Getting Futuristic With Your Small Business Plan

If you consider what makes big companies truly great, you’ll realise that they are always at the forefront of innovation. Whether they are developing new technology or software with the intent of selling the resultant products to the consumer market, or they employ the help of new technology and software in their own manufacturing, marketing and distribution process, they always have a hold on what’s the best and most effective means of getting things done for the given time.

This is something that you need to try to replicate when it comes to your own small business. Sure, you might not have the disposable funds to pour into high-level research that the major companies do. But you can make use of what’s out there to make your company’s goals more easily and effectively achievable.

It’s time to get futuristic with your brand! Here are just a few ways that you can ensure your business is up to date with what is currently available to you on the market.

Keep Your Devices Up-to-Date.

Now, it may seem like there are constantly new versions of devices being put out on the market and that you are regularly being reminded to update the software on whichever device you might own. But this is for a reason: things are constantly being improved upon. While you may not need to buy into every single device update, you will notice dramatic differences between a device that you may have and an updated version that has been released two years down the line. Small tweaks and alterations, after all, will mount up over time. So try to trade in or upgrade the devices that you use once every few years.

As for software updates, it’s generally best to update each time you are prompted. First of all, software updates are generally free. Secondly, they are more often than not put out to rectify a problem or glitch that is likely to be affecting you on your device. When people complain, changes are made. That’s how tech companies work! That or they are simply modernising what you already have to an extent.

So, stop ignoring pop ups and prompts encouraging you to spend a few moments updating your software. Whether you use a desktop computer, a laptop, a tablet, or a smartphone for most of your business needs, make sure that you have things as up to date as possible.

Modernise Your Manufacturing Techniques.

New technology is constantly being developed to improve your company’s manufacturing processes. Why? Well, the faster you can create products, the more readily available they are for dispatch to a paying client. Everything is about speed and convenience nowadays. Customers are more likely to choose the company or brand who can supply them with what they want in the shortest period of time. In a world where people are growing used to ordering an item and having it delivered the next working day, you’re going to have to hurry to keep up with demand. But at the same time, you don’t want to sacrifice the overall quality of your goods as a result of being hasty.

So, where do you find a balance? Well, machines can often be used to produce goods at a pace that is unrivalled by the process of making things by hand. They can also significantly speed up processes such as packing and transporting items from one place to another. You may want to revolutionise your manufacturing process with the use of things like conveyor belts, shrink wrap machinery, laser engraving machines, or vinyl cutters. The ranges out there are expansive, so there’s bound to be some sort of manufacturing technology that will suit your business down to a tee.

Use Cutting Edge Technology.

Like the development of improved manufacturing processes, there is also constant development of technology to aid your business’ overall operation. One of the areas that research and experimentation have found a focus is artificial intelligence. When people mention artificial intelligence (or AI), we generally think of sci-fi robots that are potentially dangerous and threatening to human existence or the human place in the animal hierarchy. But that’s simply because we’ve been watching too many sci-fi films. Hollywood, after all, can’t help but take a concept and dramatise it. In reality, artificial intelligence tends to be connotative of a huge array of things: predictive analytics, prescriptive analytics, recommendation engines, deep learning, machine learning systems, evidence-based thinking, natural language generation, and NLP or text mining. These all hold a whole host of potential when it comes to your business, so it’s well worth taking a further look at them.

Update Your Office Space.

As well as incorporating physical developments in technology and machinery into your business, why not update certain areas by the simple implementation of modern-day research findings. Various studies have been carried out over the past few years into how office spaces affect workers and their productivity levels.

It turns out that by modernising your office space in various ways, you are likely to get a higher level of work out of your staff and can expect their efforts to be of a higher quality. There are several things that you can do this. First, you should ensure that there’s plenty of natural light in your office space. Large windows are preferable, so if possible, why not fit ceiling to floor windows around the office, allowing natural light to flood in.

Second, lighter tones are conducive to extra hard work. So have a rethink of your office’s colour palette and try splashing a fresh coat of paint on the walls. Then you can use research and developments to prevent staff illness. The incorporation of specially developed ergonomic office furniture and stationery will improve your employees’ overall health and well-being, keeping chronic conditions such as repetitive strain injury at bay. Not only will this create a more comfortable and content staff base, but it will save you forking out extra sick pay to affected employees later down the line too!

So, it’s time to start getting futuristic with your small business! Plan to make as many of the above changes to your work process and workspace as possible as soon as possible.