How small businesses get the most out of today’s technology
To operate a business in today’s world, all companies must rely upon technology. However, no one has more to gain through technology than small businesses. How can a small business benefit from today’s technology?
Improved Communications
Communication is critical for any business but can be even more beneficial to a small business. With the streamlined communication technology available, applications such as Microsoft Teams allow for fast communication between employees whether in or out of the office. This type of technology allows for fast responses and communications instead of standard email communication.
Increased Collaboration
Collaboration is crucial to a small business as they typically have fewer employees and departments and must collaborate quickly and efficiently to get work tasks done. Microsoft 365 allows employees to communicate quickly, share files, share screens, and even collaborate on documents at the same time. Additionally, with the use of Microsoft SharePoint, files can be accessed at anytime, anywhere with a working internet connection.
Flexibility
With employees working remotely, in the office, or while traveling, these communication/collaboration tools make it easy to be productive from anywhere.
Improved Customer Relations
The workweek can be stressful, and employees are always multi-tasking. With today’s technology, there are ways to set planning tasks for yourself and/or team to remind them of the priorities for the week. For example, how many times have you said to yourself, “I need to make sure I call my client tomorrow?” There are so many tools available to help improve relationships with clients. Some include:
- Note-taking tools such as OneNote to take notes from meetings, or to brainstorm ideas.
- There are many tools out there including Microsoft’s Planner that allow you to create scheduled tasks and assign to team members so that your workload stays on track.
- A good Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) application can be used to proactively remind you or your team to touch base with a client. An effective way to use a CRM is to configure it to automatically send out reminders to your clients.
There is only so much time in a workday. It’s important to maintain a healthy work/life balance and with these technology tools, a small business can efficiently manage its business, keep employees productive, and keep clients happy.
If you are interested in finding out how to maximize communication, efficiency, and productivity for your small business, contact Ethan Douglas, VP of Client Experience at (877) 678-8080.
