Technology can help your business get ahead. Seemingly every year, or even more often than that, new products and services become available that can potentially do a lot for you. If you’re trying to get ahead in a crowded niche, you need to consider these options since you should utilize every potential advantage you have.
We’ll look at some different technology examples that can help your business right now. If you’re not using some of these yet, you should look into them before much more time passes.
The Zero-Trust Model
The zero-trust model is technology working for you, and many companies are going with it these days. Some individuals also call the zero-trust model perimeter less security. This is a way to set up and use your IT systems that makes data breaches and hacker attacks a lot less likely.
Since there are more hacker attacks than ever before, you should look into setting up zero trust for your company. Achieving zero trust usually takes 2-3 years. However, you will usually find that it’s well worth it, especially if you have a remote workforce or you’re using the hybrid model where some of your employees work in a particular location while others clock in from different locales.
With the zero-trust model, you’re setting up and using technology that will verify all communication and users within your network. You can more easily track who’s using your software suite at any given time. You can see the information that your users exchange, and you can make sure you don’t lose any clients because of a breach that will potentially damage your company’s reputation.
If you decide to put the zero-trust model in place, you’ll need to inform your IT department that you want to go in that direction. They will need to help you put the framework in place unless you hire an outside entity to do it.
A CRM Setup
CRM stands for customer relations management. You can set up a CRM system that can help both you and your potential clients, and it will not take very long or cost very much, either.
This system will help you analyze, organize, and manage client information. You can put it in place, and it will help you find new customers even as it strengthens your relationships with current ones.
HubSpot and Salesforce are examples of CRM setups. These are cloud-based platforms you can use for enhanced customer interactions.
Online Data Storage Options
Online data storage is another technology form that your company might want to use. In the past, you would need to employ in-house servers for the same tasks that an online data storage option can do for you. Now, you don’t need those servers, so you save both money and space.
Google Drive and Dropbox are a couple of examples. Many small or medium-sized businesses like these options. You can keep all of your data exclusively cloud-based with them. Team members can access this data at any time, in any location, with various devices.
Even if you do decide to keep an in-house server, you can still back up your data to the cloud if you feel like you need an extra protection layer. If something ever happens to your server, you can recover all your data quickly and easily.
Financial Management Tools
Financial management tools make up a technological area that’s probably more necessary than anything else on this list. If you want a company to thrive, you need to keep very careful track of your finances. If you don’t, the IRS could start breathing down your neck when tax time comes around.
Accounting software does not cost all that much if you get a simple, easy-to-use system. Something like Intuit QuickBooks is an option. There, you can track your business expenses and break down where you might need to cut corners or tighten up your spending.
You can also manage employee payroll using one of these tools. You might go to a free option like Wave if you need to bill your customers but don’t want to pay a whole lot for the software.
Aside from the technology forms we’ve mentioned so far, your company might want to look into things like project management software and AI. More businesses than ever use them these days since AI can offer insights, while project management software should enable you to keep an eye on your employees and the tasks you’ve assigned them.