Do you use technology in your small business?

I thought I'd run through a few technologies out there, widely available now to small biz owners, yet still very much in an early growth phase in terms of take up:

Use of dual screens
We've run dual screens for our team here for around 12 months now I think. If I tried to take away anyone's second monitor they'd be kicking and screaming. Using two screens allows a much higher level of multi-tasking, and reduced time spent flicking between windows. The benefits in increased productivity are huge (I have seen them) and the cost of a monitor now ridiculously low. Before embarking on dual screens, check your pc can do it, sometimes a cheap graphics card is required.

Productivity increase HIGH, Cost LOW

Use of web based software applications
The web has arrived for the small biz owner in a huge and affordable way. This topic is vast, but to give a flavour, ways which we are seeing are tech-savvy clients benefit from the web include hosted services - allowing all staff in the firm to access key data and document templates (eg google apps) and also online accounting solutions - we have many clients running their own books who now have real time access to high quality management information - this is in itself an area thats taken off hugely recently, with the next major development being automated uploads from your bank to the accounts software - how much bookkeeping time (ed. & money!) would that save!

Cost wise - the pricing of these web based products tends to be pay as you go (monthly) rather than along the lines of the lump sum inivestment in software and hardware required in yesteryears.

Productivity increase HIGH, Cost LOW-MED

Smartphone technology
Iphones and Blackberrys are for playing games and catching up with the latest news, right? Wrong! The wealth of applications out there mean you can be in touch with customers and the office as much or as little as you want. You can hook into your office pc/network, print off documents via your phone, keep track of your put of pocket expenses (got to maximise that tax relief now!) for starters. Download 'mailchimp' to check the response to your latest newsletter campaign, or log into your online accounts software to get a snapshot of profitability. And thats all before making a call.......

Productivity increase MED, Cost LOW (many people have the phones now already)


To be honest in the past, many of these technologies have been the preserve of IT related and/or tech savvy firms - but those times have changed - the technology is cheap enough for everyone to use and when the accountants are embracing this type of stuff I think its fair to say its going mass market!