Small businesses can use technology without breaking their budgets by following these 10 simple tips.

Small businesses can use technology without breaking their budgets by following these 10 simple tips.

Businesses of all shapes and sizes want to use technology to grow their business, but it can be difficult to decide where to start and how much you can invest in your growth before it starts to take away from your profits. Fortunately, there are several ways that small businesses can use technology without breaking their budgets so that you can make the most of every investment in your company’s future. Here are 10 tips for how small businesses can use technology without breaking their budgets.

1) Use free or low-cost software

One way small-business owners can get started with minimal investment is to find free or low-cost software that will help them manage their business. There are many options out there, so it's important to do your research and find the programs that work best for you and your staff. Remember, even if something looks too good to be true, it might be! It pays to read reviews of a program before purchasing it. Try Beta testing before committing: If you're looking at buying a new piece of hardware, try beta testing first before making a purchase decision. When beta testing, you'll have time to test the product in your own environment before investing in an expensive purchase. Use what works: Some companies spend money on software they never use or buy equipment they never use because they don't know what's most valuable for their business. Instead, they should put their resources into one or two items that are going to make the biggest impact. For example, some small businesses may only need a few laptops but not PCs; others may need a PC for accounting purposes and another PC for operations purposes. Identify which pieces of technology would benefit your company most and invest in those items first.

2) Get organized with a CRM

Many business owners don't think they need to invest in a CRM, but this is one of the best ways small businesses can use technology to save time and money. A CRM will help you keep track of all your customer interactions and automate repetitive tasks - like sending follow-up emails - so that you are spending less time on administrative work and more time building your business. If you want to learn more about how CRMs can benefit your business check out our blog post: How a CRM Can Help Your Business. Find what's working for your competition: One way to grow your business faster than your competition is by copying what's working for them. You may not be able to copy everything from their website or social media account but you should at least try to mimic some of their most successful marketing strategies. Look through their analytics data, social media posts, website layout and design (or hire an expert who can) to find out what has been working for them so that you can apply it yourself with success!

3) Automate your marketing

Automating your marketing is a good way to save time and money and helps you get your message in front of potential customers at the right time, every time. There are many affordable marketing automation tools available for small business owners, with some solutions costing less than $100 per month. A/B testing: A/B testing compares two versions of something to find out which one performs better. It’s not as complicated as it sounds, and it’s an effective way to improve conversions on any website or landing page. Invest in content curation: To be found online today, you have to produce quality content on a regular basis. One great way to do this cheaply is through content curation – finding interesting articles and videos related to your industry and sharing them with your followers. Invest in social media advertising Social media advertising is an excellent option for reaching people who already know about your brand, but may need a little nudge before they make their next purchase. The cost varies depending on the number of clicks and impressions purchased, but Facebook ads cost around $1-3 per 1,000 impressions while Twitter ads are around $2-5 per 1,000 impressions.

4) Use social media to your advantage

#1: Utilize social media platforms to get your company's name and reputation out there, so more people will be willing to buy your products and services. Posting on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other sites is a great way to build relationships with customers while staying within your budget.

#2: Take advantage of free or inexpensive tools like Google Docs and Dropbox to save money on things like office space or expensive software programs that you might not need yet if you're just starting out. #3: Avoid the sticker shock of a pricey upfront fee for certain software packages when you can rent it monthly instead. 

#4: Try to establish partnerships with other small businesses in your area who are in the same industry as you are in order to help each other promote one another's brands. For example, you could offer them an exclusive discount on your product in exchange for promoting theirs. For every $100 spent at their store, they give you $10 off at yours. You both benefit from increased sales! You can also partner with a local business that has complementary skills, such as web design or graphic design, to make all of your marketing materials - then split the cost. Or if you know someone who has these skills and needs work (or vice versa), barter with them and work out payment on either cash or trade basis. 

#5: Get creative!

5) Keep your website up to date

Keeping your website up to date is one of the most important things you can do as a small business owner. A website provides a lot of information to potential customers, including contact information, social media links, and an overview of your services and products. Updating it frequently with new content will keep visitors coming back for more. If you don’t know how to update your website, ask someone who does. It might cost a little money but there are many professionals who offer this service for reasonable prices. These updates may be as simple as adding new testimonials from happy customers or updating pictures to feature current trends in your industry. Social Media: Another way to show that your company is current is through Facebook and Twitter updates. Both sites allow you to share updates about product specials, industry trends, or any other information that could be useful for potential customers. Don’t let a lack of technical knowledge stop you from taking advantage of all the benefits social media has to offer!

6) Invest in SEO

If you want to be found in search engines, you need to invest in SEO services from the beginning. The investment is worth it because you'll get more traffic and sales with a better ranking on Google and other popular search engines. Don't buy software unless you know what you're going to do with it: If you buy software without knowing how to use it, then there's a good chance that you won't be able to or will end up not using it at all. 

Use free resources like YouTube for training: YouTube has great tutorials for everything from web design basics to the newest version of Photoshop. You might even find some free software programs that are just as good as expensive ones! Offer your customers discounts on tech products and services: Every time one of your customers buys something, ask them if they want a discount for the next purchase. It could lead to bigger purchases later down the line. Put together an office IT policy: Make sure everyone understands company-wide rules about internet usage, computer settings and social media policies so that no one falls through the cracks when there's a problem. Consider investing in security cameras: Security cameras are becoming less expensive as well as much easier to install than they were before. There's really no excuse not to have security cameras if you don't already have them installed!

7) Use data to make decisions

1) Check your monthly data usage. Data plans are all different, but you should know what to expect for the month so you don't get a surprise bill at the end of the month or find that you've exceeded your limit and have to fork out more money. 2) Use video chat instead of phone calls when possible. 3) Choose your apps carefully - there's no need to download every app on offer. 4) Look for free alternatives where possible. 5) Make sure your security software is up-to-date. 6) Create good passwords - they should be long and difficult to guess. 7) Keep yourself up-to-date with emerging technologies in the industry through blogs like this one. 8) Get rid of spam emails as soon as you see them in your inbox. 9) Protect yourself online by changing passwords regularly, not using the same password for everything, avoiding public WiFi networks and never opening attachments from people you don't know. 

8) Stay ahead of the curve

Technology is an integral part of any small business, but it doesn't have to be expensive. Small businesses often find themselves with a limited budget, so here are ten easy ways you can get ahead of the curve and keep your company competitive while staying within your means:

- Use Google Apps for Business - this package offers a suite of tools including email, video conferencing and much more at an affordable price. You also have unlimited storage space, so if you're worried about the space that would take up on your computer, don't be! Google Drive also lets you edit files in real time with collaborators all over the world. - Automate your accounting tasks with Xero - Xero offers powerful features like invoicing and expense tracking that will help make running your business as efficiently as possible.

9) Get help when you need it

The tricky part about using new technologies is that there's always a learning curve, and you'll need to decide how much help you need along the way. If you're feeling confident in your skills, then go ahead and do it on your own; if not, find a friend who has more experience or hire someone to help out as needed (or both). In the end, it will save you money. Find out what free options are available: It may be tempting to spend big bucks on software for things like bookkeeping, but many companies offer completely free alternatives that are just as good. You might also be able to get open-source software for some tasks, which means no money is spent at all! Try before you buy: Test drive any major purchase of software before buying so that you know exactly what works best for your needs.

10) Have a plan