Technology allows for a lot of things. You can gain free access on the Internet to everything that interests you. You are also able to read this article about something that you need. Basically, you have it all a few clicks away, and this is only via the Internet. Technology is much more than that, thus there are other ways to use it. So, we have prepared a short guide to help you with ways to use technology to reduce operating costs. I believe that you find it both helpful and interesting!
Some of the best ways to use technology to reduce operating costs
If you are an entrepreneur or a business owner, you know that there are “hidden” costs to everything – data storage, general management, manual work, etc. Here are some of the best ways you can use technology to reduce operating costs:
- Cloud storage: Storing your data can get very expensive. First and foremost, you need to purchase a storage platform and to maintain it on a weekly/monthly basis. This is not for free. However, your cloud storage is free! It is one of the best business improvement software there is so far. It connects several servers and the access is free of charge. The only thing you need is an account you can connect to the cloud storage itself. We highly recommend using it due to obvious reasons. Besides, the more operating costs you manage to cut, the better it is for you!
- Automation: Everything you need to do manually is a problem when technology is concerned. In business, you will have a lot of other things to worry about than lists, accounting, taxation, etc. Thus, the best way for you would be to automate the process as much as possible. There are some tools like Xero or FlashBooks that you can use to do everything at the same time. This will save you both time and money for something you probably don’t want to be a nuisance for you.
- Free applications: Sometimes, the best choice can be quite obvious – free applications! You can use them for better CRM (customer relationship management). So, for example, you can use Skype or Viber or other free applications each of us can have on their phones. There are a lot of benefits of CRM software you can use in your mission to reduce operating costs. Use all of them!
Other methods
There are some other methods you can use as well. However, they revolve around the aforementioned ways or their combination. For example, you can combine a Skype messenger with your cloud storage. How? Well, you or your co-workers can send information in Skype groups and someone can put them in cloud storage following a chronological way. The truth is – you can use and combine everything at your disposal, for as long as it follows the terms and agreement of the software.
Yet another thing you can do is to consult with IT experts. We are certain they have a lot of experience in this topic and that they can help you out. You can even check a moving company software or any software that deals with business administration.
Furthermore, if you choose to consult with IT experts, they can help you out with everything. The best option would be exactly that – ask the IT experts for help. Some of them might just tell you what to do, others might offer their services. Remember, if paying for something will mean not having to pay for it at all in the future, then it is a good trade. We highly recommend doing that if you ever feel the need to do so.
The free software you can use
This is the list of free software you can use for developing your business. Of course, some of them might have a premium membership, but they can function quite well even without it.
- Facebook: One of the most famous social media currently available to the general population. Facebook is a free application that allows you to connect with anyone in the world at any given time, provided you have Internet access. You can make Facebook groups and pages about your business and Facebook can even store your information for free. It is quite easy to use and the information you have there is restricted only to people with whom you share it.
- LinkedIn: One of the best business platforms you can use for free. It is simple – you create a profile and “link” with people of mutual interests. This way you can form connections quite easily and you won’t have to pay for any administration costs. The only downside is that you will be doing the talking and everything that has to do with the administration of clients and partners.
Other methods to use technology to reduce operating costs
- Skype and Viber: Two of the most common video call messengers. You can use them to make free calls and they can also store your information in their cloud for free. This way, you don’t have to use email all the time and you don’t have to make international calls. Besides, you don’t have to be an IT expert to use it. While most people use them for chatting, you can use them for business. Especially their data feature.
- WhatsApp: Another free messenger you can use to communicate with people. The best thing about WhatsApp is that you can do the exact same thing as with Facebook and Viber combined. Besides, most people do not use Facebook nowadays, so WhatsApp is the perfect choice for you. It is entirely free as well!
Conclusion
Whether you like it or not, technology is developing quite fast. This short guide focused only on communication and data storage, but who knows what else you can do with it? There are a lot of ways to use technology to reduce operating costs, you just need to find them all. We hope that we helped you in your search and that now you can develop your business free of charge!
