Business | Technology Network

A Look Back at the Old Days

As technological advances have helped businesses grow at exponential rates, it’s easy to forget the ways the simplest forms of technology have changed the face of the business world. There are certain pieces of technology that are relatively new in the grand scheme of history, but are considered indispensable now. This goes well beyond email and cell phones.

Can you even imagine a business world without the calculator? Folks today roll their eyes when imagining the obsolete abacus. The fact that people a generation or so ago used slide rulers shows you how far the world has progressed. The first commercially successful calculator didn’t come out until the mid-19th century. Businessmen before then, even in the earliest stages of the Industrial Revolution, were forced to manage money and inventory on incredibly crude devices.

People like to argue about who has the coolest cell phone. Smartphones have only increased the competition to best the Joneses. But the first telephone wasn’t even patented until 1876. That was just the awarding of the patent! It took several decades before they were in widespread usage. Prior to that, businesses relied on telegraphs, the postal service and messengers. Imagine communicating with a client across the country via the postal service today. Without the telephone, and the eventual laying of the transatlantic cable, there would no such thing as a global economy.

So you’ve already imagined a world where communication was reliant on the written word. Now imagine writing that work before the ballpoint pen. Ink stains were all over documents and southpaws (left-handed people) were cursed with a perpetually smudged hand a mere century ago. The first patent was issued in 1888 but the modern device didn’t appear until 1946. So, the next time you curse your company’s limited budget that doesn’t have room for the newest toy, look around your desk and be thankful for the simple things.

Filed Under: Computers, General Tagged With: Business, Industrial Revolution, Mobile phone

Technology in Business: Leading Edge Tools for Success

Uncertain economic environments across the globe have forced businesses to reevaluate their practices to better position themselves going forward into the new year. Technology plays a huge part in how businesses of any kind can leverage themselves into a strategic advantage over their peers, and the following are some of the either emerging or maturing technologies that can be employed to gain industry advantage.

Cloud computing is a term that will become much more widespread as time goes on. Cloud computing is simply Internet-based computing where several shared servers provide data, software and resources on demand. This concept of being able to draw information simultaneously from a variety of sources is expected to be applied to a host of industries in the near future.

Media tablets and mobile applications are another field where businesses are trying to gain an advantage. The development of specialized applications for mobile technologies or computer tablets is quickly being deemed a highly important part of marketing strategty.

Video applications are expected to surge ahead as businesses make use of mobile video technology. There are a host of possible uses for video within a marketing strategy. Using a YouTube video channel to keep customers informed or using video as a means of interfacing with potential customers are just a few of the possibilities.

“Global village” was once a key term in computing technology, but now it has been replaced by social collaboration and publishing. Businesses are expected to continue to make use of social media platforms to advertise and increase their market share. From Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to Flickr, the possibilities are endless.

Exciting times loom ahead as businesses strive to make full and creative use of the most leading edge technologies. It is clear, however, that in order for a business to maximize their industry position, they will need to be in full control of many forms of business technology to keep them at the forefront.

Filed Under: General, Industry Technology Tagged With: Business, Facebook, Social media

Why Every Business Needs Customer Tracking Software

Whatever business you are in, your greatest asset is your client base. Without clients, a business will fail, and without maximizing on the potential of it’s clients, a business won’t reach its full potential. So, how should bosses go about keeping tabs on customer behavior; how should they use the data they gather on their clients?

One of the best ways to keep track of customer behaviors, and as a result, to be able to plan for the future, is by investing in customer tracking software.

What is Customer Tracking Software?

Customer tracking software programs offer businesses the opportunity to chart trends in consumer behavior, make notes of client preferences and carefully target their services in order to make them as appealing as possible to their target audience.

Using Customer Tracking Software for Day to Day Business

At the most basic level, customer tracking software can be used to keep records of quotes, orders, invoices and account status – taking the strain out of the day to day running of a business and freeing up important man hours for other tasks.

The Benefits of Customer Tracking Software

Companies who choose to use a customer tracking software program may, however, wish to look beyond the obvious functions and use the tools available to improve their customer relations and, hopefully, their profit margins.

Keeping records of client types and preferences in a customer tracking database can allow businesses to craft tailored marketing designed to appeal to those who have already revealed their consumer habits. This helps companies ensure that a one-time caller can be converted into a loyal, long time client.

Businesses looking to use computer technology to boost their use of a client base should consult with an IT professional in order to ascertain which package is best suited to their needs. With careful implementation, a good program can help to turn around the fortunes of a flagging concern.

Filed Under: Computers, General Tagged With: Business, Customer, Customer relationship management

Facebook Tips for Small Business Owners

: Image via Wikipedia

Small business owners are already at a disadvantage when it comes to attracting customers. You may not have the flashy signs or advertisements of the big chains. You don’t have the commercials or nationwide promotions. You don’t even have the name recognition that big chains have. What you do have is a closer connection to your community and your clientele. Here’s how to connect with your community through Facebook.

Step One: Set Up a Facebook Page

Setting up a Facebook page for your small business is quick and easy. Keep in mind that you don’t want to set up a personal “profile”; those are geared towards individuals. Instead, you want to create a “page” for your small business. Direct your attention to the right side of the Facebook “Create a Page” site. You’ll want to click the option for “local business.” Type your small business name within your page name. If your business name is a little obscure, you may want to add a keyword after your business name. For example, if you own a local sports bar named “Touchdown,” you’d want to type in “Touchdown Sports Bar & Grill” so customers will know exactly which kind of business you run.

Step Two: Stock Your Page

Update your personal information (don’t forget street addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers). Do you have a menu or price list? Upload it. Post pictures of your staff or recent events. Aim to make your page professional, yet friendly and inviting. You want potential customers to explore your page and feel welcomed.

Step Three: Open for Business

Make your page public and publicize your Facebook page at your small business. Send out the link to your mailing list. Remember to keep your page frequently updated so customers will keep checking back. Consider posting upcoming events, weekly specials, coupons, or trivia contests with prizes. This will keep your Facebook page–and your business–active.

Filed Under: Computers, Technology Tagged With: Business, Facebook, Small business

Getting a Competitive Advantage in Business

When it comes to owning and operating a business, it’s very important for you to have a competitive advantage. If you don’t, you aren’t getting the benefits that you could be seeing as a business owner. Instead of lamenting that, it’s time to take action and find something that can help make you more competitive. Look around at what your competitors are doing, and pay close attention to the areas where they are falling short. Those are areas you’ll want to explore and investigate, so you can have a better understanding of the kinds of things you want to do in order to move your business forward.

One of the best ways to get a competitive advantage in business is through selling something for a lower price. Of course, you still want to offer quality so that you don’t disappoint your customers, but you don’t need to charge a lot if you buy your goods at a low price and don’t have a lot of overhead to pay for. Not every business can beat others on price. For small businesses, this is especially difficult because there are in and outs of buying in bulk that they might not yet be familiar with. Some of the discounts that are offered to big businesses that buy in bulk may also not be available to companies that buy smaller quantities.

If price is not an area where you can get a competitive advantage for your business, it’s time to look around and see what other options you have. You may be able to provide faster shipping time, better customer service options, or some other kind of perk that you can tell your customers about. Many people buy based on price, but that’s not the case for everyone. Some people are focused on what they’re getting for the money and/or how they’re treated when they’re making a purchase – so base your business advantage on those factors.

Filed Under: General, Industry Technology Tagged With: Business, Competitive advantage, Customer

The Disadvantages of too Much Technology in an Office

Technology has been used in business as a tool to help workers perform more efficiently as well as faster. Thus, the reasoning goes that the more technically advanced a business, the better it is. However, as in other things in life and business, there can always be too much of a good thing, including technology. While it’s next to impossible to run an office without it, there is a line that can be crossed when technology goes from being an asset and becoming a nuisance.

For example, in an office employees can start acting like the technology that they use. Specifically, they will want to transmit information as quickly as possible. While this can be good in some circumstances, it can ultimately mean neglecting to review that information and checking its accuracy. This can pose major problems later in a project. Before technology’s reign, most workers had to spend time with their information letting them ponder its value instead of emailing it off the minute it comes in.

While the technology itself has an off switch, the people using it do not. Office tension can be created with the bombardment of some workers. Any one person can now be reached in a multitude of ways, which can lower an employee’s tolerance for annoyances when they get a phone call, email, text and Facebook post from their boss.

With the growing reliance on technology, there is less of a reliance on people. That means workers spend less time interacting with other people than they do interacting with technology. This creates an atmosphere where co-workers don’t get to know each other very well or even learn how to work with each other. And because of the many features of technology, it’s very possible to lose one’s attention to it instead of taking the time to build valuable company camaraderie.

Filed Under: Computers, Technology Tagged With: Business, Employment, Facebook, Information technology, Technology

The Proper Etiquette for Telecommuting

Having a telecommuting job is an exciting prospect for many professionals. It involves working from a location the person is most comfortable–usually at home–and is generally absent of the stresses of a traditional work environment. However, a person that is telecommuting should be aware of a few courtesies for doing the role properly. They are more or less determined by what kind of telecommuting position you have.

If you are a telecommuter for another company, then you should still consider yourself working on their time even though you don’t have to show up at the office. If working at home, it should be known to family and friends when you are busy and are not to be bothered. Many are under the impression that working at home means more free time and less work. But in a telecommuting position you are demanded to always show results, which can take going the extra mile at all times. It’s also imperative that clients or your company know when you’ll be at home working, and when you’re home off the clock.

For someone that is telecommuting on their own, whether as a freelancer or a business owner, it is much harder to be able to follow a set schedule. Since the amount of money that comes in is up to how many customers you can bring in, they should be accommodated at all times. If you have steady work from long-time clients, providing them a schedule is acceptable.

Although someone telecommuting doesn’t have co-workers in the traditional sense there are bound to be other people working on the same project. It is important to stay on the same page with them to build a seamless project flow so that mistakes of others don’t ruin your work efforts. It is also important for a more selfish reason, which is to build network references for additional work.

Filed Under: Computers, Technology Tagged With: Business, Employment, Telecommuting, Work

Using Technology to Make Workplaces Safer

Having a safe workplace is very important for most businesses. First and foremost, businesses never want to see their employees suffer injuries while on the job. But there are many business reasons as well. Having people injured on the job means one less person to complete a task. It also creates very poor morale. On top of that, employees can file for lawsuits, leading to bad press for the entire company. To keep such scenarios from playing out, businesses are relying on the direct and indirect benefits from technology.

The best way to prevent tragedies from occurring in the workplace is to keep employees safe from external harm. Examples range from a disgruntled former employee, a current employee’s stalker, armed robbers and other criminal elements. Most businesses choose to outfit their office buildings with high-tech security cameras. Additionally, doors are locked at all times except when opened with a security clearance card that can be swiped much like a credit card. In some workplaces like courthouses, there are even metal detectors.

However, the majority of injuries that occur in a workplace are from internal accidents. Businesses that have positions where injury is a high risk usually set up levels of prevention to avoid accidents. An example of such technology employed include sensors that will detect a person in a hazardous area or emit alerts to staff of a chemical leak. When the risk is very high, such as moving toxic materials or reaching inventory in high locations, computerize robotics are used to accomplish the task with placing a human in harms way as little as possible.

There is also an indirect safety benefit from a lot of technology that most people don’t realize. That is, with all of the communicating technology from email to text to web-conferencing, there a fewer employees that have to go out on business trips. And less people on the road means less auto accidents.

Filed Under: Computers, Technology Tagged With: Business, Employment, Technology

How Software Keeps Businesses From Wasting Money

All businesses have to allocate money into the field of research and development. While to what scale will depend on the size of the company, every single one of them has to work on putting together new products that will keep it relevant. What causes the most concern for businesses is that there is no sure-fire way to know until the end if their efforts will work.

Companies waste millions of dollars every year trying out new things that just end in failure. However, the growing capabilities of software is changing the odds for businesses. With software, companies have more tools to see, test and get feedback about new products before they even build a prototype.

The many design software programs available have made it possible to put a future product to paper, or screen, with the ability to manipulate it without wasting any resources. Businesses can get a visual on products first before deciding to follow through. They can create products in 3D or in colorful layouts. It is a money saver for fashion designers that might want to play around with colors or stitching.

In every company’s research and development division employees are asking the same question: Will it work? Before, businesses just had to find out by building it. Now, powerful software programs are available to engineering professionals to put new devices in simulators to test their performance. In addition, financial institutions can crunch long-term numbers or algorithms through mathematical software simulators to test their effectiveness, with all conditions being equal, or not.

If a new product has been judged by executives as looking sharp, and it passed all the test with flying colors, it still won’t matter if the public doesn’t like it. By building an interactive PDF or website, businesses can distribute information about their new product to potential customers for feedback. This focus group can then add or mark changes they would like to see in a finished product.

Filed Under: Computers, Technology Tagged With: Business, Company, Products, Technology