Last Updated on Apr 17, 2020 by James W

Your small business has many moving parts, but one you should pay attention to in particular is that of technology. It’s important you understand what it can do for you and your business if you want to thrive.

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed by all of the new information and updates that are increasingly common on the worldwide web, but don’t let it keep you away from learning more and teaching yourself the benefits. Technology has the overwhelming ability to improve your small business in many ways, and you’ll quickly notice what a difference the right tech makes in how you run your company once you adopt more of the solutions.

A Website Can Help You Find New Clients

Your first order of business when you own a small business is to get your website set up. Launching a website is one way to cut through the noise and get noticed online. It’s vital that you make sure it’s well designed and easy to use before you go live. Your business website is a great lead generation tool and way to bring in new clients rapidly. Include all of the important information on your site such as contact information, your logo and what your business does best. Being a small business is challenging enough, so make it easier on yourself by using a website to your advantage and watch how it helps you attract new customers. You’re truly missing out on a large segment of business if you choose not to have a company website. 

You can Better Manage Customer Information

One way to keep your business in order is to use a Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) platform because it will allow you to stay in touch with your clients easily. You can keep notes about who you talked to and when, and follow up appropriately. However, it’s important to know that there are transparency obligations on your part when gathering this type of information, so be sure to proceed with caution. Find out more about your responsibilities as you collect and harbor this data by reading this informative article from Salpo regarding the upcoming GDPR legislation and how it will affect CRM. There are a few core principles around individual’s rights and rules you must follow when dealing with sensitive and personal data. 

The Cloud can Store Your Data

Use technology solutions like the cloud to store data and information and allow multiple users to access it at one time. It is a smart way to work and will ensure your files are safe and secure whether they’re in use or not. Your workforce will love the ease of access and flexibility this type of file storage brings to your company. Say goodbye to paper files and hello to putting all of your important information online where you can get at it anytime you’d like. It’s also helpful for when you have issues with your computer and need to retrieve any lost data through the cloud backup option quickly. Another plus to the cloud is that you can access the information you need from anywhere you are in the world, which is ideal for those who want to work remotely.

Improved Communication Among Employees & Customers

You wouldn’t be able to stay in such close touch with your employees and customers without technology. Think about all the emails you send and touch points you make with these groups online. You’re able to quickly reach who you need to when it’s necessary using technology solutions. Your company no longer has to be in the dark waiting for good events to come to you. Technology allows you to be proactive and communicate effectively with many different people at one time. Your employees can work remote, you can send a quick note to a customer, and your business can answer customer inquiries promptly – all through the use of technology.

Allows You to Work Faster & Smarter

Your small business won’t have much to worry about once you implement more technology solutions because you’ll be working smarter and not harder. You will complete tasks on time and approvals from management won’t take as long to process. All you need to do is to start your computer, input your data or information and wait a few seconds as technology does its magic and gives you the answers you need. You’re not spending time going back and forth with others using pen and paper or trying to make complicated calculations on your own. All the work your small business has piled up will get taken care of quickly and be done right the first time around.

Reduces the number of Errors

Technology allows you to quickly find errors in your work and fix them with the click of a few buttons. For example, spell check and other software programs will do the difficult tasks for you and provide you easily with the answers you need to move forward. It also means you’ll receive fewer errors from your employees who are busy performing their job duties for your review. There are programs designed to help you achieve your goal from the start and not have to spend time restarting and editing over your work time and time again. Errors can cost you if it’s important information for your business or a client. You need the work to be right, and the only way to ensure complete accuracy is through technology.

Opens the Door for A Better Marketing Strategy

No longer are you dependent on grassroots marketing and going door to door trying to sell your product or service. Now with technology, you can hop online and market your business in mere seconds. There are a vast variety of options that exist and sophisticated targeting methods that are available to you. Firstly, you need to discover who your ideal audience is, and then find out where they’re spending their time and make sure your business is there to help them solve their problems. Think about all the possibilities you have when you advertise online and use social media to engage with your target market. There are numerous ways you can go with an online marketing strategy that have been proven to deliver results worth talking about. 

You Can Do More Business Over Mobile

Sit for a minute and think about how much time you spend on your phone on a daily basis and what you’re usually searching for, be it clothes, groceries, or even books. Upgrades in technology allow you to do more business with smartphones and this opens up the doors to a lot of additional opportunities for your company. Customers are now searching for answers on their tablet devices and want to make purchases right away when they find what they’re looking for. E-commerce is booming, and this is how consumers are shopping these days for what they want to purchase. Your options with mobile are endless if you can get your website optimized for this purpose. If your small business is feeling ambitious enough, you can also consider designing a mobile app and allow customers to shop through this medium. You’ll quickly lose a lot of consumers and transactions if your business isn’t available online through a mobile phone. Think about how much you use your phone on a daily basis and the businesses you’re attracted to because of the way they handle their mobile strategy when creating your business plan.

Helps You Manage Projects More Efficiently

Efficiency matters because you not only need to have it internally to function better, but also to get ahead of your competition. Without it, you’ll fall far behind and won’t be able to keep up with the ever-changing landscape. When you own a business, you have a lot on your plate so it only makes sense you’d want to know ways for how you can be more efficient. Technology allows you to manage projects more proficiently because you can bring all that needs to get done online and assign tasks according to who’s best for the job. You’ll be able to track progress and see where you’re falling behind using various programs and technology solutions that are out there. Your business will thrive when you’re executing on your business plan and managing all the moving parts with ease. There won’t be as much confusion or unknowns when you have your projects all mapped out electronically.

Conclusion

Quite simply, your business will be much better off when you’re more technologically advanced and work additional online features into your overall business approach. Stop letting fear stand in the way of you succeeding and start learning more about what it takes to get and stay ahead by taking advantage of various technology solutions. You won’t regret the time and energy you put forth figuring out this piece of the puzzle. Start small with your current business, and work your way up towards larger projects and getting more and more of your employees and leadership members onboard. It’s key to remember there will be hurdles and obstacles to overcome, but you’ll get through it if you remain flexible and open to new ideas and strategies for how your business can stand out in a busy and chaotic world. 

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Founder and chief editor of makemoneyinlife.com Blogger, Affiliate Marketer, Tech and SEO geek. Started this blog in 2011 to help others learn how to work from home, make money online or anything related to business and finances. You can contact me at makemoneyinlife@gmail.com