Tip of the Week: How Small Business Goes About Utilizing Technology

No matter how big a business is, it has to leverage at least some IT in order to be efficient. Unfortunately, some organizations are reluctant to implement new technology if they don’t seem to need it immediately. What these businesses don’t know is that the reason they typically don’t implement new solutions--saving money--is in direct conflict with what the solutions are designed to do in the first place.

If businesses adopt technology, there’s this misconception that if it’s not something they need, it will be a waste, but this is certainly not the case. More of a good thing is not going to make your job any more difficult. It can only make your responsibilities easier and more efficient. Whether your organization just wants to implement IT to alleviate weak points in its infrastructure or completely revamp operations, we can help you understand how modern technology solutions can help your business make great strides. Here are just five benefits IT can provide for your organization.

Money Management
The goal of business is to make money, no matter what that business actually is. Controlling the flow of money and managing it should be a priority for business, as it’s a valuable resource that allows it to continue operating as intended. While a spreadsheet can accomplish this goal, there are other dedicated platforms that allow your organization to save time when managing your finances.

Collaboration
The traditional way of storing files is not necessarily ideal for collaboration, as paper files demand that everyone has a copy of the file--and you can forget about all edits being made on the same document in real time unless everyone is huddled around one single sheet. IT solutions, with cloud computing in particular, can remedy this issue and make it easier to collaborate during meetings. All team members who need to see a document or edit it can do so in real time on their own devices. These documents are also saved in a location where they can be accessed at any time by whoever needs to work on it, either as a team or individually.

Efficiency
Your organization has a lot of work that must be done, and any tools to get it done cannot be ignored. If you can use these tools to monitor and schedule time spent on tasks, you can make sure all responsibilities are being met with minimal waste. You might be surprised by how much your organization saves by managing tasks better.

Mobile Work and Telecommuting
Smartphones, tablets, and laptops are all mobile tools that can help your organization go mobile while also being productive. In fact, smartphones today are more powerful and dynamic than even computers were just a decade ago. By making use of these devices, you can empower your employees to get even more done throughout the workday, whether it’s while away from the desktop or away from the office.

Customer Service
Customer service is another major part of your business that you can improve with the right technology solution. If employees are constantly being interrupted by phone calls for support or other customer interactions, you can set up automated systems for general inquiries or questions. If you have a more appointment-based business model, you can schedule meetings with clients or customers on a calendar that can provide automatic updates to both parties involved.

This is only a small sample of what the right technology solutions can do for your business. To learn more, reach out to Directive at 607.433.2200.