The days of a small business owner effectively managing operations with a phone and a Rolodex are gone. To successfully launch and grow a new business means you need to have a range of tech skills that help you sell, market, communicate, analyze, share, plan and organize your business. Before you start thinking you have to learn how to code a website or take an accounting class, you’ll be surprised at how many of these skills are super easy to learn.
Find below some tech skills that are incredibly valuable for managing the day-to-day tasks of running a small business. By mastering them, you’ll save yourself time, reduce your reliance on outside help, and create new opportunities that generate more customers and sales.
Excel
Excel is by no means new technology, however, this spreadsheet application remains a vital business tool for organizing and reviewing data. You’re probably already using Excel, but do you know just how helpful it can be?
Invest some time into learning more about its other powerful functions. Excel can be used for everything from scheduling advertising campaigns, creating custom invoices, receipts, & labels, building employee timesheets, even track the success of your marketing activities.
Email Marketing
One of the best ways to generate new leads or nurture warms leads is to send relevant content to them on a regular basis. From newsletters and eBooks to coupons and private sales promotions, a brand-driven email campaign can go a long way toward staying top of mind with those who are likely to buy from you.
Mailing lists can be acquired through a variety of sources including trade groups, industry organizations, and business listing website sites.
Email marketing solutions such as MailChimp are relatively inexpensive, intuitive, and easy-to-use. They offer great analytics that will help you determine the success of each mail campaign you launch.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a must-have business tool to check the number of website visitors you’re getting, as well as dig deeper into who these people are, what they are viewing on your site, and how long they are spending on each page. You’ll also be able to see what advertising campaigns referred them to you. This is all valuable data that can help you determine what works, what doesn’t, and what you should be doing to increase website traffic.
Content Management System
There’s no need to call a programmer every time you want to make a change to your website. Small business owners can easily make design or content changes in a matter of minutes using easy-to-use content management systems (CMS). Some widely used CMSs are WordPress, Drupal, Magento, Squarespace, & Wix.
Our favorite is WordPress. It’s easy to update and it has tremendously useful SEO features that help increase your site’s traffic. WordPress has countless templates that can be customized to create an incredible-looking site for a relatively low cost.
Social Media Presence
Do you really understand social media communication? Are you using it effectively? Far too often, businesses only use Facebook or Instagram channels to promote products and services. While social media can be used for promotional purposes your followers will grow tired of “getting sold” and will look elsewhere for content that is more interesting and relevant to them.
As a small business owner, you have a valuable opportunity to build quality relationships with followers by engaging in meaningful conversations with them. Treat social media as more than just free advertising. Create loyal followers who will expose your brand to their own communities.
Project Management Software
Don’t let details fall through the cracks. Organize the many projects you’re working on by putting them on a schedule and referring back to them on a daily basis.
Project management tools, such as Asana or Basecamp, can keep the information updated for you, coworkers, clients, and other stakeholders. An online project management tool will also enable you to collaborate with others, track deadlines, and review projects once they have been completed.
Mobile Payment Processing
If you take credit card payments from customers, there are many mobile payment apps and solutions that are easy to use. PayPal and Venmo simplify the process of getting paid.
All mobile payment processing solutions offer specific benefits and features that may or may not be important to your business os be sure to choose one that aligns with your goals.
In Conclusion
Using the tools mentioned above will drastically improve the efficiency of your business. Remember, you don’t need to overwhelm yourself with being a master at these tools, but make them work for you and your business.
We hear it all the time that business owners call themselves “not tech-savvy”. This is simply untrue. Just start and pick up different skills as you go. You don’t need to master them overnight. You’ll start seeing that you’re more organized and ready to tackle the day-to-day tasks that are in front of you because you are prepared.
If you need any assistance in becoming more tech-savvy in your business please reach out via email at dotzeromedia@gmail.com or call 970-401-3044
Thanks for reading.
DZM