When you are looking to grow your business in 2021, there’s no question that you need to consider digital transformation. Ultimately, no matter if you are thinking of digitalization, cloud technology, or collaboration tools, technology is crucial for your small business to increase agility and productivity.
5 Expert tips to take yoursmall business to the next level
#1: Use Digital Collaboration Tools:
Ever since the new coronavirus pandemic that hit us last year, businesses were obliged to think about remote work
The truth is that many businesses had to close their doors and individuals were advised to stay at home as much as they can. While vaccination is already in place, no one can guarantee this pandemic will be over this year. So, in case you still haven’t taken up some measures, it’s time to do so.
According to a Gartner study, more than 80% of business leaders expect to allow employees to work remotely. Besides, almost 50% of these businesses stated that their employees are already working remotely full time.
When you are looking for ways to keep your employees connected with each other and the business, you need to use video conferencing. Between Slack, Jira, Trello, and Miro, you have plenty of options. In addition, having a document management system may also be a good idea to maintain your employees focused and organized.
#2: Go Paperless:
When you are trying to grow your small business, it’s important to keep in mind that paper is no longer a part of the equation.
According to the UK Government statistics on waste, almost 6 million tonnes of paper and cardboard were wasted in the UK. Not to mention the negative impact on the environment, it is wise to also think about printing costs not to mention the time wasted. So, this means it’s time to change and become paperless. If you are looking to start and you don’t know-how, you can begin by using a document management system as well as an eSignature solution and cloud-based technology that can reduce the need to print or post documents.
#3: Use Cloud-Based Technology:
There’s no question that keeping all your records on paper isn’t good for the environment or for your wallet. The truth is that they are not only a waste of time as they are also a waste of resources. So, you should consider starting using cloud-based technology that enables teams to connect and collaborate remotely and gain access to their work. However, you want to ensure that you have a good document management system in the first place to maintain everything organized.
The reality is that cloud technology provides a scalable way to increase online storage space and makes it easier to share and store files securely without any need to print or email documents. Besides, you will also be preventing unauthorized access to sensitive files.
#4: Deliver Mobile-Friendly Experiences for Customers and Employees:
As a small business owner, you are always looking for ways that you can deliver a good experience to both customers and employees. This means you need to start looking at mobile users as well.
Unfortunately, many small businesses still neglect mobile users. However, you shouldn’t. After all, according to Google, 53% of visits are abandoned if a mobile site takes more than three seconds to load, and 90% of B2B buyers say that they would buy again from a business that offers a superior mobile experience versus 50% of those who report a poor mobile experience.
#5: Make it Easier for Your Sales Team to Negotiate Contracts with Customers:
As a small business owner, you know that you need to have a strong sales team in place. This means that you don’t only need to educate them as you also need to give them the right tools to work.
Overall speaking, reducing contract management pain points provides a better customer experience and enables sales teams to close deals quickly. While you may be using a system that you trust for years, maybe this is the time to change it to ensure that you are faster.
Using an eSignature tool makes it simpler for employees to send and for customers to sign agreements from almost anywhere, for example.
Bottom Line:
In case you haven’t started digital transformation within your business, this is definitely the time to start. It won’t only allow your employees to be more productive as you will end up saving time and money. You may start with this document management system.
