When starting a new business, it is vital that you know how to get the most out of new technology. Technology can be used in all ways to help a business in 2022, and for new companies, it could be key in helping you hit the ground running.
It is also not always obvious what the best ways to use new technology are in a time when there are so many different types available, and the technology can be hard to get your head around. With this in mind, this post will offer a few pieces of advice for startup owners that will help you to get the most out of technology.
Start Off Remotely
First, it is a good idea to start your business off remotely. This is beneficial because you don’t have to rent a commercial office space, which allows you to make huge savings. Not only this, but remote work allows you to recruit people regardless of location, and this will make recruitment a lot easier as you can cast a much bigger net.
Buy High-Quality Laptops
Leading on from this, you want to have a high-quality laptop for your operation like those available from BOX that will allow you and your teams to work remotely and in the office. You can find top deals on the latest laptops online that will help you to make savings during the startup stage while still getting a high-performance laptop that will be up to the task and allow you to perform to a high standard no matter where you are working.
As a startup, your funds might be limited, and you want to be careful where you spend what starter funds you have – but that doesn’t mean skimping on quality. You still need top-rated laptops and computers to do work on, so putting in the time to search for better deals is wise – especially if you need to buy more than one laptop for your team.
Use Virtual Meeting Tools for Remote Staff
Enabling teams to stay in touch is crucial to your startup’s success. Remote work comes with its own pros; however, social interactions and communication can suffer as a result, leading to some employees feeling isolated. Fortunately, virtual meeting apps and tools can help you stay in contact with your teams, enabling everyone to stay in communication with each other.
These tools also virtually emulate the office environment as closely as possible, despite employees working remotely. Various applications exist for this, such as Skype, Microsoft Teams, Slack, and a number of others that can transform how your remote teams operate and maintain company culture from afar.
Use Crowdfunding To Raise Funds
It is important to raise enough funding for your business to get up and running to a high standard. There are a few digital options for funding a startup, but it is always worth using crowdfunding as a way to raise money from investors from all over the world. There are plenty of crowdfunding sites you can use, such as:
- Kickstarter
- Patreon
- Indiegogo
- GoFundMe
- Fundable
- Crowdfunder
- Crowdcube
- SeedInvest
- Mightycause
- StartEngine
Not only can you raise a large amount by casting a large net, but crowdfunding is also beneficial because it can help to raise awareness and generate excitement about your new business venture.
Automate Processes
When starting a new business, you should look to use online tools, software, and tech to automate as much of the business as possible and then hire staff to fill the gaps. This could help you to keep your staffing costs down while also ensuring that the business runs as smoothly as possible. Established businesses are in a difficult position because automation can lead to job losses, but this is not an issue when you have the tech in place first.
These days, you can automate many tasks that would have conventionally been undertaken by people, from invoicing to accounting – so take advantage of this, making savings, and use your talented staff for other more pressing jobs for which their skills and qualifications can be better used.
Block Distractions for Remote Workers
Working remotely is great for employees; it offers freedom and flexibility like never before. Still, this modern working style opens the doors to distractions. It’s all very easy for people to get distracted by social media, online shopping, news, memes, games, and other distractors that suck productivity and waste time.
However, there are some apps and software that can help remove those distractions during a set schedule – like the workday. SelfControl and similar app-blocking solutions enable users to set a timer that prevents them from accessing any of the sites that distract them the most during the day. This solution is great for those who find themselves easily distracted while working from home, keeping their productivity up during their work hours. Employees struggling to deal with distractions may find this kind of technology helpful.
Hire an Experienced Digital Marketing Agency
Many startups struggle because they find it hard to get noticed early on. This is why it is a good idea to hire an experienced digital marketing agency and to do this early on so that they have plenty of time to raise awareness about your business and its online visibility before your launch.
Tech-savvy areas such as website design, search engine optimization, conversion rate optimization, and many more digital marketing pillars are complex – but a specialist agency can handle these elements for you, design and deploy strategies that work for your business, and boost your company’s online visibility. In turn, this can increase sales – but only if it’s done right; hence hiring specialists is worth the investment.
Final Thoughts
These tech tips should prove to be useful for a new startup business and will hopefully help you to hit the ground running. Don’t forget to maintain these solutions as your company grows in the future – the keys to success aren’t just opening the right doors in the beginning; it’s also about keeping processes that work and developing new ones that see your business grow over time.