Posted by Paul Anderson
Four tech-driven strategies to help SMBs expand their business
Business growth comes with a price – a statement that was true until the introduction of corporate technology. Confused? Read further-
Why do I say corporate technology?
Gone are the days when business growth and expansion was solely depended on capital investment. Recent technological spates have come as a blessing in disguise for the organizations. This is especially true for the small and medium-sized enterprises who have always kept their expansion on hold due to financial constraints.
There are technological ways in which SMBs have expanded their small business. Of course when I mean technological ways, I do not mean purchasing a new system but rather inexpensive ways of embracing technology and tech-based services to help with business expansion.
Enlisted below are four tech-driven strategies to help expand a business:
1. Cloud has a silver lining
When cloud got introduced, people were quick to mock it for many reasons. However, the reality has been totally contrasting. Today, cloud stands firmly as the most-trusted and adopted technological investments. Experts have time and again described the benefits of cloud that has further substantiated the fact – cloud isn’t going away and in fact, it will continue to expand into more services and niches in the time ahead.
Cloud has turned to be a fantastic means of expanding a business. By opting for a cloud-based application development, business entrepreneurs can benefit from applications that serve many needs such as invoicing, marketing, finances, and so on. Many SMB owners prefer cloud due to its effective data backup and synchronization features which are highly cost-effective compared to on-site data services.
2. Mobile is the way
Every enterprise spends a ton of time and money on designing and developing a website that shows off the products and/or services. However, all the hard work goes down the drain, if the site is not mobile-friendly.
Analyzing the present trends, it is quite evident that customers use their smartphones to browse the web. Considering this behavior, it has become imperative for all enterprises to ensure their availability over the mobile. This is precisely why having a mobile-friendly version of the site should be #1 priority of all SMB owners.
Once it’s done, developing a mobile app for the business should follow. After all, today, the easiest way for customers to interact with companies (when not face-to-face) is through their smartphones and tablets. Mobile app can help SMBs to reach out to prospective clients and let them access information about the products/services.
3. Discard the old register
Many large businesses have opted for iPad and Android-based register systems. These are comparatively much beneficial to the old register systems. By integrating to a tablet-based POS, small enterprises can tap into the younger client market which is essential for business growth. And furthermore, opting for iPad and Android-based register systems has a lower upstart cost too.
4. Build a social media presence
Socializing has become a crucial component for every business. Social streams such as Facebook and Twitter have gone beyond to just being a place for posting personal updates and life’s snapshots. Businesses big and small are capitalizing on these mediums to connect to possible clients and other businesses.
Tip: While there are no two ways about the effectiveness of each social media channel, SMBs can give a slight more emphasis upon LinkedIn and Youtube. According to the current statistics, these two channels are riding the wave of maximum social media popularity; which is why many large and small enterprises have already build an impressive LinkedIn profile and own Youtube channel.
