Cleaning Out the Closet: Why Small Businesses Need Modern Technology

used with permission from MSFT for Work

Upgrading your technology is a lot like buying yourself new clothes. What you wear affects everything from your health to how you feel, and even what people think of you. The same can be said for technology: old technology can seem like tie-dye and bell bottoms to your customers. More than90 percent of consumers say they would consider taking their business somewhere else rather than work with a company using outdated technology. When it’s up-to-date it can better protect your business, help attract and retain customers and talent, and scale alongside your growing business. Being up-to-date isn’t just cool-looking, it’s critical. Here’s why:

Cover up!

If the lining of your winter coat fell apart or your rain boot had a hole, you’d replace them to help stay healthy. In the same way, technology is the protective layer between sensitive company data and security threats.  Older operating systems can’t protect your business from today’s security threats, so upgrading your company’s technology is a way to prevent exposure and protect your business.

Appearance matters

Beyond the bare essentials (AKA protection), appearances do matter. It’s like interviewing for a job—you can’t show up in dirty or torn clothing. What sort of impression would that make on your interviewer and potential employer? The same goes for technology. Consumers often judge a business by the technology it uses.

Likewise, outdated technology can turn away the best and brightest workers and push them towards your competitors. According to CompTIA, a nonprofit association of IT professionals, two-thirds of millennial workers judge employers by their technological knowledge. On the other hand, technology that’s up-to-date allows your business to recruit from an unbounded pool of talent. With cloud-enabled productivity tools, qualified candidates can access all the business’ documents and systems, in addition to communicate and collaborate with colleagues from anywhere.

Growing pains

Technology could be the best way to grow your business without growing your expenses. New software can improve workflow inefficiencies and reduce administrative work while saving time and cutting costs. “If you’re going to grow, one of the best ways to grow is without additional staff. Software can allow you to do more with less,” says Anita Campbell, founder and CEO of Small Business Trends.

Whether your business is still growing or fully mature, it’s important that your technology is up-to-date. Check out this free e-guide to find out what it takes to update your technology and why it matters.

 

 

To learn more, contact us today.