Using Technology To Stimulate Profitability and Growth

Using Technology To Stimulate Profitability and Growth

Your business' daily operations determine how profitable, scalable, and sustainable it is for the long term. Companies in all stages of business from start-ups to established brands all have similar recipes for success - have a great product, efficient operations, and a growing customer base.

The advances in technology make it much easier to hone business operations into a manageable and trackable system. There are software applications specifically engineered to help all types of businesses streamline operation, speed up transaction times, and provide ways for continued contact with the customers. With all the tools and technology available to help businesses grow, many small businesses or self employed business owners are still not adapting to the new technologies.

Steep upfront cost and learning curves are the main reasons we see small businesses fail to adapt new technologies - and too often it is based on assumptions. Business owners may not even look into technologies available because the think they can't afford new software to run their business.
Fortunately, the mindset of software companies has evolved over the years to offer small or no up-front fees and a monthly fee for the software. With a monthly fee pricing structure (often referred to as SAS or software as a service), businesses can use the software to improve their business operations and increase their profitability by saving time, keeping track and taking payments, improving communication with customers, increasing data security, and increasing conversions by simplifying the transaction/registration process.

When looking for business software, there are a few things we realized that were important to finding the right provider. First, have a clear understanding of what you need. Most small businesses have similar needs, but each is different. What would make your business run smoother? It may be online recurring payments, customer management, e-commerce components, or online registration. Second, clearly define what you want your role to be. You got into business to make money doing something you enjoy and are good at - so spend more time doing that and less time on the administration of the business. The right business tools and software can allow you to do just that. Third, start investing time in things that are important. So many tasks that occupy our time and attention are things we consider to be urgent and pressing. Defining what is urgent and what is important will help you decide where to best spend your energy and resources. A small business owner has to wear a lot of different hats and take on a lot of different roles. As the business owner, you ultimately decide how those roles are handled. Don't neglect the important things such as attention to customers, marketing, or staying aligned with the companies vision and core values because of the minutia of the day to day operations. Our best advice to small business owners is this - every business function can be optimized if you use the right business tools, so find the tools that work for you, and get back to doing the things that you enjoy. You and your customers will notice.

About the Author: Jackrabbit Technologies is a business management software company offering industry specific business management tools, such as their dance class software, Jackrabbit Dance.