Automation is a major theme for small businesses in 2017. Many of the tasks to operate your business can be scheduled and run automatically through a personal computer. Some of these tasks are ones you don’t have time for, but are just as important as paying bills or stocking shelves.
Technology, in the form of applications and cloud-based services, have evolved to operate every aspect of your business with very little time or data entry coming from you. Essentially, these are tasks you set up and simply walk away from, knowing they will be done. The key here is that technology will save you time and money.
Below is our list of 4 technologies that will benefit your company in 2017. It’s focused on automation and productivity that small businesses should take advantage of in order to compete and grow over the next year.
1. Inventory Management
Tracking your stock through an inventory management system can affect your bottom line. Unaccounted for inventory reduces sales opportunities, increases losses, and disrupts your cash flow. Automated inventory systems are quick and easy to use, while offering real-time reporting for multiple store locations and warehouses. Not all inventory management systems are the same. Do your research to find the best fit for your company.
2. Marketing Automation
Applications and managed services can help you capture information about your customers and execute marketing activities without the need to hire someone. These cost-effective solutions do more than send emails and provide social media updates. They trigger specific actions to customer responses and create segmented messages according to your customer’s purchasing habits. Because of automated marketing systems, small business owners have fewer reasons for not marketing to their current and potential customers.
3. Cloud-Based Applications
The list of advantages for moving to cloud-based solutions are greater for small businesses than ever before. Cloud-based solutions offer the latest in cyber-security, protecting your business and customers’ personal data. These solutions are flexible and scalable to your business needs. You can customize many of the features for your specific needs and pay for what you use. Also, the cloud provides accessibility and redundancy of data, so you can access your data from anywhere without the worries of ever losing it.
4. Mobile Devices
Smartphones and tablets are everywhere. More than 6 billion people used a mobile device last year and they know how they work. This makes training employees on mobile devices much easier.
Brick and mortar stores aren’t going anywhere, regardless of the growth in online shopping. It’s the shopping experience people want and mobile devices contribute to a more positive experience. Mobile devices, such as tablets, are great for your point of sale. Your salespeople are encouraged to step away from the counter and interact more with the customers. One great example of this is the Apple Store, where customer service reps are in the aisles, processing purchases before people change their minds.
There’s Proof These Work
During the last decade, these technologies were exclusive to large corporations with thousands of employees. Enterprise resource management software combined multiple departments into one portal for employees to access and share data.
Today, the evolution of these technologies has been fitted to small and mid-sized businesses. Application developers are customizing cloud-based services into cost-effective tools for PCs in the backroom and mobile devices on the sales floor. These new technologies allow a more level playing field when competing in a global environment.