Let’s face it, running a business takes a lot of hard work and also requires wearing many hats if you’re to succeed and become profitable. For example, you’ll need to market your products and services, keep in touch with clients, manage your staff, and ensure that the business stays ahead of your competition at all times. One of the easiest ways to improve your overall productivity and boost your output is by incorporating useful technology that automates crucial tasks in your business.

Here, we describe the top five technologies that will give your new business an edge and dramatically improve your chances of success.

Security tech

Security threats exist left, right, and center irrespective of the niche your business is operating in. Some of the areas where security risks exist include:

Physical boundaries

These are the walls within which your business resides. Properly manning the likely entry points helps prevent undetected intrusion. For small businesses, installation of security cameras and alarm systems will effectively mitigate the physical threats. For large businesses where exit and entry points are busy, personnel identification systems such as fingerprint, biometric, and card authenticators are necessary.

System units

These include the devices you use in the ordinary course of your business such as computers, printers, routers, and servers. The best way to secure them is through the use of strong passwords, monitored access to company computers, and adoption of strong internet firewalls. Additionally, you can synchronize important data to Cloud Solutions to add that extra layer of security in case of accidental data loss.

Financial tech

Any business has to be accountable for its finances in order to streamline its monetary tasks. Financial technologies assist you to manage payrolls, taxes, vendors, creditors and other stakeholders that your business works with. Some of the top apps that you can easily integrate in your system unit include:

QuickBooks

This accounting software assists businesses to monitor activities that relate to sales and expenditure. You can use it to view financial statements including profit & loss reports, invoices, tax deductions, creditors report, and debtors accounts. Another outstanding feature is its ability to link up with multiple sources of finances such as bank accounts, PayPal, and credit cards.

Did you also know that you can use QuickBooks on mobile devices? There’s the QuickBooks Online which synchronizes business data across various devices including mobile handsets.

You can also check out many other related financial tech software available for businesses today including Xero which is another top player and an industry leader alongside QuickBooks. See how Xero compares to QuickBooks here to help you decide which between them best suits your business model.

Communication tech

A business needs to communicate uninterruptedly with customers and other stakeholders that are critical to its operation. Communication apps give your business an edge by:

  • Facilitating better management of your contacts
  • Enhancing meetups with your peers and clients via teleconferencing
  • Managing messages and ad campaigns
  • Automating responses to customers when you’re offline or busy
  • Coordinating team projects by centralizing objectives

Some of the communication technologies that you can quickly adopt include Skype, Outlook, Bots, and social media apps.

Marketing tech

Marketing technologies help you promote your ideas and solutions with the sole aim being to reach your target audience. They also sell your uniqueness in the face of competitors to help your brand stand out. Some of the marketing technologies to consider here include:

Social media

It’s estimated that over 3 billion people worldwide have access to social media platforms. These forums are not only easy to join but also designed to serve all classes of people including businesses. Social media promotes business marketing by:

  • Allowing direct interaction of prospects with business owners
  • Placing ads of products and services
  • Facilitating brainstorming, idea exchanges, and networking

Email providers

Modern businesses have shifted their attention from land-based mailing services to online providers that are more affordable, quicker, and more convenient. Today, most small and medium-sized businesses with limited advertising budgets credit email marketing services for the majority of their profits and recurring income.

Time management tech

Time is the only asset that you cannot afford to lose once your business is on its feet. In the past, watches were the only appliances that people would use to manage time. But today, technology has revolutionized things allowing you to organize your schedule and remain focused on crucial tasks. Here are several handy technologies you can consider when running a business:

RescueTime

This tool tracks and reports the time you spend on your everyday apps. It also allows you to set alert alarms, reminders, and block distracting sites. It works across major operating systems including Linux, Android, Windows, and iOS.

Omnifocus

This task manager assists you in creating and organizing projects in your to-do lists. The app supports synchronization of data across various devices too.

Wrap-up

How are you leveraging technology to improve your business and make it more profitable? Many businesses are now turning to IT support companies to enhance their tech capabilities. We’d love to hear about the tools you’re using and any IT support companies you recommend to make your work easier.