Five tech tricks to solve the most common challenges of small businesses

Technology continues to grow and flourish at an exponential rate. Internet technologies not only allow individuals to connect with each other, they also greatly benefit businesses in solving some of their day to day challenges.

To help small business owners, here are quick and easy tech tricks to help alleviate the five most common challenges associated with running a business:

1. Fuel Consumption

Fuel prices have been the number one complaint of small business owners in recent years. One clever tech trick to reduce fuel consumption is to have the smartest car on the street and to measure and optimize fuel consumption. There is a brand new innovative navigation device made in Australia called GoFar, currently raising funds on Kickstarter. In addition it helps to be a smart driver and to use programs like Google Maps  to plan the quickest and shortest routes.

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2. Attracting new customers

Small businesses won’t be able to get around the internet on this one. They need a website and it is really easy these days to register a domain with GoDaddy and to use drag-and-drop website builders such as Wix.com or Weebly.com. It then gets trickier to drive relevant traffic to the website and to create a social media following.  Google Adwords can be a great tool, but only if used correctly and only with highly relevant keyword combinations using the exact-match or phrase-match types at first before allowing google to go broad. But why not try a classical local letterbox drop in the area for example with LetterboxPush.com.au.

3. Cash flow concerns

It can be wise to avoid invoice-based bank payments altogether and charging customers via debit or credit card payments right after finishing a job. Modern bluetooth card readers, such as the Mint mPOS M10, work anywhere by turning a smartphone or tablet into an Eftpos machine. This mobile payments solution does not require any telephone or electric cables. All a small business owner has to do is simply apply for a credit card facility through MintPayments.com/mpos and download the free Mint mPOS app from the app store. The money will settle into any nominated bank account within two business days.

4. Bloody admin work

Using an online accounting software such as MYOB Essentials can greatly reduce the sheer amount of paper. It would be wise to at least have some clean Excel spreadsheets on a computer and to do the bank reconciliation regularly. Most accounting solutions such as MYOB come with automated reporting and handy dashboards plus they direct link to the bank account.

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5. Skills shortage

The internet allows small business owners to find new employees or freelancers more efficiently than ever before. Seek.com.au, LinkedIn or freelancer.com.au are great platforms to find the right resources for your business.

As the backbone of the Australian economy, it is important that small businesses operate to their highest potential. The ever-increasing applications of technology provide small business owners with a host of innovative tools. Whether there is a decrease in paperwork, or calculating the quickest routes to take, technology allows small businesses to run efficiently and focus on the work that brings in the actual revenue.

Bjorn Behrendt is the Chief Marketing Officer at Mint Payments Limited. He has a Master in Business with Majors in Computer Sciences and Intl. Management and prior to working for Mint Payments he worked for eBay and KPMG plus he became the co-founder of StyleTread Pty Ltd and ParcelPush Pty Ltd.

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