4 Ways Small Businesses Are Using Technology Wrong

Small Business Technology; Toll Free Vanity NumbersSmall business technology levels the playing field between small business owners who operate on tight budgets and large corporations that seemingly have an endless supply of cash. The best small business technology enhances communication, increases data accuracy, and facilitates interaction between you and potential customers. Unfortunately, many small business owners believe that simply investing in small business technology is enough to put them over the competitive hump.
On the other hand, this isn’t always the case. Small businesses need to ensure they know how to use business technology and that they are using it correctly. Here are the three primary small business technology errors made by small business owners and entrepreneurs.

Get off My Cloud

Cloud small business technology provides entrepreneurs with an affordable way to access important data. However, this means you place all of your small business financial and operational data in the hands of someone who works outside of your small business. Human and server errors have caused countless deletions of critical small business data. One of the biggest misuses of small business technology is relying on third parties to organize and manage small business data. Store all of your data in-house and hire a professional you can trust to manage it.

Anti-Social Behavior

Social networking has morphed from a way for friends and family to connect into a vital marketing strategy for small businesses. Small business technology budgets do not see a hit from implementing social media marketing strategies. However, your financial statements can reflect how you use social media technology incorrectly. Many small business owners engage in arguments with customers over Twitter and Facebook, they incorrectly use hashtags, and even put post inappropriate content. All are recipes for disaster…

Open Invitation to Steal

The recent identity theft that afflicted thousands of Target customers during the 2013 holiday season demonstrates the importance of investing in advanced security protection for your small business information technology platform. Yet, most small business owners barely get beyond setting up a firewall to discourage hackers let alone have a clue as to what constitutes their IT security features, such as antivirus programs and spam blockers. Ignoring these tools gives hackers an easy and open invitation to steal.

Low Tech Wayto Attract New Customers

Possibly the most significant way small business operators incorrectly use small business technology is by spending money on technology that they do not need. Not all of the bells and whistles you add to your IT system attract new customers. You can bring in more business by simply add toll free vanity numbers
. Moreover, small businesses should consider the high return on investment provided by easy to acquire toll free vanity numbers. Inexpensive to purchase and operate, toll free numbers create a brand identity among people who remember your catchy toll free phrase.