NEW YORK, Dec. 22, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In today’s ever-changing world, small business owners must hone their tech know-how and maintain a current arsenal of tech tools. Modern technology has become a constant in the business world and staying current with tech trends can mean the difference in increasing your revenue and growth or being forced to permanently close your doors.
800Fund.com realizes how integral current technology tools are to the successful lifespan of today’s small business. The alternative funding company also understands that staying up-to-date and a step ahead of the competition can be costly. Keeping that in mind, 800Fund.com is committed to supporting the needs of their small- to medium-sized business clientele by providing information on current small business trends and assisting their clientele by way of offering alternative lending solutions to traditional banking.
Let’s take a look at six tech must-haves for a successful 2017:
Digital Billing
Regardless of whether your small business offers an e-commerce site or your business has found itself a part of the growing global commerce community, online payment tools and invoicing programs have become a necessity in the daily operations for many small businesses.
Online invoicing is a very effective way to speed up what can sometimes be a slow payment process. Utilizing an online invoicing tool will lower your overhead by way of eliminating the need for print and postage.
Incorporating digital billing and invoicing tools to your small business operations will also encourage faster payments by offering your customers convenience and a variety of alternative payment methods, such as credit cards, eChecks, Paypal, eCash and many others. This element of convenience also opens the door for expanding your digital customer base and increasing overall revenue.
Marketing
Proper marketing can mean the difference in giving your small business the competitive edge it needs for success or crumbling behind your competition. There are a number of marketing automation platforms and software that can give you similar results with a much smaller price tag attached.
Incorporating a good marketing automation platform will give your small business a competitive edge by assisting you in completing so many marketing tasks in a short time. Check out tools like HubSpot, Insightly and Salesforce. These platforms handle tasks such as CRM, website optimization and funnel management that are guaranteed to enhance your customer experience and support the needs of a growing business.
Analytics
Big Data isn’t just for big businesses with big budgets anymore. Today’s smart small business owner can benefit from the endless amounts of online and offline information that equates to making data-driven decisions that will grow their business. Implementing the use of analytics tools will help you make sense of the data by simplifying it into segments offering patterns. This will then show you what you need to do next in terms of improving your overall business strategy.
Inventory Management
If you are the owner of a retail-focused small business, adding an inventory management tool will be a game changer by giving you a leg up on the competition. Having the ability to know exactly what is in your inventory at all times and fusing it with the capability to run more effective promotional campaigns gives your small business the ability to lower costs by knowing the right products to keep in stock and an increase in revenue by offering faster delivery times.
There are many choices out there for small businesses wanting to automate their inventory management systems. Two highly rated companies offering these services that are worth checking out are Wasp Barcode Technologies and Fishbowl Inventory. Remember, the ability to reduce unneeded stock and to provide current information on available stock means more efficient budget controls, better decision making and increases in your small business growth and revenue.
Collaboration & Communication
With the increased use of freelancers or flex employees by today’s small business owners, many of these businesses are discovering how beneficial it can be to incorporate collaboration & communication tools into their daily operations. Freelancers & flex employees are often remote in lieu of being on-site with you and/or the rest of your employees. Collaboration & communication tools like Slack, Basecamp, and Skype are a great way to streamline teamwork efforts, which in turn, can mean an increase in efficiency, revenue and growth.
In addition to making your business more efficient, these tools also benefit your small business by offering a cost-effective way to expand your talent team. By properly utilizing some of these collaboration & communication tools, you are given the power to increase your talent roster with virtual staff. This is a great way to reduce your operational costs while increasing your talent pool which equates to increases in revenue and small business growth.
App Development
Mobile users spend 86% of their time on mobile apps, and only 14% on the mobile versions of websites. With 72% of Americans checking their phones at least once per hour with 90% on apps, businesses with an online presence should consider adding a mobile app to their arsenal for success.
Studies have shown that apps increase consumer engagement and provide your business with much needed customer data and, in turn, increase the ways that you effectively connect with your growing customer base. Mobile app design doesn’t have to break the bank. It can be done inexpensively and has proven to benefit even the smallest companies by growing brand awareness and increasing revenue.
You should ask for essentials only when designing an app for your business. The recipe for success with a mobile app is making the checkout process as simple as possible. In this case, simplicity equals success, so no redirections, misleading links, distractions or buttons. Consumers prefer a user-friendly design with bigger input fields and without any needless element. Immediacy is also a key factor in mobile purchasing. The mobile consumer wants to pay with a tap. This means purchasing should be reduced to one action.
Need Funding?
Tech trends come and go, but in order to properly capitalize on growth, you must stay current. Mobile will continue to be entrenched within the business world, so be sure that your business is well-supported. 800Fund.com understands that working capital is a necessity for growth and success. For this reason, the company furthers its commitment to support and service their small- to medium-sized business clientele while powering local economic growth by way of providing alternative lending solutions to traditional banking.
After over a decade of finding ways to approve business owners that have long faced the struggles of securing funding through banks and other lenders, 800Fund.com prides itself in its “1 to 1” program that starts at just $1,000 and advances up to $1 million with working capital repayment terms from 30 days to 24 months. In addition to this specially designed program, 800Fund.com simplifies and expedites a traditionally lengthy process with swift decisions and same- or next-day financing in order to meet the needs of today’s small- to medium-sized businesses.
Business owners who are interested in the program can visit www.800fund.com or call (212) 865-3863.
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ABOUT 800FUND.COM:
800Fund is a leading merchant cash advance and short-term alternative lender to small- and medium-sized businesses. It is headquartered at 30 Broad Street, New York, NY.