6 Ways to Leverage Technology to Streamline Small Business Operations
Although the economic climate is tough right now, one school of thought suggests there has never been a better time to run a small business.
That is because plenty of new technologies have been introduced in recent years that enable owners to better compete with the bigger players in their industry.
These innovations enable them to streamline their operations by improving efficiency, reducing costs and increasing profitability across several business functions.
But what are they, and how can they help you?
Here are six ways you can streamline your small business by leveraging technology to give it a much more competitive edge.
1. Get an inbound phone number
When a potential customer calls your company for the first time, they don’t know what to expect. So, it is worth setting a good tone of supposition by having them dial an inbound phone number.
These numbers, which include Australia 1300 numbers, are generally viewed in favourable terms because the assumption is that companies who adopt them are well established and successful.
The excellent thing about these types of phone numbers is that they can add great value to your business in several ways.
For a start, they are easier for customers to remember, as you only have to recall the last six digits and not the full ten. Additionally, they provide your venture with a single point of contact, which can be diverted to a mobile if you are out of the office.
Perhaps best of all, you can better assess the ROI on certain marketing campaigns you run by assigning customised phone numbers as their call to action and analysing various metrics related to their call logs.
2. E-commerce programmes
Every small business needs to make sales to maintain a level of cash flow and profitability that will keep them sustainable into the future.
Thankfully, the internet has enabled them to increase their sales channels from beyond a traditional storefront or office to a ‘click and mortar’ model.
Programs like BigCommerce, Shopify, and WooCommerce enable small businesses to set up websites that enable them to sell their products or services on a national or international level. This makes them more accessible and noticeable to a bigger audience and, therefore, gives them a greater potential market share.
What makes these platforms such an attractive proposition for small businesses is that they are relatively inexpensive to set up yet can be designed in a professional and slick way to increase the brand perception of your organisation.
3. Payment Processing
Over the last decade, the way people pay for products and services has changed significantly.
While cash was still King even a decade ago, today, customers and vendors have numerous options available to them.
The likes of EFTPOS and, in particular, mobile contactless card readers allow small businesses to accept payments from remote outdoor locations such as markets, as well as in a brick-and-mortar store.
At the same time, payment gateways like PayPal and mobile wallets like Samsung Pay, Google Pay, and Apple Pay have provided a secure alternative to buying products online.
Additionally, Buy Now Pay Later Services like Zip and Afterpay enable customers to pay for purchases in instalments while they receive the full payment within 24 hours.
4. Customer Relationship Management Platforms
Small businesses are less likely to survive if they don’t leverage the full potential of their customer base.
Thankfully, in the current business climate, customer relationship management platforms like Zoho, HubSpot, and Salesforce have made it much easier for small businesses to do that.
Between them, these innovative programmes provide a centralised point in which businesses can evaluate and analyse customer data.
In doing so, they are better able to manage leads, refine and increase the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns, and generally provide their customers with a higher standard of support.
5. Cloud-Based Collaboration Tools
As a small business, it is important to be flexible in how you enable your employees to work, as this will give you the best chance to attract top talent.
Since remote work has become part of the business landscape for many organisations post-COVID-19, cloud-based collaboration tools, such as Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, have become increasingly adopted as a way to stay in touch with them.
Being cloud-based, these applications possess a range of features that enable employees to access company information from anywhere they can access an internet connection.
These include the ability to share and edit documents, instant message, partake in video calls and collaborate in several other ways,
6. Online Employee Training Programmes
There comes a point in every small business’s development when they might have to employ staff.
While this usually represents a sign of growth, it also can present an issue in terms of bringing new employees up to scratch on processes and procedures. Additionally, current staff members might have to be trained in new areas.
Traditionally, training has been an expensive investment, often requiring expensive travel and accommodation costs and employees to leave the office (and workload) for an extended period of time.
However, there are now several online training platforms available, including LinkedIn Learning, Udemy and Skillshare, which enable small businesses to train their staff on specific courses in a much more cost-effective and disruptive way.
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Author: Rebecca Lee
