Ranked Among Australia’s Top 20 Corporate Training Providers (2026): View Courses

Author: webplanners

EOFY Business Checklist

Here’s the only EOFY Business Checklist you’ll need

Written by webplanners on . Posted in Computer Training Courses.

Make the end of your financial year easier using our EOFY Business Checklist

The end of the financial year is approaching, so an EOFY Business Checklist is essential.  If you’re like a lot of our business clients, chances are you have plenty to do in the next few weeks. So, I’d like to share with you our top tips to help you and your finance team streamline your EOFY processes and get through the end of financial year period with a minimum amount of stress.

 

EOFY Business Checklist – Year End Task Guide 

EOFY Business Checklist
Your EOFY Business Checklist is an essential tool to prepare for 30 June.

Compile Your Records

Ensure you have these important business records up to date and ready to present to your accountant

  • Your income, expenses, GST and income tax records
  • Bank files such as statements for bank accounts and credit card accounts
  • Details of payments to employees and contractors, including PAYG reports

 

Complete a Stocktake

If your business carries inventory, you stocktake needs to be completed prior to 30 June.  A stocktake can be time consuming and arduous, so being prepared is very important.  Ensure you brief your team on the process and advise your customers that stock will be temporarily unavailable for purchase or collection.  If you are closed on the weekend, then this is a good time to complete your stocktake.  Work quickly in teams of two or more to complete the stocktake of your inventory.

 

Review your Assets

Review assets you’ve purchased during the year and also ensure you have recorded any money spent on improving your business assets throughout the year.  Compile an asset list of current plant and equipment, vehicles and other fixed assets such as buildings.

 

Prepare your Expense & Deductions Reports

Ensure all your business expenses for the year have been recorded.  You may be eligible to claim for expenses such as work vehicles, clothes and travel costs, plus business capital purchases such as machinery and equipment.  If you are unsure about what to claim, check with your accountant.

 

Reconcile your accounts

Ensure all business accounts and credit cards have been reconciled to year end – 30th June.  Make sure your BAS reports have been lodged and that your Super Guarantee Contributions (SGC) are accurate and up-to-date.

 

Learn about Single Touch Payroll, if you have employees

Single Touch Payroll began on 1 July, 2018.  It works by sending tax and super information from your STP-enabled accounting software to the ATO, each time you pay your employees.

To find out more about Single Touch Payroll, click the link to the ATO below.

 

 

 

 

Protect Your Business from EOFY Tax Return Scams

Sadly, the end of the financial year seems to attract a number of tax return conmen and scams that target businesses.  Here are some the tax time business scams you need to be aware of.

Underpaid Taxes

Scammers will say you have underpaid your taxes and request you pay the amount owing immediately. They’ll say to avoid any further penalty you can pay the amount you owe with a debit or credit card or money transfer.  Don’t fall for it.

Overpaid Taxes

Other end of financial year tax scammers will say you’ve overpaid your taxes and they want to refund the money to you. Of course, to receive your refund you have to pay an administration or processing fee.  Don’t fall for this either.

 

Celebrate Your Business Success

You and your team have worked hard all year to reach your goals and achieve success in your business.  So, it’s time to celebrate.  Focus on the things you have done well, and how much you have grown on a personal and professional level over the past year.  Open a nice bottle of red or bubbles if that’s your thing.  Or take your team to dinner in a nice restaurant. Whichever way you choose to celebrate, focus on your achievements, your growth and your successes.

Then get ready to prepare for next year.

 

EOFY Business Checklist – Plan for next Financial Year

 

EOFY Business Checklist - Prepare for next year
Use your EOFY Business Checklist to prepare for next financial year with ease

Examine Your Business Performance

Take time to examine your business performance during the year.  Using this data, you can then make plans for ways to increase sales, reduce costs, improve customer service and grow your business year on year, to achieve your business goals for next year.

 

Update your Budgets

Update your Profit and Loss and Cash Flow budgets for the next 12 months.  Compare your actual performance for this year to your original budget.  Check where you can work smarter in the year ahead.

 

Review your Insurances

Review your business insurances to ensure you have adequate levels of cover for your business, and for your key personnel.  Ensure you also have the correct Workers Compensation insurance for your company.

 

Staff Requirements

Review staff salaries and awards conditions.  Ensure they are in line with relevant awards and meet any other statutory requirements.

 

Tax Changes

Keep up to date with tax changes starting in the new financial year.  In FY2018/19 this includes the introduction of the Single Touch Payroll system.

 

Business Finances

Sit down with your bookkeeper or accountant and review your finances.  Look at where you met your targets and what you can do differently next financial year.

Create a cash flow forecast to manage any potential shortfalls and ensure you can still pay your staff and suppliers on time.

 

Business Savings Account

If you don’t already have one, set up a Super and BAS savings account for your business.  Ensure you deposit funds into this account each time you receive income, or run your payroll.  Then when your Super and BAS payments are due, you will always have the funds available to pay them.

 

Set Goals

Remind yourself of your goals and priorities for your business.  Assess whether your current strategies are working and implement changes where necessary.

 

Business Plan

Update your business plan and set your business goals for the next 2-5 years.  This may include developing a business succession plan if you are in business with other people or planning to retire in the near future.

 

 

Final Thoughts

When you’re in businesses it’s imperative you keep up to date with tax compliance throughout the year, not just at the end of the financial year.

So, keep your tax receipts and records up-to-date, speak with your registered tax agent or Accountant as required and be proactive in regard to your businesses record keeping and tax obligations.  This will alleviate a lot of stress and help you operate a stronger business throughout the year, while also improving your financial intelligence, and your understanding of your business performance.

 

 

EOFY Business Checklist – Download Your Free Checklist

The CTO Team have compiled a number of EOFY Business Checklist for our clients.  These include EOFY Checklists for users of Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks Online.

If you’d like a FREE copy of our End of Financial Year checklist, simply complete the download form at the end of this post.

Your EOFY Business Checklist will help you streamline your EOFY processes and get through the end of financial year period with a minimum amount of stress.

Remember, the checklists are available for our clients using:

  • QuickBooks Online (QBO)
  • Xero
  • MYOB Account Right (online)

 

 

Need to Arrange Accounting Software Training for Your Finance Team?

Organising training for your accounting software with Corporate Training Options before June 30 will get your team ready for this busy time of year.

Corporate Training Options Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks courses can teach you and your finance team how to easily use the updated functions in the software and prepare for the EOFY with accuracy and ease.

 

__

About Corporate Training Options

Corporate Training Options is an Australian Professional Development Training Company, incorporated in 1992.

Our customised Professional Development courses are available Australia-wide, for business executives and corporate teams, and provide a cost-effective way of ensuring you and your staff are presenting your best image to the world.

CTO Professional Development Training courses are customised to meet your requirements, and your training is provided on-site, on dates which suit you.

 

 

For more information on the range of Corporate Training Courses available, please visit the CTO website here

 

Rosy King

Corporate Training Options

Professional Training  –  Exceptional Results

 

E: training@cto.com.au

W: cto.noesis.chat/

 

 

__

 

Over to you!

What are your thoughts or experiences about preparing for the EOFY?

We’d love to hear about your experience or answer any questions you have, so please contact the Corporate Training Options team today.

 

 

 

To download your EOFY Business Checklist, complete the form below.

 

Oops! We could not locate your form.

 

 

 

 

Handling Difficult People

7 Techniques for Handling Difficult People & Situations

Written by webplanners on . Posted in Corporate Training Courses, Customer Service Training.

7 Techniques for Handling Difficult People and Situations

All of us need skills in handling difficult people, because we’ve all been there.  We’ve all been in a situation where someone – often our customer – is angry, upset, disappointed and feeling frustrated.  And they are directing their frustration at us.

Handling Difficult People
CTO can teach you skills to remain calm when handling difficult people & situations

In order to manage the situation well, we need to learn how to remain calm, diffuse the situation, and assist the customer to arrive at an outcome which is to their satisfaction.  This means we need skills that will help us to keep our cool while our customer is blowing their top.

 

Who are the Difficult People in your Life?

Difficult people are just everyday people who are currently in a situation which is causing them distress.  Alternatively, you may work with someone who is difficult on a regular basis.

 

How do these Difficult People Affect You?

It is easy to let a difficult person interfere with your mood and affect your day. In different situations, some people become hard to deal with because they refuse to cooperate. Difficult people need to be handled in a logical and positive manner to ensure they cause only minimal damage and disruption.

 

Here are 7 tips and tricks for handling difficult people and situations

  1. Remain Calm

Keep your voice even and reasonable. By maintaining self control, you will avoid escalating the problem. Respond rather than react.

Take a deep breath, pause, and think before speaking. It may be necessary to walk away from the situation and come back to it when you are calmer.

 

  1. Repeat Your Position

When dealing with a difficult person you may need to repeat your position. This shows that you will stick to your guns, are not a pushover, and are adept at solving problems.

You may need to repeat your position several times if the person is angry. For example, “I understand that you would like a refund for the item you purchased, however, our policy is not to provide refunds for change of mind after 14 days.  However, we can offer you a full credit for the item”.

This process is very effective. We expand on this in our course on Handling Difficult People and Situations at Corporate Training Options.

 

  1. Focus on the Problem

Difficult people can try to make you feel uncomfortable or incompetent. They can insinuate that the problem is with you and the way you do your job. Whether this is a colleague or a customer, they can be quick to find fault with you and continually refer to the problem, rather than focussing on finding a mutually beneficial solution.

Do not be intimidated and always separate the people problem from the issue. Be lenient on the person and strong on the issue at hand.

 

  1. Never Take a Difficult Situation Personally

The person that you are dealing with may be having a bad day, the situation may have come up for them before and been a problem, or they may just be a bad communicator. You may find that you need to deal with someone who is angry or difficult simply because you are the one they are talking to at the moment.

 

  1. Know the Difficult People in Your Life

You will possibly deal with many different problematic people in your life – at work, at home, and socially. Know who they are, their attitudes and their common complaints.

If you have had instances with them in the past that you have not deal with well, think about how you would deal with the same situation in the future. What would you say, how would you act, and how would your body language be? The same or similar situations can often re-occur with difficult personalities.

Our course on dealing with difficult people outlines many common scenarios that team members face in work scenarios.

 

  1. The Degrees of Difficult Situations

Difficult situations can range from a small misunderstanding, to bullying and aggressive behaviour. Decide whether the issue is worth getting into a conflict about. For minor issues you may decide that simply walking away is the best solution, which can then allow you to get on with your day with minimal disruption.

 

  1. Avoid Being Part of the Problem

Always use empathy and be understanding in difficult situations. Be prepared to listen while the person blows off steam. Do not, however, remain passive – stand up for yourself.

Using humour is a great way to diffuse a difficult situation. Remain in control, confident and credible.

Teamwork and positive work relationships go a long way towards minimising conflict within the workforce. Effective communication is not always easy, but it can be learned.

At Corporate Training Options we will roleplay different scenarios, so your staff come away confident that they can deal with difficult situations.

 

Training in Handling Difficult People

The above techniques and actionable strategies on Handling Difficult People and Situations are covered in much more detail in the Corporate Training Options course so please contact us today for more information.

Training your team to deal with difficult people and situations will result in increased morale in the office, fewer customer complaints, more confident team members and a greater level of customer staff retention and productivity. This all affects the environment and morale in your workplace, as well as your profitability.

For more information, or to receive an online quote or to book a course for your team, you can view the course details here  Handling Difficult People & Situations course details

 

 

Any thoughts or experiences you’d like share about handling difficult people or situations?

We’d love to hear about your experiences, or answer any questions you have, so please feel free to contact the Corporate Training Options team today.

 

—

About Corporate Training Options

Corporate Training Options is an Australian Professional Development Training Company, incorporated in 1992.

Our customised Professional Development courses are available Australia-wide, for business executives and corporate teams, and provide a cost-effective way of ensuring you and your staff are presenting your best image to the world.

CTO Professional Development Training courses are customised to meet your requirements, and your training is provided on-site, on dates which suit you.

 

For more information on the range of Corporate Training Courses available, please visit the CTO website here

 

Rosy King

Corporate Training Options

Professional Training  –  Exceptional Results

 

E: training@cto.com.au

W: cto.noesis.chat/

 

I can't live without Excel

Why I can’t live without Excel

Written by webplanners on . Posted in Computer Training Courses, Microsoft Office Training. Leave a Comment

Why I can’t live without Excel

Improve your Excel skills with CTO Training

I realised the other day that I can’t live without Excel. That’s because I use Microsoft Excel every day.  So, what do I use Excel for?  For so many things.  Household budgets, tracking holidays, jobs to be completed, marketing plans for the business, task lists, assignments, client lists.

 

Excel What-If Comparisons

What-if comparisons are a big one.  What if I change my superannuation to a new fund.  Will it give me better returns?  What if I change my mortgage interest rate.  How much difference will it make to my repayments?  What if I increase sales by 5%.  How much will that improve my profit?

What if I can create a budget that allows me to save 20% of my income each month.  How many years will it take until I can cut back on work and start living on the income from my investments?

 

How many Excel files do I have?

If I had to search my personal computer for Excel files, I would find dozens of them.  They are in every folder, holding important information on my life.  If I search for Excel files on my desktop computer at work, there are hundreds of them.

I’ve been using Excel since it was first released back in the 1980’s.  I’ve been training friends, family, colleagues and clients on how to use Excel, ever since.  Even the most basic understanding of how to use an Excel spreadsheet can change your life.

 

Basic Budgets with Excel

I remember teaching my very first classes in Excel.  I would always stray from the set curriculum and make the practice exercise the creation of a simple personal budget.  It was important that my students understood how setting up a simple spreadsheet, entering income and expenses, then changing the numbers around according to circumstances, could have a huge impact on their lives.

 

Changing Lives with Excel

I have gone on to create a lot of personal budgets for both family and friends over the years.  I did one recently for a girlfriend who was preparing herself to sell her family home, as she could no longer afford it.  She was also starting a new business on the side, while holding down a full time job, and was just completely stressed over all the balls she had up in the air.

So, I invited her over for a glass of wine after dinner, and we sat down and did her budget for her.  Not only was she living well beyond her means, but her income was actually far higher than she realised.  She had plenty of room to make simple changes to her life, and “pay herself first”, instead of spending every cent and always being short.  Not only did this simple Excel spreadsheet change her view of her finances, it changed her life.  She kept the house, moved to a lovely apartment by the beach, and got her new business up and running the next month, which has been a great success for her.  Microsoft Excel to the rescue, again.

 

Using Excel at Work

Of course, the major users of Excel are business people. Excel is used for as many things in a business as I use it for in my personal life.

These include:

  • Storing business information and identifying emerging trends in your data
  • What-if analyses using Excel scenarios and data tables
  • Creating a range of charts and graphs
  • Using pivot tables to sort, count, total or average data
  • Providing financial information such as budgets, forecasts, and financial results
  • Creating customer databases and tracking sales targets and results
  • Managing marketing information and ROI on marketing campaigns
  • Tracking employee data such as expenses, work hours, and performance reporting
  • Downloading reports from your accounting software to complete analyses on your business performance

 

The list goes on and on.  However, suffice to say that Excel is one of the most important tools in the office today.  Having a working knowledge of Excel is vital for most business professionals.

 

The benefits of Excel

Consider the benefits of capturing and using business knowledge more effectively.  Once you become familiar with the powerful functions available in Excel, you will have the ability to make informed business decisions based on the data provided by your Excel spreadsheets.

Strong skills in Excel can also lead to promotions and leadership opportunities.  Those in charge of the information are usually the ones in charge.

 

These are just some of the reasons why I can’t live without Excel.

How will you be using Excel today?

 

—

 

When you are ready to learn Microsoft Excel, CTO can provide you with onsite training, customised to suit your requirements.

The courses are available for a range of skill levels, including Introduction, Intermediate and Advanced Excel training, VBA for Excel and Power Pivot courses.

Click here to view the Microsoft Excel courses available from Corporate Training Options.

 

 

—

About Corporate Training Options

Corporate Training Options is an Australian Professional Development Training Company, incorporated in 1992.

Our customised Professional Development courses are available Australia-wide, for business executives and corporate teams, and provide a cost-effective way of ensuring you and your staff are presenting your best image to the world.

CTO Professional Development Training courses are customised to meet your requirements, and your training is provided on-site, on dates which suit you.

 

For more information on the range of Corporate Training Courses available, please visit the CTO website here

 

Rosy King

Corporate Training Options

Professional Training  –  Exceptional Results

 

E: training@cto.com.au

W: cto.noesis.chat/

 

How you can create beautiful images with Photoshop

Written by webplanners on . Posted in Computer Training Courses. Leave a Comment

We all enjoy beautiful images

 

CTO Photoshop training courses are available for the latest release versions 

It’s part of human nature to want to see the world at its best.  We’d all prefer to see a grey scene more colourful; a blurry image clear; an old man at his most appealing; a kitten even cuter.

With the constant improvement of the cameras in our smartphones, plus the amazing choice of digital SLR cameras and lenses available, the world of photography is now at our fingertips.   And with the tools available to us in Photoshop, we can all be great photographers.  You only need to go online to see beautiful images posted by people around the world, using many different scenes and objects as inspiration.

 

You become the artist

Photoshop opens up to you the skill, the talent and the imagination of an artist.  You can have fun and create havoc, using colour and effects to make beautiful images which are clear, crisp and sharp.   It offers professional photography tools which can turn your photos into works of art by cropping and adjusting and even taking out unwanted objects.  You can also use Photoshop to repair old photos.

And did you know that Photoshop is not just for photography?  It’s also used to design graphics, company logos, websites, mobile apps, posters, banners, icons and more, in web, design and 3D projects.

 

Why choose Photoshop?

When you are ready to take your photography to the next level, Photoshop is the software of choice.

Here’s some of the reasons why:

  • Photoshop gives you powerful tools, allowing you creative control for image manipulation and video editing
  • User reviews have placed their satisfaction level with Photoshop at more than 97%
  • With a range of pricing options for single users, small business, corporates and educational institutes, it offers a solution for everyone
  • There are even plans that include online storage of up to 1TB
  • You can activate Photoshop on two different computers, so you can use it on your desktop machine, and on your laptop when you are travelling
  • Your Photoshop creations can be shared instantly via email, text, social media and more. This can be done from within Adobe Photoshop CC, the latest, online version of the software
  • With online Photoshop CC software, your updates happen automatically

 

 

For new users, CTO offers an Introduction to Photoshop course, which teaches you how you can:

  • learn to navigate around your images
  • understand the concepts of file formats, file size, colour modes and image resizing
  • make effective selections in an image
  • understand and work with layers
  • resize images using a variety of techniques
  • understand how to select, use and work with colour
  • create and format text layers
  • draw and format standard custom shapes
  • retouch and repair images
  • understand printing and printing techniques
  • use the Help menu and access online help resources

 

 

Here are some beautiful images which showcase the power of Adobe Photoshop when working with your photographs.

 

Add gorgeous hues to an image which has low colour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjust the light in your favourite kitten photo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smooth the skin and add a beautiful background to your photo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To learn more about Photoshop, CTO can provide you with onsite training, customised to suit your requirements.

 

The courses are available for a range of skill levels, including Introduction and Advanced Photoshop training.  The Introduction to Photoshop course from CTO assumes little or no knowledge of the software.

 

 

 

Click here to view the Adobe Photoshop courses available from Corporate Training Options, receive a quote or make a booking.   Training can be provided for up to 8 trainees for the same investment cost.

 

 

—

About Corporate Training Options

Corporate Training Options is an Australian Professional Development Training Company, incorporated in 1992.

Our customised Professional Development courses are available Australia-wide, for business executives and corporate teams, and provide a cost-effective way of ensuring you and your staff are presenting your best image to the world.

CTO Professional Development Training courses are customised to meet your requirements, and your training is provided on-site, on dates which suit you.

 

For more information on the range of Corporate Training Courses available, please visit the CTO website here

 

Rosy King

Corporate Training Options

Professional Training  –  Exceptional Results

 

E: training@cto.com.au

W: cto.noesis.chat/

 

Learn Microsoft Project with CTO

Stop tearing your hair out. Learn Microsoft Project !

Written by webplanners on . Posted in Microsoft Office Training, News & Tips, Planning & Organisation Training. Leave a Comment

Stop tearing your hair out and learn Microsoft Project 

Learn Microsoft Project with CTO
Learn Microsoft Project with CTO

If you are a project manager, you need to learn Microsoft Project.  You will already have excellent leadership and communication skills, however, without the right software tools, managing your projects may be more frustrating, time consuming and cumbersome than it needs to be.

 

Microsoft Project has been specifically designed for project management, scheduling and the allocation of resources.  Online versions allow all project team members to create, access, edit and update projects and tasks from anywhere.  This means your team members can provide their own real time updates on their tasks as they complete them.

 

Project Online real-time visibility is especially important when teams are geographically dispersed.  An online solution provides the ability for your entire team to store data in one central file, and when changes occur, team members can be aware of this and can come up to speed rapidly.

 

When you learn Microsoft Project, you can make use of tools such as:

  • Built-in, customisable Templates, so you don’t have to start projects from scratch
  • Project Planning features such as Gantt charts, and simplified project planning processes
  • Extensive Reports, to keep all your team members on the same page
  • Multiple Timelines, from tasks to upcoming milestones
  • Access to your project data across devices, including Windows, iOS and Android

 

When you are ready to learn Microsoft Project, the  Introduction to Microsoft Project training course from CTO will be beneficial for both team members and project managers.  The training can be customised to your business requirements and will give you the tools to come away from the training with your first project planned and underway.

The course assumes little or no knowledge of Microsoft Project, so is perfect for Project newbies, or for team members who have never had formal training in the software.

 

Topics covered include:

  • Key concepts associated with project management
  • Create a new project file
  • Enter tasks into a project file
  • Create relationships between tasks in a project
  • Add resources, including labour, materials and equipment to a project
  • Understand and use resource assignment calculations
  • Assign resources to tasks using a number of different methods
  • Print various aspects of a project
  • Obtain help for Project whenever you need it

 

 

The Technical Stuff  –  Microsoft Project versions explained

To help you decide which version of Microsoft Project best suits your requirements, here is a quick overview of the versions available for you.

 

Microsoft Project on the Desktop

Project Standard

Project Standard is targeted at project managers who are managing small team projects. It is a standalone product and does not have the capability to connect to Project Server.

 

Project Professional

Project Professional has the ability to connect to Project Server, which enables you to gain a portfolio-level view and give View, Update, or Edit access to project team members. It also provides the ability to manage resources and collaborate with your team via Skype for Business.

 

Project Server and Project CAL

Project Server allows you to bring various projects together, and give View, Access, or Edit rights to team members and executives across your organization.

Project Server deployment also requires you to license Windows Server, SQL Server and SharePoint Server. You will also require the corresponding CALs (Client Access Licenses), which provide your users the right to access a server.

 

Microsoft Project in the Cloud

Project Pro for Office 365

Project Pro for Office 365 is a cloud product, which means Microsoft will automatically update the installed client on your PC’s on a recurring basis. You are licensed to install the software on up to five PC’s.

You can connect Project Pro for Office 365 to Project Online. This enables you to gain insight into the portfolio-level view, and give View, Update, or Edit access to project team members. Subscription to Project Pro for Office 365 gives you the right to access Project Online and Project Server.  You also have the ability to manage resources and collaborate with your team via Skype for Business.

 

Project Online

Project Online is the product corresponding to Project Server, but in the cloud.  You can buy subscriptions of Project Online for as many users as you want.

What about CALs?  Since Project Online is in the cloud, you do not require CALs.

If you already have a Project Server deployment and you want to test the cloud, Microsoft allows you to access your existing Project Server deployment via a Project Online subscription.

 

Project Lite

Project Lite is the product which provides access for your team members. In order to use Project Lite, you must have a subscription to Project Online. From a technical standpoint, Project Lite is exactly the same product as Project Online, but offered at a lower price point.

From a licensing standpoint, Project Lite enables you to use a subset of capabilities. These capabilities allow you to view and edit timesheets, manage tasks, add issues and risks, and collaborate on project documents. Similar to Project Online, the subscription to Project Lite gives you access rights to Project Server deployment.

_____________

 

When you are ready to learn Microsoft Project, CTO can provide you with onsite training customised to suit your requirements.  The courses are available for a range of skill levels, including Introduction, Intermediate and Advanced project training.

Click here to view the Microsoft Project courses available from Corporate Training Options.

 

 

—

About Corporate Training Options

Corporate Training Options is an Australian Professional Development Training Company, incorporated in 1992.

Our customised Professional Development courses are available Australia-wide, for business executives and corporate teams, and provide a cost-effective way of ensuring you and your staff are presenting your best image to the world.

CTO Professional Development Training courses are customised to meet your requirements, and your training is provided on-site, on dates which suit you.

 

For more information on the range of Corporate Training Courses available, please visit the CTO website here

 

Rosy King

Corporate Training Options

Professional Training  –  Exceptional Results

 

E: training@cto.com.au

W: cto.noesis.chat/

 

The Modern Workplace with Microsoft 365

What are the benefits of Office 365?

Written by webplanners on . Posted in Microsoft Office Training, News & Tips. Leave a Comment

https://www.cto.com.au/course/microsoft-office-365/
CTO courses teach the benefits of Office 365

Many of the benefits of Office 365 are provided by productivity tools that may not be fully utilised by users of the software.  Most of us simply do what we’ve always done, and don’t spend time investigating what’s available in new versions of our software.

So here’s a brief overview of what can be achieved with Office 365, to encourage you to invest the time and and resources to take advantage of this powerful software.

 

  • You can create, share and edit your files from all your devices with Office 365 online applications.  This includes your Mac, PC, phone and tablet.
  • Office 365 takes care of your IT.  As long as you have internet connectivity, your cloud services are always accessible and version updates happen automatically.
  • Office 365 syncs emails, calendars and contact information across your devices.  So it’s up to date whenever you need it.
  • Shared calendars let you see when others in your team are available for meetings or calls, and scheduling is easy.
  • There is an admin centre with guides to assist you to set up users easily, to start quickly using the services in Office 365, and to manage all your services in the one place.
  • There is built in security for your data, and compliance and privacy controls help keep your files safe.
  • Microsoft provides a guarantee of 99.9% uptime, so your files are always accessible.
  • And if you lose one of your devices, such as your phone or laptop, Office 365 will allow you to wipe your data from it remotely, to prevent unauthorised access to your information.

 

Access your Office 365 files everywhere

One of the major benefits of Office 365 is that you can access all your Office applications, plus other productivity services, over the internet.  For business users, these include services such as:

  • Skype – for Business web conferencing
  • Exchange – Online hosted email for business users
  • OneDrive – Secure online file storage
  • Microsoft Teams – for team chats, calls, meetings and more
  • Yammer – for collaboration across a company
  • SharePoint – to share and manage content, information and applications

 

Office 365 plans usually include the desktop version of Office applications, which can be installed across multiple computers and devices.  This is handy for workers on the go, who have a desktop computer in their office, but would also like to access their documents on a laptop, tablet or phone.

Applications are available for both Mac and PC users, and version updates happen automatically via your online subscription.  Desktop applications include:

  • Excel
  • Word
  • PowerPoint
  • Outlook
  • OneNote
  • Publisher (for PC only)
  • Access (for PC only)

There are also Office 365 plans that are online only, which can be a good choice for some business teams.

 

What is Microsoft Office 2016?

Office 2016 is available as either part of the Office 365 suite, or as a one-time purchase for users who simply want a copy of the software installed on their Mac or PC.  The stand alone version of Office 2016 is available via the Office Home or Student 2016 versions.

With the one-time Office 2016 purchase, the applications are not automatically updated.  If you want the latest version you will have to purchase the product again when the new version is released.  Microsoft Office 2016 also does not come with any of the cloud-based services which are part of Office 365.

 

Can you use Office 365 when you are not connected to the Internet?

Most Office 365 plans include the desktop version of Office.  This means you can work offline on an Excel spreadsheet or Word template, and know that next time you connect to the internet all your documents will automatically sync, and be kept up to date.

To find out more about the services included in each of the business plans, you can visit the Microsoft Australia website here.

 

Time to upgrade?  Here are some more benefits of Office 365?

  • Office 365 takes care of your IT for you.  This means as long as you have internet connectivity, your cloud services are always accessible and version updates happen automatically.
  • There is an admin centre with guides to assist you to set up users easily, to start quickly using the services in Office 365, and to manage all your services in the one place.
  • You’re able to take your office anywhere, working on any device.  With Office 365 online applications you can create, share and edit your files from your PC, Mac, phone or tablet.
  • There is built in security for your data, and compliance and privacy controls help keep your files safe.
  • Microsoft provides a guarantee of 99.9% uptime, so your files are always accessible.
  • Office 365 syncs emails, calendars and contact information across your devices for you.  So it’s all up to date whenever you need to access it.  Shared calendars let you see when others in your team are available for meetings or calls, and scheduling is easy.
  • If you lose one of your devices, such as your phone or laptop, Office 365 will allow you to wipe your data from it remotely, to prevent unauthorised access to your information.

 

What is OneDrive?

OneDrive is one of the services provided by Office 365, giving you online storage for your Office files.

  • It allows each user to store up to 1 Terabyte of data.
  • OneDrive gives you access to your files from any device, wherever you are.
  • Automatically sync your files to your desktop, so you can work with your files offline if needed.
  • You can preview any files stored in OneDrive directly from your browser. You can even stream HD video on demand from your browser – without having to download it.
  • OneDrive lets you share files with others, and tracks the history of all activity on files so all users can see what has happened on the file.
  • And if your company is using SharePoint, OneDrive will allow you to collaborate on files with teams; and manage and share files and folders within team sites or intranet sites, or across the organisation.

 

So, are you are considering an upgrade to the Office 365 version?  Or do you already have it but are not using all the features available?

CTO offers onsite, customised training courses around Australia in Microsoft Office 365.  Training is also available for all your favourite Office applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

Click here to view the Office 365 courses available from Corporate Training Options.

 

 

—

About Corporate Training Options

Corporate Training Options is an Australian Professional Development Training Company, incorporated in 1992.

Our customised Professional Development courses are available Australia-wide, for business executives and corporate teams, and provide a cost-effective way of ensuring you and your staff are presenting your best image to the world.

CTO Professional Development Training courses are customised to meet your requirements, and your training is provided on-site, on dates which suit you.

 

For more information on the range of Corporate Training Courses available, please visit the CTO website here

 

Rosy King

Corporate Training Options

Professional Training  –  Exceptional Results

 

E: training@cto.com.au

W: cto.noesis.chat/