Small businesses can’t afford to ignore technology in this day and age. Whether it’s as simple as getting on social media or as complicated as launching your app, technology offers small businesses opportunities to grow, find new clients, increase revenues, and save you both time and money.
This guide to business technology will point you in the direction of the best apps, platforms, and technology you can use to grow your business.
Digital Marketplaces
Small businesses and self-employed professionals looking to grow their businesses have a major opportunity on digital marketplaces. A digital marketplace is a third-party platform where customers, sellers, and service providers meet.
The marketplace facilitates the transaction, but the most successful ones have a built-in customer base thanks to the features and perks they provide consumers. Building a profile and getting active on a digital marketplace is a low-cost, low-risk way to extend your reach.
There are all kinds of marketplaces for different industries. Uber dominates rideshare marketplaces. Fiverr has turned itself into the go-to marketplace for freelancers.
Even real estate has been introduced to the model, as Toronto-based company Nobul has created a new way for homebuyers and sellers to find real estate agents.
Founder and CEO of Nobul Regan McGee says of the inspiration behind the company “I want to help the millions of people who buy and sell real estate across North America have a good experience and not feel like they’re being ripped off.”
In his interview with Toronto Life, he explains “I want them to feel like they have an outstanding partner in the biggest transaction of their lives.”
That’s the kind of approach to real estate that has attracted both consumers and some of the biggest agencies in real estate. It’s proving to be an effective place for agents to expand their deal flow.
Remote Workplace Tools
If you’re a company with a small or expanding team, retaining and attracting talented people can be a struggle. You may not have the resources to compete when it comes to salary or benefits, but you can provide a level of flexibility not available at other companies.
As big corporations make the office mandatory again, many small and medium-sized companies are leveraging their flexibility to attract those who demand remote work.
Remote work tools include things like cloud storage, communication apps, and cybersecurity tailored for remote work.
Productivity Technology
Productivity tools can help keep you organized and on top of your workflow. The global market for productivity software grew by 17% in 2021 as more companies looked for technology solutions to facilitate remote collaboration and keep everyone on target.
The key to finding the right productivity technology for your organization is identifying where you run into the most problems. Do you have bottlenecks in your process? Do things get forgotten or left behind when you try to manage all of your projects through email alone?
Once you’ve identified the most common issues that come up in your organization, you can tailor your search for productivity software to solve the problem.
Small businesses have a lot to gain from technology. Save time, grow your business, and expand your customer base with the right tools.
