Being a small business owner, you undoubtedly know what it’s like to be feel overwhelmed with all the day-to-day tasks it takes to run a business. Even if you have enough employees and/or freelancers working for you, there never seems to be enough time in the day to get everything done. So, why would you consider putting one more thing on your to-do list, such as learning and implementing new technology in your operations?
The answer is simple: Up-to-date tech tools and services can save your company significant amounts of time and money. Plus, many of them are straightforward and can be learned fairly quickly. If you’re ready to streamline some of the processes that are taking up too much of your valuable time, read on for some key tech ideas to consider for your small business.
Digital Security
Security is a big deal for small businesses. In fact, cybercriminals often target smaller companies because they find them less suspicious of attacks and under-equipped to prevent or stop such attacks. Don’t let a breach or other type of attack bring your business down. Make sure your company is maintaining secure browsers, using quality antimalware and encryption software, regularly updating software, backing up data, and taking any other necessary steps toward protecting the company and customer data.
Inventory Management Apps
Gone are the days when you tracked your inventory from a spreadsheet on an office computer. Today, you need to have access to that information wherever you are, and that involves familiarizing yourself with inventory management apps. These apps, which you can use on your phone or tablet, allow you to streamline data entry, tracking, and search functionality so you always have access to the information you need. A few of the top apps include Sortly, Inventory Now, Stock Control, and Goods Order Inventory. However, take some time to look into the pros and cons of each app to find the one that suits your business.
The Cloud
The cloud is one of those terms that covers a broad range of elements. In the simplest sense, the cloud is a platform that allows you to store, access, and share information. Compared to other platforms, such as those you download onto your computer’s hard drive, the cloud offers superior convenience, flexibility, security, and scalability.
Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, and Apple iCloud are some of the most popular cloud services on the market. You can use the cloud for pretty much anything digital, from accounting spreadsheets to text documents to photo and video projects.
Mobile-Friendliness
This is also a wide-encompassing topic. According to the World Advertising Research Center (WARC), nearly 73 percent of internet users will use only their smartphones to access the web by 2025. Even now, most online consumers use their smartphones to find businesses and make purchases. This means two primary things: Your small business should have a mobile-friendly website, and you should accept mobile payments.
To save time and money in the long term, consider hiring a web design and development team to build you an engaging, mobile-friendly site. Look for a web design and development team that understands web fundamentals and can communicate clearly with you so the project comes together perfectly. If a web design and development team is out of your budget, your can also find experienced web designers on UpWork and similar outsourcing platforms. Also, look into adding mobile payment services like PayPal, Venmo, and Apple Pay to your customer/client payment options.
Virtual Phone Services
These days, keeping a landline at your office is no longer necessary. Particularly if you work with telecommuting employees or freelancers, you can save significant money by using a virtual phone service. Providers like RingCentral, Grasshopper, and Jive will supply you with all the features you need, from a toll-free number to voicemail, from a name directory to hardware.
There’s never been a better time for small businesses to incorporate tech in their day-to-day operations. Be sure to look into security software and protocols, online voice recorders, cloud platforms, mobile options, and virtual phone providers. The time and money you save by implementing tech will go a long way in helping you grow your business.
Interested in creating efficiency within your team? Check out one of our most popular blog posts: Delivering a Project on Time, but With Flexibility.
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Singlemind is proud to be recognized as one of the Top Small Business Web Design Companies and Top Digital Agencies of 2020 on DesignRush.