5 Technology Trends that can help your Small Business

March 25, 2020 by Amanda Curl posted in: Help for Business Owners & Occupiers

We take a look at how some recent technology trends could offer your small business smarter ways of working.

Cloud computing 

Cloud computing allows access to digital files and applications from anywhere, at any time as long as there is internet connection.  The files can be accessed on mobile devices as well as desktop computers allowing workers to work remotely with flexible hours therefore making talent and collaboration available from all over the world. As it is easier to maintain security in one central location rather than on many different devices, having cloud computing makes your information more safe from cyber attacks.   Office 365, is an example of a current cloud service. 

5G 

5G began being made available in certain parts of the UK in May 2019 although it’s not nationwide yet. This new mobile phone network will bring increases in speed, up to 1 GB per second, that’s up to 10 times faster than 4G and promises to be more consistent. Industries that it is expected to be most beneficial for include hospitality, manufacturing and retail. A fast consistent service will enable your business to have more instant communication with your customers and faster deliveries. 

Internet of things

 The internet of things refers to smart devices that communicate with each other over the internet with the purpose of collecting and processing data. The most common uses in business include: remote monitoring by security cameras, tracking activities that confirm proper procedures are being followed, smart lighting and heating to reduce bills, monitoring of stock levels ensuring you won’t run out of anything a customer wants and sensors in equipment to alert you when they need repairing. 

AI – Automation  

If you have many administration tasks that take up a lot of staff time you could optimise their time, speed up processes, and potentially see fewer errors by handing over the mundane jobs to automation. These could be: automated marketing platforms inventory management, auto reminders for invoices and chatbots who can provide a 24/7 service and can be built for your company for a monthly subscription.

Online training 

It is now estimated that many employee’s skills are becoming outdated within 5 years as technology advances ever faster. It’s no wonder then that online training is a growing trend. The rise of mobile access and video allows companies to offer training that is easy to access, flexible and saves money on materials.  Some popular training sites include: Udemy.com,  edX, and LinkedIn Learning. 

This entry was tagged: technology