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Small businesses are vital to our communities because they provide incredible products and services with a more personal touch. Many small businesses are looking for ways to ramp up their customer base, but they aren't sure they can handle an increased volume with their current staff load.
There are several ways to deal with higher volumes of customer inquiries, such as outsourcing customer support or getting a toll-free phone number, but many business owners worry that it will cost them too much to get started. Check out three affordable communication options for small businesses below!
Business phone numbers have been around for decades now, and they provide a sense of trust among customers. It used to cost a small fortune to get a business phone number for small companies, but now there are some free business phone numbers offered by quality companies.
Small businesses with their own phone line, instead of an employee's cell phone number, seem more official, and customers appreciate the opportunity to speak with a real person. Depending upon the size of the business, a business number may connect directly to a person, or it may guide a customer through a series of questions to find the right agent for them to speak with.
Some customers prefer to speak with a customer support agent via online chat. This allows them to type out their questions and get written responses quickly. Agents are still required for live chat to work, and customers enjoy this option because it connects them with a real person, but they can write out their responses instead of talking them out.
Support bots that use artificial intelligence appear to be the way of the future. These support bots are similar to live chat, but they don't require an agent to do the responses. This is a great option for businesses who get huge volumes of emails, voicemails, or chats with many of the same questions that can easily be answered automatically.
AI support bots may be able to answer a customer's inquiry on their own, like looking up the shipping status of a product using the tracking number, reporting business hours, or giving directions, or it can forward a more advanced question to an agent during normal business hours.
Many businesses find that it's helpful to have a mix of two or all three of the above communication options to give customers a choice about how they can get the help they need. Having open communication channels can help build a sense of trust with customers and keep them coming back again and again.
It can be easy to assume that one of the hardest things about running a company is right at the start, when you are starting it, and getting things off the ground. You will be full of hope and excitement to get the whole business going and looking forward to the future. But in reality, there are a lot of people that can start their own businesses and companies.
The thing that separates the wheat from the chaff are the things that happen in the future; can you keep the business running well, and earning enough to keep things going? So with that in mind, here are some tips that can help you to keep your focus, and help to keep your business running efficiently, years down the line.
Invest in your employees
Every business owner needs to remember that a business is only going to be as good and successful as the people who are doing the work each day. Even if your business was dreamt up by you, having a team on-board to help with it and share their expertise in different areas is a must. But as the team is what makes the business, investing in your team is a good idea as it can pay off. Making sure that your employees feel valued is a good start, as well as making sure that you pay them a competitive wage, and help them with areas of development.
Stay organized
It is important that you do all that you can to stay organized as a business owner. This can help to eliminate money issues as you’ll be organized and checking when things have or haven’t been paid. If you are someone who isn’t naturally organized, then don’t imagine that suddenly when you are a business owner that this will come to you. Instead, work with someone, or outsource to someone who is capable and can keep you on track.
Improve technology
In recent years, through business and everyday life, you will have seen plenty of changes in the world of technology; it is getting upgraded constantly and can keep updating itself. So in order to keep up with the times and make sure that you are using technology to help your business, you need to invest in new technology. It could be something simple and straightforward, like getting ergonomic chairs that will be better for your team. You could look to use apps, or even create one, as part of your business. In fact, an article like this one https://www.intellectsoft.net/blog/kubernetes-vs-docker-a-comprehensive-comparison/, could be useful if you were looking into that, as it talks about deploying software efficiently, and helping you to operate at an unprecedented scale. You could also look at using more effective storage methods like the cloud. Make sure that you are happy with it all, as well as your team, and then it can be a big help in business.
Get networking
If you are looking to keep your business running for a long time, then one of the ways to do that is through networking. If you are someone who has tried to do networking before, then it can feel a bit of a strange thing to do. The reason being is that it is all about going to events, talking to plenty of people, and talking about your business and what you do, as well as finding out about them. From there, you can look for ways to collaborate or help one another, if needed.
If you are someone who is naturally talkative, then it can be something easier for you than others. If not, then it is time to step up your small talk, as mentioned in this article https://www.themuse.com/advice/an-introverts-guide-to-networking. Have open body language so that you look approachable, and have things ready to ask people and talk about. It is also a good idea to listen carefully, so that you can hear and respond to people appropriately, and answer with something interesting. Then once you have some common ground and you know a little about each other, then you can move forward with something potentially happening together in business.
Take a breather
The final note to think about is to make sure that you take some time for yourself every now and then. If you don’t, it can quite easily lead to burn out. Even if you work quite long hours, just switching your phone off for some of the day or evening, to be present with family and friends could be enough. You won’t be in a position to lead a business if you are struggling yourself.
Running a small business can be challenging at the best of times. You may wonder how you’re ever going to be able to find time to get everything done and as if that wasn’t enough, you also have to worry about your profit margin. One way for you to get around all of this would be for you to try and make your business more efficient so that it requires less manpower yet yields more profit.
Create A Solid Business Plan
If you don’t have a great business plan then this will really hurt your company’s future. Your business plan will outline your goals, the steps you need to take in order to achieve them, and your projected growth too. A business plan can be written in almost any format, as long as it relates to your company and future ambitions.
Always have a Website
A website really is an effective marketing tool for just about any business. Website development is essential if you want to increase the power of your organisation and it also helps you to attract new customers too. If you are unsure about building your own site, then there’s no harm in having a professional do it for you. Sure, this can be expensive, but the end results are well worth it and you’d be surprised at how it could make a difference to your company overall.
Outsource Activities that are Not Essential
You don’t need to take care of absolutely everything yourself. In fact, you may be harming your business by trying. It’s so important that you outsource any activities that are not essential to your business operation. This can include payroll, administration, and even website promotion too. This will give you more time to run your business and it will also make it way easier for you to reach a higher level of success.
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Have a Plan for Technology
Technology is changing the way that we do business. If you want to stay on top, then you have to make sure that you do everything you can to invest in it. This could involve doing research to see what new products are hitting the market, or even trying to expand your software usage.
Network as Much as Possible
Networking is a fantastic way for you to increase your business presence. If you want to help yourself here, then it’s a good idea to join up to a niche organisation. It may also help to do interviews with magazines or participate in community events. This will raise your brand awareness and it will also make potential clients aware of the services that you are able to offer.
Automate your Process
The more you can automate your business, the better. It will free up more of your team’s time and it will also be much more cost-effective. If you’re not quite sure how to automate your business then start out by investing in automatic order updates, or even email responders. Sure, this may be basic, but it can save you hours of time and it can also provide your customers with a much better service overall.
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Communication Methods
Communication is the foundation of any relationship. If you do not have a high level of communication, then you may find that people misunderstand you and that you experience conflict in the workplace too. This is the last thing that you need when you are trying to run an efficient business. If you want to help yourself here, then think about how you come across to people and try to be clear and concise when giving instructions. It also helps to invest in other communication methods too. This could include phone, email, live chat, or even text to speech. Different situations will call for different methods of communication, so it’s all about finding what works for you.
Invest in Yourself
Sometimes, investing in yourself is the best thing that you can do to make your small business more efficient. Consider going to the University of Alabama Birmingham, or even think about trying to sign up to a training course. When you do, you will soon find that you are able to understand the world of business more efficiently and that you are also able to expand your skills at the same time. If you want to try something different then it’s a good idea for you to find a mentor or an influencer in your chosen industry. They can then share their knowledge with you while also giving you the chance to grow as a professional.
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