Whether you’re planning a business, you’re setting one up, or you’ve been going for a while and need to grow, tech can often be the catalyst for serious business growth and success.
Whether you’re planning a business, you’re setting one up, or you’ve been going for a while and need to grow, tech can often be the catalyst for serious business growth and success. From reaching new customers to increasing operational efficiency, technology can drastically transform the way you do business, and there are a lot of reasons why you need to stay informed.
What is the role of tech and business moving forward?
Technology is advancing at a rapid rate. Consider that it wasn’t long ago most businesses kept all their accounts using a spreadsheet, or even paper copies of everything. Now we have sophisticated accounting programs that even link directly with POS systems to provide real-time sales data. Also not that long ago, having a website was all it took to get new customers. Now you need technology to target your audience, social media marketing to connect with customers, and other sophisticated systems that handle your marketing campaigns.
These types of technology and many more are growing, expanding, and there are even stunning new bits of tech being developed almost every day. In short, if you don’t pay attention to new business technology, you’re going to get left behind.
Why it’s important to stay up to date with tech
There are plenty of reasons to stay up to date with technology. The great thing is, you don’t need to be technologically-minded yourself. But understanding what’s out there and what it can do for your business is crucial.
Stay relevant and competitive
While your competitors embrace new technology, offering better services and reaching customers more easily, you could be left behind. Without the best technology, you’re always going to be fighting a battle. Whether it is maintaining an industry-standard service or getting noticed through digital marketing channels, if you don’t invest in technology, you can quickly become irrelevant and uncompetitive. Many business battles are fought and won in a digital space, so you need technology on your side.
Operational efficiency
Businesses should always be looking at ways to lower their operational costs while maintaining, or ideally improving, current levels of service. The goal is to do more with less, and technology often provides this. From organising your sales team with a CRM to investing in payroll software, technology can boost your efficiency in so many ways.
Retain customers
Depending on your type of business, technology can play a large role in maintaining customers. Whether it’s creating an app to stay connected to customers or developing a flawless eCommerce system that customers love, you can use technology to retain customers and even attract new ones.
How to capitalise on tech in your business
So, now you know how important tech can be for your business, you probably want to know how to capitalise on its benefits. Here are some great ideas to stay ahead of the game.
Accept the importance of tech
The reality is, technology isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s evolving every day. Technology has changed the business landscape dramatically in the last 20 years, and it continues to move at an incredible rate. Once you accept that you must adapt to changing technology, it becomes an opportunity rather than a hurdle.
Do your research
There are new pieces of technology being developed all the time, so you need to be aware of what’s out there, and what might benefit your business. Where does your business fit into the tech landscape? Do you have the capability to develop technology that others will use, or are you more of an end-user?
The best way to stay connected is by following influential people on social media, listening to business technology podcasts, and reading whatever you can from reputable industry sources.
Stop playing catch-up
Technology moves fast, which means it’s common for businesses to get caught behind. While we don’t suggest spending thousands of dollars on every new technology that becomes available, you should analyse new technology carefully and implement it quickly if that’s your decision. Playing catch-up is frustrating, and it also puts your competitors in front while you’re delaying the inevitable. Stay competitive and embrace the new technology that can really help your business to grow.
