Ways to Better Your Small Business Using Technology

Tech can help your micro-business leverage more capital in more intelligent and effective ways. Sometimes, technology offers better efficiency and adaptability, ensuring a natural advancement of the processes your company already run. In other cases, you’ll need to make some tweaks to enjoy the perks of tech-friendly options. Luckily, the pros often overshadow the short-lived challenges of shifting from older to updated systems once they’ve been installed in place.

Here’s how to use tech to boost up the many different sectors of your small business;

Tech and Business Productivity

  1.    Utilize project management & task management tools to streamline your daily business duties.
  2.    Consider a digital filing system to ease the processes of sorting, saving, sharing and finding critical documents.
  3.    Use Time tracking software to map out the amount of time spent and by whom to ensure accountability, process perfection, and productivity.
  4.    Cultivate a well-organized email management process that ensures you stay on top of the influx of messages.
  5.    Adopt digital dictation to streamline your daily work processes.

Tech and Business Finances

  1.    Practice online budget tracking to stay on top of—and minimize—your expenses
  2.    Adopt online invoicing services to cut the costs of taking payment from buyers.
  3.    Share all digital business files with your accountants and bookkeepers to simplify your firm’s bookkeeping processes.
  4.    File your taxes online; it is easier and more efficient.
  5.    Launch a new income source by adding an online branch.
  6.    Try open source applications instead of the costly “name brand” options
  7.    Use accounting software to monitor your company finances.

Tech and Marketing Campaigns

  1.     Organize a marketing plan using software that enables you that you to edit, bring up to date and share with your advertising team.
  2.    Market your brand or service online or build an official website
  3.    Start email marketing by collecting customer email addresses using an opt-in form
  4.    Attract the attention of more prospects by using video marketing.
  5.    Promote your brand on social media platforms like Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube.
  6.    Launch a blog discussing topics related to your company and target market.

Tech and Teamwork & Training

  1.    Use Team Messaging for fast and efficient communication with the crew.
  2.    Online webinars are an excellent way to keep everyone updated without having to meet physically.
  3.    Use The Cloud to share data and files to staff
  4.    Organize Teleconference Calls to encourage and ease staff collaboration in different branches
  5.    Simplify local/in-office file sharing by setting up Intranet.
  6.    Expand your understanding and train your crew through Online Business Training workshop

Tech and Customer Support

  1.     Offer customer support through social media
  2.    Allow customers to plan appointments online from the comfort of wherever they are
  3.     Get customer feedback by using online surveys and questionnaires
  4.    Create an online help desk to deal with customer issues

The bottom line

…And the list continues. There are more ways to make the most of tech. But you can start with these simple ones.

Author Bio: As the FAM account executive, Michael Hollis has funded millions by helping business get a merchant cash advance. His experience and extensive knowledge of the industry has made him a finance expert at First American Merchant.