Recent Discussions
Unlocking ROI: Forrester TEI Study Insights on Microsoft 365 Copilot for SMBs webinar
Join our webinarwith GabeHoandKaylaPattersonto discover the results of the Forrester Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) study on Microsoft 365 Copilot for SMBs. Learn about the significant business value and ROI that SMBs can achieve with Microsoft 365 Copilot. Key Highlights: Introduction to Microsoft 365 Copilot: See how AI enhances productivity across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. Forrester TEI Study Findings: Understand the projected ROI for SMBs using Microsoft 365 Copilot. Making it Real: Hear practical examples of SMBs successfully implementing Microsoft 365 Copilot to drive growth. Interactive Q&A Session: Get your questions answered by our experts about the study and the benefits of Microsoft 365 Copilot for your business. RSVP now!Learn about the marketplace at Microsoft Ignite 2024!
Microsoft Ignite is right around the corner, and the Microsoft commercial marketplace will be there! Learn how customers are discovering and deploying vendor AI solutions through the marketplace in our breakout session: More than a storefront, unlocking value through the marketplace (BRK125). We’ll cover how marketplaces are changing the future of B2B commerce and driving AI innovation for organizations of every size. You’ll also learn about new marketplace capabilities to help you spend smarter and move faster. Attending Ignite in Chicago? You can get your questions answered by marketplace experts who will be stationed in the MAICPP area on the Hub floorthroughout the week. Register for Microsoft Ignite today!What the latest Copilot enhancements mean for Small and Medium-sized Businesses
Hey Everyone! In case you missed it, Microsoft made a slate of announcements earlier today discussing the next phase of Copilot for work. These include improvements in Excel with the integration of Python unlocking the ability to use everyday language to analyze data, new features such as Prioritize my inbox in Outlook, and Narrative builder in PowerPoint, and the addition of Copilot Pages within BizChat to foster collaboration while using AI generated content. Read more about these enhancements and more in this blog from Brenna Robinson. What are you most interested in trying out first? Sound off in the comments.What's the biggest challenge your small business is facing with technology right now?
Hi everyone, We're curious to hear from you all about any technology challenges your business is currently facing. Whether it's managing remote work, cybersecurity concerns, or finding the right tools to streamline operations, let's share our experiences and solutions. Your insights could help others in the community who might be facing similar issues. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
Shape the Future of Microsoft 365! 🚀 Share your feedback in our quick 5-minute survey!
We’re seeking customer feedback on an upcoming feature set related to security settings and device management in Microsoft 365. Please share your thoughts by filling out this 5-minute survey: https://forms.office.com/r/ynx42a41th If you’re interested in providing additional feedback, feel free to comment below.In person events geared towards small and medium businesses
Are you looking for events that provide insights on scaling your business? Check out the Genesis Catalyst Expo: Strategies for Scaling Your Business on Thursday, September 12th hosted by Genesis Bank in Newport Beach, CA. This is an exclusive speaker series and expo designed to help businesses scale their operations efficiently and effectively. The diverse array of experts from HR, legal, marketing, business development, technology, innovation, and municipal resources, will share their insights and resources to help ensure your organization's success. RSVP today! What other events are coming up in your area that relate to the small and medium business community? Share below in the comments!Microsoft 365 Champions Community Call - On Demand
Rewatch the latestMicrosoft 365 Champions community call, featuring host@TiffanyLee, joined by guests@Josh Leporatiand@Heather Newman, now on demand! This call covers recent M365 updates and focuses on how the team will be utilizing the Tech Community for upcoming events. If you're not familiar with the M365 Champions, you can learn more here -https://aka.ms/M365Champions Champions help build, grow, and sustain your Microsoft 365 rollout by evangelizing and helping their peers with the new technology. Champions are not only passionate about what they do but also passionate about seeing the success of others. Let us know in the comments what topics you would like covered in future community calls!Almost everything you need to know to start with Microsoft Loop
Join the Microsoft Loop team tomorrow, Wednesday, August 21st at 10:00AM Pacific for the "Almost everything you need to know to start with Microsoft Loop" event. During this event, the Loop experts willsharewhat’scoming soonand how toget started with Microsoft Loop.They willhighlightLoop componentsacross variousMicrosoft365 appsand share how tocreateand customize pages and workspaceswithinyour favorite apps.New: AI in Microsoft Teams and Teams Phone blog post
Check out the new Supercharge Your Business: Simplify communications with AI in Microsoft Teams and Teams Phone blog! This article highlights how AI-powered features in Microsoft Teams and Teams Phone can enhance business communication and collaboration. This new AI improves audio and video quality, helps with meeting transcriptions, and offers tools like Microsoft Copilot for real-time insights and meeting recaps. These features streamline communication, support hybrid meetings, and ensure clarity in calls, making Teams a versatile platform for businesses of all sizes. We are always looking to connect with small or medium businesses who are using Copilot, so comment to let us know some ways you are integrating Copilot into your company.
Crafting a simple task and planning solution in 365 -Planner / Lists /...
Hi there I am a long term MS user with an IT management background. I have extensive experience of shaping, planning and delivering a range of technology and business projects. I understand process well. I am helping a small business craft a simple but effective solution and want to use the tools 365 Business standard. So here I may use Planner, Lists and and maybe forms. I have used and understand both VISIO and MS Project well as background, y aim here is to deliver something 'simple but effective'. My first challenge is to understand Planner and Lists well. Planner looks pretty straightforward, and I've just dabbled with Lists. So what is the easiest way for me to grasp what these tools can do so that I can 'assemble' my solution. I do not want to invest in more software but use the 365 Toolset I have. Here's the flow of what I want to achieve -it is 'top down' planning split into 2 stages: 1. Create High-level plan - Output: A network diagram of the 'key (big) deliverables' in a network (dependency) a PERT view would do this, would be nice to have 'deliverables on the node'. First thought (FS) -in VISIO (web). 2. Create detailed plan: 2.1 Define all the deliverables needed. 2.2 Identify the tasks each requires. Capture some details of each task, be nice to customise the attributes of these. Really want to be able to visualise dependencies between deliverables, show subordinate deliverables of 'key' deliverables and dependencies between tasks. Display options: Deliverable dependencies (key deliverables), all deliverables (without key deliverables option), task dependencies all a network view. Deliverables viewed in a single log with attributes (table format), Task log (table format). Kanban (board) view for tasks. Report: Deliverable status (format: dashboard summary),(format: dashboard detailed). Plan in GANTT task view and status -not required. I guess this lot is likely beyond the toolset at my disposal, but I'm intrigued to know how far might be possible! All and any feedback most welcome.... thank you! NiallExample of a business using Copilot for Microsoft 365
Discover how PKSHA benefits from using Copilot for Microsoft 365 across their teams, including customer success. This team manages dozens of weekly client calls and uses Copilot for call preparation, note-taking, and meeting recaps. One employee reported spending 3-4 hours analyzing data to prepare for a single customer call, and now can do that same work in under an hour. With the time she saves, she’s now able to be more proactive with her customers and deliver a higher quality of service. Is anyone else using Copilot to save time and provide faster customer service? Share your use cases in the comments, we are always looking for small and medium businesses to highlight through these stories!
Best way to set up computers for new employees in small office
We are a small office of 2 (soon will be 3) employees. We recently purchased a new computer to replace the one I have been using. I'm trying to figure out the best way to set up my computer and the computer for the new employee. My supervisor currently has Office 2021 Home and Student installed on her computer. I was going to install the same thing on my new computer. But I've also been asked to install something on the computer for the new employee as well. If I use my Microsoft account to install Office 2021 Home/Student on my computer - how do I go about setting up the new computer? I don't know that I can be logged in and purchase Office 2021 Home/Student under my Microsoft account, can I? Once I purchase it, doesn't the license go with the account that was logged in to purchase it? We also talked about just creating a generic Microsoft account - like "help" or "tech" or something. But then we would have to sign in to Microsoft using that account and all the purchases would be under that account. What's the best practice here? What's the best way to set up my computer and the computer for the new employee? What have you found that works and what doesn't work? Thanks!Help and learning for small and medium businesses
Looking to improve your small and medium business operations? Visit the Microsoft Small Business Learning site for a range of useful resources. This Microsoft learning site shares opportunities about getting started with new apps along with tutorial videos and how-to articles. You can also find guidance for your specific business goals including how to create branded emails, how to better manage team tasks, and how to choose the right templates for your projects. Let us know what other resources you would find helpful for growing your business!How to replace Client Backup with Microsoft 365?
Microsoft 365 Business is recommended as a replacement for Client Backup removed from Windows 2019 Serverhttps://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server-essentials/get-started/what-s-new-19. I've not found any technical details regarding backup in Microsoft 365 Business. I need to backup 4-6 TB and 3 notebooks. I would like to know how backup and restore works with Microsoft 365. ThanksGrow your Business with Copilot for Microsoft 365 - July 2024
Check out the latest monthly installment of the Grow Your Business with Copilot for Microsoft 365 blog, featuring Joos, a small company based in the United Kingdom. Learn how Joos is usingCopilot to expand by growing their customer base, collaborating more efficiently, and shifting their focus from routine tasks to more impactful work. We are always on the lookout for new customer features! Share in the comments how your small or medium business is using Copilot to help further your company growth or assist with achieving your business goals.Tell us about yourself! What do you want to see in the community?
We want to know more about you, to make sure we are providing the right content and bringing in experts that you are looking for. Tell us a bit more about you and what is important. Post in the comments or fill out a short survey for what you would like to see more of in this community!Project definition, planning and tracking in 365
Hi there I created quite a long post on the above subject in the tech community and received no response. I have a strong background in projects so I know exactly what I want, I'm trying to exploit MS Planner, and likely lists and forms to the max. I want to build out simple projects based on deliverables, decompose then into tasks, show dependencies and track the tasks once allocated. So network view for deliverables and Board (Kanban) view for tasks are 'must haves' This is for a small business. I have used MS Project extensively but don't want to use that (GANTT view not required). Where do I start, how far can I get 365 and perhaps cloud VISIO to realise mu project vision? Any comments or thoughts are most welcome! Thanks NiallGetting started on the Small and Medium Businesses Community
Welcome to the Microsoft Small and Medium Businesses Tech Community! This is a place where you can connect with other SMBs and Microsoft 365 experts to find answers to your questions. By taking part in forum discussions and reading informative blog articles, you'll be able to quickly get started and find the information you need. This is a guide to help you quickly get started and connect with the community. Sign in with your Microsoft or work or school account To actively participate in the Microsoft 365 SMB Community, you will need to sign in with a Microsoft work or personal account. Although you have the option to explore the community without joining, signing in is required to post questions, leave comments or receive email notifications. To sign in: Click on the "Sign in" option located at the top right corner of any Microsoft Community page. On the Sign-in page, you can choose to use either your Microsoft account or your Work or School account. If you already have an existing Outlook.com, Hotmail, Messenger, or Xbox account, you already possess a Microsoft account. If you do not have a Microsoft Account yet, you can click "Sign up now" and carefully follow the provided instructions. Find answers One way to get help in the community is to do a search first. There is a good chance that someone has already dealt with a similar issue by asking a question in the forums, writing a blog article, or making a useful how-to video. To do a search, find the search box in the upper-right corner of the page, and type your question, keyword, or topic of interest. This way, you can increase the likelihood of finding existing discussions, resources, or solutions related to your specific problem within the community. Asking/post a new question To ask a new question, click the “Post a question” button on the right top corner. This way, you can learn from the expertise and insights of other community members. Keep in mind that different questions may have different response times, as some questions are more complicated and may need more time for a good answer. Help others Share your knowledge and help others with their questions and challenges by responding to their posts. This is an opportunity to give back and assist others in finding solutions. By actively participating and helping fellow community members, you contribute to the collaborative and supportive environment of the SMB Tech Community. Read blogs The blogs feature in the community allows visitors to access and read content that aligns with their specific areas of interest. It is important to highlight that the primary purpose of this feature is to promote and amplify blogs written by both community members and product teams. It is not intended as a platform for creating and publishing new blogs.Welcome to the Small and Medium Business Community!
We’re so glad you are here! This is space for small and medium businesses to post questions and engage with both Microsoft and peers on what is top of mind. As Microsoft employees, we’re committed to providing the most up to date information about our products and solutions that help you run your business. We have engineering, marketing, even user on standby monitoring the discussions, so please ask your questions! We’ll also be hosting AMAs and kicking off discussions to help you get the information and advice that you need – so be sure to follow this community and stay tuned for more. Drop a hello in the comments and let us know what you’d like to see featured in this community.
Recent Blogs
- 6 MIN READCreate Stunning Documents and Presentations In today’s competitive business landscape, building a strong brand is essential for standing out and gaining customer loyalty. Microsoft 365 offers a su...Dec 17, 2024
- Microsoft 365 Copilot has new capabilities that will help you save time, collaborate more effectively, and grow your businessDec 08, 2024
