How technology can boost your growing business

After the initial difficulties of establishing a small firm in a competitive market, your business has started to grow. Profits are climbing, you have taken on some new team members and successful marketing means more and more people are getting to know your organisation. All these achievements, of course, are cause for celebration.

But a thriving business also throws up its fair share of challenges. Increased client numbers and new business processes mean different strategies will have to be developed in order to make sure that you maintain your business growth. You will have to make sure new team members are familiar with the business structure and company goals.

Central to all these things is technology - as your business grows, you will need to increase your knowledge of this area to make sure that you retain control of your business. Technology applies to virtually all aspects of the modern small business. It is a customer service issue, a sales issue and a supply chain issue.

So what should a growing SME do if it wants to make sure it has a grasp of technology?

Your computer network should be your first priority. The transition from an individual computer-based system to a network is vital for the successful small business. By making the switch from stand alone computers to a linked network, your technological capacity will increase dramatically.

For example, you will now be able to share printers, CD drives and other accessories rather than needing to buy separate hardware for each station - an excellent cost-saving strategy.

A network will also allow you to centralise your knowledge as your small business grows. A local area network (LAN) enables you to save files, programmes and other information in a central, readily accessible location. This also offers an escape route if your advertising representative's computer crashes before an important marketing meeting, for example. With a LAN you can use another work station to access the information - and wow the client.

A LAN also offers benefits such as local e-mail. This allows a team to communicate much more quickly and easily. As your business grows, time will be a precious commodity, and being able to pass on that message or schedule that meeting with a few keystrokes is a most useful capability.

This increased closeness will also enable you to foster a sense of team spirit at your company. As a business grows, it can sometimes be easy for team members to have less interaction with each other. Technology provides the answer to this problem - a closer network makes for a closer team.

And innovation such as cell phones means that a growing small business won't struggle with an issue if a key team member is out of the office. This is yet another example of how technology can ease some of a SME s growing pains.

Increased profitability can have another cost for a small business - as your revenue grows, security often becomes a key issue. Where previously your small size might have meant you did not invest in a sophisticated security system, now your increasing bottom line demands one.

Technology can help in this area too. The best way to do this is to create a universal rule about passwords and users IDs. You can also use software to ensure that different team members have access to different levels of information - not everyone needs to be able to view the most sensitive business data.

Hackers also present a problem, and your business stands to lose all the gains it has made if hackers attack your system. In this area, a firewall - technology which blocks hackers - is useful.

Virus protection software is also vital to protect your business records. There is a wide range of anti-virus products available, many of which are suitable for a small business environment.

And since your business is expanding, make your choices in technology with growth in mind. While you may be satisfied with the level you have reached so far, the fact that your business has been successful until now means that it will probably continue to grow.

If you feel the need to consult a technology expert, do so - he or she will be able to advise you and tailor a solution specifically designed for your firm. By incorporating technology into your company, you can be sure that you have a strong base to further boost business. If you're not sure where to start, ask us for further advice.

For more information contact your RAN ONE business professionals at
Academy of Business Excellence Limited