Tools Of The Trade: I.T. Systems For A Small Business

When it comes to making sure your business is I.T. ready, what do you think that means? Having the right computer? That’s a tiny part of it. Sure, we need to be running our I.T. systems as fast as we can to make everything speedy and efficient. But what tools do you need to give your business an edge?

Tool One: The Cloud

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Put simply; it is a storage system that is used over servers instead of using computer hardware.

Moving your business over to the cloud has many pros.

1. Reducing your need to upgrade your hardware to go with the latest trends, it proves very cost effective.
2. When the servers are not used the system will scale down. This saves energy and helps reduce the business carbon footprint.
3. When compared to a typical computer, the cloud can store much more data. This will help alleviate concerns relating to memory.
4. The cloud is an instant document recovery tool.
5. Cloud service suppliers and I.T. Support companies offer flexible backup and recovery options.
6. Integrating the system is easier when it comes to upskilling employees and utilizing master data management, so it reduces waiting times and makes the business more profitable.

Tool Two: CRM

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CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. It is a system you can integrate into your office hardware. It allows an organization to take advantage of the data that they collect. Software that focuses on CRM will be able to track sales, locate trends, and automate many of the interactions that take place on a daily basis. Many companies now use these platforms to allow their business to use a system of integrated applications. Doing this has benefits including:

1. It automates many back office functions related to technology, services, and human resources.
2. More efficient time management.
3. Reducing admin tasks by organizing everything into one place.
4. Better client lead generation.
5. If you need to stretch your workforce more than you can afford to, this proves to be a great tool.
6. It reduces costs because the data is centralized.

Tool Three: Blogging Software

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A way of communicating your business with your client base on an internal and external basis. Using blogging software is a great way to personalize your business. While it is commonplace for businesses to have a blog, there are definite advantages to having one:

1. It encourages more custom and more business contacts, giving your company a face to the name.
2. They are easy to set up. You can get a blog setup and online as fast as it takes to type it.
3. More outreach.
4. An increased sense of community can be achieved with a blog, both on the business side and the personal side.
5. Blogs have the benefit of being personable. Having a blog coming from one person will help to establish a bond between reader and company.

If you don’t have any of these tools, they would be an asset to any small or medium sized company. If you haven’t taken advantage of using these, then now would be a time to start using the tools of the trade.