Monthly Archives: November 2014

Obama’s Immigration Reform Bill Does Not Do Much for India’s Tech Economy

Posted on November 28, 2014

When U.S President Obama addressed the nation about the latest immigration reform bill last Thursday, technology companies in India and in the Silicon Valley reacted with a lukewarm response. That is because the immigration reform does not solve the problem that most Indian technology outsourcing companies are facing.

Tight limits on temporary work visas for high-skilled workers and a burdensome system for gaining green cards (permanent residential status) have caused many talented Indian programmers and engineers to give up and go back to India.

Though the President’s orders will improve the overall economy, his alterations to the immigration issues pertaining to high-skilled workers are not going to help the techie workforce of India, feel market experts. Most of the changes to the reform apply to the process involved in issuing green cards to immigrants.

With the new tweaks, immigrants can change jobs while awaiting approval from their current employer. Spouses of green card applicants can now also work in the U.S. Travel restrictions for applicants’ families have also been eased. Immigration options for foreign entrepreneurs have been expanded.

Several Indian outsourcing companies feel that the new immigration system does not take the needs of the technology industry into account or the value that Indian immigrant families have contributed towards the community. On the whole, Obama’s actions will not do much for the tech economy, though they may help individuals. Continue reading →

What Your Business Needs to Know About Mobile Payments

Posted on November 22, 2014

Using a Smartphone to send out emails, play games, browse through social networks or watch movies has become the order of the day. It is no wonder that owners of Smartphones also wish to make payments through their mobile. If your business has not yet moved to towards the mobile platform, then it’s time you made the shift with an m-commerce application or mobile payment solution.

Types of mobile payments

There are primarily three ways your customers can make mobile payments through their Smartphones. You can choose from:

  • An over-the-network system which would utilize the mobile network of a user to commence process and complete a payment. For example, users can buying an airline ticket, pay a utility bill or even buy apparel from the portal of the service provider.
  • Contactless payment systems use NFC or RFID embedded into the mobile device to commence and process mobile payments. There will also be an additional tie-up with Master Card, Visa or any other payment franchisee. Using this type of mobile payment, a user can simply scan their Smartphone and use it to make payments.
  • m-commerce applications are yet another way for users to make payments towards a range of industries that include Banking, Airlines, Hospitality and Retail to name a few. Most of these payment apps will be integrated with Master Card, PayPal or Visa networks and come with customized features for Android, Windows and BlackBerry. Today, there are a host of m-commerce apps, such as Ticket Sales, Mobile Concierge apps, Retail Store apps, Banking apps and Restaurant apps for customers to choose from.

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5 Benefits of Using Xero For Your Business

Posted on November 14, 2014

How did the end of year tax period go for your business? Were you spending countless hours trying to input accounting details or add up the receipts? Were you aware of what you spent and what you earned? Was it a complete shock when you finally saw your tax returns? Well, there is one simple solution to these problems and an easier way of ironing out your accounting worries. The answer is Xero. Here are five reasons why you must consider making the switch to Xero.

1. Anytime, anywhere cloud based accounting

With a cloud based accounting system, you can access it from not one but multiple locations. This eliminates the need for a bookkeeper to come to your office premises and enter the data. The greatest advantage of using Xero is that it can be accessed at anytime from anywhere. Everyone in your team can view the same version, at the same time, no matter where they are located. Xero removes the need for files to be sent back and forth. You can also stop being concerned about regular software maintenance or buying accounting purchases.

2. Rules coding enables automatic bank transactions

Using the Xero software for your bank feeds is like magic! Since the software has a unique rules coding system, once you create the rules, this software will automatically match all of your bank transactions. You can now finally be free from manually entering code transactions. Even using PayPal with Xero is very easy. All you have to do is set up your PayPal account and you can get live feeds right from your PayPal account into Xero. This automation feature of Xero, makes it easy for users to spend less time on entering transactions and more time on growing their business.

3. Quick, simple and live invoicing

By using Xero for accounting, you can quickly create and send out professional looking invoices that are customized as per your requirement. Through the online invoicing feature, you can then email your clients with a live invoice, which will include the status of the payment, the history of the payment and a Pay Now button for the client to make an online payment. Paying an invoice online is a much more simpler and quicker that traditional payment methods. Another unique feature is a little green tick that informs you if your invoice has been viewed by your customers. Continue reading →

Peachtree Vs QuickBooks: Which Is Better?

Posted on November 8, 2014

Peachtree and QuickBooks are two popular finance and accounting software programs that used by businesses of all sizes to help them efficiently manage their finances. By using any of these accounting programs, you can effortlessly professionally manage your accounts. Both of these software programs have very similar features and benefits. But which one should you use? What are the pros and cons of using Peachtree over QuickBooks and vice versa?

End-to-end user support

QuickBooks, when compared to Peachtree offers more help to users. For instance, with QuickBooks, you can easily set up a company profile and perform your transactions. Everything is easy to follow, with user-friendly interfaces and pictures. With the interview mode in QuickBooks, you can easily set up the software for your business, by simply following the steps, with a “yes” or “no” answer.

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