Technology offers SMEs abundant opportunities to do things faster, better, cheaper. Overworked business owners don’t always have time to research these things or get to grips with just how they can use them.
“It’s almost like SMEs need a mini-CIO in their pocket,” says Euphoria Telecom CTO Nic Laschinger, “who can give them tips, tricks and hints on what they really need to know about new technology as it comes out.”
While we can’t do that, yet, Laschinger says he can offer small businesses owners some advice based on his experience in small and medium-sized businesses as a technology and business leader.
Here are his three top tips for technologies small business owners need to get to grips with today.
Get on top of AI – AI tools like Neuroflash, Quillbot, Simplified and, yes, ChatGPT, can help you write sales collateral, social media copy, even newsletters. Save yourself time and effort by using the tools at your disposal to do slog work for you and then run it through an editor like Grammarly or Hemingway to make sure it’s on point, fit for purpose, and correctly spelled.
Automate everything – Automate everything, as far as is possible. Taking the grunt work (and hours) out of routine tasks will make your business far more agile, alleviate errors, and free your people to focus on what is really important. Near the top, if not at the top of this list, is invoicing. Visit your office productivity suite provider’s marketplace and see what tools are recommended for your Google Workspace, Microsoft or Zoho accounts and give them a free trial.
Backup power – It’s a no-brainer that small businesses need backup power these days, but what to choose and how to afford it? Standard Bank’s Power Pulse service aims to connect its customers to reliable alternative energy suppliers, and there are others like it. Nedbank, Discovery Bank, Absa and FNB offer financing for alternative energy solutions, and there are tax rebates to be had too. Chat to your small business banker about the options available to you. They can be a literal business saver.