technology

technology

The new year is just around the corner.  Which means, it’s a great time for you to think about things you want to improve upon in your life.  If you’re a business owner, you should consider what technologies exist that you’re not using.  And then take full advantage of those.  Because your business isn’t like the business next door, the approach you take might be very different.  But at the base of it all, there are a few technologies that continue to grow each day.  Which means, you should be taking full advantage of these, if you aren’t already.

VoIP

VoIP isn’t even a new technology, but it’s one that constantly gets better.  Using an old-school phone service is very ancient, but it’s also probably costing you a ton of money.  As I write this, I am doing an online course which takes advantage of VoIP.  It’s a much more practical way to communicate with people.  If you’re unsure which is the best option for you, check out Tom’s Guide for more information.  Some of his picks are geared towards personal use but might work for your business as well.

slack logo

Instant Messaging

No, I’m not talking about MSN Messenger, but that type of technology is something that you should be using now.  Using a modern instant messaging tool will allow you to have access to real-time communication.  But it will also give you features such as voice chat, video chat, file sharing and so much more. This type of technology can go a really long way and change the way you communicate at work.  There are a ton of great new tools available, so you’ll have to do some research, but you won’t be disappointed. You might want to consider Slack.  It has a free and a paid version and literally offers you everything that you could ever dream of.

Text Messaging

Like instant messaging, this isn’t new technology.  But you might not be using text messages for work-related reasons.  That’s not to say that you don’t send text messages to your friends and family, but now you can do it with co-workers, clients and even prospective clients.  I love it when an organization that I’m doing business with says – send me a text message.  It’s just so much easier.  Maybe I’m lazy, but I hate making calls that I don’t have to.  The nice thing about this is that all you need is a smartphone.  And most people have those for work nowadays, anyway.

productivity

Live Chat

If you want your company to excel, you will need to provide a high-quality customer service experience at all times.  This is easier said than done, but there are many things you can do to make your life easier.  Such as live chat.  Live chat allows any visitor to your website to get in touch with a customer service representative. This is often more efficient than providing support via email or phone.  Chat.io offers a product starting at $10/month/teammate, which is actually quite reasonable.  So you are potentially saving some money on this one.

Appointment Scheduling Software

You probably experience a lot of frustrations when it comes to making and keeping appointments.  I experience this in my personal life, which means it can become amplified from a business perspective.  If you find yourself unable to stay on top of all your appointments, you need to implement some appointment scheduling software next year.  This will definitely help your business in more ways than you can imagine.  There are a ton of apps out there that will help you schedule your work life a bit better.  This particular review lets you compare the products and it also gives you information around cost and links to their prospective websites.