The tech tool options for your business are numerous. While making your tech budget for 2016, keep in mind these three tools that can make the most impact on any part of your business, from your customers to your employees to your monthly cash flow.
The Cloud
There are two main functions of the cloud, and your company probably needs both. The first is cloud storage. You need to back up all of your images and important documents, so you don’t run the risk of losing them all. While external hard drives can be useful, they don’t protect against fires, natural disasters or theft. However, the cloud ensures that your documents are safe and accessible from anywhere with an Internet connection, no matter the physical circumstances in your office.
The other function of the cloud is cloud computing. This is a customer, employee and operations computer program written for a specific industry or type of business. It can be anything from a computer-based system for managing inventory to a call center to a microsite. If you can’t find a computing solution, there are a ton of cloud computing software companies that can help you build one.
Accounting
Trying to navigate accounting alone can be daunting, confusing and easier to hand off to a professional. But knowing the nitty-gritty information of your company’s financial health is crucial, so if you’re going to upgrade any part of your standard business tech this coming year, take a good hard look at your accounting software. Online accounting software, like Sage One, makes it easy for business owners to keep track of their accounting, bookkeeping and financials without needing to be an expert. This software provides easy invoicing and built-in reports that help you know where your business stands. It also never hurts to take that class in accounting at the local college or getting advice from a professional as well.
Email Marketing
You need to be reaching out to your customers on a regular basis via email to stay current and engaged. Anyone who has had enough interest in your company to give you a business card or sign up for your email list wants to hear from you. You’re not annoying them; you’re offering them something. Let them know about your company’s philanthropic efforts, offer them a private sale or give them a special gift with another purchase. Offer season’s greetings and build a rapport that’s more than just advertisements from a faceless corporation.
This doesn’t mean you have to personalize every email, though. It just means you need to craft your emails in a way that feels inclusive and personal. Check out high-quality brands you admire as well as your competition and sign up for their email lists. Note how they communicate with their audiences. Look at their emails to their customers on your computer and your phone. What are they doing right? What would you change? Inc has a great list of different email marketing tech tools to help you craft one of your own and track its success.
From cloud capabilities to accounting software and an email marketing tool, these are three tech tools your business needs today.
