Digitalization is taking over the modern business world, and for a number of important reasons. Though the integration of the right technological solutions, mainly the right type of software, companies can streamline and simplify various processes, and thus improve efficiency, save money, and reallocate resources towards innovation.
Most importantly, integrating software into your processes will positively impact your bottom line and boost sales, which is what all of this is about, really.
However, in the modern business world, it’s not just about improving sales, it’s about improving your company’s growth potential over the long term, and that requires you to elevate your brand’s reputation, improve visibility and trust, and encourage people to not only become you customers but your loyal brand followers as well.
With all of that in mind, here are the five reasons why software is important for running and growing a small business.
1. Taking HR Into The 21st Century
Human resources is a department that has been in the shadows for far too long, yet nowadays forward-looking business leaders seem to be recognizing the potential that this department has, and how it can help a company thrive on all fronts.
While it used to be that HR specialists handled applicants, workplace disputes, and tracked employee performance, nowadays managers are looking to integrate HR into numerous key processes in order to create a healthier company culture, and inspire the employee collective to achieve more.
Naturally, this meant that HR had to take on a lot more responsibilities than before, which means that manual department management is no longer a sustainable model. Instead, it’s important that you integrate the right HR software into your operation in order to make everything from employee management to workflow, from hiring to outreach, all the way to sales and marketing more efficient and effective.
For your HR experts to keep so many proverbial balls in the air at all times, they need to have smart software on deck that will alleviate some of the pressure.
2. Automating Social Media Management
The modern business world is driven by digital marketing, as you need to advertise and market your brand on the web if you are to increase visibility and awareness and build customer trust. One of the best places to do all of that, and more, is social media.
Now, social media management can be a tiresome and labor-intensive process, especially if your brand is gaining traction and you find yourself under a lot of pressure to post on all channels regularly, answer comments on all platforms, and reply to every single message in your DMs.
That’s why you should automate a portion of the task with a smart social media management tool that will provide you with all of the features you need to analyze your content and your audience, find the right influencers, nurture existing customers, reach new ones, and improve conversions through relevant SM channels.
This way, you can allocate resources towards other marketing tactics.
3. Optimizing The Entire Manufacturing Process
One of the most complex industries where small businesses struggle the most is manufacturing, so it deserves a separate mention and can serve as a great example of why you need a business-wide software solution.
In the manufacturing industry, business leaders need to modernize their operation by implementing feature-rich manufacturing software that can handle everything from accounting and invoicing, to inventory management and logistics, and all the way to eCommerce integrations and the entire supply chain.
This allows the business to optimize all departments and run efficiently on all fronts, but most importantly, it allows the company to innovate. Innovation is only a viable option when the company has stable cash flow and a solid position in the market, which you can only achieve by using the right kind of software.
Whether you are a manufacturer or if you operate in any other industry, you should use a cloud-based system to make your entire operation more productive and cost-effective.
4. Leveraging The Cloud For Collaboration
Speaking of cloud-based solutions, keep in mind that migrating your small business to the cloud itself can be one of the best decisions you ever made.
Why? Simply put, cloud technology brings numerous benefits to the table, and aside from the fact that it allows you to enjoy the best cyber-security measures available and that you’re going to drastically reduce the costs of running an in-house IT department, it also facilitates seamless cross-department collaboration.
Given the fact that all departments can collaborate on projects on a centralized platform, you can expect productivity to rise while minimizing human error and setbacks.
5. Making Accounting And Invoicing A Breeze
Finally, if you want to take your small business forward, then you need to have a firm grasp of your finances. Concretely, you need to automate the accounting and invoicing processes so that you keep your books clean, and in order to maintain a positive cash flow over the long term.
You can’t expect to run a cost-effective operation if you have to chase your clients for every outstanding invoice, so make sure to integrate a smart invoicing solution that will automate all recurring payments and provide them with all of the payment options they need.
Wrapping Up
Want to grow your business? Digitalization is the way forward. This means implementing the right software and digitizing your business processes so you can stay ahead of your competitors and grow your business in a tech-driven world.
Editor’s Note: This article is part of the blog series Run Your Business brought to you by the marketing team at UniTel Voice, the virtual phone system priced and designed for startups and small business owners.
