Technology is a rapidly growing industry, and finding the right technology to run a small business can be difficult. Business owners must research a wide variety of technological tools, and determine which ones are necessary to their operation. Even after they have done that, they still must also determine other aspects like the brand, variety, quantity, and quality of the technology needed.
One thing your small business should consider doing is hiring an IT consultant that can help assist you with all your technological needs. A consultant should be someone that you can trust to provide you with accurate and valuable information about your technology needs. This person can help you get your business started, and can also help maintain and grow your technology. Your consultant should be doing his/her best to ensure that your small business is provided with the most quality technology for the best price.
Many businesses require the use of computers to operate. Computers can be expensive and require ample amounts of research to help choose the right computers that best suit your business. One of the first things business owners must ask themselves is how mobile they think their computers need to be. If your business is rooted in an office, you may want to consider purchasing desktop computers. However, if your business often requires mobility, like a traveling salesman, then it may be a better idea to purchase laptop computers. Many businesses decide to purchase a blend of both to provide their stationary employees with desktop computers, and their mobile employees with laptops. Business owners should also consider using tablets or iPads. These devices can be useful for a variety of things, ranging from simple scheduling capabilities to much more. Some businesses even choose to use tablets and iPads to run credit card transactions while on the go. Traveling salesman should consider this option, since often people choose to deny a purchase due to a lack of cash on hand. Having this option could be the difference in making a sale.
If your business does anything online then the second step is connecting to the internet. High-speed internet connection is crucial in the online world. It’s very important that you have fast and reliable service, with efficient customer service from your provider. Having fast and reliable internet is key to your business’s productivity. After your internet is set up, creating a website for your small business is a good idea. Websites help create attention to your business, and also connect better with the younger generation. They help create more accessible and efficient customer service for your clients. Websites can also help communicate your business’s vision and mission. This way, your customers know exactly what your business is all about. While many small business owners may argue that a website can be impersonal, the combination of brick and mortar and e-commerce stores have become more and more necessary as technology advances. Many customers find that it is much easier and convenient to learn the products and services that a business offers online, than it is to inquire at a physical location. After you have created a working website, it may also be a good idea to make sure your website is mobile friendly. More and more customers have smart phone technology, and can surf the internet from their mobile device at any time. This means your website is reaching to people that are both at home and on the go, and making sure that their experience is smooth and efficient in both scenarios is crucial to a successful website. If it seems to fit your company, you can even create an App for your small business. Apps can be used to promote special deals and advertise, and can also be fully functional. For example, many companies are using apps to place orders in the food industry. This is much quicker and efficient than having to take the order by phone.
Speaking of mobile devices, it’s important to consider mobile internet as well for phones and tablets. Being connected on the go can be very important in many different business professions. It connects the employee to their email 24/7, and allows them to be accessible at all times. It also allows the employee to do work at times when they otherwise could not, like when they are traveling or out-of-office. Another thing to consider is creating an email for your business. While it may be very easy to just sign up for an @aol, @yahoo, or @gmail.com account, these come off as unprofessional and seem more like a personal email. Having an email with your business’s name in it gives off the impression that your company is established and professional.
As technology grows, so does the amount of cyber-crime. It is important to understand the risks your business can face in the cyber world, and how to avoid them. Firstly, your business’s computers should all be equipped with effective virus protection software. Anyone who is actively using the internet is at risk of getting some sort of virus. This can be even more risky for a business, because that virus could spread via the network and effect all of your computers. This creates a huge loss that could have been avoided with virus protection software. Secondly, your business should consider investing in data breach insurance. Data breach insurance covers losses from data breaches and other cyber threats. This insurance is important because hackers that breach your data can steal customer’s personal information like their credit card and social security numbers, resulting in a huge loss. Data breach insurance covers these losses and it also covers things like credit monitoring, notification costs, fines, penalties, computer fraud, and data loss.
Running a small business can be difficult. Luckily we live in a time with technology that helps makes running a business a little bit easier. Utilizing this technology is crucial to maintaining and growing a business in today’s modern world.
Author Bio:
Chris Travis is a Marketing Specialist at General Liability Shop.com. Chris was raised in St. Louis, MO. He has extensive training and experience with Underwriting and Workers Compensation Insurance. Chris’ passion is to utilize his knowledge and experience to produce quality content that can benefit the small business community.
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