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If you are running a small business, you will know just how many different directions it can stretch you. You will have customers, clients, staff members, investors and loads of other people to try and please, while keeping your head on straight.
But if you’re passionate about your business, you will do it and do it well, you just need a little hand here and there. There’s nothing wrong with that. We’re living in the digital age after all, and with that comes advancements in technology that the likes of Howard Hughes could only dream of – and no one would blame you for taking advantage of them.
There are the big things that require your full attention, and then there are the little things that get in the way of the big things but need done. With a little help online, those little things could be made a lot easier if not entirely automated. If you’re interested in ways, you can make running a business easier, take a look at our guide to the best tools online.
Communication
If your job is online, or you are working remotely, you will know the need for a good communication system. It’s not just people working from home that have embraced the online phone system. You can contact clients, deal with customers, and host meetings entirely online with the right phone system. You can even work remotely and turn yourself into a digital nomad, all because of an online phone system.
Plus, with it using your internet connection to make phone and video calls, you can save yourself a landline bill. You can video and phone call, but also send group texts, and mute your phone when you are out of the office.
Contactless payment systems
Smart tech has taken over cities and homes, but you probably recognize it best from walking down the high street. Since we all got a lot more germ-phobic, contactless payment methods have taken off. Where once only the highest of high street chains offered their customers such a luxury, now every small business can buy a contactless payment machine for as little as $30.
Contactless payment will greatly affect your business. You will see your queues go down as happy customer after happy customer makes payments at lightning speed and leaves with your products.
It’s gotten to the point that customers are reaching for their smart card or phone before they would think to hand over cash or put in a PIN. Shoppers are impatient people, and never more so than during the holiday rush, so anything you can do to get them a sale and out the door quicker will be appreciated.
Plus, if you get in touch with NadaPayments you will see any credit card processing fees go out the window. With retail credit card processing outlined on their site you can accept credit and debit cards as payment and their ability to legally forgo the processing fee can be extended to your online store too.
Extra security
Smart technology isn’t just found in contactless payment systems, oh no. There are lots of applications from saving energy and therefore money on your utility bills to making demands of your Alexa that will make waking up in the morning a lot easier. But the most useful application to businesses is security.
Installing smart card readers instead of traditional lock and keys allows you a level of security you won’t have known before. Smart card keys can double as employee ID cards and can be personalized to allow access wherever you like. For example, if Roger is working in the warehouse his card can be programmed to allow access to the warehouse while still keeping him from the tills.
Keys can easily be copied and stolen, where smart cards cannot. So, you will have less of a chance of someone getting in without tripping an alarm.
But there are also smart security systems on the market, allowing you to keep a closer eye on your premises. You can gain systems akin to the home systems available, which have a camera that is activated with motion detection and a direct link to the local police station and your phone.
One perk that it allows is that you can use your smartphone to communicate with the person on the other end of the camera and you can control your security system remotely. This means that if a package turns up late while you are at home you can unlock the door and allow the UPS worker to drop your package inside.
Helpful platforms
As the saying goes, “There’s an app for that”, so too is there a software application for that. Any business problem is likely to be solved with a platform or software app found online. If you have a problem, chances are you can find a solution online.
For example, if you are having trouble getting your head around a big project coming up, you should look into Trello. It is a project management platform that has a lot of applicable uses. If you have any employees, you can split your everyday work evenly amongst your team to ensure that everyone is pulling their weight, or you can use it to break down a big project into smaller parts and tackle them bit by bit.
If you are selling products, you might want to eventually look into how you are going to package them. It is the often-forgotten aspect of selling products that many services can help with.
