A lot of small business owners avoid technology advancements like a plague. There is always a myriad of reasons (more like excuses) to resist change like it’s expensive, not being technical enough to use it, or just simply why change something that works. Well, change is indeed scary and people find comfort to what is familiar instead of embracing improvements.
However, if you really want to succeed as an entrepreneur then you have to get used to change. The business environment is constantly changing so what works for you now will not necessarily work in the future. As they say, it’s a jungle out there and only the fittest can survive. You have to adjust through all the changes or you can find all your hard work and investments go down the drain.
I am not saying you have to take every technology that comes your way. You still have to be smart about it. But to completely disregard the advantages of what a new technology will bring to your business is irresponsible.
The first step to take is to review your business needs. Do you have too much manpower requirements? Are you having trouble with your customer service? Do you need to have some way to organize your processes?
Once you reviewed your needs, look into the reason why you have these needs. Maybe you have manpower problems because you do not have a well defined process and some of the tasks that can be done by one person are being done by two. Or maybe your customer service problem stems from the fact that you are using a single landline that can only accommodate one call at a time. Or maybe you just need some organization within your company.
After you identified the reasons for your business needs, that is when you can research on the different technology solutions in the market. Before deciding on a technological solution, just ask these questions: Does it solve the problem? Does it fit the company budget? Is this a long term solution?
Take a customized unified communication solution for business processes. Not only does it streamline the communications aspect of your company but integrates every facet of your business processes, whether procedural or automated, to that business solution. The ROI can be really big as it significantly increases productivity and efficiency.
However, as a small business you would have to consider if it is worth the short term losses. Customized solutions are not exactly cheap. In addition, it takes a while to install and maintain as it involves a lot of research and planning. So while it does solve the problem and is a long term solution, it might not fit your budget as discussed above.
You can look at other options like cloud phone system which is a readymade phone service that companies adapt to their company processes. Though it is not a customized solution for your business, these cloud RingCentral phone system is like other VoIP providers can easily be integrated with your current processes and see immediate improvements. Plus, it answers all three qualifying questions: It solves your business needs, fits the budget, and is a long term solution. It’s all a matter of finding a balance between the gains you will get and the costs you will incur.
So you see, there is no need to be afraid of technology. You can always say no to it if it does not fit your business. What’s wrong is saying no to technology just because of an irrational fear of change.






