Four Technology Tips for Starting Your Own Business

7 years ago | Posted in: Business, Technology | 635 Views

You’ve decided to start your own business, and you’ve made a great decision because technology has created endless advantages and opportunities for entrepreneurs. On the other hand, the technology field is so vast that you can quickly become overwhelmed. This article provides four technology tips that will help you understand, choose, and control the technology you use to operate your startup business.

Familiarize Yourself with Technology Lingo

One of your first steps in starting your own business should be familiarizing yourself with technology lingo. Code, web server, HyperText Markup Language (HTML), Application Programming Interface (API), caching, cloud computing, and firewall are a few technology terms, and if you’re new to the technology world you have no idea what they mean. You do not need to be a technology expert, but you need to know the terminology. Eugenia Williams states, “Even if you never intend to write a single line of code,’ “says Jeffrey Cohen, entrepreneur and independent software engineer,” ‘when you are outsourcing, you will have a better idea of whether the price a vendor quotes is realistic, or if they are just trying to fleece you.”

Create the Right Team

It might seem odd to think of people as your business’ technology investments, but this is the era in which you live. You need specialists who can operate your systems and diagnose and resolve software and hardware issues. You might need specialists who can create firewalls and encrypted data to protect your company from hackers and keep your company’s files within the laws of privacy rights. Most Strategic IT Staffing companies feel with eCommerce and social media becoming more widely used, the scourge of hacking and cybercrime is also on an upward trend. This has increased the demand for IT security professionals throughout the technology industry. If you’re a small company, one or two technology specialists might be enough to manage your technology needs. However, you’ll need more specialists as your company grows because they’ll need to focus on their area of expertise to ensure your infrastructure runs smoothly.

Determine What Software and Hardware You’ll Need

Whether your startup is a sole proprietorship based out of your home or a large business venture, you need to know what products and services are best suited for your business. “Services like Square can take care of retail-credit-card transactions; Stripe can handle all facets of online payment; Atlas, still in beta, shepherds startups through the process of opening a bank account, obtaining a state business license, and incorporating as a business,” Williams explains. This is where familiarizing yourself with technology lingo is going to help you decide which services and products you need. For example, if you’re new to entrepreneurship then you would likely benefit from investing in Atlas.

 

Build a Social Media Platform

A social media platform is essential to creating brand awareness and connecting with your clients. Almost every successful business or successful person has a social media platform which consists of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, LinkedIn, and a company or personal website. Jayson DeMers, “founder and CEO of AudienceBloom, a Seattle-based content marketing firm,” provides a few advantages of social media marketing:

  1. Increased Brand Recognition: Social media allows you to increase your visibility and brand awareness.
  1. Improved Brand Loyalty: A study published by Convince & Convert found that 53% of Americans who follow brands in social are more loyal to those brands.
  1. More Opportunities to Convert: The more often people see your company posting on social media, the more opportunity you have at converting them to your brand.
  1. Higher Brand Authority: Regular communication with clients is a good way to build a reputation and show potential clients what they can expect from your company.
  1. Improved Customer Insight: Social media provides you the opportunity to gain priceless feedback from your clients which you can incorporate into your company’s changes.

Conclusion

The key to using technology to the advantage of your business is understanding the purpose of the technology, staying up to date on technology advancements, and continuously assessing your business’ technology needs.

 

by: Sia HasanĀ 

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