If you run a business, high chances are that you use technology to run and promote your business. The recent explosion in the number of digital tools has given many options. But it can be difficult to know where to start. If you are not using digital tools or even if you are using this post will help you really make an effective digital workplace for your business.
Communication Tools for Effective Digital Workplace
Right communication among your team members and key stakeholders is the key to business success.
Phone calls, emails, instant messengers are great communication tools and they have been for a long time in use.
But, now technology has much better to offer. And if you use it properly you will overcome the communication barriers in your business.
Emails are still in use and it always will remain. But, emails lack the sense of immediacy. Similarly, phone calls don’t have the depth of communication and reception by the person on the other hand.
So, you should consider making use of Google Hangouts, Skype or WhatsApp for Business in which you can have a face to face video call with your team and clients.
Besides that you can share files, you can share your computer screen, and also do instant messaging with these tools. And all of these tools are completely free to use.
Make use of better technology for better communication and make your workplace an effective digital workplace.
Using these technologies have many benefits like you can video chat with your clients without traveling to meet them in person.
You can directly interact with your team from any part of the world through video chat.
Project Management Tools for Effective Digital Workplace
The number of daily tasks can range from very few to too many depending on the size of your business. And too many tasks sometimes become unmanageable.
If this is a situation of your business then you should introduce a project management system into your process.
There are a number of software, apps, and programs to manage the projects efficiently and turn your workplace into an efficient digital workplace.
But finding the cost-effective and right tools for your business needs will take a little research.
Try using Basecamp, it is a web-based project management system.
It helps manage your projects efficiently by tracking the individual projects, deadlines, and responsibilities of teams and individuals.
With many in-built features like file sharing, chat, calendar, file storage, project timeline tracker, progress bar, etc., makes it a perfect project management tool.
Marketing Tools for Effective Digital Workplace
Marketing is necessary for every business. Nowadays most of the marketing is done online.
The Internet has given tremendous power in the hands of people to find information in a click.
Also, for businesses, it is an excellent tool to market and sell their products and services.
Even potential customers can find your business online if you have an online presence.
Though you need a strong digital marketing strategy to stand out from your competition and attract more customers for your business.
But, you at least need to have a website, Google My Business listing, phone number, address so that your customers can reach you.
You can also use emailing marketing using MailChimp which allows you to easily create beautiful newsletters and send it to your customers in one click.
Also, you can create your presence on social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, youtube, etc.
If you don’t have time to manage your social media channels you can use Zoho Social or Hootsuite to schedule your posts and track your followers’ activities on your social media page.
Filesharing
Sending and receiving emails nowadays is just for communication. The most reliable and fast method is filesharing. It’s a pain to attach files in emails and send them.
Similarly, it’s pain again to download them, edit and send them back with an email attachment.
Instead, you can use a service such as Google Drive or Dropbox to keep your files in the cloud with the freedom to access your documents from anywhere and with any device.
Even your colleagues and clients can edit the files online.
It saves time, email space, and the pain to download documents and edit and again send it back. Also, these tools are handy to store your files. Again both of these tools are free to use up to a certain limit.
Accounting
To keep track of your earnings spends, taxes, invoices, and payroll, etc., is really difficult if you are using spreadsheets.
Even in manual handling, the chances of error are very high.
Instead, use Quickbooks, it is one of the most popular cloud-based software, with all of these aspects of business finance.
You can also use Freshbooks which offers similar features to manage your finances, taxes, invoices, and payroll.
Don’t worry it has a very user-friendly dashboard for everything and you can learn to use it very soon.
Also, you can take the help of their customer support if you can’t figure out anything from it.
ERP System
Enterprise resource planning is one of the most important aspects of a business. Probably you can’t handle business without it.
Managing inventories, stocks, finances, communications, invoices, etc., is difficult to do manually.
But, there are many digital business solutions that can help you do all of that without manual work.
It reduces the chances of error significantly and helps you grow your business.
Some of the most popular ERP systems available in the market are Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle E-Business Suite, SAGE, and SAP Business One.
These ERP systems have all the tools built-in you need for your business like communication, logistics, and finance, etc.
With these tools, you can save your time and hassle and make an effective digital workplace for your business.
