As an entrepreneur, finding new ways to have a huge impact on the success and reach of your business is a continuous challenge. According to entrepreneur.com, however, it’s possible for small business owners to have a large global impact – potentially more so than ever before. This is due largely in part to new technology including call centers, cloud technology, and access to instant communication among much else.
In order to take advantage of the varieties of technologies out there, review the tips compiled below.
1. Utilize the thriving on-demand economy and “generation now” to your benefit
According to entrepreneur.com, the workforce is dramatically changing and there is a large emphasis on the on-demand sector driven by freelancers. This includes food delivery when desired, rides when requested through an app, and small tasks that you need help with randomly, such as a logo design for your business.
Basically, people want things immediately upon request. Entrepreneur.com describes how technology continues to “help to streamline the freelancing marketplace.” There are so many ways that your business can appease this “generation now” such as a live chat service, an off-site call service, or an app to share the most essential aspects of your business.
2. Review analytics
Now more than ever, analytics software is accessible to small business owners due to the “falling cost of technology” as entrepreneur.com outlines. Once your target audience for your business is defined (you can find tips on identifying your target market here), you can determine what they need. Are they clients in need of legal assistance? Are they patients requiring over-the-phone support, but requiring HIPAA compliance on your end?
Once those questions are successfully answered, you can use analytics software – some of which is free such as Facebook’s basic business page analytics – to discover general trends about your target audience. You can see what types of marketing strategies have worked thus far and what needs improvement.
3. Ask for help and input
As a business owner, you will determine productivity goals, but it’s important to be a little flexible. For example, an article by David Filwood, a Principal Consultant for TeleSoft Systems describes, if you have a phone answering service for your company, you could be saving money by rushing people off the phone, but your employees could be stressed and the clients less satisfied.
Delegating work as an entrepreneur can be difficult, but having an answering service as one example of a helpful technology, can be beneficial in terms of taking some of the burden off of you to keep you from constantly redirecting your attention to phone calls. Entrepreneur.com advises you to not “try to be all things for all aspects of your business.” Delegating, even to an answering service, is always an option. It can be helpful for you and clients to have consistency when your phones are answered and have those answering the phones be ready with responses to common questions and a reliable description of your business as answeringservicecare.net describes.
Lastly, technology offers a great opportunity to learn from others by gaining their input. Another article by entrepreneur.com explains the value that comes in customer complaints and general input in terms of defining where certain holes in the customer experience are and what could be improved. Fortunately, technology offers a variety of channels to receive this customer input. Suggestions can be sent through straightforward surveys after a purchase is made. Additionally, with the ever-expanding world of social media, immediate interactions with clients are growing. Customers can ask questions and voice concerns for the whole world to see, giving you an opportunity to make a true difference in customer experience.
Overall, the changing and growing field of technology provides endless opportunities for small business owners and entrepreneurs to succeed, even in the global market! These tips can help you navigate how to best apply the many opportunities to your specific business needs.