888-734-2511

Faxing and Scanning Software for Act

by | Jun 14, 2021 | Act CRM Software Fundamentals | 0 comments

Faxing and Scanning Software for Act

They say you should write about what you know.  Help people by sharing your own experiences.  In this case, I can only offer my knowledge of the software that might be beneficial to you because of the way you work.

My Act software colleagues, Jean and Steve McCandlish of ASDS make scanning software named DocAdmin ($99.00) that gives you the ability to scan directly into Act with a single click.  You can learn more about it here: https://asdscomputer.com/scanning.  If you would like to fax out of Act, look at FaxAdmin ($79.00) which will allow you to send an individual fax or send faxes to hundreds of Act contacts.  You can learn more here: https://asdscomputer.com/asds-act-add-ons/faxing.

Recently, I spoke to Jean and she told me that she would be more than happy to demonstrate her products.  She can be reached at the number below.  You can call or email her.  She is super nice and very easy to work with.  Steve is a nice guy too. 

ASDS Computer Company
PMB 404 10343 Federal Blvd. Unit J
Denver, CO 80260
(303) 465-6465 x2
8 AM to 5 PM M-F MST

Jean McCandlish: jean@asdscomputer.com

Podcast: Act CRM SaaS Review June 2021

by | Jun 8, 2021 | Act CRM Software Fundamentals | 0 comments

Act CRM SaaS Options June 8, 2021

Act offers 3 plans for their relatively new Act CRM SaaS with monthly and annual payment options.  SaaS stands for software as a service.  Allow me to give you my feedback and thoughts on the three offerings.

Act CRM Essentials | $180 annually or $22 monthly | 2500 Emails & 2 GB of Storage

there are still a lot of Act users out there that have old Act software.  Because of licensing software updates and changes, old Act software users, Act users that have versions older than 18 will have difficulty moving their Act software to a new computer or reinstalling the software if required to do so.  The issue relates to the fact that you will not be able to register older Act software.

The $180 version is an inexpensive way to keep all your Act data accessible to you from any web browser.  There is no software to install and that eliminates technical issues that many software users face.  There is a free trial and a certain level of free technical support directly from Act.

Some people hate paying annual subscriptions.  My feeling is this: get used to it.  On one hand I can appreciate the concern, but on the other hand I understand how software companies must keep evolving and that makes a subscription the best way to keep the latest technology in front of their consumers.

If nothing else, for $180 all your data is backed up in the cloud and safer than having it on your computer in case something bad happens like a computer crash.  This version will work with Microsoft Outlook to send and receive emails but will not work with Microsoft Word.

Act CRM Standard | $360 annually or $40 monthly | 10000 Emails & 4 GB of Storage

this version works with Microsoft Word and Outlook.  In my opinion that is the major difference between this version and Act CRM essentials.  If you are a small business this is what you will most likely use.

Act CRM Expert | $540 annually or $55 per month| 25000 Emails & 6 GB of Storage

This version has one key offering that the first two versions do not offer.  The ability to add fields to Act.  This is something that I really wish they would change because I think it takes away from what Act can be to consumers.  I can understand how they might not want to add this option to the Essential’s version.  It would be rare when I would suggest this plan to a consumer right off the bat.  I could see potentially upgrading to it.  Having said that, the downside to these subscriptions is that a company would have to upgrade all their users to the same plan.

To combat this issue, I would recommend that you start using Act CRM SaaS as a free trial and make sure that you add several spare fields to Act before converting one of the above plans.

 

ACT CRM Pricing Jan 2021

Act Knowledgebase Article: How To Enable the Built-In Administrator Account in Windows Vista® and Windows® 7

by | Jun 7, 2021 | Act CRM Software Knowledgebase (KB) Articles | 0 comments

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Reposted from the Act Knowledgebase. Thank You Swiftpage.


Visit the Act Knowledgebase here: http://kb.act.com/

Visit kb.act.com for more information

How To Enable the Built-In Administrator Account in Windows Vista® and Windows® 7

Answer ID 21797   |    Updated 09/10/2016 12:08 PM

You would like to activate the built-in Administrator account in Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Note: The following information is provided as a convenience. Swiftpage does not provide support for Microsoft® Products. For more information on this topic go to Microsoft.com.

How to Enable the Built-in Administrator Account:

  1. Click Start, and then type the phrase command prompt in the Search box at the bottom of the Start menu. Do not press Enter.
  2. In the search results list, right-click on Command Prompt, and then select Run as Administrator.
  3. When you are prompted by User Account Control (UAC), click Continue.
  4. At the command prompt, type net user administrator /active:yes, and then press ENTER.
  5. Type net user administrator {Password}, and then press ENTER.
    Note: Please replace the {Password} tag with your passwords which you want to set to administrator account.
  6. Type exit, and then press ENTER.
  7. Log out, and you’ll now see the Administrator account as a choice.


How to Disable the Built-in Administrator Account:

  1. Click Start, and then type the phrase command prompt in the Search box at the bottom of the Start menu. Do not press Enter.
  2. In the search results list, right-click onCommand Prompt, and then select Run as Administrator.
  3. When you are prompted by User Account Control (UAC), click Continue.
  4. At the command prompt, type net user administrator /active:no, and then press ENTER.
  5. Type exit, and then press ENTER.


Alternate Method Using Windows® Computer Management Screen
For use if you have tried the steps above and receive the message The password does not meet the password policy requirements, check the minimum password length, password complexity and password history requirements.

  1. Right click on the My Computer icon (XP) or Computer icon (Vista/Windows 7)
  2. Select Manage
  3. Expand Local Users and Groups
  4. Left click on Users folder
  5. Right click on Administrator in right column and select Set Password
  6. Right click on Administrator again, select Properties and uncheck the Account is Disabled option
  7. To disable the account: right click on Administrator, select Properties and place check in the Account is Disabled option

WARNING! This KB article (including any software and related documentation) is provided “AS IS.” Swiftpage disclaims all express or implied warranties of any kind with respect to the article, including but not limited to, any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Act CRM Software Tools and Add-ons I Suggest in June of 2021

by | Jun 7, 2021 | Act CRM Software Fundamentals | 0 comments

 

FYI: In late December of 2020 I started using Act CRM SaaS exclusively in my office. 

Act’s new offering was something I felt I had to test daily so I could understand the pros and cons of this software.  It is web based and there is no desktop software involved.  For the record, I like it and recommend it to my clients.

Knowing I am using the SaaS (software as a service) version of Act is important because some of the add-on products I use have changed because of this fact.  So here is an updated list of some of the add-ons I use for Act and Microsoft Outlook which are two of the most important aspects of my day-to-day business.  My goal with this article is just to give you a quick overview of why you should use the software without going into the dramatic details. 

If you have questions or would like to learn a little bit more, please reach out to me at 781-728-9777.

Act4Outlook / Act4Mail
www.keystroke.ca

Act4Outlook connects Act and Microsoft Outlook better.  There are two versions of Act for Outlook: Act4Outlook for Act desktop software and Act4Mail is for the web and Saas versions of Act.  I use this software because it makes tracking incoming and outgoing emails easier and it also allows me to quickly add contacts to my Act database from Microsoft Outlook emails.

Template Phrases
www.AbleBits.com

This is absolutely my favorite piece of software because it makes replying to email super easy.  You know those emails you are constantly composing over and over again.  Template phrases allows you to save templates right within Microsoft Outlook.  My favorite aspect of this tool is the fact that not only does it save the body of the email but it also saves the subject line.  Sending the emails is as easy as a point and click.

Bananatag
track.bananatag.com

Bananatag tracks emails you send so that when someone opens it on the other end you get an email stating they have done so.  In addition to that, it can track when someone clicks on a hyperlink within the email.  Have you ever wondered if someone get that email you sent them?  Maybe it was a proposal or an invoice.  Now you will know.

Two Monitors

This is not so much a software add-on as it is simple advice.  Get two monitors for your computer set up.  If you have a laptop buy two monitors and a keyboard.  Trust me when I tell you that you will wonder how you lived without this setup after you implement it.

Calendly
www.Calendly.com

Calendly allows you to publish your calendar online.  By directing your prospects and customers to your calendar they can schedule meetings and telephone calls with you or your team.  It eliminates all the back-and-forth of scheduling.  It will also send meeting reminders to the attendees as well as to you so you do not forget to show up to your own meeting.

Act CRM Pricing Review: January 2021

by | Jan 25, 2021 | Act CRM Software Fundamentals, Podcast | 0 comments

Act CRM database software pricing can be a little confusing when you try to break down all your options

 

If you were to pick up the phone today and call Act directly you would most likely be directed to Act’s new sass web-based Act CRM.  Introduced in October 2020, Act sass CRM is completely web based.  Prices range from $15-$45 per month.

But what if you do not want web-based Act CRM?

Act software has traditionally been sold as desktop software.  You physically install the software on your computer.  Act contact management software has been around for more than 20 years and all software was designed this way.  This is how long time Act users are used to purchasing the software.  But times have changed.

Act Pro software was discontinued for sale in June 2020.  Act Pro was designed for 1 to 10 users.  Act premium software is designed for 10 or more CRM users.  Act premium has a few more options under the hood.  As of today, January 2021, I can direct you to copies of Act Pro while supplies last.  The price is approximately $350.

The better option is an Act subscription for approximately $330 per year.  What you receive is Act Premium software, future updates, some free technical support directly from Act, an app for your smartphone or iPad and tablets, and the ability to network Act on two devices. For example, your desktop and laptop computer.

Another feature of Act premium is the ability to use Act Connect.

Act connect is a feature that allows you to connect Act CRM to other software such as QuickBooks Online, Gmail, Google Calendars and much more.the connection is made in many cases through a third-party tool called Zapier.  You can visit www.zapier.com to learn more.

That the connections you can make between Act and Zapier are limited but growing.  It is the future of software and Act CRM.  Imagine being able to connect Different software to Act And the possibilities that can open to you as a consumer.

The Act CRM networking dilemma, solution and pricing.

If you want to share your data between your laptop and desktop computer you have to be adept at networking or hire someone to do that for you.  If you are a larger company you might have to purchase a server and hire an IT professional to set up and manage those connections and security.

For $120 a year we can Act as your networking department by professionally managing your Act CRM data.  We would ask you to make a backup of your Act data and send it to us so that we can put it on our cloud server.  Once this is completed, you will be able to access your Act database immediately via a web browser such as Google Chrome.  After we have your data in the cloud we can turn around and send you a database for both your laptop and desktop computer.  These databases are technically called remote databases or RDB’s.  They have the ability to communicate with one another and synchronize your data.

If you are an individual user, for approximately $450 per year you can have Act on your desktop computer, your laptop computer and in the cloud to be accessed from any computer via a web browser. 

The price to add users to Act CRM

If you decide you want to add another user you have the option of physically installing Act desktop software or just providing web access for that new user.  You can actually do both if that works better for you.

All you have to do is purchase a new subscription, install Act on the new user’s computer and we will send you a remote database for that user.  If the user has a second computer, no problem.  We will send you a second remote database for that additional computer.

So let me break this down for you to simplify Act CRM pricing options.  These are your options that I have described so far:

  1. Act Premium annual subscription is $330
  2. Cloud hosting is an addition$120 per user
  3. Act SaaS CRM Monthly-to-Month and Annual Options: $180 to $540
  4. Act Pro $350 (while supplies last from select Act Certified Consultants)

Helping Long Time Act Users to Decide Which is the Best Act CRM Solution

When I occasionally get calls from clients and Act users asking if there is something better I always suggest to them that Act is the devil you know.  Changing to a different software will have its own challenges and you will not learn what you are missing until you invest a lot of time with it.  Act Pro users who do not want to change to a subscription are going to be left out of the cold.  Times are changing.  Act software is changing.  The world is changing.  Years ago we did not have smartphones and access to data everywhere.  Today, Act CRM is evolving to help hold Act users and new Act users do more with the software.

At the end of the day is not Act software all about profitability?

If the software you are using does not generate more income by far than the cost of the software I contend you are doing something wrong.  Act is just a tool.  What you do with it is up to you.  I advise long time Act users to use the software to stay in touch with customers and to reach out to potential customers or prospects.  It is easy to do if you put your mind to it.

Act’s new SaaS offering is very intriguing to me.  

I will write about this more in a different article and in greater detail.  The SaaS offering was released in mid October 2020.  On Christmas day I set up a free trial because I wanted to see how much of it was automated.  The database I uploaded was available to start using after about 60 minutes.  

The difference between Act premium and the SaaS Act CRM offering is that this software is completely web based. I was able to quickly and easily upload and organize my contacts to make this a very viable customer relationship management tool.  I like this Act product.  It includes marketing automation and is great for marketing and sales teams.

When people try to compare Act other software they have to realize that most CRM database programs that have been popularized are web-based.  Long time Act users are used to having Act installed on their computers and that will take some getting used to for them.  The value of your contact information makes it worth taking the time to learn how to use and utilize whichever version of Act software you decide to purchase to its fullest.