Getting tech savvy is the easiest way to keep your business a cut above your competition. For small or new businesses, embracing the latest tech can help you reduce your business costs, keep your staff on board and make your business more efficient to run.
Keyless Entry Systems
Most modern offices have fobs or key cards for entry, but this can end up being a security hazard and an extra expense. Employees losing fobs means you’re always replacing them, and old employees often leave without returning entry cards, meaning they can still access the building.
Instead, use a keyless entry system, which allows staff to swipe into the buildings using just their phones. There are no fobs to lose and replace, and with remote access, you can control who can come and go without having to collect back old fobs. More secure, and cheaper.
Mobile Device Management
Learn about the perks of mobile device management, and see how it could help your business. If your staff use any devices, like laptops, phones or tablets, provided by you, you can manage all these devices remotely to keep them secure and up to date.
You can block particular apps, to keep staff using devices for work only. Send push notifications, and automatically push software or security updates to keep devices working smoothly. If a device is lost or stolen, you can also wipe it remotely.
Social Media Marketing
Any modern marketing mix needs to include a solid social media plan. Embrace social media to reach your customers in another way, and to save some funds on your marketing budget at the same time. Research which platforms you customers use most, and get set up on those platforms. Keep your branding consistent across the different platforms so customers can find and recognise you. Use the same username and a professional looking profile picture like a logo.
Use social media to engage with your customers. Handle customer queries or complaints and ask them to leave comments and reviews. Post regular content and use social media to show off a more human side to your business. Remember not to post personal content, as this account is for your business and not you, but there’s no reason you can’t be a little fun with it. Keep your socials up to date, and embrace the fun, free marketing.
Email Campaigns
There are lots of great tools online that can be used to manage your email list. Gather customer email addresses and split them into interest lists, so you can send hyper targeted mailshots.
Send out regular emails or newsletter to share targeted offers and updates. Just be sure not to send out too many emails, or your customer is more likely to end up feeling annoyed with you than tempted to spend money. Keep them relevant, not spammy and not too often.
Remote Working
In most offices now, at least some of your team are likely to work remotely for at least part of the time. The right technology can make this much easier. With work devices and remote device management already in place, you’re off to a good start to make remote work simple. If more of your team work from home, you can save money by renting a smaller office which will be cheaper to run, with lower bills and less office supplies required.
Provide quality devices like laptops to make sure staff can get online and get their work done without technical issues. Tools like Slack, Whatsapp or Skype mean the whole team can stay in touch throughout the day wherever there are, with some of these even offering screen sharing options for remote meetings or training.
Online file sharing tools like Google Docs and Dropbox are ideal for remote work setups too. You can share files between staff easily and them saved in the cloud where they’re safe and easy to access. Online documents stops any issues that might arise from incompatible software, and with Google, you can even track changes within the documents. You can see which changes were made by who, and can restore old versions of documents if you need to.
Remote work saves on the cost of running an office which is a great advantage, but it can also be a great way to boost staff morale. Working from home offers a better work-life balance for you and your staff, which means less stress and more happiness. Happy staff are more likely to stay with the company, saving you the headache of recruitment. Offering flexible working with remote options is also ideal for staff who have young children, as they can fit work around their childcare requirements.
