Running a business is a costly endeavor. Business owners need to make smart decisions and spend their money where it is most needed. That said, many business owners are hesitant to spend on technology. The truth of the matter is that making sure your business is technologically up to speed will save you money in the long run by allowing you to accomplish more in less time. Here’s how you can update your business technology today:
Automate Tasks that Limit Productivity
Many small businesses can’t afford to hire a full-time receptionist who will only be tied to the front office all day. When you are just starting out, you want to make sure you’re hiring the most efficient and effective people who accomplish the most in a day. Instead of hiring a dedicated person to man your front desk, consider getting a digital receptionist app. Greetly is one such app that can welcome visitors to your office, notify you of their arrival, and print visitor badges. All this is done with just a few taps on an iPad.
With a digital receptionist app like greetly.com, everyone on your team is free to focus on other, value-added tasks and to be productive in areas where they are needed the most. There are plenty of other apps like Greetly that can streamline your business workflow and make your team more effective and efficient.
Run the Latest Operating System
Older operating systems have potential security flaws that make them vulnerable to cybercrime attacks. Hackers can easily spot these flaws and take advantage of them, exposing your systems to malware and other attacks. It’s not enough to run your antivirus and antispyware programs if your operating system itself is already weakened. Make sure that you are running the latest available operating system, and update it regularly.
Investing in a new operating system may seem like an unnecessary expense, but it is well worth the investment to keep your information and your systems secure.
Update Your Hardware
Because new technology is constantly being developed, existing technology can become outdated fairly quickly these days. For hardware that is five years old or older, you may already have a difficult time finding drivers that can support new operating systems and applications. This leads to all sorts of compatibility issues which can be frustrating to resolve.
Inadequate RAM is a major issue for most older computers. Browsers typically need a lot of memory to run efficiently, and because many employees tend to have a browser open at all times along with other programs, a computer with insufficient RAM will run very slowly, decreasing your employees’ productivity.
You might think you’re saving money by holding on to old machines, but the truth is that they cost more maintain due to upgrades and repairs. You’re better off letting them go and investing in devices that meet your RAM needs.
Digitize Your Documents
More and more companies are going paperless these days, choosing in favor of online file storage solutions like Google Drive and Box. By creating, scanning, uploading and storing your files online, you can have access to them from anywhere at any time. Collaborating with your colleagues and employees on files is easier than ever when they can be easily accessed on the cloud.
Maintain a Reliable Network
A poor connection not only decreases your productivity, but it can also make you vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Invest in an optimized network connection that enables you to do your work quickly and efficiently, and that protects you against unwanted breaches.
You may need to invest some money into updating your business technology. But these upgrades will quickly pay for themselves by improving your workflows and making you and your employees more effective and efficient.
