Small business owners know the value of increasing the productivity and efficiency of their staff and the business as a whole, as it could mean the difference between a red or green bottom line. Between developing new strategies and tactics for the ever-evolving market, drafting proposals for the next targeted VCs and other investors, and responding to emails, among many other admin tasks, it can be very tasking to stay on top of everything at once.
Fortunately, there are technologies that have come to be of help in making small businesses run more efficiently. These technologies come in various forms and can handle most of these tasks as efficiently if not more, than a human would. According to Statista, small and medium-sized businesses are poised to spend $1.2 trillion on technologies by the end of 2023.
This statistic shows that small businesses are becoming open to the idea that technologies can help their business enhance productivity and efficiency, improve their bottom lines, and stay relevant in the market for years. This article highlights some technologies that will help small businesses run more efficiently. Read on to learn more.
Some Technologies to Help Small Businesses Improve Overall Efficiency
Here are some technologies to help small businesses run more efficiently:
1. AI
AI is becoming more mainstream as the days go by. Many apps are now using this technology, from ride-sharing apps like Uber to streaming services like Spotify, all in a bid to improve offerings and ensure customers are always satisfied. Even Microsoft 365 has the new AI-powered Copilot feature, made to help businesses improve their content creation processes.
In the next few years, AI will permeate every industry globally. This will increase the amount of data small businesses get to improve their services and ensure they are always on the right track to impress their customers.
With AI, small businesses can accurately track and monitor customer behavior to gain more specific and current insight into purchases and affinities. This is already being incorporated in many e-commerce platforms, where the insight gained influences how small businesses handle advertising and marketing.
With this use of AI technology, small businesses can make massive improvements in handling their businesses, as well as customer satisfaction. As big businesses use AI to scale up their businesses, so can small businesses.
2. Social media
When one thinks of social media, the idea of fun, sharing holiday photos and videos, and keeping up with celebrities, all come to mind. However, because business is going digital, the use of social media by businesses for marketing and communication has soared.
With the number of social media platforms available, each with its manner of approach for businesses, there are so many ways the use of social media technology can help a business reach and engage. For small businesses, social media can help create and nurture positive customer experiences, which is bound to increase loyalty. They will be able to effectively inform users about their products and services, immediately follow up on potential customers, and convert them to leads while maintaining engagement with old ones.
3. 5G
Another efficient technology for small businesses to leverage is 5G. 5G technology represents a groundbreaking advancement in mobile connectivity. Although 3G and 4G technologies revolutionized our perception of the online world and are currently in use, 5G technology is expected to improve the current network speeds by over a hundred times.
For small businesses, 5G can efficiently help them unlock the following opportunities:
Enhanced Connectivity
With 5G, small businesses get access to faster and more reliable connections. This enhances communication between team members and customers. Wait times due to internet connection issues will also be eliminated, boosting productivity and customer satisfaction.
IoT Expansion
Every business needs IoT. IoT technology is a cutting-edge technology that offers several advantages, such as increased efficiency. As a result, with 5G technology, various new possibilities are open for IoT applications. This allows small businesses to deploy more connected devices, gather real-time data, and run more efficiently.
Communication Enhancement
5G will improve internal communication for businesses and communication between businesses and clients. With the current culture of having company branches in multiple locations globally, businesses must ensure constant and proper communication. With 5G, this problem will become a thing of the past as data sharing and transfer will improve, driving up productivity and ensuring the avoidance of technical issues, which is a common issue.
4. Automation
Automation has emerged as a powerful technology that can help small businesses streamline their processes and reduce human intervention in repetitive tasks. There are so many automation tools available for small businesses. A good example is CRM (customer relationship management) and marketing automation.
A CRM is a solution that helps businesses monitor business leads, clients, and prospects. Combining this with marketing automation, which keeps track of all client interactions, such as which marketing emails and ads were clicked and which web pages were visited, can offer interesting insight about a client and how the services and products pointed to them are better used.
By incorporating automation technologies into small businesses, business owners will be able to focus on high-value activities and strategic initiatives, save costs, optimize workflow, enhance customer service, and increase productivity, significantly enhancing the effective running of business operations.
5. Mobile Apps and Websites
Mobile is becoming a trend for businesses to jump on to improve marketing and advertising and increase their reach. Smartphones are taking over the majority of online traffic, implying that most transactions will be completed on a mobile device rather than a laptop computer.
For this reason, small businesses also have to adjust in this manner. Small businesses must focus on creating mobile apps and mobile-friendly websites to make their offerings available to mobile users. Investing in creating mobile apps and mobile-friendly devices will attract users, expanding your customer base.
Depending on use, businesses can provide features such as video, audio, chat, and easy purchase.
Improve Your Small Business Efficiency with Connect2Geek
If your small business is in the Treasure Valley area, Connect2Geek can help you improve its productivity and ensure you consistently record a positive bottom line. We offer various business IT services, including VoIP support, 24/7 monitoring, and managed IT services.
Contact us today to get your productivity through the roof!