Business Solutions for Summer 2020

S U MM E R 2 0 2 0 3 BUSINESS solutions A technology plan can help you think about the future of your business, allowing you to prepare for upcoming technology needs and evolve as things change over time. It can also help you proactively adapt to, and keep up with, technological advances. The benefits of having a technology plan include: • You’ll be more likely to meet technology goals if you have them. A technology plan is where you can record such goals and track their progress. • Your business will have the right equipment to meet new customer demands. • You’ll be ahead of the technology curve, signaling to customers that you’re competent in other areas of your business as well. • You’ll have a budget for purchasing new technology so these expenses won’t come as a surprise and throw off your finances. • Your business may attract younger workers to whom up-to-date technology is not just an added bonus, but expected. • You may save money. By not planning ahead, you risk having technology that becomes obsolete and needs to be replaced every few years. Thinking ahead and investing in better equipment can also result in fewer problems and less time and money needed to deal with them. The first step in developing a technology plan is to assess your company’s current technology. Ask for feedback from both customers and employees to see what needs to be improved. Look for areas of your business that could use more technology to increase efficiency as well as technology you have that’s outdated or rarely used. Next, think about what you want to accomplish in your business and how technology can help. Set goals accordingly. Make sure to consider the feasibility of the goals, including how much time and money it will take to complete each one. Technology plans help businesses reach their goals. For more infor- mation about how Madison Communications can help meet your technology needs, call 800-422-4848. Tried-and-True Apps for Small Businesses There are thousands of productivity apps out there to help you do every- thing from managing your to-do list to staying on top of business expenses. If you don’t have the time to wade through a long list of apps, check out this short list of some of the best and most popular ones: • Best for time tracking: RescueTime, Toggl, Eternity Time Log • Best for project management: Basecamp, Trello, Asana • Best for team communication: Slack, Stride, Skype for Business • Best for customer relationship man- agement: Streak, Insightly, Nimble • Best for accepting payments: Square, PayPal Here, Dwolla • Best for accounting: QuickBooks Online, Freshbooks, Wave • Best for creating and sharing to-do lists: Wunderlist, Evernote, OmniFocus Of course, apps are just one category of tools to boost small business efficiency and productivity. Others include the internet, voice, security, and IT services Madison Communications offers. Visit www. gomadison.com to learn more. Does Your Business Have a Technology Plan?