NOTE: This is the first of a series of articles specifically geared towards the new tech user. When you are done with this series, you will learn different ways to integrate technology into your small business. Knowledge is power, and knowledge saves you money.
Sylvester has a small cat grooming business from his home office. It is a small space, but just enough room for what he needs: a phone, an appointment book, a contact book, work order pad, invoice pad and other office goodies. He doesn't see any reason to think about computer infrastructure, because his business is mainly face to face and hands on. He thinks that investing in computers takes time, and money. Why should he learn any of this stuff when he is able to advertise in the local papers, and monthly mailers. Business is steady. Sylvester has no time to learn anything new. He just needs to make sales. Funny thing is that he has all the "computer infrastructure" he needs already. Between his home computer and smartphone, he has enough tech power to run his business to rival the local grooming services from any of the big box stores.
Six months down the road, Sylvester is totally disorganized. Papers flood his once immaculate office. Tax season is around the corner, and he doesn't know where to begin, what to give the accountant, or how to make sense of the papers. Nothing is where it is supposed to be. It is just that he can’t update his books when he is out of the office all day tending to his feline clients. To bad he hasn't figured out how easy it is to integrate his smartphone and home computer into his business. The tools are waiting right there.
Where did Sylvester go wrong?
Before Sylvester started to take on clients, be should have taken 1 week to focus on laying the foundation for his business. One week, may not seem like a lot of time, but it is more than enough to learn a couple of software programs that would set his office up for cruise control.
Where to Start?
1) Come up with three different versions of your website address.
Think about the name of your business, and then sit down in front of the computer on a website like godaddy.com to check domain names. You want to know that your business name is available for your website. A website is NOT OPTIONAL anymore! All new businesses start with a website. This is where you are going to define the aspects of your business and share it with the public. This is the face of your business. Even if you use your website as just a contact card, it shows people that you are alive!
Once you find the available website address – BUY IT. Do not wait. It may not be there when you return in a couple of hours. You are buying the domain name only. You can think about hosting at a later time. The cost of the domain name (like a post office box), is approximately $10 - $20 per year. Discounts are usually available to buy the domain for multiple years.
2) Write out the basic components of your website.
Contact information, hours of operation, service areas, about section and summary of services. These are the main pieces, and from there, the rest of your website can grow. These first set of pages are the core group and you can save yourself a lot of money by having control of the vision of your website.
3) Write out the basic operation flow of your business.
An operations flow chart works for any size business. Small businesses overlook this, because all the procedures are in the owner’s head. However, when it comes time to grow, the owner will either be inundated with people needing direction or have to take a huge step backwards to train the new staff. Starting out with a procedures manual, even if just for your own reference, will save you time and time again.
Check out more of this series of articles on Sexy Tech Tuesdays ;-)
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