One of the great benefits of new technology is that it makes much of our lives easier and many of the things that we do much quicker. From a small business point of view, doing things in a ‘quicker and easier’ manner means you can be more efficient. By embracing the benefits of new technology, smaller firms can punch above their weight and avoid being among the 45 per cent that fail to make it to their fifth anniversary. So, how can you use technology in your favor?
Collecting payments online
No matter what you do, you need to be able to collect payments from your customers and clients. Technology can help you to do this quickly and easily, with the chance to accept secure payments through your website. Look into the right business web hosting to ensure that your site can cope with the traffic and this will take the place of lots of paperwork and effort.Marketing
How will people find out about your business? It’s not enough to just provide a product or service that is worth buying, you also need to reach out and tell your potential customers about it. You don’t need a huge marketing budget to do this, simply make sure your website is fit for purpose and promote yourself on social media channels.Meetings
Travel can be a big financial drain, whether that be in terms of fuel, train tickets or just plain time lost. However, improvements to video conferencing – everyone can access a GoogleHangout – mean that you can have meetings without ever having to leave the office.Project management
Managing your time is as important as anything else for a small business. Lose track of this and you won’t be able to get everything done. Syncing up your diary to a Google calendar – which can be accessed on every device you use – can help you follow your schedule and using project management software can help you to keep on top of every small step you need to complete when working towards one larger goal.Research
Want to know what your competitors are up to? This is easier than ever before. Follow them on social media, see what they post and who they interact with. Read their blogs and marketing material. You won’t want to just copy what they do, but you do need to be aware of what they are up to.You can also do plenty of research into your target customer base. Look into their shopping behavior and see what other brands they turn to for their products and services. The sort of information that is freely available online from places such as Global Web Index, YouGov and Facebook can help you build up a rich understanding of the people you are dealing with.
Technology should save you time and money, while allowing you to gain a greater understanding of your market. All of these things can be done with the modest resources of a small business and help you to achieve success.
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