Technology and computing is being used more than ever before in all kinds of businesses. Whatever work you’re doing and however you have set up your business, there is a high probability that you are using computers in some way to help you run it and be successful. Therefore, knowing about computers is always going to be an advantage, and this is true even if you’re not running your own business but instead are working for someone else.
Computer skills are an invaluable addition to any resume, and learning as much as possible about this technology and the ways it can be used to enhance a business is vital. Here are some of the reasons why you need to know about computers if you want to run a business, whatever sector it may be in.
Selling
Do you sell a physical product or a service? Either way, you will sell more when you use a computer to do it. Selling online is something that every business should try to do more of, even if what they actually do needs face to face meetings and communication – you can still ‘sell’ appointment space and give your clients the opportunity to make bookings online that suit their schedule.
Some businesses rely solely on the internet for one hundred percent of their revenue, whereas others use it as a sideline to their main store or other means of selling. Think of your own business; how much income would you lose if you didn’t have the internet and your computing abilities to help you sell? For some, it would be everything, and even for those who would not lose so much, it could still be a substantial amount of money.
Better Productivity
Computers can help you to be much more productive in your business. Taking notes, engaging with customers, ensuring that you don’t miss anything on your to-do list, creating budgets and spreadsheets, and much more can – and should – all be done using your computer. Therefore the more you know about computing, the more you can get out of your business and the more productive you can be. This could mean that you need to brush up on your computing skills, or even go further and gain a masters degree in computer science if you are interested and this will help you win more customers and be more successful.
With a computer to help you, you can get your work done in a more timely, effective manner, freeing up time and energy for other aspects of your business and stopping you from feeling overwhelmed. It might even help you to achieve the work-life balance you have been looking for.
Better Communication
Communication is the cornerstone of any successful business; the better you are at communicating, the further you will go. This doesn’t just mean communication between you and any staff you might have (although this is crucial to get right) – it also means communication between you and customers, you and suppliers, and you and any financial institutes you may need to deal with, for example.
Being able to communicate quickly and easily with people will show that you are a good company to work with. It shows that you care about the people you are engaging with and that you know the answers to questions that are being asked. In general, being able to communicate will make your business much more trustworthy and respectable, and it can be done much more easily using the computer to send out emails, memos, newsletters, and to use social media.
Paperless Working
We all need to do more for the environment, but this can be a hard thing to do, and often it is low on our list of priorities, especially when we are so busy with many different aspects of our lives, including running a business. One thing you can do very easily if you use computers to their full extent in your business is to go paperless, at least as much as possible.
If you can use computers or tablets to send out communications (including invoices and statements) then you won’t be wasting so much paper, and this is a great start when it comes to being more environmentally aware. Cut down as much as possible, and you might even want to use this fact on your marketing material, letting customers know that you are doing your bit.
As a bonus, you will also cut down on office supplies’ costs, giving you more of your budget to spend on other things.
The Workplace Culture
Being able to use computers effectively in your business means you can offer employees (and yourself) a better workplace culture. If you can ensure that remote working is a possibility and that those taking this opportunity are able to be connected to their colleagues at all times, then you can offer flexible working. This can be done simply by having a good computer set up that allows for multiple users to be working from multiple places at once.
Remote working is a great idea. It helps to keep your workers happy, and it seriously cuts down on costs – if you don’t have to pay rent or a mortgage on a business premises then you can save a lot of money throughout the year. Offering remote working also means that you can choose the very best candidates for the role, even if they live in a different state. You can build an amazing team that isn’t restricted by geography.
It Is Expected
Wouldn’t it seem strange to you to work with a company that did everything longhand with no computer-aided processes at all? What if they had no website, no email, no social media presence? What if they sent out handwritten invoices and expected you to pay them with a check through the post? It would be distinctly odd.
Now think of your own business and the processes you use. Would any seem odd to your potential customers? Would any seem old fashioned and strange? Or do you utilize computers as much as possible so that no one is surprised by what you are doing?
The truth is that using computers as much as possible is expected, and it is what your customers will want.