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
Email
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
Email
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.
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