Guest Post by: Katie Conroy
Types of Tech to Help You Tackle Everyday Issues
Technology is around us all the time. We use it at home and, for those of us with businesses, to keep our companies up and running. Some technologies are better than others. On Simple Sasquatch, we take a look at a few types of tech that can help you overcome issues common to the modern world.
A Website
All businesses today need a web presence. This starts with a website. But before you jump headfirst into carving out your digital real estate, you’ll need to know which domain registrars and web hosting companies are the best. Simple Sasquatch recently reviewed BlueHost, which is one of the most popular hosting companies of today — and one that is user-friendly and affordable.
Advanced Payroll Processing
As you grow your business, you will likely need to take on employees and hopefully many of them. As you add people to your payroll, one of the greatest decisions you can make is investing in a full-service payroll processing platform. Services, like QuickBooks, will help you stay organized and handle some payroll tasks automatically, such as scheduling and tax calculations. Ideally, your new payroll system will offer one-click reports and same or next-day deposits for your employees, as well as comprehensive support and protection from costly tax penalties.
Online Learning
Enhancing your education is one of the greatest ways to elevate your business. Fortunately, this no longer means having to pack up at the end of the day, drive to a classroom, keep up with books, and make small talk with students who may be decades younger than you. It’s entirely possible to enjoy a full education on the internet, which comes prepackaged with the advantages of flexibility and lower cost.
Social Media
Even if you already have a website, social media is another bit of online technology that helps you get your name out into the world.
According to HootSuite, having a great social media presence increases brand awareness and establishes you as a leader. Perhaps more importantly, your social media presence also pushes traffic to your website, generates leads for your business, and is a powerful communication tool that helps you stay in touch with your customers.
Antivirus Software
Antivirus software has been around pretty much since the first virus made its way online. This type of software runs in the background of your computer all the time to identify threats that might compromise your operations. Steve Flannery, a Texas-based computer repair expert, explains that antivirus software keeps you safe from hackers and thieves and can keep your computer working quicker since it will help you eliminate unintentionally installed programs that can bog down your operating system.
Chatbot Communication
One of the greatest obstacles for many businesses is having the option to communicate with their customers 24/7. It would be cost-prohibitive to have a live human watching your website day and night to answer questions. Unfortunately, lack of communication is a major reason that customers move on to another company. A chatbot is a form of artificial intelligence that can serve many basic functions, including acting as a receptionist for your site and directing visitors to the information they want quickly and efficiently.
Cloud Storage
If you’re looking to save money, increase data security, and have the opportunity to scale even a mobile business, cloud storage is an ideal addition to your business. Taking your information and services to the cloud means you can access files and software any time and from anywhere. Cloud-based solutions are available for companies both large and small and at virtually any price point. Although you will still want to use a local backup, having everything stored on the web gives you an additional safety net should your systems ever be successfully infiltrated and damaged by cybercriminals.
Business Internet
Your home internet and that you use for your business may function in basically the same way. However, when you use a business-specific internet, you’ll have access to greater customer support and, often, faster speeds. Business-grade internet is often more secure and comes with a static IP address, which can make it more reliable if you’re using a VPN or VoIP at the office. Another benefit of having a static IP address is that it will improve geolocation services. In other words, you’ll enjoy more targeted information, such as the weather, since your digital location will never change.
As you can see, technology makes business so much easier on us than it was for our entrepreneurial ancestors. Today, we have access to technology that can do everything from help us pay our employees to enhance our education. And when you’re done with your workday, you can trust Simple Sasquatch to help you find love. After all, if you aren’t happy at home, can you really be happy anywhere else?
About the Author:
"Katie Conroy enjoys writing and created advicemine.com where she shares advice from her experiences, education & research. She particularly enjoys writing about lifestyle topics and created the website to share advice she has learned through experience, education and research."