Growing your business? Here are 3 things to consider.
Growth is the goal of every small business — whether you’re running an e-commerce business or a brick-and-mortar service company. That’s because more growth typically means more sales and increased profits.
However, when your company expands, it’s vital to think about how you’ll scale your technology to support that growth. The great news is that there are some effective ways to scale your technology as your business grows. Here’s what you can do:
1. Consider buying bundled technology.
While you should ideally track what you are spending on software and other technology expenses, some expenses sometimes go unnoticed (such as one-time software purchases). If your small business is in the growth stage and lacks a robust IT and accounting department, it’s easy for these expenses to get overlooked.
When you spend on individual software or even individual technology subscriptions, you might be paying more than you would pay for bundled services and technology. Because of this, it’s crucial to consider buying your technology in bulk via bundles to take advantage of built-in discounts. This also allows you to manage all of your applications from one central source, giving you the opportunity to better track and monitor technology spending.
2. Leverage cloud services.
Data is growing at an alarming rate. It’s forecasted that every person who is online will produce about 1.7 megabytes of new data per second per day. Even if all your customers don’t end up creating that much data, it’s still important to have a plan to support the exponential growth of data that will likely occur as your business grows.
One way to manage ever-expanding data is by subscribing to and using a cloud service. Not only can you get access to your content, you can also take advantage of business applications without the need to download content to your desktop.
Moreover, when you purchase cloud services, you can reduce system hardware, such as on-premise servers. You can often opt for a monthly subscription and use business applications as needed, too.
3. Take advantage of a managed service provider.
Managed service providers do more than your typical in-house technical support. With the help of a managed service provider, you can get the help you need when you need it. That’s because managed service providers often have solid relationships with industry vendors, as well as a staff that’s able to support different business functions 24/7/365.
But managed service providers go a bit further than run-of-the-mill IT support. They can also provide you with the guidance and consulting you need to find the right technology for your business. With this additional knowledge, you’ll have what it takes to scale your technology efficiently and strategically.
Final thoughts
Scaling your technology is vital when expanding your business. Because of this, it’s important to remain strategic. Consider investing in bundled technology, cloud services, and MSPs and take the steps to invest in the right technology.