Computers have become an integral part of our lives and are already a large part of how we buy things. Before a new client books an appointment or comes to your store, often they will look at your website first. We are more and more likely to look online than in a business directory and people are becoming more comfortable with buying online. Keeping up is an important part of running a successful business. Here are a few ways technology can help you:

 

BankLink

BankLink is a software program that allows your accountant to access your transaction records electronically. It means you don’t need to provide your transaction records to your accountant and can save you a lot of time, especially if you have multiple bank accounts with multiple institutions. You might also save on accounting fees as often the accountant will have to spend less time on data entry.

If you are interested in BankLink, contact us or check out their website.

 

FaceTime

FaceTime is an app on the IOS that easily lets you make video calls. This is a great tool for clients that are based a fair distance from your business or that don’t have a lot of time for appointments. It’s more personal than a regular phone call and, particularly with new clients, puts a face to a voice.

You can find the app here

 

Tablets

Tablets such as iPads can be a very powerful  tool for your business. Here are some great ways to use them:

• – Show product ranges to clients that want special orders without having to flip through a big book.
• – Keep your client comfortable by having meetings over coffee or lunch but still have all the information you need at hand.
• – Helping with sales pitches for travelling salespeople
• – Keeping your boardroom meeting organised and paperless
• – Organising your warehouse. Because of the scanning technology that’s part of most tablets, you can keep your warehouse bar-coded and catalogued with the right software, saving you manual labour and keeping errors to a minimum.

 

Social Media

Is your business on Facebook? Are you a B2B without a Linked In profile? Social media can be a great supplement to your marketing campaign by allowing you to connect with potential customers at low cost.

Facebook and Linked In are essential for most businesses and a blog and Twitter account are very useful too. Make sure you dedicate time ever week to keeping it updated so people stay interested in your page.

 

Mobile Sites

Many businesses are finding that a growing portion of their web traffic comes from people on mobile devices. Making your site compatible with mobiles will help potential customers choose you, particularly when they’re on the road. Your business may even benefit from an app, especially if your website already has a log in service.

 

The information in this document reflects our understanding of existing legislation, proposed legislation, rulings etc as at the date of issue. In some cases the information has been provided to us by third parties. While it is believed the information is accurate and reliable, this is not guaranteed in any way. Any advice in this publication is of a general nature only and has not been tailored to your personal circumstances. Please seek personal advice prior to acting on this information.