If you’re new to running a business or maybe you feel like you need to up your game, you may want to take a look at your business technology. There are a number of technology items you can’t live without in today’s business world.
Over the last couple of months, we have shared some of our favourite business tech. Today, we’ll share what you simply can’t live without.
Business Technology for Marketing
Even if your store is physical only and you don’t plan to sell anything online, a presence on the web is important. Many people go online to learn more about a business, even a local one. A website that is optimized to show what you do could mean the difference between a sale or someone clicking on a competitor’s site because you don’t have one.
Websites can also be set up so they show up when potential customers enter key terms in search bars. This is called search engine optimization (SEO). If you like sharing about your business, a blog that is part of your website is a great tool for implementing SEO and letting your customers get to know you better.
At Virtual Heights Accounting, we use WordPress for our website. It is an all-in-one solution that lets us blog and host as many pages as we like to share more information about us and our services. One caution with WordPress, however: They also have a free version (wordpress.com).
The problem with the free version is your url will always have the word ‘wordpress’ in it in addition to your business name. It’s also not as good for SEO, and it doesn’t have the full functionality WordPress.org has. Finding a good place to host and maintain your website is worth the price and it’s a legitimate advertising expense.
Squarespace is another great option that allows you to set up an online shop and write blog posts to attract and help your ideal customers.
Business Technology for Selling
If you are an online business, you’ll need a way to show off your products. Shopify is a great option for setting up an online store. They also offer options for setting up a blog, so you can choose them as an all-in-one solution if you don’t want to have a separate website host.
Shopify can also help you with marketing, collecting payments, and analyzing your sales figures. Check out our post on Shopify to learn more.
Technology for Human Resource Needs
Once you’ve been in business for a while, you may want to hire employees. Wagepoint is an app that can help you calculate employees’ pay and deductions. It also keeps track of year-to-date amounts. This makes preparing T4s and Records of Employment as simple as clicking a few buttons.
Technology for Accounting and Finance
Unless you are going to have someone else preparing your bookkeeping for you, you will need a good bookkeeping program as part of your business technology. We recommend Xero. This accounting app is easy to use and lets you see transactions in real time so your bank account balances are always up to date.
Xero also includes a number of features that can help you grow your business. It’s the accounting app we use and recommend to all our clients. If you need help with Xero or would like some advice on the best business technology for your business, get in touch today.