Keeping up to date with IT and tech is an enormous challenge for business owners as it is constantly changing and can be complex. It is important that a business owner stays current with modern technology, though, as it can be used in so many innovative, exciting, and productive ways, whether this is to streamline the business, improve quality, make work easier for the staff, or reduce costs, to name just a few uses.
The beginning of the year is always a good time to address your IT and tech needs, so here are a few tech upgrades to consider which could help your business in many ways:
Cybersecurity Upgrades
First, you need to make sure that you have high-quality protection in place against digital threats. As if the pandemic has not caused enough challenges for businesses, it has also led to a sharp increase in cyber attacks, so businesses need to consider their cybersecurity. A few worthwhile upgrades might include:
- Password managers
- VPN
- Firewall
- Antivirus software
- External backups
Remote Working Tools
Many businesses have employees working remotely right now and could continue even once the pandemic has ended because it can bring so many benefits, including lower costs, improved staff morale, and the ability to hire people regardless of their location. In order for businesses to work effectively, you will need to have remote working tools that can help to overcome the challenges that WFH can bring. A few tools that could help your business and employees to thrive while remote working include:
- Cloud computing
- Screen sharing software
- Screen recording software
- Webcams
- Remote project management software
Process Automation
Automation is starting to become common across many industries and is proving that humans and automation can co-exist peacefully. Automating simple, repetitive tasks can speed these processes up and reduce errors while freeing up time for your staff to focus on other areas, so it is certainly worthwhile seeing what processes you have that could simply be automated and this could make a big difference to the business in a few different ways.
Use Data Analytics
If you are not using data analytics for your business then you are holding yourself back and making it much harder to improve your business. Data analytics enables a business to understand the best areas of the business to improve by identifying patterns, trends, and behaviors which allows you to make informed strategic decisions that remove risk. This can transform your business because you can take action which will lead to positive results each time and spot areas to improve which could have been difficult to otherwise identify.
Use Energy-Efficient Equipment
In 2021, business owners really need to be taking strong steps to reduce their environmental impact and it is when everyone plays their part that positive results will be seen. Switching to energy-efficient equipment and appliances is a smart way to reduce your environmental impact while also reducing your energy costs. You could take even stronger action by using solar power, which can be at a cost upfront but helps you to make enormous savings and will allow you to position yourself as a green company (something that appeals greatly to modern-day consumers).
Use An Email Signature Manager
In today’s day and age, emails are the most common form of communication – the average employee sends as many as 1,000 emails every single month. In order to make your emails stand out and to leave a lasting impression on recipients, having high-quality, stylish, and professional-looking email signatures will help and could even drive further success. Using the services of an email signature manager is smart and will help you to make the most of this valuable space which will be seen by people every single day.
Add A Chatbot To The Company Website
Businesses can gain a competitive edge if they are able to provide instant, 24/7 customer service. This is obviously a huge challenge for your team, but a chatbot can automate customer service and often solve queries immediately. People will often have questions when visiting a company website and if these are not answered swiftly then you will lose out to the competition, so a chatbot should help to increase conversions and keep your customers happy even in out-of-office hours.
Managed IT Services
IT systems are the foundation of most businesses as they are relied on constantly throughout the day. This means that issues here can be devastating and lead to downtime, so you will want to do all that you can to avoid and minimize this. For many businesses, using managed IT services is smart because it means that you benefit from the best upgrades, your system is monitored 24/7 and issues are dealt with immediately – this can provide great peace of mind and allow you and your team to focus on your roles.
These are all smart tech upgrades to consider in 2021 which could have a big impact on your brand in many different ways.
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