10 Signs Your Business Is Stuck In The Past
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Every business needs to be able to evolve with the times. Fail to keep up, and you could find that you’re unable to compete with the efficiency of other companies. Customers may also lose trust in your business if you still rely on old methods. All in all, refusing to adopt modern methods is bad for business.
There are many ways to determine whether your company needs to evolve. Here are ten tell-tale signs that your business is stuck in the past (and what you can do to drag your business kicking and screaming into the present).
You don’t have a website
Not having a website is 2020 is unacceptable. Many companies nowadays rely on a website to gain new customers. Without a website, your company may not seem official to most people.
Building a website could be the first important step to modernizing your company. You can do this with the help of a website development company or you can attempt to build your own website (the likes of WordPress can allow you to build a website for free with no programming knowledge, but generally a professionally designed website will look better).
You have a website – but it’s not mobile-friendly
It’s possible that you may already have a website, but it may not be mobile-friendly. Nowadays, more people use the internet on their smartphones than they do on PCs. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you could scare off customers that discover you on their mobile devices.
Most modern websites are mobile-friendly. You only have to worry if you haven’t updated your site in more than a decade – anything pre-2010 is unlikely to have been designed with smartphone users in mind.
You don’t use social media
Social media is an important marketing tool nowadays. Many businesses use it to keep current customers in the loop and to attract new customers. It can help you to build a web presence beyond a website and it can help you to look more official.
Facebook and Twitter are the two most effective social media platforms for generating leads. Setting up pages on these platforms is free, as is posting content. If you’re not savvy with social media, it’s always possible to hire a social media marketing company to help you.
You still spend money on phonebook adverts
Phonebook advertising is largely defunct nowadays. When it comes to searching for businesses, most people use online search engines. Unless your target market is over 70, you’ll generally find that you get little business from a phone book advert.
SEO (search engine optimization) is a much more effective marketing strategy. This can help to boost your rankings on search engines so that more potential customers stumble across your company.
You still use a fax machine
Fax machines were once commonly used for copying and sending documents. Nowadays scanners can be used for this purpose. However, even scanners are going out of fashion – most documentation is now digital and so it’s much more common to email documents and store them on the cloud.
Some companies still use fax machines for security reasons (you can’t hack a fax machine). However, for the majority of companies that don’t use a lot of paper, there’s little to no reason to own a fax machine.
You still rely heavily on paper
A growing number of modern companies are going paperless. Now that files can be stored and sent digitally, there’s little need to keep and send paper copies. Paper files can take up a lot of physical space and cost time and money to print and send. Digital files meanwhile take up no physical space and can be emailed for free instantly. On top of this, digital files are also better for the environment.
Start using less paper today. There are guides online on how to go paperless that could be worth reading.
You don’t recycle
Modern businesses are being encouraged to recycle to help protect the planet. Refusing to recycle your waste could have a negative impact on your reputation. Certain items worth recycling could include old electronics, old furniture, paper, and plastic packaging.
You do your bookkeeping manually
Accounting software has made bookkeeping a lot easier. Rather than manually adding up taxes and expenses, it can all be done automatically as you are earning and spending. This could save you a huge amount of time and could likely reduce the risk of human error.
There are many accounting programs out there. It’s worth comparing various programs to find the best-suited software for your needs.
You don’t use the cloud
Cloud technology has taken off in the last decade. Using the cloud, you can keep backups of files on a remote server so that they can be accessed from anywhere. In the event of a natural disaster, a fire, or a burglary in which computers are damaged/stolen, this could give you access to your files so that you can still continue to keep your business alive. Access from any location could also give you greater flexibility as to where you work – you don’t have to work from your office.
With the help of IT consulting and support, you can explore ways of integrating cloud technology into your business. There are many different cloud providers out there to choose from.
You only accept cash
Fewer customers are now carrying cash around. If you don’t accept card payments, you could find that you’re driving away customers – especially if there aren’t any nearby cash machines.
You can now buy mobile card readers that can be used practically anywhere. Card payments can also be accepted online by using a secure payment gateway on your site. Do your research to find the best forms of card payment for you.
You don’t use accounting automation software
Accounting automation software is a type of software that automates the process of accounting. It has the ability to automatically generate financial reports and manage payrolls.
Some of the benefits of using accounting automation software include:
- Reduced time spent on manual data entry
- Reduced Human error
- Increased accuracy