As 2018 takes off for small businesses, the tech landscape is evolving more rapidly than ever before. If tech investment hasn’t yet been on the top of your list, 2018 will be the year you take a closer look at what tech it takes to win in your space. We have narrowed it down to the 3 tech trends that are going to be important for small businesses in 2018.
Cyber Security
Yes, staying secure is still at the top of our list. 71% of cyber attacks target small businesses and if those attacks are successful, it can cost thousands of dollars in ransoms, lost data, and lost time. Cyber criminals are keeping tech experts on their toes as they continually evolve their tactics. Keeping your data and your network safe is the groundwork to ensure you’re able to grow. This is best accomplished through preventative care, 24/7 monitoring, and security training for all employees.
Getting Started
To get started with cyber security, you will want to audit your data and your systems. After that, you’ll need to evaluate if where you’re housing your data is the right fit. Once you’re all situated there, it’s time to implement a monitoring and alerting system. Training your team is a great final step because human error is responsible for the majority of cyber security breaches. For help getting started, contact a tech consultant.
Business Intelligence
With your data safe and secure, it’s time to put it to work. Business Intelligence is the tool for 2018. Some tech experts have compared Business Intelligence to the internet in how transformative it can be for a business. This isn’t an opportunity you want to miss out on. Connect your applications in 2018 so your data can be turned into meaningful insights.
Getting Started
To get started with Businses Intelligence, you’ll to align four parts. You’ll need a BI champion within your organization who can see the benefits and is motivated to get everything together. Then, you’ll need a strategy with input from each area of your business. After that you’ll need to figure our how you want to measure and what it is that matters to measure. The branch off of this is thinking outside the box.
Culture Tools
Your company’s culture is an important piece to your success. Tech tools to foster that culture will take root in small businesses in 2018. These tools include communication tools like Slack, project and task tools like Asana, and happiness and feedback tools like TINYpulse. Modern ways to communicate, keep track of progress, and allow employees to provide feedback help to support an open and flexible culture.
Getting Started
To get started with culture tools, you’ll need to define what it means to have a good culture within your organization. From there, implement tools that support open communication and feedback. A big things when implementing culture tools is adoption, so make sure part of your plan is to train your team on how to use it. You can get tips on implementation and a good stack from a tech consultant.
Each of these tech trends has a way of improving a small business in their own way. Through these tools you can protect your assets, make better decisions, make your clients happier, and make your employees happier, too.
Want to learn more about these tools? Contact GadellNet!
