Tech Hacks for Small Business Owners

If you’re a small business owner, chances are that your IT department consists of Youtube videos and googling Excel hacks. If this rings true for you, you may be interested in learning a few tips and tricks that will increase your business potential and get you on par with larger companies that have access to large IT departments. Here are some quick processes and software that can get you up to speed in today’s business technology landscape.

Small Efficiencies Add Up

If you’ve ever watched someone type with two fingers (or even if you poke instead of type), you may be aware of the importance of efficient computer skills. Typing, shortcuts, and general knowledge of computer skills add up, and if you have yet to learn the various keyboard tricks in Microsoft Office or the layout of Windows 10, do not worry. It is super easy to learn these necessary skills with tools like Keyrocket which offers a shortcut every time you make an inefficient action with your mouse. If outsider helping software isn’t for you, simply practice using shortcuts and navigation tools that are in-house on your computer and watch your efficiency skyrocket.

Social Media Posting Consolidation

Marketing through social media is quick, cheap, and fairly easy, as long as you don’t have too many accounts to track. What happens when you want to make a post across all of your platforms, but you only have 30 minutes? What about when you need to keep a consistent image throughout your social media campaign? Enter posting consolidation, which includes software that allows for tracking and posting from one singular program, instead of individually on all websites. There are plenty of applications on the market, and all of them are pretty affordable, with free plans in both Buffer and Hootsuite to name a few.

If you want to easily keep track of your posts and their stats on one program, social media consolidation is an easy and affordable way to become a social media master.

Host Your Own Email

I’m not sure about you, but when I see an email from johnsmith@companyname.com, I am far more likely to take them seriously than from someone with a Yahoo handle. If you want to maintain a professional image, even within your email, you should seriously consider hosting your own email server. There are plenty of services that allow you access to your own domain name, specific to your company, and most of them are inexpensive. First, you need to purchase a domain name and choose a web hosting server. Consider ServerMania, Bluehost, or GoDaddy, all services that allow web hosting with your own dedicated server. Next, choose an email host: you can use Google, Outlook, or any of the conventional emailing services, though using your own domain will cost a small fee.

Be wary of being in control of your own server, since phishing and employee activity are all extremely dangerous for a small business owner. Get your hands on the Best Server Monitoring Tools you can, since upholding your integrity and security are still of utmost importance.

The Cloud

If you haven’t been asleep for the past decade, you’ve likely heard the Cloud mentioned everywhere, from business applications to celebrity scandals. But what exactly is it? Basically, cloud computing is a term used to describe a pool of storage and processing power that are accessible to a user without worrying about management or upkeep. The cloud is a service that eliminates the need for in-house servers, data storage, and expensive infrastructure.

If you’re not on the cloud, you should consider it. Using another source of technology instead of purchasing your own can save you a considerable amount of start-up and upkeep costs, not to mention the possibility of highly advanced processing power available at low prices to you. There are several models of cloud computing including infrastructure, platform, and software, which all have varying degrees of cost and involvement from you as the user, but whichever level of technology you need is available at varying prices.

Moving to the cloud will enhance your business process, protect your data, and provide higher powered infrastructure on which your business rests. There are plenty of services available, ranging from the inexpensive storage service, Google Drive, to the largest and most comprehensive service in the world, Amazon Web Service. The specifics of your business dictate your technological needs, but the cloud is a great way to reduce your tech costs.

So take some time to learn about the tech you can use as a business owner, we guarantee it will pay off.