Startup Monday: Streak – CRM In Your Inbox

Startup Monday is ABCey’s weekly post that features some of the best and brightest companies in the Bay Area. They are often companies that we have our eye on, or have worked with in the past & would like to share with friends and followers of ABCey Events!

In some work environments, employees live and breathe within their email inboxes. They use multiple apps or platforms to stay organized, and it becomes overwhelming. Well no more!Streak was created to integrate all the tools you need to manage relations within your work environment. Here at ABCey, some of our favorite features are email snooze, thread splitter, send later, and CRM for Dealflow!

Email Snooze

Clean up your email inbox by using the email snooze feature! We’re not letting your emails rest forever. Sometimes we have emails just sitting around waiting for a reply. To the eye, an email sitting around confuses you of your priorities. So let your emails go on “snooze” and it’ll pop back up later! In case your client is emailing you a list of items that they need or want, you won’t need to hear each and every notification. Hint: You can adjust the scheduled time.

Thread Splitter

Need to send the same thing to several people at once? Skip the copy and paste and just check each person off. A great example of this would be sending any pricing information or venue spaces to potential clients. Also no need to individually look for each email to send to about the information. Streak already does that for you!

Send Later

Plan your emails ahead! With “send later”, emails are able to be scheduled on a specific date and time. Just sit back, relax, and know that you’ve got your emails handled since your emails will automatically send. This is especially useful when trying to contact clients at certain times of if an email needs to be sent at a certain time!

CRM for Dealflow

In streak, they have what you call a pipeline. A pipeline contains all of the categories holding various types of coversations in your inbox (Ex below. Lead, Met With, Pitched, Team Sheet). All your emails are now in one and no need to switch from tab to tab. Event Planners are able to have their organizing pet peeves satisfied and everything is labeled and ready. With Streak, share emails easily, stay in touch effortlessly, and keep your leads warm for potential clients. You can also replace your external spreadsheets as well as highlight important deals with the CRM function of Streak.

With Streak’s flexible structure, it is definitely a multi-purposeful, google integrated service that is easy on IT. Streak helps to promote simple collaboration and is based in cloud. There’s no need to worry about data getting lost!

Do you use Streak? Tell us why in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!

Startup Monday: Zenefits

Startup Monday is ABCey’s weekly post that features some of the best and brightest companies in the Bay Area. They are often companies that we have our eye on or have worked with in the past & would like to share with friends and followers of ABCey Events!

In light of a lot of recent difficult press, ABCey still has high hopes that Zenefits can overcome these growing pains! Zenefits is working to bring attention to what has made their products so appealing in the first place: Shopping for health insurance is really frustrating!! As a business owner, what do you use to organize your employees health insurance, payroll, FSA, 401k, and other HR tasks? Are you spending lots of money in your HR department or doing these tedious tasks yourself? Look no further, Zenefits can help solve your problem.

How it works:

Although Zenefits mostly focuses on health insurance, this software is used by more than 20,000 businesses to streamline HR systems. Instead of using multiple different programs for tracking employees health insurance, payroll, 401k, FSA, contractors, etc., this startup helps small businesses by bundling all of these systems into one easy to use software.

With this platform, you are able to track:

Benefits/Insurance
HR Management
ACA Compliance
Payroll
Time & Attendance
PTO
and more!

Why we love it:

Zenefits has great benefits! It is an all in one platform that makes managing administrative tasks a breeze. The program is easy to set up, eliminates tedious paperwork and the costs of hiring HR employees! We also love the changes that Zenefits is making including a new CEO, who is determined to change the company in a drastic way. Like Zappos, they have recently scaled down their employees to ensure that everyone is 100% invested in the company. With the new direction their company is taking, Zenefits has a bright future!

Planning on using this amazing platform for your team? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!

Startup Monday: Slack

When it comes to the workplace, collaborating in a team is the norm. Although extremely beneficial, it requires continuous back and forth dialogue which can sometimes get a little hectic and disorganized when having to communicate through multiple online platforms. We’re all about efficiency and productivity here at ABCey, so today we’re highlighting Slack, a messenger app that is sure to improve your team communication, making it more simple and more efficient.

Channels:

Team Conversations are organized into Channels. You can create different channels for specific departments, groups or conversations. Public channels are open for all members of the team, allowing them to pop in at any time and join the conversation. Private channels are for confidential projects that can be viewed by invitation only.

Direct messages:

Need to communicate to someone directly? Use the direct message function to send private and secure messages.

File Sharing:

Working on an event proposal or drafting a contract? Documents, images, pdfs, spreadsheets can be uploaded into a particular channel and team members can view the document and make comments on it.

App Integration:

Need to access your twitter feed? You can streamline the tools and systems you already use by plugging app notifications into particular channels.

Search and Archive:

Everything in Slack is archived. You can search for specific conversations or even content within a particular document that was shared on a channel.

Device Syncing:

Sync the desktop app with your mobile phone and you’ll always be connected to the conversation.

Slack is the perfect platform to organize your team communication and increase daily productivity. Planning on using this amazing app for your team? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!

Startup Monday: Gone|Selling on Demand

Out with the old and in with the new! To start the new year off right, we want to help you lead a more productive life by tackling one unproductive nuisance: clutter.

Our living and working spaces are constantly full of so much junk and clutter. We tend to accumulate more stuff than we need, buying more and getting rid of less. Oftentimes, we either let the clutter continue to pile up or we resort to donating everything. Figuring out the how and where to sell our items is such a hassle and with our busy lives, we just don’t have the time. Today, we’re highlighting Gone, a startup that will resale, recycle and upcycle all of your old junk.

Gone is a concierge service that makes selling your unwanted items a whole lot easier. They manage all the logistics of the entire selling process so that you don’t have to and they unsure that all of your items get sold for the best possible value.

HOW IT WORKS:

Once you decide what items you wish to sell, you can either upload a pic into the app or through a text message. Gone will then pick up the items at the location of your choice.

After inspecting the items, Gone will set a selling price and list it for sale within 1-5 business days. In order to get the best bang for your buck, they analyze transactions from around the world in order to determine the proper market prices. The marketplace that they use to sell the items depends on the demand and average price for said item.

After your items are packaged, Gone will contact buyer, negotiate a deal and ship your items. You are able to monitor this entire process within the app!

PAYMENT:

Gone makes the payment process easy by allowing you to choose from several options: check, PayPal or Amazon Gift Card. After they deduct costs for preparing items for sale (inspection, pricing, postage and packing materials), they charge a commission of 7%-15% depending on the demand of the item. You’ll then receive payment within one to several weeks of sale.

If, for whatever reason, your items don’t sell within 90 days, they’ll either send the items back to you or extend the selling period for another 90 days. When needed, Gone can arrange a tax write-off for donations and even recycled items.

We love how Gone has revolutionized online selling, helping to make your life easier, clutter-free, and more productive.

Thinking about using this service the next time you have items that need to be sold? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!

Startup Spotlight: Snapcastr

A growing trend that has been sweeping almost every event blog is the necessity for audience engagement and interaction! Conferences, Festivals, and Sporting events all call for larger scale audiences that must be enticed to attend, excited through out, and anticipating the event return for the coming year. So, the question is, how do we as event planners create this buzz? This Monday, we would like to highlight Snapcastr, a tech-driven company that provides all of these solutions through their social media platform!

THE BUILD UP!

Before we get to the main attraction, we must have a plan of action, and Snapcastr certainly does! Their #Hashtag Campaign supplies companies with clear marketing and event strategies from the very beginning to ensure that promotion is being maximized. In addition, their Social Event Display optimizes on audience connection. These event displays are customizable to create a unique and exclusive feel that can educate and boost audience interaction! By the way, sponsors they did not forget you! These displays have a space for your logos to market your companies and thank you for your support!

WE’VE ARRIVED!

Integrating social media interaction at an event is no longer a question, it’s a MUST. Snapcastr’s Live Social Wall enables guests to feel connected with their live tweets, posts, and shared experiences utilizing the hashtag you created with the #Hashtag Campaign! However, it doesn’t stop there.

Hosting a sporting event anytime soon? The FanPhoto feature creates guest incentive to tweet and promote your event at a chance to be featured on their team’s video board or Jumbotron!

Not sold yet? We have a few more to share! The Leaderboard feature highlights your top fans, top contributors, and/or top influencers! This is a great way to recognize your fans for their dedication or your contributors and influencers for their amazing support!

Have an opinion you want to share? Twitter Polling enables guests to participate in polls concerning your event, which will not only keep them engaged, but it will give you some great insight to their interests and what they’re looking for!

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!

One of the best features of this company is the data capabilities that come with it! With all of these social media platforms being utilized, moderation and control is a necessity, and Snapcastr provides it. Interested in knowing your guest’s thoughts? The reporting features enables you to measure fan impact based on conversations. As well, you can monitor the growth of your social media accounts with real time analytics. This capability is a great way to track your success and pinpoint any problematic errors to ensure growth for the upcoming year!

What’s your favorite feature of our Startup Monday featuring Snapcastr? Let us know in the comments below or message us on Facebook or Twitter!

Startup Spotlight: Splash

Startup spotlight is ABCey’s weekly post that features some of the best and brightest companies in the Bay Area. They are often companies that we have our eye on, or have worked with in the past and would like to share with the friends and followers of ABCey Events.

ABCey knows the value of a good event ticketing app, which is why we have chosen to spotlight an up and coming San Francisco startup that provides ticketing services and more! Splash is of particular interest due to its unique customization capabilities and interactive qualities and it’s booming success after the win of SXSW13. Not only does Splash offer awesome ticket/check-in but it doubles as a marketing and interactive guest platform that other competitors are lacking.

Here are the top 5 things we love about Splash:

1. Complete Website Customization

Registration for an event should create anticipation and excitement for attendees. Using a bland registration platform could potentially be the “kiss of death” in attendee numbers. Splash allows full event planner digression when designing the web based platform for events to give each event the unique online vibe that will carry over to the real thing.

2. Real Time Social Media Integration

Here at ABCey, we are all about killing two birds with one stone. Splash makes it easy and convenient to do so by eliminating the middle man so we can get our guests set with interactive tools. Event planners can utilize the app to check in and scan tickets as well as live stream photos guests take. Smile for the selfie!

3. The Online After-Party

When the event is over, we need the data that matters. Splash delivers by allowing detailed user profiles and client lists to be tracked as well as complete analytics of web traffic, emails and all the social media interaction. Having this information at our fingertips allows for growth and change event planners need for future event reach.

4. Top Brand Representation

Reputation is everything. Splash is used by many top reputable brands including Spotify, Sundance, and Thrillist. Although this start up is only four years old it has made a lasting hold in the event marketing world which says a lot about the great service they provide for event planners.

5. They Walk & Talk

A company that provides insider knowledge on the complex world of event planning is something all event planners look for when using a ticketing and marketing platform. Splash’s blog outlines their experience out at their events with their services along with photos to document the guest interaction. Seeing and reading success stories makes them all the more appealing.

What do you think about Splash? Let us know in the comments below or find us on twitter and facebook!

Startup Monday: Misfit

Startup Monday is ABCey’s weekly post that features some of the best and brightest companies in the Bay Area. They are often companies that we have our eye on, or have worked with in the past and would like to share with the friends and followers of ABCey Events.

Working events can easily double as a daily workout with the amount of running around it takes! Thankfully with the sleek, fashionable and subtle fitness tracking wear MISFIT offers, you can finally keep tabs on your fitness and look professional while doing it.

The product itself is a work of genius with its durability and design. It is made from aircraft grade aluminum with an LED display, and is water resistant. But, the most amazing thing about it is no charging ever! In a world where most modern tech is still tied down with countless wires and battery’s, this is something ABCey can get behind.

MISFIT specializes in wearable watches, jewelry, and even apparel that is so subtle no one will ever know it’s a fitness tracker. These items boast of the newest in fitness tech! Here are some MISFIT app features that make it so great:

1. Tracks your steps, calories, and distance.

2. Monitors your sleep pattern.

3. Makes meal planning easy with food journal.

Another thing we love about MISFIT is the unique styles and designs that they offer. Our favorite is the Swarovski Shine collection that features a clear crystal face with a complimenting detailed wrap band that make it the perfect nighttime event accessory.

Get your own stylish fitness tracker here at MISFIT. What’s your favorite design? How and where would you wear the unique MISFIT technology? Let us know in the comments below or message us on Facebook or Twitter!

Startup Monday: Bannerman

Bannerman is an events service that allows businesses to book security guards on demand. With on-call security guards (trained to arrest, control crowds, and take action in an emergency) your event is sure to flow smoothly. Bannerman allows help within 30 minutes of a request and guarantees trust and safety as their main priority!

With the Bannerman app, booking is made easy in 3 steps. Simply type in the date and time of your needed service, select the number of guards, and place the location of your event.

At ABCey we love Bannerman because of their awesome features! Flat hourly rates are provided through the app so there is never a question on how much your security will cost. Free online signup and 24/7 customer service help cater to an event’s specific needs. In addition, background checks are available for businesses to ease the stress on booking the right guard!

The struggle to find security for your business conference or personal party is no more. With Bannerman, booking a reliable security guard for your event is fast and easy! Now available for download on the App Store. What do you think about this startup? Let us know with a comment or message us on Facebook or Twitter!

Startup Monday: Antlos

Antlos is a yachting service that lets you enjoy all the fun of being at sea minus the hassle of buying a yacht or learning to sail! Antlos provides private trips around the coastline of several beautiful cities including Greece, Italy and Spain all at around $100/night per guest. This fee is all inclusive covering costs for food, fuel, and your fully trained skipper!

“Antlos is the best solution for all fans of boat holidays, a web platform that connects expert Skippers with tourists and travellers eager to experience life at the sea,” Giana, an employee with Antlos commented. She continued to say “the business model is inspired by the philosophy of sharing-economy, offering a real opportunity for users to start earning from the rental of their boat. Antlos makes boat holidays accessible to those who love the sea, but due to lack of experience and high costs have never managed to set the sails yet.”

Antlos is the perfect choice for your next vacation! We wish we could take some time off to go sailing on the European coast! Let us know what you think about this amazing startup company in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!

Startup Monday: Bizzabo

Bizzabo is an event planning platform site that simplifies the managing process for event planners! It contains many features to boost sales and keep ticketing, emails, agendas, networking, etc. of an event organized! Through ticket sales and access to social media, Bizzabo allows individuals to not only plan, but create buzz for their event! Agendas and emailing features also add to the convenience by keeping all important dates and documentation under one threshold.

“Own Your Event” is the motto at Bizzabo and their goal is to cater to your event the way that you envision it. It doesn’t just stop at promoting an event. Bizzabo encourages users to build better relationships and a successful website to bring in clientele and maximize opportunity!

Here’s some top reasons why Bizzabo is great for event planning:

It helps…

1. Build Your Website

2. Promote and Sell Tickets

3. Expand Your Community

4. Mobilize Your Event Planning Experience

Bizzabo is the perfect platform for your customized event planning needs! Would you use Bizzabo to help plan your next event? Let us know with a comment or message us on Facebook or Twitter!