It’s getting harder to make ends meet in your business today but it is possible – even if you have had employee cutbacks to still increase productivity. The United States Federation of Small Business and DYMO undertook a survey that showed that because of the downturn in the economy many small businesses are making cuts to stay afloat. To any entrepreneur, this comes as no surprise. Here is a breakdown from the survey of where small businesses are making those cuts:
- 23% of respondents have cut their staff
- 29% of respondents have put a freeze on bonuses and raises
- 36% of respondents have decreased their business travel; marketing efforts fell into the 36% cut category
Even in the midst of all of these cutbacks small businesses know they need to find ways to increase productivity even with a smaller work force. According to the survey, 45% of entrepreneurs are. Owners still need to make sure the work gets done and find ways to make remaining employees more productive. Technology may be the answer to the struggling small business’s dilemma. Remember, while technology can help you be more productive, it’s easy to get drawn into overly-tech solutions that deliver more than you need – or may be able to figure out! There are gadgets galore that make promises of making your business more productive and effective, just make sure they fit your needs and address a true concern that you have.
Here are five places to look at when deciding whether to utilize these new technologies:
- Data Storage. Some small business owners have discovered that their employees spend far too much time searching for forms, reports, or other data. If you find this to be the case in your operation, maybe you need to invest in a network or upgrade your hardware or software that will make it easier for employees to access information with the click of a button rather than by rifling through a filing cabinet.
- Office space needs. Speaking of working from home – why not see if you can free up office space or even
downsize your office operation by letting your employees explore a work from home situation. Offering employees the option to work from home can be a boon to the small business owner. You’d have to make certain those off-site employees had access to the network and keeping in touch with them is certainly something you’d want do and you can do that virtually through online chat rooms or instant messaging. - Customer Relationship Management. Does your business have a contact management system? How do you keep track of your customers? There are several options like Salesforce, Act or Goldmine to keep track of clients and leads. If your business needs to communicate frequently with customers or track of leads, CRM software is worth the investment. CRM technology is a time- and money-saving investment.
- Communications. Maybe a push-to-talk phone would be a quicker option to communicate with offsite employees. True, dialing a phone doesn’t take that long but imagine pushing a button and having almost immediate access! Maybe you could consider routing calls virtually to the employees’ cell phone if they are out on the road or working from home.
- Trade Association membership. As a more-than-viable way to cut operating costs and help raise productivity and help your bottom line, your business should look into participating in a trade exchange association. As a member you’d have access to individuals who can provide goods and services such as computer equipment, office space and even virtual office help if you’re looking to cut back on full time staff. Trade is a way to help a company free up cash for expenses while utilizing trade between service and product providers. It’s possible to trade for office space and even many of the technologies mentioned, thus adding to the savings.
Technology – if utilized wisely – offers small businesses the opportunity to organize data, communicate more effectively with employees, increase productivity and streamline technology. Remember, though, before you write that check for a new technology that you knew exactly