10 Great Technology Tips for Growing Your Business
Whether your business is centered around technology or not, there are myriad IT support tools and tips that can be used to increase efficiency and productivity within your company.
We’ve compiled a list of smart and functional solutions, resources, approaches, and technology tips to help to grow and organize your company.
1. Be Willing to Make Changes Fast
Being in tune with the needs of your business is essential to success and growth. When it comes to scouting out unfamiliar terrain or assessing the success or failure of a venture, be open to implementing changes as quickly as possible. Integrating new technology can seem so overwhelming and cumbersome that you may want to put off applying it as long as possible, which can cause your business irreparable harm. Embrace change with an expedient and open-minded approach.
2. Make Your Website Live Before You Are
In an interconnected and web-driven world, a poorly developed or non-existent web presence can make a business appear incompetent and disconnected. By implementing a pre-launched website, you can start to peak the interest of potential customers and clients before your business is fully operational. A well-executed web presence can push your company forward by allowing you to connect with as many consumers as possible in an effective way.
3. Outsource Appropriately
This goes hand in hand with making changes within your business efficiently. Outsourcing can be leveraged to help strengthen your business when done correctly. As your business grows, you will need to bring on other talents and implement services you may not have much experience with. Service-based firms can provide your business with things like IT support, HR and talent acquisition and bookkeeping, which frees your hands to focus on the company you are most familiar with.
4. Make Security a Priority
You can protect your business by putting plans in place for when the worst happens. By using preventative measures, you can make sure your assets are shielded from danger. Many managed service providers offer disaster recovery plans that protect your company’s files, data, and other soft and hardware in the event of natural or manmade disasters, like floods or even terrorist attacks. Simple steps like antivirus software or updating employee passwords regularly can help you secure your business and its longevity.
5. Utilize Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is typically offered by an MSP and can allow you to store files and data online. This storage can be accessed from any computer in any location, allowing mobility and employees to work remotely, while ensuring your files are safe from natural disasters like fires or earthquakes that can destroy hard drives. Cloud computing also offers a much larger storage area and makes files much more accessible, even the ones that are too large for emails.
6. Look Bigger than You Are
Simple steps can make your startup seem bigger and more developed than it might be. As a rule of thumb, avoid using a mobile or personal number as a business number. Be sure that your answering system, be it a designated person or automated, is crisp, professional, and friendly. A cloud-based phone system will give you the capabilities of a big company at a price a small company can afford. Video and messaging capabilities can give off a much more put-together vibe than a traditional landline or a mobile number will. You can leverage technology in this way to give potential customers a more serious and professional impression.
7. Embrace Social Media
Just like a poor web presence can negatively impact a business, a deficient social media presence can also harm the appearance of a company. Social media can be used to build strong connections with your customers. Transparency is key when using this tool to reach out to consumers as well as prospects, so be honest, professional, and accommodating when interacting on different platforms.
8. Embrace Mobile
If you’re a business where people need to reach you remotely, having a business-dedicated phone or dedicated mobile device is crucial to connecting to customers outside of the office. Accessibility is highly valued among clients and mobility allows your to be available as much as possible to your consumers.
9. Videoconferencing
Video conferencing is a key tool that can be used to connect employees across vast geographical distances, which cuts down on travel costs and increases efficiency. Video conferencing can enhance communication within your company by allowing team members in video meetings to pick up on nonverbal communication, such as body language and eye contact, that would typically go unnoticed on a traditional conference call. Embracing this technology can help strengthen relationships within your company and thereby allow you to fully tap into team potential.
10. Project Management Software
As your business grows, staying organized will become more and more difficult. Project management software will help everyone stay on task while keeping information in an accessible platform. Employees are able to track their own assignments and can collaborate quickly and easily with other team members. By keeping assignments, guidelines and inter-team communication in one central hub, you can use this software to drastically improve the productivity and efficiency of your growing business.
