Failing to keep up with current trends could be causing you to lose business. Here are some of the major signs that you’re lagging behind and what you can do get back ahead of the curve.
You Only Accept Cash
Fewer people are carrying cash these days, instead paying for everything with card. By only accepting cash, you could be driving away these consumers. Nowadays, card readers are cheap and easy to use. There are even portable card readers that attach to smart phones as sold by Square. You don’t have to accept credit card or mobile payment (although both are becoming more popular), however it is essential to accept debit card if you want to be a successful business.
You Haven’t Got a Website/Your Website Is Old-Fashioned
Every business needs a website. So many people now discover new business online and without a website you could be missing out on huge swathes of consumers. Your website needs to look modern and professional. Some long-running companies have websites dating back to the early ‘00s that have never been updated – as well as likely not being mobile friendly, these sites could put visitors off by looking old. Ideally, websites should be redesigned every five years to keep them looking fresh.
You’re Still Spending Lots of Money on Paper
Paper has largely become defunct nowadays. If you’re still using masses of paper, consider whether it’s time you went digital. There’s no need to take up room with shelves of files when you can store digital copies that take up no space. Emails meanwhile can substitute letters, while even contracts can be signed digitally using apps like DocuSign. By printing less documents, you’ll save money and save the environment.
You Haven’t Embraced Cloud Technology
This decade has seen many companies moving their data to the cloud. By having data backed up on the cloud, you can keep it safe and secure if there’s a fire, burglary or ransomware attack. The cloud also allow you to work from any location and from any device. There are even companies such as SundogIT that can offer remote tech support as well as keeping your files safe. All in all, it’s a technology that’s worth researching into.
You Manually Do Your Accounting
When doing your accounting manually it can often be more time-consuming and more prone to errors. Accounting software automates the process and ensures that everything is calculated accurately. This is important when it comes to filing taxes, as well as doing other bookkeeping jobs such as managing your payroll. There are lots of different accounting programs out there to compare.
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