How to Use Technology in a Small BusinessPosted by joev prude on June 30th, 2018 We often hear, WORK SMART, not HARD. My opinion of Small Business Owners is that they never stop working, due to, no work, no pay. Entrepreneurs, starting out are extremely committed and hardworking; they do not always understand when to stop. So how on earth does one work SMART and not Hard? Here is how you can use Technology in your own Small Business. Let me lift the blinds here for you. Small Business Owners, in today’s world, have so many TOOLS available to enhance their potential into being a successful Business Owner, if only they would use what is out there. I am going to list the most basic ones available, reach out and bring them into your Operations Methods. Now you have got no excuse. There are many different Tools and Methods, I am just sharing the most known and used ones. Tools These are the Tools I would like to share that are literally on your doorstep, by clicking a button on your computer Advertising Social Media Websites Social Media CRM Project Management IT Financials Advertising Tool Technology in My Own Business The aim of running your own business is to make your product and brand known out there so you can supply paying customers, at the same time serving them with professional business etiquette. Face book is one of the cheapest and easiest ways of getting your business out there, without door to door selling and marketing. You can do a course on Face Book ads and marketing, click here Tweets, with various striking comments, are great ways of getting awareness out there too. Then the famous and well used YouTube, advertising clips, is a must. Social Media Social Media is a word we use and hear many times a day. But I guess you never thought of bringing it into your Own Business being part of running operations. Your aim is to get your product out there, in a professional manner, yet fast. You must experience and know the customer is happy. Word of Mouth is always a free advertising way, so don’t mess up here. Google Ad Words Campaign starts here. Advertise online, this is the way moving traffic to your site. Yes, this is expensive, but return on investment is well worth it. Digital marketers are out there who know what they are doing. Perhaps go that little extra mile and pull in somebody, who can get your brand out, spending some bucks on their skills. Websites Tool Technology in My Own Business Today one cannot run any business without a website. Oh, I hear, but it’s expensive. NO STOP! There are so many ways nowadays, finding help and getting your own site up and running. The Learning Tree has an awesome, HOW TO DESIGN YOUR OWN WEBSITE. Do yourself a favour and click on this link Making your product known out there can be done very easy via email systems. This is an inexpensive powerful way that works for sure. You reach new customers and keep current customers with email journeys, making your product keeping its awareness. Services aid, reach customers specific for your products. They have templates available with all the itemized info needed for you to reach your specific customers’ needs, with your product. Exact Target is one of the web-based email companies assisting with marketing as well as Mail Chimp, Constant Contact. One by the name of Zoho systems has emails too. Emma, also, you can Google and find many more. These are specifically aimed at assisting small businesses. Learning Tree has a complete eMail Marketing Automation Course, take a look here Customer Relationship Management Customer Relationship Management (CRM), clients and projections, are kept on a leash using this method. Customers are what your business is about, and this brings in revenue. So, one must nurse each customer as that is the heartbeat of your business. There are various apps, once again, Google will have many listed, like Sales force being just one of them. Templates will be available, leading to record keeping built for your own likes and dislikes. Using these Tools will enable you to learn more about your patrons and prospects. You can send out customized email templates as well using these methods, here is a link to learn more on CRM and marketing with Learning Tree. Project Management Teamwork in organisations causes headaches in all businesses. People together have different views, and to get everybody to agree is not easy. It’s like in a Netball Hall, South Africa playing against England, we all shouting for own provinces in one hall, where we should all be supporting our Country, not separate Provinces. Swimming upstream, you get it! Software Tools Technology in My Own Business Correct structures in place; bring an alignment of various issues together, such as building toward positive internal communication. Software Tools spread out different department’s responsibilities. These are out there to support your needs for teams and groups. Google again has many options to search. Perhaps start by exploring some of them, Zoho, Base camp and Asana, are software products. Below are different associations with helpful tools relating to teamwork coming together. Documents, Hangouts, Calendar as well as Drive. Google each one to see which will benefit your managing teams. Drive is cloud data storage Calendar is cloud-based calendar for individual groups Hangouts is video conferencing Documents is cloud office suite Information Technology Information Technology is abbreviated as IT. A very well-known abbreviation used in today’s spoken word. IT people are brought into companies on a permanent basis as their work never ends. One thing always leads to another. IT is the use of business technology, and study or use of systems, such as computer technology, being like hardware and software, the internet and networking, and telecommunications for storing, retrieving, and sending information. IT Includes some of the below: Computer programming Network administration Computer engineering Web development Technical support Cyber security Cyber security is vital, as you can cause huge havoc if your infrastructure is infected. Your network needs to be maintained with your equipment, ongoing. You also need backup data with this 24/7. You cannot afford losing info you have collected over time. This is like in the 1970’s where we had many cabinet filing systems, with files, now this is all built into your site, with a click of an icon. Financials I have kept this for last, but it is just as important as CRM systems. bookkeeping, or also known as accounting, is the main vein, of any business, to know if the heart will still beat. No need for General Ledger, Cashbooks, Journals, you name it. Oh, goodness, I can actually hear your breath being taken away, what on earth is all this. are you thinking? Yes, these were used in our earlier years, before computer bookkeeping popped up. One had many sets of books to keep track of daily, monthly and yearly entries done when money was spent on your Business’s Bank. No need for all this. Cashbooks are a very easy program one can download and learn to use. Salaries and Wages are also done on various systems, such as Pastel and Payroll. Invoicing is done by a click of a button as all the information of the client is in the computer system already. Simple software is out there, QuickBooks or Fresh Books, to name just two. Integration is what makes these programs so powerful, as they all interlink with other processes, including invoicing, payment gateways, and payroll. Once again you can either go for the training to do this yourself, which is possible or bring in companies who do this at certain times during the month and year, which you pay for that service then. Summing up what i have shared above These tools mentioned, are basic, but mostly used, Technology Tools for small businesses, are all over to read up about, there are many others. We would love to hear if you have used other tools, or any above, and how they have put your business on the map. Let’s see if we can help others struggling also. Look forward hearing from you. Why don’t you share this amazing solution with your friends and family? Click on the social media icons blow… Like it? Share it! More by this author |