Five Tech Solutions Your Small Business Needs
New businesses pop up every day while thousands of businesses close shop too. Numbers are thrown around that makes it scary to start a business at all, but statistics shows there is a 50% chance a small business will survive its first five years. While 50% chance isn’t as scary as saying there is a 10% chance, there is still a lot of responsibility on a small business owner to make sure your business doesn’t become one of the numbers that fail. Running a small business can be challenging especially in the area of time management and funds allocation. As a small business owner that desires to grow, a lot depends on creating or finding efficient ways to get work done.
Doing business requires way more than having brilliant ideas, there is the need to put up a structure that works, get the best out of your employees and make the most of your budget.
Nobody said starting out will be easy, but there are things you can incorporate into your business for greater efficiency and productivity. If you have been sleeping on technology, then it is time for you to wake up and smell the coffee.
Saving time and cost are goals for every small business that seeks growth. There has been a lot of advancement in technology in providing workplace solutions that guarantee excellent efficiency. Small businesses should look into tapping into the wealth of application software available for ease of business. Some applications can help you get the most out of your business without you over shooting an already tight budget.
Below is a list of things that your small business needs:
● First, you need a good website. In today’s world, many people search the internet for services and products. As a small business, you do not want to risk missing all the advantages and traffic being found on the internet brings. Getting a good website should be top of your list. This is because you will be able to meet and attract customers that are far from your physical location. The entire process starts with finding a suitable domain name, but it doesn’t end there.
Your website speaks volumes about your business, so it isn’t enough to have just a website, you must make sure it gives your customer a wholesome experience. This means you have to make sure the pages load very fast and the tools that get you connected to your customers such as live chat are incorporated.
It is always good to talk to IT experts who can provide you with a not just a great website but great support to aid your business growth.
● Cloud Computing: Keeping an eye on your finances is tantamount to your survival. It is important always to have a balanced account to help you keep an eye on progress made. You can save yourself a lot of time and headache by using software like Cloudbooks which helps you quickly compute data on projects, staff salaries, contractors, invoicing, billing, time tracking and more.
With these apps, you can easily evaluate your business just by signing on from anywhere and on any device. The apps have an easy to use interface which makes keeping your books so simple. This is set to increase your efficiency, and it is relatively cheap too.
● Cloud Storage: Data is very important, and you do not want to risk losing yours. The good thing about this is that all your data will be well backed up and safe from whatever form of disaster you may suffer. You also get to save a lot of money from not purchasing hardware that would have been used for the same purpose. Applications like Dropbox provide data storage options that are secure coupled with giving unrestricted access to your documents from anywhere. It is also at no added cost to you thereby saving you time and money.
● Social Media Applications: It is no news that social media is important for SEO. Having a great social media plan for client engagement and sales conversion is absolutely necessary. For increased efficiency, get the HootSuite application that keeps you abreast of all your social media accounts from one account. HootSuite provides a platform that makes it easy to plan your social media posts and campaign effectively without having to switch through different applications. This saves you the immediate cost and need for a social media manager too.
● Video Conferencing: Productivity is key. Technology has made meetings so much easier. You do not have to make a trip outside town just to ‘talk business’. You can pitch your ideas to intending clients through applications like Skype, Google Hangouts, etc. This also saves you time that could have been wasted on the road. You are also saved cost.
Conclusion:
Do not be caught unprepared; planning goes a long way in running your business efficiently. Make plans and put them into practice using any of these apps.
Always be on the lookout for solutions that can help you make the most of your time and budget.
