You might not want to keep up with technological advances, and that’s understandable. Everything changes so quickly that sometimes it can be quite overwhelming, especially when you have a business to run and employees to manage. However, sometimes a technology will make running your business so much easier that passing it up would be a tragedy. Here are a few that you might regret passing up.
Cheap POS Technology
Sometimes if you’re selling a product or service to the public, you have to hit the streets. And if you’re hitting those streets without a POS system, how are you supposed to make any money? This goes for the digital “streets” as well; it’s more important than ever that you have a way for your customers to pay easily, quickly and in some cases, without even going to find their wallet. Accepting multiple forms of payment when you’re selling in person is easy – you can use apps like PayPal and Square (which come with card readers for free) to sell to just about anyone from your smartphone. You can even send them a digital receipt. Online, this is similar – your digital cart will do much better if you have PayPal attached as a way to pay. It does cost a few cents, but that’s part of doing business – there are no other overhead fees with either, just the off-the-top pennies both services take.
BYOD
BYOD can be a pain because it means that everyone’s devices need to be compatible, and your employees need to be educated about how to keep their data (and customer data) safe. Sometimes this means phone and computer upgrades. However, studies have shown that people are more productive when they can use their own devices at work, even if they can use them with a couple of tweaks. It also gives them an opportunity to work at home if necessary, and this can mean more dollars – and more productive workers – in your pocket.
Don’t Be Afraid of Time Tracking Software
There are some sneaky employees out there, and if you suddenly see a drop in productivity or you hire someone new that you don’t trust as much as the others in your office, you can have everyone use a time tracking software. Most of these have other features too, such as project trackers and organizational tools. Timesheet, Timely, and Fanurio are all incredibly affordable (or free) and can put just about any employee on track. Take a look at your business and see what kind of features you might need before investing in any of these products. Keep in mind that they all have different features that may or may not be useful to you.
The Cloud
Despite all of the questionable, celebrity-induced press that cloud services are getting, they are still a strong addition to any office environment. If you want your employees to access files from different computers, from home, and you don’t want to spend the cash on a dedicated server, cloud services may make your office organization a whole lot easier.
Whether you use any of these technologies right now is irrelevant; what’s important is that you start thinking about how technology can and WILL make running your business much smoother and profitable.
