These days we have lots of tools at our disposal. The world's best online inventory management system (Stockpile) is a great example. Recently we did a series on technology for your small business featuring suggestions for different solutions to help you grow your small business. All of the software that we highlighted in that series has one thing in common, it won’t do you a bit of good if you don’t use it!
How often have you made a list and then forgotten to take it to the store with you? Or worse yet, you had it at the store but didn’t check items off as you added them to your cart so you still ended up forgetting things that you needed. Technology may be more advanced than a simple pen and paper list but it still has the same challenges. You have to use it for it to work. That's exactly why we built our online inventory management system to work with mobile devices. That way it's ready when you are!
No one intentionally gets technology that they don’t want, or plan to use.There are, however, a number of stumbling blocks that can deter people from implementing solutions. If the set up process is complicated or confusing people tend to quit before they even get started. It can be hard to find the time to enter data into a new system. Many times we are just such creatures of habit that we forget we are supposed to be doing things a new way. None of these obstacles are insurmountable and none are a legitimate excuse for not fully utilizing the myriad of solutions available to improve your small business.
Set-up setbacks. If you followed our advice when choosing solutions, you evaluated the quality of customer service that each provider offered. This means that you have a live person you can contact with questions or any other issue that arises. There is no reason to let the set-up process get the best of you. If you need help, ask for it!
Data entry takes too long. Sometimes there is no way around it, data entry can be time consuming and let’s face it, boring. The good news is that the time investment will pay off in the long run. You’ve selected solutions that will save your business time (and money) once they’re up and running. Find the time to put in the extra effort now and you’ll be finding free time at regular intervals later, thanks to the great new solutions that are helping you run your business. And, if you get lucky, you'll have the ability to upload your items in mass just like you can do when you signup for our free online inventory management system.
Falling back into old habits. Old habits die hard. There’s a reason why it’s an overused expression, it’s because it’s true. We like things that are familiar. There’s comfort in doing things the same way. You had a good reason for implementing a new solution, though. If the old way was so great you wouldn’t have considered changing it. Change is necessary for growth and if you want your business to succeed you need to embrace the change. If you’re really having a hard converting you may have to get rid of the crutch. Kick the legacy system to the curb so that the new way is your only option. Once you adjust you may find yourself wondering why you waited so long to make the switch.
One of the things we hope you’ve switched over is the way you manage your inventory. Stockpile is a robust, online inventory management system that is capable of handling all your inventory issues quickly and easily. With Stockpile you can access data anytime, from anywhere. You can track inventory within a single location or across multiple locations. Need to transfer items from one store to another? No problem. Want to run comprehensive reports to get a clearer picture of the flow of your business? Stockpile makes that easy as well. Whatever your inventory needs entail, our online inventory management system is the solution for your small business. You just have to use it. Get Stockpile today!
