When you’re running a small business, you don’t always have time to keep up with all of the latest technology. Over the past couple of decades, technology has jumped forward by leaps and bounds. Never in our human history has technology evolved so quickly, and the internet is an absolute game-changer for businesses. Let’s go over some of the basics in terms of must-have tech, these are the things that you absolutely must have no matter what industry you’re in.
Computers
This one goes without saying for a lot of businesses, but there are still some hold-outs who refuse to incorporate computers into their business. The level of automation that you can achieve with a computer system is unparalleled and will give you more time to enjoy life. Computers can be confusing if you aren’t used to them, but there are plenty of specially made applications for all industries that make things a lot simpler.
Productivity Software
From office suites (Something like Microsoft Office or OpenOffice) to time trackers, scheduling programs and more – having the right software is the key to taking full advantage of using a computer with your business. This may sound redundant to a lot of you, but if you’re one of the holdouts then it’s really time to seriously consider making the upgrade. It doesn’t have to be expensive either; simple office computers will suffice for most businesses. Also, accounting software can help to make life a lot easier by tracking your expenses and revenues and even compiling it all for you to send in during tax season with the click of a button. If you are used to doing your books by hand, it will take a bit of adjustment to start doing them on the computer but you’ll be amazed how easy it is once you get the hang of it and how much more quickly it goes. Also, you don’t have to worry about hitting the wrong button on the calculator!
Secure Storage and Backups
Many companies still use zip drives and even tapes for their backups, but USB drives are now fast and affordable, making them a great option. You should set your system to back up at regular intervals, because you definitely don’t want to lose any customer data or order information. Data loss is one of the biggest arguments against using computers, but if you take the right precautions then your data is a lot safer than having a room filled with filing cabinets and only having hard copies for everything. Off-site backup is also a good idea, it helps you make absolutely sure that you don’t lose a thing and it’s really easy to setup. A good combination of off-site backup like that offered by Macquarie Telecom, and daily USB backups on-site will help ensure that no matter what happens, you won’t skip a beat. A filing cabinet filled with physical files isn’t going to fare too well in a fire, but between your on-site and off-site backups you would be just fine if you leveraged computers and technology.
A Website
Even if you don’t deal with a lot of customers, it’s essential for people to be able to find your business online. Clients, suppliers, customers… they all might be looking for you online. What are they going to do if they lose your phone number? 99 out of 100 people are going to check the internet, and if they can’t find you then they’re going to start looking for one of your competitors. Not having at least a simple, basic website for your business is leaving a lot of money on the table and allowing your competitors to walk over and put it in their pockets and that’s no good, is it? It’s never been more affordable to have a website made for your business, but it is still important to do your research and to make sure you’re dealing with a reputable company that isn’t going to take advantage of less tech-savvy clients.
Final Thoughts
It doesn’t matter what your budget is, you can make this work and having the right technological systems in place will pay for themselves many times over. This doesn’t mean you have to turn over the keys to your business to a bunch of robots or anything, it just means leveraging the basic functions of computers in a way that saves you time, money, and helps your business to grow more effectively.