneurs aren’t working, they’re thinking about working

The survey revealed that entrepreneurs’ top concerns were making money and attracting new customers, spending an average of 8 hours a week worrying about their business outside of working hours. That’s a full 17 days a year dedicated to worrying. Over half of small business owners say they have trouble switching off from work during their free time.  

The survey also found:

• Small business owner says they lose four hours of free time every week to handle business matters.
• 41% of small business owners say they often get pulled away to deal with business matters when trying to take a break.
• Only 36% of small business owners report they generally have a somewhat healthy work/life balance.

These numbers show that maintaining work/life balance is not a walk in the park for many entrepreneurs. In fact, half the respondents pointed to not having enough time and having too much work as the top factors that get in the way.

However, entrepreneurs recognize the importance of enriching their personal lives. Sixty three percent of them say they spend time taking care of themselves, while 56% strike a balance by taking a vacation. They also emphasized the importance of scheduling personal time as a priority.

Finding work-life balance is a constant struggle

“Small business owners dedicate a huge part of their lives tirelessly taking care of business,” said Melissa Schneider, GoDaddy’s VP of Global Marketing and trend expert. “Owning a business and trying to enjoy life outside work can be an especially tough balancing act. That’s why GoDaddy is focused on arming everyday entrepreneurs with an arsenal of tools that not only deliver results, but help them start, grow, and run their businesses efficiently. We believe this, in turn, helps them lead better, more fulfilling personal lives.”

The survey also delved into understanding the tools and tips that can help small business owners be more productive. One of the significant insights derived from this study is entrepreneurs’ usage of their personal phone for business, revealing that close to 40% of small business owners spend between one to three hours a week taking care of business on the phone.

1:1 conversations with customers are crucial for entrepreneurs

It’s no surprise that more than half of small business owners consider how valuable 1:1 conversations are to their business. After all, this is an important way by which they can show professionalism to their clients:

• 81% stress the importance of responding to customer inquiries in a timely manner.
• 71% strive to always be available/reachable to their customers during business hours.
• 64% recognize the importance of answering calls professionally.

Especially pertinent to answering calls professionally, the survey also revealed some less than appropriate ways small business owners took business calls on their personal phone because they were unaware that call was for business.

Respondents shared that at one point one of them opened a call with, “hey baby,” while another confessed to saying “hello” in a silly voice. Much worse, someone employed a “mean voice” because they thought it was a robocall. Along the same vein, the study found that 40% of small business owners said knowing whether an incoming call is a business or personal call would be helpful in managing their productivity.

Separating Personal and Work Calls with SmartLine

GoDaddy’s SmartLine app allows users to differentiate business and personal calls by providing customers a second phone number for their business on the smartphone they already have. In addition, with SmartLine small business owners can:

• make and receive calls using their business number to keep their personal number private
• set their business hours to receive calls during this window so they don’t receive calls during their personal time
• send and receive texts and pictures from their business number and see all communications with a customer in one place
• install the app on their current smartphone – there’s no new equipment to buy

www.godaddy.com/smartline/second-phone-number

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