You’ll indeed have to spend a little money as a small business to get the latest and greatest technology and ensure all your products and servers are running efficiently. That said, there are ways you can save money on technology communication, so you can still keep your profit margins strong and not bleed money on technology. In most cases, you should find some option to communicate that is cheaper than a standard phone package.
Technology Communication
With so many people working remotely worldwide, ensuring you have reliable ways to communicate with your teams is paramount. Whether it is by Zoom calls, Microsoft Team meetings, or using mobile devices, there are many different ways you can use technology to communicate with employees and with customers.
There are ways you can upgrade your phone and email servers, your file-sharing methods, and even how you sign and share documents. Take a look at all the different upgrades you can invest in to improve your communication.
Sharing Monitors And Screens
With so many businesses and employees operating remotely, don’t forget that you might want to invest in a product that will let your employees share screens. This can be important when they are training each other or want to collaborate on a project without emailing the same document back and forth countless times.
Something as simple as sharing a monitor with a co-worker can make your employees’ lives a lot easier. And, this type of service is not that big of an investment, so you should be able to purchase these products and still keep your bottom line intact.
Latest Technology
Look for a phone service that lets you make local and long-distance phone calls with ease. Nowadays, there are a lot of options, and most don’t require a lot of hardware. Finding cloud-based technology is your best bet, as it is typically more efficient, cheaper, and requires less maintenance than physical phones and wiring.
When you go this route, installation is usually quick and easy (and cheap) since you aren’t installing hardwired phones that tie into telephone lines. Sometimes, getting technology installed and operational can be a big hassle. So, be on the lookout for products that won’t cause you to lose time and shut down operations while they are installed. Be cautious of any company or product that wants to take you offline for an extensive period of time to install their products. There shouldn’t be a need for that.
Use Apps
There are so many apps available now that you can use something like a Microsoft or Google-based app to communicate effectively with your teams and employees. Google comes with other apps, like email, that you can use to run your business effectively. Its free storage and easy means to share files with teammates might make this a preferable option.
Once you sign up with an app like Google or Microsoft, you gain access to many different products. While your goal might be to improve technology communication with your team, you will likely see that you are reaping various rewards by investing in these products. So, when you are thinking about how to communicate, take a look at what other products are worth an investment. Think beyond just a telephone. You might want a web-based server where your team can share files through the cloud.
Apps like Google also usually let you try them for free for a month or two. This is a great way to feel whether you will like them without investing any of your money. If saving money is a concern, take advantage of these free trials, so when you do invest your money in a tool, you can do so confidently.
Virtual Phone Systems
If you are not that concerned with secondary products like email and file sharing, there are virtual phone systems you can take advantage of inexpensively. These systems will usually be loaded with local and toll-free phone numbers, let you set up voice mail access, and have a system in place so you can complete conference calls with your team or your customers.
Some small businesses will benefit from paying extra for file sharing and other apps, but others need a phone system. If this is your business, then don’t pay the extra money for products you won’t find useful in your business.
Signing Documents
What line of work are you in? Do you run something like a real estate business and have many people sign documents all day long? If signing documents electronically and communicating them between your teams and customers is a priority, you can consider a product like Echosign or Adobe Document Cloud.
A program like this that lets you sign documents digitally will save you time, which will save you money and make your business more efficient. There is no more waiting for important documents to arrive in the mail. If you’ve ever missed an important deadline or had to delay a real estate transaction because you were waiting for paperwork to arrive, then you need to invest in a product that will help you and your team process and sign documents electronically.
When you think of what technology you need to help you communicate, you might initially think of phones and emails… But, paperwork is another way to communicate, and it is used a lot for legal reasons. Products like this can really help improve your business.
For More Information
The team at envizionIT.com is here to help answer all your IT and technology questions. Reach out and contact us today to help you decide the best path forward for your business. We can offer you a free consultation, giving you a breakdown of all your pricing options, so there will be no surprises when it comes time to pay for your technology.
