There’s no question, your start-up is going to be relying on technology for a long time. Whether it is instant-messaging, social media or as an e-commerce marketplace, you’re going to be getting in touch with the internet a lot during your time with the startup.
That’s why it’s so important to manipulate technology and use it correctly to succeed. It’s not just about tech though, if you’ve got people working for you, you need to motivate them correctly and move forward as a unit, not a group of individuals. Poor motivation can scupper the success of your business and if you’re not doing well at managing performance sort out better tools for performance management, with sites like Six Disciplines.
Once you’ve got everyone moving forward, it’s time to sort the tech out. Your staff should ideally be equipped with a smartphone at the very least. A good smartphone not only allows for communication but offers an employee a work platform. It’s a great two-in-one if you haven’t got the capital to purchase everyone in the workforce a laptop or tablet as well. A good smartphone can solve a lot of problems and will be able to connect with your start-up’s software and cloud storage.
The future is all about collaboration. Businesses and start-ups may not last long if they aren’t willing to work together. Thankfully there are a huge array of communication options and the most professional among this great range of choices will be video-conferencing and you can set up a decent rig with a nice screen and a good webcam/laptop. This will make you come across as incredibly professional and ensure you can host meetings anywhere in conference rooms across the world.
It doesn’t end with videoconferencing. You can replace slow emails and internal forums with instant messaging applications like Slack. This allows for constant and immediate collaboration on work and internal issues no matter what the distance. Modifications and changes happen immediately and your workforce and work on them simultaneously. Workstations can be accessed remotely meaning work can be completed from anywhere at all.
Cloud based storage is a must for your start-up. As with Slack, all files can be accessed and modified simultaneously by anyone with access. Your files and work will be kept secure on a remote server and there are plenty of options, from Dropbox to Onedrive. Your work will be kept safe, secure, and accessible.
There are many more ways you can manipulate and use technology to further your business goals, but it’s more important to get started. You’re the expert on your business and you’ll know the best way to use technology for your start-up. These are just the first steps and once you’re used to the benefits offered by the cloud and new communication tools then the world is your oyster and the manipulation of technology to suit your needs will come as a second nature and you won’t even need to truly think about it. Everything will come together in a natural way, you just need to kick it all off!
