If you’re a small or medium-sized business that wants to grow, you have a lot to consider. Do you have the capacity to expand into other markets or acquire another venture? What needs to be done to ensure your IT infrastructure supports and complements your growth efforts?
When you’re orchestrating your strategy, technology successfully takes your plan from script to stage.
Here are 6 ways technology helps grow your business:
- Boosts employee performance
Consider the value of employees’ performance and how much it would improve if employees have a completely efficient IT system.
If each employee is expected to produce 2.5 more than their cost and the average annual salary is $50,000, employees should produce $125,000. But, if employees are using inefficient computers on slow connections, their productivity can decrease by as much as half.
- Improves customer perception
Customers see technology-savvy businesses as more up-to-date and as having more expertise than businesses that hang on to junky, old-school technology. To attract new business and retain current customers, it’s important to use the best technology.
If you’re holding on to older technology, it also hurts employee morale. Employees get tired of technology breaking down and not having the tools for success. You don’t need to be the first to adopt new technology, but you definitely don’t want to be the last.
- Automates processes
Take some time to review your operations. What can be automated? What efficiencies can be gained with technology?
One of our clients runs parking facilities. Rather than have individuals man each parking lot, they implemented automatic gates. The entrances are now controlled off-site, making more time available for other duties while raising service levels for customers.
- Expands your workforce
Finding employees with the right experience and education is a challenge, especially in today’s west Michigan economy. Technology allows you to acquire new talent and expand your business.
Employees don’t have to be in the office. The world is your stage, so to speak. File sync tools like Dropbox and internet-based software such as Office 365 make working remotely cost-efficient and beneficial for your business and allow you to access a global talent pool.
- Increases productivity
Looking for stars? Look at the cloud instead. Migrating to the cloud eliminates the need for physical exchange servers, increases collaboration and, when implemented professionally, is a secure business practice that will decrease costs while increasing productivity.
You can replace existing infrastructure with storage area networks (SAN) to increase productivity. With increased business and more employees, your servers will have more traffic. You need to provide sufficient bandwidth to ensure that everything stays on track.
- Streamlines IT
Managed IT services ensure your technology is properly maintained while relieving you of day-to-day IT upkeep. Without proper IT monitoring, you’re likely to encounter downtime, software licensing issues and security problems.
Set the stage for business growth with the best players available. With technology taking the leading role, your business will be ready to perform to a bigger audience with outstanding performances.
Ready to grow your business? Contact Macatawa at (616) 394-4940 or visit www. macatawatechnologies.com for an IT assessment
