One of the greatest struggles of being a small business owner is contending with a thousand different problems pulling you away from your business’s core competency.
From bookkeeping to customer support, these unavoidable facets of entrepreneurship can leave you feeling like you’re drowning in a sea of stress.
Fortunately, the internet has facilitated solutions to many common issues you might encounter during your day-to-day operations.
1. Outsource Your Customer Support
Ensuring customer satisfaction is a vital component of any well-running business. One of the primary drivers of creating a positive customer experience is their interactions with customer support. Clients with positive experiences are likelier to return and spread favorable reviews to their associates.
Ensuring that your clients have the best available support is down to more than hiring competent staff. Cloud call center software offers small businesses world-class call center software at an affordable price.
The added efficiency means this software will pay for itself in no time!
2. Use An Online Bookkeeping Service
Every small business owner knows that poor bookkeeping can sink a business. Besides not knowing how much money is coming in and out of your business, inconsistent bookkeeping can open you up to steep financial penalties from the IRS.
Not only that, but serious inefficiencies can lead to lower profits and capital misallocation.
In the past, you would be at the mercy of your local accounting firms. Alternatively, you could pay for a full-time accountant, a heavy expense for many small businesses.
However, with the advent of online accounting services and software, it’s easier now than ever to outsource your books to a competent and reliable professional service while paying a fraction of traditional brick-and-mortar accounting service fees.
3. Acquire Talent Through An Online Platform
According to a Pew Research Poll, 84% of adult job seekers have applied for work online. If you’re confining your search for talent through traditional job-seeking avenues, such as a local newspaper or a sign in the window, you’re missing out on the best talent.
Take advantage of the plethora of job-seeking platforms available to small businesses. From LinkedIn to Indeed, you can’t go wrong attracting the best talent with a well-written job posting.
Reach the widest pool of candidates with old-school classics such as Craigslist and even Facebook. Many industry-specific Facebook groups exist to connect the strongest talent with the best companies.
The next time you’re on Facebook, type in the name of your industry followed by common phrases such as ‘jobseekers’ to find the most active groups.
4. Take Advantage of Free Promotional Opportunities
With the rapid growth of social media, there’s no reason not to reach out to your customer base via the internet.
Whether showcasing your latest wares on Instagram, celebrating the 20th anniversary of your company’s founding on Facebook, or getting the word out about an upcoming sale on Twitter, social media has emerged as one of the most potent avenues for small business promotion.
And the best part? It’s completely free!
Connect with existing customers and reach out to prospective customers with a Facebook business page. It only takes minutes to set up and will serve as the public face of your company on the internet.
Customers can find your business’s hours, and location and frequently answer questions from the comfort of their own homes.
Conclusion
Running a small business is simultaneously one of the most challenging yet rewarding occupations on the planet.
Make things easier for yourself by taking advantage of innovative internet-based solutions to your everyday small business problems.
Take your company to the next level today!
