At a recent conference one of the speakers began her talk with these words, “We’re not a computer company but….” The majority of small business owners could say that same thing. Their company is not a computer company and that’s great. This world needs all sorts of companies doing all sorts of different things. The problem arises when those non-computer companies make the mistake of thinking that they don’t need to focus on technology just because they are “not a computer company”.
I’m not a computer company but I still use technology on a daily basis. The children and teens that I see in the park and at the mall aren’t computer companies yet they are glued to their devices. In this day and age we are all tied to computers in one way or another. They allow us to make phone calls, watch TV, stay in touch with our friends, manage our daily calendars, create lists and so much more. We are all computer dependent. Many small businesses make the mistake of thinking that they don’t need to give much thought to the technology they use. This error can cost you time, money, customers and even employees.
Small businesses can benefit from various technologies. E-mail clients, calendar, collaborative software that enables idea sharing, scheduling, payroll, and more.
If you read our series last year on technology for your small business you may have implemented some of our suggestions and are hopefully already benefitting from your choices. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you are done. Technology is always changing. Think about how often you hear about a new version of your cell phone hitting the market. New technology is already being developed by the time you get your newly purchased device setup. We’re not advocating that you need to always purchase the latest and the greatest. You could easily go broke trying to keep up. The challenge for consumers is determining the sweet spot on the spectrum for their technology. Consider your cell phone again. While you may be influenced some by your carrier’s plan and the discounted price they offer you if you wait until your contract is up, if you really wanted the features the new phone offered you would probably pay the premium and make the switch early. By deciding to wait, you are saying that your current phone still meets your needs. Now apply the same logic to your business technology. When you review new software you need to determine whether your current software is still getting the job done or whether the new alternative offers some value add that offsets the cost.
Start by listing the features that the new software offers and comparing those with what your current solution provides. If the difference is negligible it might not be time to upgrade just yet.
If there is a free trial available do a test run. Can you complete tasks faster with the new software? Being able to do the same job in less time can provide numerous benefits. When you are able to free up more of your time you can branch out and focus on ways to grow your business.
If you are seeing problem areas within your current processes, it is definitely time to look at some new software options. It’s likely there is a solution out there that could help you manage these issues. It’s likely that you still have some processes that you are still doing the “old-fashioned” way. While your way may still get the job done it never hurts to review the software alternatives to see if they could provide value. If you have inventory, you should be using inventory management software. Many small business owners feel like they can’t justify the cost. Stockpile free online inventory solution eliminates that concern. Our small business inventory management solution is available for FREE! It is an intuitive tool, designed for small businesses. It is fully customizable so that you can tailor it to fit your needs. Stockpile allows you to track inventory within a single location or across multiple locations. You can create areas within your business and even include pictures in your records so that identification is always easy. Even if you’re happy with your current inventory tracking method, you need to try Stockpile today! You’ve got nothing to lose and so much to gain!
