2014 was all about the consumerization of technology. Software companies were focused on creating technology for consumer applications. But what will the remainder of 2015 bring?

Expect developers to refine software to become even more intuitive and user-friendly. Consumers want programs that are flexible and adapt to their desire to transition from work to play using the same applications. This will also be the year of seamless collaboration and knowledge sharing to achieve an effective experience across every device.

In this article, TX Zhuo discusses several consumerization trends in enterprise software that consumers should expect in the coming months.

Read the full article here.

A growing business needs boomerangs: customers who keep coming back.

Service marketplaces such as Uber, Airbnb, and ClassPass understand this better than anyone else. Repeat customers are their bread and butter, so these companies have developed smart strategies to satisfy customers and encourage return visits. Entrepreneurs can foster the same customer loyalty by taking a page out of the service marketplace playbook.

In this article, TX Zhuo explains how to keep your customers by keeping them happy.

Read the full article here.

Have you ever thought of happiness as being measurable?

New Relic, a successful software analytics company, assigns every customer a happiness score, and it tracks those scores to measure satisfaction and determine when customers need extra support. The system works. Each year, the typical New Relic customer pays 14 percent more than the previous year. This means the company could stop acquiring new customers and still grow.

More companies are realizing that moving beyond the usual metrics paints a more complete picture and leads to greater success. Consider four unique metrics that can offer insight into what is really going on in your company.

Read the full article here.

Most startups don’t see real traction for three to five years. Beyond that, profitability can take five to 10 years.

Successful startups require dedication and honesty. When investors are looking for companies to back, they want to see leaders demonstrating these fundamentals. You want to make your startup stand out — and show your commitment to its potential growth. From having the ability to make effective decisions to being capable of inspiring a team, you can convince a VC of the likelihood that you’ll get your company off the ground.

In this article, TX Zhuo shares five strong leadership traits that will win over a VC.

You spend countless hours grooming employees for their roles and for good reason: Your company’s livelihood depends on their performance.

But when an employee leaves your company, he takes his institutional knowledge with him. Then you’re back to square one: recruiting, training and grooming all over again.

Filling that hole in your workforce isn’t easy or inexpensive. Fortunately, you can follow a few tips to help get employees to stick around.

Read the full article here.