If you own a small business you have to know that things concerning the company are always changing. Training for employees, payment systems, marketing techniques, social media accounts; they’re all part of the tech wave that’s coming through at full speed. Nowadays, if you’re not one of the first to jump on the tech bandwagon, you’ve already missed it. While some of the investments opportunities you’re approached by might sound like a ton of money and little upside at first, many tech additives or adaptations might actually prove to be the thing your business has been missing all along.
Social media marketing
No time is a bad time to get the ball rolling with a social media account for your company. You’re going to want to open multiple accounts, but make sure that whichever platforms you’re choosing match your target market. For example, if you’re a divorce attorney, you’re not going to advertise on Tumblr. If however you sell fun coffee mugs, or a workout app, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and Facebook are great spots to be. Social media marketing entails creating content, engaging with customers that provide feedback and comments, updating information, promoting sales, and entering contractual commitments with influencers. Social media should be one of the first things you consider if you don’t already have a marketing plan in place. Be prepared to manage it or appoint an employee to manage it however, if you don’t have to funds to hire a third part agency.
Get organized using tech
Sorty Inventory App is one of the many options out there to increase your inventory management success. Inventory isn’t something that anybody likes to deal with, but it’s a necessary evil when it comes to businesses that sell or use a lot of product. The app gives employees a visual representation of the product they’re looking for and allows the employee to input specific information relevant to the given product. Multiple users can control the app and can be viewed via a mobile platform as well as many other smart devices. Scanning QR labels and barcodes makes the process much easier than having to physically go searching in the back for whichever product or part you’re in need of. This app will help you spend more time on making the business better and less time rummaging through
Updates your payment processing system
It might be awesome for you to collect just cash and checks from customers at your small business, but it’s pretty inconvenient for them. Not too long ago, it was odd to find someone who was relying just on a credit or debit card to get around, having no spare cash in their pocket. Now, if you ask around, most people won’t have enough cash in their pocket to cover a $50 bill. Because of this, you need to adjust your system to take as many forms of payment as possible without costing your company too much money. Square is an example of one of the many popular payment processing systems currently on the market. Square includes these features:
- Accepts magstripe, chip card, or NFC with readers
- Paid remotely by keying in payments even without a signal
- Pay a flat rate per tap, dip, swipe, for all major cards (including American Express)
- Free to sign up & fast to set up; no long-term commitments or monthly fees
- Chargeback protection, fraud detection, account takeover protection
- Many more
The adaptation to using technology in your small business can be hard, especially if you’re not an avid user of technology. While it might all look intimidating at first, technology can really help you beat out the competitors, reach new customers, generate new leads, and consequently increase your sales. Start slowly with technology implementation to test what works and what doesn’t.
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