Almost all businesses incorporate technology in some fashion today. Regardless of whether a company employs less than two persons or over 100, technology can play an important role in making operations more streamlined and efficient. As a small business owner, you could find it challenging to introduce aspects of technology while running your business. In this article, we will make your job easy highlighting eight essential elements pertaining to technology that you might consider for your small business.
8 Tech Tips for Small Business
- Become familiar with using technology: As the owner of your business, you are going to have many important tasks to do rather than personally figuring out how to develop an online payment system. However, it is vital to know how the most basic technology functions within your organisation so that you do not face major issues later. You can explore various types of payroll applications, telephone systems, and security applications. Prioritise knowing how to access QuickBooks and other systems that manage employee information and finances.
- Register systems in your name: There are many instances where employers make the head of the IT department the administrator of technology within their company. This can cause major administrative issues. Employee turnover occurs commonly in small businesses, even when someone has worked with you for a long time. If the tech specialist in your company leaves, they might be able to control your technology remotely or even hold it hostage if the system is registered in their name.
It is best to avoid such instances virtual employee monitoring software from occurring since retrieving lost information might be challenging or even impossible. Your website, social media accounts, email systems, document procuring systems, financial systems and every other business technology should mention you as the owner/administrator. This will keep your data secure from all potential risks.
- Develop a strategy for using technology: Prior to introducing new systems in your organisation, think about what goals technology might help you achieve. Explore your existing information and communications technology (ICT) and assess how your systems are performing. Think about what changes you can implement to stay ahead of your competitors in the industry. Put together a plan on how you envision your new ICT will enable you to attain your goals.
- Prepare a digital marketing strategy: If you want to keep your use of technology to a minimum, it is best to have a plan for what you wish to achieve online. Think about what your objectives are with a website and design your website in a manner that fulfills these objectives. Since a website enables customers to make up their minds about a business, optimize your website and make it user-friendly. Do not incorporate unnecessary text and put your contact information in a prominent spot.
Also, you can design a social media marketing strategy to reach out to your target audiences. Think about which social networking sites would best serve your purpose, and maintain an active presence on these sites. Be proactive with giving your customers answers to their questions and focus on methodically building brand awareness.
- Streamline systems: If you are finding yourself juggling with multiple technology systems, consider using an Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP). This system consists of modules for inventory, finance management, employee data, operations, etc. You can use an ERP to make processes more streamlined and avoid confusion that comes with having too many systems.
- Save vital information offline: Saving your data, especially any sensitive information, in another offline storage system is important. There have been instances where cloud-based companies have disappeared with large amounts of data. To avoid this from happening to your data, it is advisable to backup or download critical information such as customer lists, invoices, order information, payroll, etc., regularly. Copying your data on two platforms also enables quick retrieval in cases where one of them starts malfunctioning.
- Ensure your technology can be used others: Installing systems that are user-friendly and accessible all avoids confusion and unnecessary exchanges on how to use a system. For instance, you can benefit from having a three-step digital protection for all your contracts. However, those who need to sign these contracts might be having a challenging time with navigating your protection protocol. Keeping systems straightforward and easy-to-use for all can prevent these challenges from happening in the first place.
- Keep data secured: When an employee leaves your company, you need to ensure that they do not have any further access to your data. Terminate them on your company’s system so that your privacy is protected. Also, for all interactions with customers, ensure every crucial information and their sources are available on company-owned technology and that you have access to any private password permitting access to such information.
Being a small business owner, it is important to safeguard your business from financial insecurities. Think about getting public liability insurance to protect yourself from these risks.
Sources:
Abrams, Rhonda 10 October 2018, Here are 8 ways small business owners can be smarter about technology, USA Today, viewed 12 April 2021, <https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/usaandmain/2018/10/10/abrams-column-small-business-technology/1582056002/>
9 tech resolutions for your business, bdc, viewed 12 April 2021,
<https://www.bdc.ca/en/articles-tools/technology/invest-technology/technology-tips-small-business>