Technology: Remove The Barriers to Growth
Some businesses, just aren't aware they have growth challenges and are unwittingly putting barriers in the way to their own success.
All businesses suffer common challenges that often prevent them from being more successful. Identifying those challenges and what technology or best practice will help can be daunting. It can also be time-consuming, confusing and costly, especially when all suppliers claim they are the best and cheapest at what they do!
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Talking to an experienced "connected" independent technology advisor as a Single Point of Contact could help you to not only save money and time but also find solutions from vetted appropriate suppliers and at the right price. Here are just some of the challenges, as small businesses, we face.
Outbound customer engagement
It’s been clear for a while, for those successful companies using multiple messaging and engagement channels to reach customers, has a positive effect. Breaking down customer communication silos can boost engagement by more than 800%! Yes it's no longer all about social media and email marketing but pro actively understanding who is then searching for your products and identifying who has visited your website as a result of your outbound marketing efforts. We all know that upwards of 95% of your website visitors just don't enquire. Want to know more? Here's a good place to start
Inbound customer engagement
As your prospective, or existing, customers experience start with that very first contact with your company there are so many thresholds that can erode that first impression. A uninspiring website, a chat bot that doesn't answer their question, hanging on the phone too long, a tardy response to an email enquiry or any manner of other unresponsive inbound customer interactions. That's why around £34b of business sales are lost by small businesses with an inability to manage inbound customer engagement well. Probably why customer complaints have risen yet again for many companies too. Just two reasons why customer churn has increased to nearly 70% PA.
See why UCaaS technology is self funding . Here's a good place to start
Customer value (ROC) - Return on Customer
The result of good customer engagement, as we know, promotes customer loyalty which in turn helps generate repeat business and recommendations to new customers. Any funds spent in technology that underpins this should not be seen as a business cost but rather an investment in your Customer Experience sales strategy. Thus increasing the ROC, repeat business, which is something that should form part of a businesses financial growth plan. Again, we all know that its far harder, and costlier, to find new customers than retain and grow existing clients. Here's a good place to start
Money matters - cost controls
Cost control is perhaps one of the most challenging elements of running a business. The wrong balance between investing in something that helps to grow the business and a vanity purchase is often the reason a business fails. So considering ones most expensive resources as Employees and Energy costs may be a good first place to start. Energy, because major savings or fixing costs helps with budgeting. OR being more productive for both you and employees can underpin Customer Experience and Work-Life Balance by releasing time through efficiency gains by leveraging technology. When it comes to funding these efficiency gains here's a good place to start Benefits of Leasing
Risky business
Cyber security is the practice of defending computers, servers, mobile devices, electronic systems, networks, and data from malicious attacks. It's also known as information technology security or electronic information security. However, what isn't always taken in to consideration is that close to 70% of cyber attacks are as a result of accidental errors or even a disgruntled ex-employee. We work with some of the finest world-class experts in cyber security management and suppliers in this space for smaller businesses and corporates. Learn more here
Getting noticed
The most powerful differentiators that attract customers are those of offering a great Customer Service and exhibiting sound advice through your Experience. Components that build trust.
Working as an affiliate of Marketing for Humans Initiative we help provide a proven sales and marketing framework. Our aim is to help to improve owners work-life balance and provide a valuable future legacy of their business. We do this by helping provide a clear return on your marketing and sales spend, a way to avoid ‘feast and famine’ by working for the business even when it is not being focused on and much more. From demand generation, to website to customer tracking to inbound and outbound customer engagement
Tech trouble & Growing pains
As companies quickly adapt to and roll out technology, we all become acutely aware of the pain points associated with a disjointed approach. When the process isn't intuitive and well thought out, adjusting to a technolgy upgrade is tough. Finance and technology simplification shouldn't be a growth constraint for an organisation and nor should the lack of good advice. Advice that needn't always revolve around investing in new equipment. Often Refurbished, or Circular IT equipment offers sustainable solutions for a circular IT economy.