Why do you use client portals? I like the way we are doing things, or I have my own processes.

We use client portals in life every day. When we log in to pay a bill, make an online purchase, or any place we create “accounts” we are longing into the client portal. Client portals provide a safer space and location for organizing data. Please that organize data and give clients the ability to access their information helps me manage my tasks and workload as well.  And allows me help with communication with the client. Since I have different work hours often, we miss each other if we are only waiting to communicate via phone. Often my work calls for a quiet environment so I am not able to work while talking. I have things that I multitask just like most businesses owners to have balance work and family life.

The client portal is a way for me to work as I need to work, and I can upload and communicate with you, the client. I will cover the features that encouraged me to select and continue to use a client portal over the last 7 years. I admit I could not find the right fit and I had to switch around, but I have returned to Zoho Desk to help me with my client portal needs. Since I use the Zoho ecosystem the Zoho Desk integrates with my CRM (Customer Relations Manager) without the need to have a third-party special plug in that would cost time and money. I also know the systems are working together and it helps me to provide better services to my clients. Therefore, I can add on more clients without feeling like how I can keep this all straight! Yes, that was a fear of mine in the past but not anymore and this is where business process management comes into place.

In this video I will cover my top four reasons for using a client portal. I will also cover the reason I have two client portals. Yes, I could purchase one system but that will cost more, and important functionalities are comprised when a system claims to offer a feature that they do not specialize in that program. You can tell when someone is offering a feature just to make money. I know accounting software provides multiple support for different business ventures and I can have those all-in-one centralized places.

Although I could connect Zoho Books to my CRM honestly, I do not like what happens with the integration. Personally, I do not believe your CRM should have accounting information flowing through the system. If you need to know if a client owes a balance, there should be an option to post somewhere from accounting. Sometimes convenience can give the wrong people too much information. So, I believe in not integrating the systems. But I can easily switch back and forth to the applications for best business management.

Storage is another issue when thinking of applications and this can determine the information that we share and the software that works bets. Accounting software is not meant to be a document management software. Since we have other documentation related to transactions and the support keeping other business documents in the accounting application will take up too much space.

Therefore, we have cloud document applications for file sharing and storage. When we select software, we look at our goals, our needs, and how the software can help us with those top desires. We then must consider the limitations of the software so we can determine is it still worth using the software or is there another application we must use in addition to or is there all in one?

When considering application, I think of time and money. How much time will it take, and how much will I have to charge the client? So, if I use your applications that do not talk to my systems, I must charge for the extra time. Watch the video for more information on these topics.