1. A secure IT infrastructure: Network security is essential for all businesses whether they are growing, shrinking, centralizing or decentralizing and in all economic circumstances. Regardless of the nature of your business, there are tangible benefits to housing your infrastructure in a data centre, or better yet, in a managed cloud. By doing so, you ensure your sensitive infrastructure, information and assets are in a secure and backed-up environment and you have the peace of mind that your company information will remain available as well as safe. Most small to medium size businesses cannot withstand a long period of downtime or a loss of sensitive information, so security is critical to your company’s viability.
2. Access to the cloud: ”The Cloud” has quickly become a business catch-phrase, but what does it really mean? Incorporating a cloud into IT practices allows the company to outsource everything from email systems, to storage space and server requirements. Cloud services offer many benefits to businesses: they enable your company to cut costs by not having to buy IT infrastructure up front, they allow internal IT staff to focus on more productive tasks rather than day-to-day IT management, they help your business leverage the inherent security of the cloud, and it allows companies to easily scale services as your business grows. This all means that companies that adopt a cloud can focus on growing their business rather than on managing their IT needs.
3. VoIP: For small businesses to remain competitive against larger corporations they must excel at customer service and adaptability, while keeping a strong hold on cost of goods sold. One of the most powerful ways small businesses are doing this is through the use of voice over IP technology. VoIP has allowed for enterprise grade technology to be packaged and delivered to small businesses over private IP connections to guarantee call delivery and quality. The most popular has become hosted VoIP phone systems which help small businesses quickly get to market with advanced features for call management with minimal to no capital investment. In addition, VoIP has allowed for the scalability of phone systems to quickly increase the number of phones as small companies expand and grow.
4. A solid web presence: The importance of a well-thought-out, engaging and interactive website is a key business tool. In many cases, it is the first line of contact that your existing clients have with you and the first impression you make on your potential customers. If it’s not up to par, you probably won’t get a return visit – and your audience won’t become engaged. Make sure that your web presence is effective by incorporating easy to use and easy to find information about your company’s products and services. Consider a variety of contact options including “live Chat”.
5. Social media: In 2011, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are all standard tools of the trade. No longer the realm of the younger demographic, consumers have embraced social media as a way of connecting not only with friends, but with businesses as well. Learn the ins and outs of the key players in this area and make your presence known. Actively interact with visitors to your Facebook page, tweet some of your latest offerings and connect with the public. One thing to remember: the communication is two-way and quick feedback is expected in this area. While interacting in a genuine way through social media can help improve your company’s profile and potentially sales, a poor social media strategy has been known to greatly damage company reputations.
