Key Ways Entrepreneurs Can Be Smarter About How They Use Technology in Their Ventures

Technology is one of the key factors of doing business in this hyper-digital age. Tech tools help us save money, be more productive, keep up with competitors, and much more. However, the benefits you get from tech will only be as good as the way you use it. 

As the leader of your organization, it’s up to you to take charge and think about more effective ways to use tech gear across your different business processes.

Put Accounts and Logins In Your Name

Even though you may have your employees purchase and set up new tech gear and account logins, get them to ensure every new device and account has your name as the administrator or owner, not theirs. It’s imperative to be able to control tech tools no matter what happens with employees. 

Avoid being stuck unable to update or login to things because an ex-staff member created the account and didn’t let you know the main details for it. Even long-term, loyal members of your team will likely move on at some point, so you don’t want to be left in the lurch when this happens. 

Invest in Training Yourself and Your Team

Invest in training to get the most out of your tech devices and tools. Both you and your team need to know not only how to generally use gear but also how to operate it most effectively. As a good spend management strategy will show you, there’s no point in spending money on products or services if you’re not going to utilize them and get the best return on investment possible. 

Find out if software programs and tech products come with customer support and training as an inclusion. Many do, so you and your staff can spend time going through written or video tutorials and courses to brush up on all the things you need to know. If this kind of assistance isn’t available, check online on YouTube and other places to see if you can find people who have created their own guides with tips to follow. 

Utilize Subscription Models

When you buy tech programs or pay for comprehensive services outright from the start, you typically have to outlay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for it. However, today, many companies offer subscription models whereby you can pay a monthly or annual price to access the software rather than buy it upfront. 

There’s a significant benefit to doing this. Namely, you get access to programs that are continually updated and improved over the years without having to pay to have specific changes made to suit your firm’s individual needs. This ends up being much more economical. 

As an example, rather than paying a web developer to create a website for you and then have them update it specifically every time you need changes made, you can utilize a software-as-a-source web provider like Squarespace or Wix. Then it’s just a matter of selecting easy-to-tweak templates and add-ons from these companies and enjoying access to all the latest tools and functions over time as their developers make updates to suit all customers at no extra charge. 

Backup Information

Whenever you’re using tech programs, it’s vital to keep backing up your content, whether information, spreadsheets, videos, images, or other files, to external sources. While many software options have automatic backup functionality, the reality is that it’s possible for these services to crash or get hacked and for your data to be lost or stolen in turn. 

As a result, back up business details to the cloud and, if possible, to an offline external hard drive that you don’t keep connected to the internet and other devices all the time. Having such backups covers you in the case of hacker attacks and other problems. While it may take a little time and effort to do this daily, once you get yourself and your team into the habit of backups, you’ll barely notice the task. You will be grateful, though, to have access to your information elsewhere if the worst ever happens. 

Limit Access to Data

Another way to protect your data, business, and yourself is to be discerning about who has access to details saved online and the systems and accounts you log in to. The fewer people who can use different programs, the less likely it is that an issue could occur with security or that you’ll have a disgruntled ex-employee or contractor, etc., causing problems with their logins at some later date. Think about who truly needs to use products and services and keep the circle of access as limited as possible. 

Technology is a wonderful asset that can make our lives easier and help us build our businesses exponentially. However, some downsides and limits come with tech tools, too, so you want to be thoughtful about the processes you put in place and how you utilize technology within your organization.

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