How Tech Enables Your Small Business to Compete Like A Pro
by Startacus Admin
Recent technological innovations have revolutionized the way we run businesses, enabling us to be more agile and compete with the pros who have been in the game for longer. Cloud and smartphone technology, widespread internet access and virtual office solutions mean we can work wherever we want, however we want. In fact, the digital economy has made it easier to start a business than ever before.
However, that’s not to say that running a startup is easy. We’re all too aware of the statistic: around 90% of startups fail. So, if we’re to make that golden 10%, how can we leverage the technology available to us? Let’s take a look at three ways in which technology can help small businesses to compete like a pro - at a relatively low cost!
1. Image building
If there’s one thing that comes with a fertile startup environment - it’s competition. Luckily, there are lots of ways small businesses can compete and appear to “bigger” than they actually are. Take virtual offices, for example. Through technology, virtual offices can help you to build a brand identity from the comfort of your home office.
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You’ll be given a business address and telephone number to make your business seem more professional and you can even book meeting room space and hot desks via the operator’s app. No more meetings in coffee shops...
You can also hire a virtual receptionist to provide consistently excellent customer service and to ensure no inquiries go unanswered. Virtual receptionists work remotely and you can communicate with them on the move using digital technology.
2. Hiring - and retaining - freelance talent
With the gig economy in full swing, it makes financial sense for small businesses to hire freelance talent. Freelancing and remote working has grown in popularity, particularly among younger generations. Hiring remote workers gives you access to a global pool of talent, enabling you to source the best talent for any job regardless of geography.
There are so many freelance platforms out there today designed to make recruiting easier. A few include:
Upwork, PeoplePerHour, Freelancer.com, Fiverr
Technology also enables you to run a remote team effectively. Intuitive platforms like Slack, Asana and Trello make 
online collaboration transparent and easy to navigate. Scheduling one-to-one and project team meetings is also easy with the help of apps like Skype.
Managing a remote workforce can be incredibly rewarding - not least of all because you won’t have to pay for a full time office space for your team!
3. Growing an online presence
Being a large, established business doesn't necessarily mean that you’ll have the follower count to match. With the right knowledge, you can grow your online presence to surpass that of your competitors’ - even if you’re a team of two.
You’ll find a range of free or reasonably priced SEO tools for beginners online today, designed to help you optimize your website and rise up Google’s rankings. If you haven’t already, check out tools like Moz, Google Search Console and Wordpress to see how you can boost your online presence.
Building an engaged social media following is also important for small businesses looking to compete like a pro. Of course, to succeed in this area, you’ll need creativity and a wealth of ideas - but you’ll also need to be consistent in your approach.
Social media scheduling platforms like Hootsuite make this a lot easier - you can line up the week or month’s social posts in one go and it will publish them for you.
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Published on: 20th June 2019
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