While your staff is extremely important in your business, and has always been our mantra, economically and competitively all businesses need to get on board with modern technology if they want to not only prosper, but grow and succeed. Mainly here, we’re talking about cloud based software as a service (SAAS) which is now readily available out of the box to small businesses for very affordable prices, and ranges in a mass of functionality.
Qualitatively this can also improve your employee and customer relationships as the right changes start to make their interactions with your business easier also.
If you haven’t explored what they call the ‘eco-system’ of cloud based addons and connectors then we recommend you start to. There’s multiple options of providers for similar functions, such as staff rostering, POS systems, inventory control and with each one of them, as the competition heats up, there is some great new functions coming out regularly to further advance their performance. Some are smooth, some are clunky and some are either of these, but cheap or expensive. (Either way, we get awfully excited about new cool functions, so excuse us if this nerdy side gets heavy!)
That said, it is possible to have overlap of programs, and, not be able to get all you need from only 1. So our approach is to choose the best CRM or Accounting system as either is the real backbone of a business, and then choose the additional features you need with addons from there. Otherwise it can become a mish-mash of data that you’re not sure where the control version is. But once you have some structure of how data will sit and flow, you can then filter out employee tasks that can be automated, or, in a lot of cases can be prompted by technology so can be performed by someone of a lower (and then generally cheaper) skill level.
Small business is a tough gig, so although we love employees, we still have to be competitive and realistic in keeping usually our biggest cost in check. Technology now can definitely achieve this, if implemented well.
We’re gung-ho about implementing smart technology into our clients’ businesses to get great, feel-good efficiencies. So if you want to be one of those leading your industry, contact us to engage services.
Dean Milner | Business Developer
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