Small Businesses Must Utilize Technology to Deliver a Personal Touch
In many ways, for small businesses that can utilize it, technology is the great equalizer between a start up and a larger company. It lowers the cost of lead and contact acquisition dramatically and allows a small business to reach a targeted audience quickly and efficiently. However, a small business needs to remember that technology is a tool to deliver personal service and not simply a tool to send sales pitches to more and more leads. While unsolicited email can generate leads, personal service and quality products build loyal and repeat customers.
The sales cycle for most business starts with finding an audience in the niche in which the business is operating. The business must then reach out to that audience. Larger businesses can use traditional advertising and let the potential customers come to them. But a small business is unlikely to have the resources to do this from the start. This is where technology can be extremely beneficial to a start up or young small business.
By using information technology, the small business owner can narrowly identify potential customers in their niche. Then, using email, the small business can contact these potential customers at little to no cost. This type of targeted and narrow advertising can be done in a way that appears very personal. But while sending unsolicited emails to potential clients is a great way to reach a focused, targeted audience, it is only the beginning.
To convert a lead or a contact into something more requires more than technology; it requires the personal touch to be continued through the sales cycle. Here again, technology can help. A small business owner can call and verify that the product or service is meeting expectations. A small business owner can personally follow up with an email survey to identify and address problems. In other words, a small business can deliver personal attention using technology that is impossible for a larger company to match. This personal touch can be the differentiator that allows the small business to wow their customers and convert contacts into advocates who will carry the sales message to their circle of influence.
About the Author: This guest post is contributed by Amy Gardner, who writes on the topic of small business credit cards resource . Amy welcomes your comments at her email id: amy.gardner20-AT-gmail.com
Photo Credit: the Comic Shop
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Why IT Solutions and Software are a Necessity for Your Business
It would not be an exaggeration to say that all the most profitable businesses have one thing in common; technology plays an integral role in their success. No matter which industry, be they technology related or otherwise, all successful businesses have found that keeping with the times and integrating a technological based core to their every day practices have helped them grow and thrive. This is because it is impossible to complete tasks efficiently without the correct IT solutions and software in place. Read more
4 Ways Small Businesses Can Creatively Cut Technology Costs
Out with the old and in with the new. The philosophy we often apply to spring-cleaning works just as well for starting or maintaining a successful small business.
More often than not, small businesses come to a point when its time to leave behind old business practices to stay on par with budget. And chances are, your small business needs to get creative at finding ways to cut back monthly operation costs.
So reconsider practices you thought you needed, and take a closer look at what is necessary for the business’ success. Make room for new best practices that can reduce costs, without reducing your ability to work successfully or service your customers properly.
Out: Leasing office space
In: Virtual offices
There is something thrilling about having an actual office to go to; nothing says “legitimate” like an office. But if you’re trying to conserve cash, pass on leasing office space in favor of some thrifty alternatives.
Have everyone work virtually from home. There’s no cost for the space, and you can use online services to store and share documents, creating a de facto network for the organization. You’ll also save on many of the things you don’t think of at first, such as office furniture and decorating expenses.
If you feel you need an office that’s separate from your home, see if you can sublet space from another company in your area. With all the downsizing that’s occurred recently, especially in service-oriented businesses, many companies could be paying for empty space.
You can also look into common office space – the type where several organizations share certain resources, such as a common lobby, conference rooms and admin support – while occupying different offices.
Out: Business phone systems
In: Smart phones and virtual phone services
Smart phones are rapidly replacing land lines among consumers. In fact, a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows 25 percent of U.S. households are cell phone-only homes. And now the technology exists to move business phones in the same direction.
Virtual phone services for small business allow businesses to overlay an entire business phone system on top of any working phone number – including a mobile number.
When you sign up for a virtual phone service you are assigned a phone number (which will become your “business” number). Usually you can choose between a toll-free or local phone number. The service provides business-oriented features such as a virtual receptionist to greet callers and direct them to the right people, the ability to assign extensions to different people in the company (even if those people don’t work in the same building), enhanced voicemail, smart call forwarding and more.
Each of the extensions can be linked to your employees’ own mobile and/or home phones, saving on the cost of phone equipment. Anyone on the system can initiate a conference call, and in some cases bring in as many people as they want. All of this functionality comes for a monthly fee that’s often less than the price of one land line – and with no added cost for equipment or technicians to run it.
Out: New computers
In: Used or refurbished PCs and laptops
OK so this one’s more “out with the new and in with the old,” but it’s an idea that can save your small business money up-front. While everyone loves a bright, shiny new PC, most small business owners really don’t need all that processing power. Take a look at what you want the computer to do. If you’re planning to use it with basic office applications such as word processors and spreadsheets, send and receive email, and surf the Internet, a used or refurbished PC will likely work just fine.
You can purchase used or refurbished computers online at a significant discount. Many of these computers are units that have come off-lease from large corporations, so you know they should have the core capabilities and speed you need.
If you need to share files or resources with one or more co-workers, you can build simple file and print sharing networks with used wireless routers or low-cost devices available at local retailers. Or you can use an online file storage service that allows you to access files from any computer, anywhere you can get an Internet connection.
Out: One-task wonders
In: Multi-purpose tools
Look around your office or through the applications on your computer. How many things do you own that have only one function? Can that function be performed by something else?
A fax machine is a good example of a piece of office equipment that is only capable of performing one task. All it does is send and receive faxes. Yet there it sits, costing you money for a dedicated phone line, paper, toner, even the power to keep it running and ready to receive an incoming fax.
You can eliminate almost all of those additional costs by moving to an Internet fax service that allows you to send and receive faxes on your PC or smart phone. Not only will this keep a little more green in your wallet, it also adds convenience since you can send and receive faxes anywhere you can get an Internet connection.
When it comes down to the software you are using to run your small business, consider a pay-as-you or Web-based service model – also known as the “cloud.” With this model you pay a small monthly fee rather than buying the software up-front, and you still gain access to feature-laden applications that are normally found only in expensive packages.
For example, for roughly $10 per month you can access services that help you design, manage, send and track promotional emails to your customer and prospect lists. With these services you can build high-value email campaigns that look like they were created by high-priced professionals, but were actually created by you.
Cutting costs doesn’t have to mean compromising on quality or usefulness. In fact, the ideas above will actually help you work faster, better and more efficiently.
Take a look around your office and see how a little “out with the old, in with the new” thinking can help you work smarter – and keep more cash in your coffers.
About the Author: Steve Adams is the vice president of marketing for Protus, a provider of communications tools for small-to-medium-businesses and enterprise organizations, including the MyFax internet fax service; my1voice, a virtual phone service; and Campaigner, an e-mail marketing service. He can be reached at sadams@protus.com.
Photo Credit: batega
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Technology, New Media, and Your Business
I’m happy to have Robert Tuchman, author of Young Guns: The Fearless Entrepreneur’s Guide to Chasing Your Dreams and Breaking Out on Your Own
The 1990s are over. No longer do we exchange 800 numbers—now, only URLs. URLs are the 800 numbers of the 1900s. You have got to work through the Internet—there is no way to step on it or go around it.
You Need a Web Presence
The first step is to build a website for your company. Your website must display the concept of who you are to the external world—and it has to compel them to come inside.
When building a website, take advantage of those looking for jobs in our poor economy: hire a young, driven web designer who is looking for a shot at success. All you need is a clear sense of the image and feel you want your site to convey to said designer. Once the site is established, keep it updated and always look to improve it.
A well done website can make your five-cent lemonade stand look like Country Time. Emphasize the fact that you can offer better services than some of your competitors (who are probably extremely large, impersonal corporations).
Web Communication Strategy
Building a website is an absolute must—as you cannot be taken seriously without it—but it should not suck up all the energy and resources that you have. Today’s amazing capacity for communication makes extraordinary new things possible for you and your business.
If you concept is solid, your timing is right, and your commitment to your core idea is unshakeable, you can make big things happen with your website, and make them happen quickly. But as with any other communications medium available to your business—free or paid—the message has to be crafted carefully, the resources invested wisely, and the potential and actual payoff evaluated closely.
Focused Communication with Customers
Your customers are, right now, communicating and connecting in ways that you could not possibly have imagined a few years ago. If you want to sell to them, find out what they are doing.
Make connections with your prospects and customers, both in person and online! Find out what they are doing in the virtual world—tap into their world of Blackberries, iPods, and any other realms that seem appropriate. Listen and learn all that you can about what is going on. By doing this you can identify powerful new ways to launch and promote your business and to target its message.
Don’t Forget Social Media
Check out Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Linked In and other virtual networking sites. Make a profile!
Be conscientious with the information you display and the person you portray. Making an appealing profile on a popular a site as Facebook and Twitter can facilitate thousands of connections, and thus potential business opportunities.
Do this after your company website is complete (–now you can set up a system of link-backs!).
The Power of SEO
Once your website is established, and the concept solidified, you must make sure that your site is ranked at the top of the search engines of Google and Yahoo.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is not an exact science—but there are already thousands of companies that are willing to bring you to the top of Google and Yahoo.
Make sure your website contains SEO-friendly text and link it with buying strategies that will help your site’s ranking.
Leveraging New Media
New ideas you come up with involving new media may not require much capital. For example, writing a weekly article for an e-newsletter costs nothing—and is extraordinarily beneficial when distributed to those in your potential customer base.
In addition to working up the appeal of your own corporation, you can also gain inside information on your competitors with the Internet—start with your competitors’ own websites.
Then, check out their Facebook and Twitter pages—see what they are offering to their potential clients. This will give you an upper hand when negotiating with someone choosing between your corporation and another.
Understand Generational Differences
Finally, know that your future customer base will include a younger generation who finds it in their second nature to use the Internet and e-mail.
It is essential that you understand that their first instinct is to email, rather than meet in person or talk on the phone. Make an effort to reach them via the medium they are most comfortable with—as they are, in fact, your future customers.
In Closing
The Internet is so sufficiently advanced that it seems to be nearly indistinguishable from magic. But do not be weary. The transport of word, of mail, of human voice, and of shining image—in this century, as in last, our greatest accomplishments still have the sole aim of bringing people together in community. The Internet is the means to bring people, communities, and corporations together now.
Robert Tuchman is the founder and president of Manhattan-based TSE Sports & Entertainment . He has been quoted as a leading authority in sports business by publications including USA Today, The New York Times and BusinessWeek.
Robert also is the author of Young Guns: The Fearless Entrepreneur’s Guide to Chasing Your Dreams and Breaking Out on Your Own
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