Technology is changing for small businesses. Gone are the days, when small businesses only used QuickBooks and Microsoft Office. With changing times, software companies are creating products for small businesses and more new ones are on their way. It is also becoming easier for small businesses to afford the same technology that were once only affordable for the bigger companies.
The technology trends are being noticed in three major areas: payments, analytics and marketing.
- Payments
With a ton of requirements such as merchant accounts, terminal providers, along with the high fees, it was hard for all small businesses to accept popular credit cards. But times have changed with the emergence of technology like Square and Stripe, which allow small businesses to accept credit cards online or via smart phones or tablets. You may have seen ads about Square on TV. Square is a small tool that plugs into a smart phone or tablet allowing the device to process credit card payments, therefore traditional credit card terminals are not needed. It has a point-of-sales system to payment processing built in. Registering for Square is free; it provides a 2.75% flat processing fee and no transaction fee. An online alternative to Square is Stripe. You can think of Stripe as tool similar to Google Wallet or PayPal. This tool provides plug and play online payments API that don’t require a merchant account or gateway.
- Analytics
It can be hard for small businesses to capture and understand the financial data for their businesses. That is where these new analytics tools come in. Profitably provides small businesses with a service that lets them track their finances. Indinero is really similar to Profitably but it can also be seen as lightweight replacement for accounting.
- Marketing
Marketing online is no longer only for the big fish. Websites like HubSpot and Heyo have made it easy for any business to market online. HubSpot is marketing software that lets you attract leads and then turn them into potential customers. This tool makes it easier for small businesses to track and manage the lifecycle of their customers as well, and their services start at just $200 a month. Heyo is another great marketing tool. They help you customize your fan pages, launch mobile apps and generate websites. This is convenient tool for those who are looking to save time and money.
Evolving technology available with low cost investments is making a variety of activities that were once challenging so much easier for small businesses. Are you keeping up with these trends? Have you used any of the services we suggested? Let us know. We would love to hear from you.
Photo Credit: MarcBarbezat
Special Offer: Three Girls Media & Marketing Inc. loves working with small and emerging companies to raise their brand awareness and name recognition. We offer a complimentary 30-minute phone consultation with our CEO and can answer your questions and discuss your specific brand marketing needs. Email info@ThreeGirlsMedia.com to make your appointment today.
does anyone know any websites with coupons like 5 dollars off 5 dollars or where you can get something for free.
There’s a great site, Fiver.com, where you can get a wide variety of services for just $5.
So glad you found the article helpful Chrystal!