Mom and Pop don’t run their store quite the same way anymore. They’re taking advantage of high-tech innovations that make their business more efficient and productive. This, in turn, leads to higher profits and happier workers. Here’s a look at four of today’s high-tech business trends that Mom, Pop, and all other business owners can use to their advantage.
Cloud Computing
Image via Flickr JD Hancock
Imagine a cloud in the sky that everyone can see, whether they’re in Texas or Timbuktu. That’s the general concept behind cloud computing; you put your information in the cloud and no matter where you go, you – and anyone authorized by you – can see it. But that’s not all. When you join the cloud, you have access to a wealth of cloud-based software that can save you time and money.
Cloud-based software can help your company do the following:
- Collaborate remotely using web-conferencing technology. No need to pick up a phone, download software, or create email attachments.
- Save money by subscribing to low-cost monthly cloud services instead of paying for in-office hardware and software upkeep.
- Back-up and protect data. Many cloud services store data in multiple locations for added protection and peace of mind.
- Get help from professional cloud providers. A cloud service subscription takes a considerable load off the business owner, freeing up time for other entrepreneurial tasks.
Digital Commerce
Once upon a time, we bought the things we needed at the store. If the store didn’t have it, we didn’t buy it. Today’s “store” is the Internet, and it offers a seemingly endless supply of products and services. If you’re a business owner, you can use the Internet to advertise your product, expanding your reach to consumers near and far. Indeed, digital commerce has been a lucrative development for large and small business owners alike.
To maximize your digital commerce profits, it pays to get comfortable with these concepts:
- Web design: Websites exist to attract customers. If web design and SEO aren’t your areas of expertise, you might consider hiring a specialist to help you.
- Mobile optimization: More and more people are using their cell phones to do business. If you don’t optimize your site for mobile, you could lose up to 30 percent of your potential customer base, according to Pew Research.
- Proprietary products: The products and services you offer on your website need to stand out. Cultivating a line of unique, proprietary offerings, in addition to “regular” items, is a great way to do this.
Mobile
Image via Flickr sam_churchill
Mobile technology is a booming trend, and it won’t be disappearing anytime soon. Smartphones help small business owners stay connected with co-workers and customers. They allow CEOs to leave their company’s premises for errands and other activities without fear of missing out on important developments. Best of all, mobile plans tailored specifically for business users are easy to find at sites like businessmobiles.co.uk.
Big Data
As technology expands, we gain more access to big data via emerging analytical tools. “Big data” refers to the practical wisdom we get from extensive stores of information that were once too large to tackle with traditional analysis. Thanks to high-tech algorithms and other advances, massive pools of consumer and business data now take shape and meaning, which in turn helps companies run more efficiently.
Big data provides insight into how businesses can do more with less. It improves “customer intelligence,” a company’s ability to recognize and connect on a personal level with consumers. Paired with the convenience of the smartphone, big data improves the way we do business “on the road” as well as “in the store.” The concept is still relatively new, but the implications for improved business efficiency and productivity are endless.
Technology has taken over Mom and Pop’s store, but that’s not a bad thing. Thanks to innovations like cloud computing, digital commerce, mobile technology, and big data, Mom and Pop can now work smarter, not harder. They can enjoy the benefits of greater efficiency and productivity while staying connected with colleagues and customers. Perhaps they’ll even have enough time to take that vacation they’ve always talked about. Perhaps.