Using Technology to Grow Your Small Business

By Jeffrey Hernandez−

As a small business owner, you tend to wear many hats, which can expend much of your energy and time. It can be difficult to grow your business, whether you work out of your home or have a small storefront or office. Whether you are selling goods or services, you can utilize technology to grow your small business without having to break your budget. There are many free or inexpensive tools on the market created to simplify many of the tasks you have for your small business, from organization to accounting to digital marketing to selling. This will not only streamline many of your actions but also give you more time to spend away from work, whether with your family or enjoying some much needed “me time.”

Accounting Software

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Accounting can often be difficult for a small business owner to manage, especially if you do not have the right education and background. The larger your business is, the more difficult your accounting becomes especially if you have employees. There are several accounting apps made to simplify the process for small business owners, reducing the cost of hiring an accountant year round. You might still have to hire one for your taxes, but your day-to-day needs will be met. According to Business Daily and others, the best accounting software is FreshBooks, which is a cloud-based program that has both free and paid versions and offers comprehensive accounting services.

Legal Resources

When building your small business, you often have to worry about particular contracts and other legal services. If you are developing or manufacturing goods, you might also want to file for a patent or trademark. If you have complex legal questions or needs, then you will need a lawyer, However, for simple small business needs, you can work with a service made for small businesses, such as the one offered by Legal Zoom. There are also tools that help you to have legal signatures, such as Docusign, or search for trademarks to ensure you do not choose a trademarked name or logo with Trademarkia.

Sales and eCommerce

Many small businesses have some form of sales, whether you are selling goods or services. Therefore, to accept payments, you will need some kind of point of sale. Shopify offers easy to use point of sell systems that work with an iPad to make it easy to take with you wherever you go. This is perfect for businesses that go to clients, but even retail stores find a benefit from a mobile point of sale rather than a fixed location. You can also use this service to easily connect with your eCommerce, making it easy to sell your goods or services online as well as in person for whatever industry you are in.

Online Presence

One important aspect of your company’s marketing campaign needs to be your digital presence, with the foundation a strong website. Even if you are a local business, your website will matter. According to a survey by Google, 97 percent of consumers go online to search for services or products, and 58 percent of small businesses do not have a website. You want to be seen online to capitalize on the number of people going online. To get the most out of your website, you should hire a professional developer. However, there are many programs online that make it easy to create a dynamite website from a template for a very inexpensive cost. When you create a website out of a template, you just have to upload your own pictures, logos, and text. You also need to create social media accounts on all relevant social media platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter, and any industry specific areas. You can easily manage your social media accounts with tools such as Hootsuite.

Marketing

Once you have created your basic online presence with your website and social media accounts, it is time to work on your digital marketing plan. Content marketing is one of the most popular ways small businesses market their companies. Content marketing helps you to increase your ranking on search engines and facilitate organic growth. One component of content marketing is blogging, which you can do yourself or hire a freelance writer to work on the blogs for you. Once you have content, you can push it out on social media. The best content will be shared by your followers, extending the reach of your content and growing your market. There are companies that will help to create your digital marketing strategy, although you can also find technology and online tools to help you organize your own campaign.

With the number of technology tools available online, you can easily find ways to manage your business to increase productivity and profits. In fact, a survey from SurePayroll found that about 70 percent of small business owners are using technology to change how they do their business. With the right tools, you will find your company growing, perhaps even faster than you ever dreamed.

 

Coming from a Humble Background, Jeffery completed his Master’s in Business Administration and now works as an Independent Financial Advisor. He loves playing chess, reading novels and spending time with his wife and kids.

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Using Technology to Grow Your Small Business
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