No matter what kind of business you run, you need to understand the importance of moving with the times. The way companies are run and how they work with their customers has changed hugely over the years. In such a competitive market where everyone is vying for trade, you need to be on top of your game – or else lose custom and eventually, go under. No one wants this to happen to a business they have grown over the years, but the digital age can be confusing and bewildering at times. The tech world moves astonishingly fast, so having the basics down at the very least sets a precedent for you and your company to be able to progress in a digital manner. Here are just some of the ways you can bring your business into the 21st century and hopefully see better figures as a result of doing so.

POS

If you haven’t heard of POS, then just where have you been for the past few years? POS stands for ‘point of sale’, and it refers to any means of payment from customer to company within a business. Traditionally, it is comprised of a cash register and a debit or credit card reader. As times progressed, the manual cash register became electronic and since then, we have seen even more impressive developments in POS systems. For example, you can now get a mobile credit card reader, meaning you can take payment at places other than the till point. This is especially useful if you are running a restaurant or cafe business, as flexible payment location avoids huge queues at the till.

Trading online

Having a physical store that customers can visit does definitely have its positives. It allows you to interact with your customers face to face, which is largely underrated in business despite the fact that it can bring about some pretty good results. But, by only having a physical store, you could be doing yourself a disservice. Trading online can open up so many doors for you and your business, as that way your company is not just limited to your immediate geographical area. It can also work for other business models too, such as if you run a restaurant. You may not be able to actually trade online, but it can definitely be worth setting up some kind of system where your customers can book tables online instead.

Use internal company software

Do you find that your business files are a mess of hand-written, barely intelligible notes? While it is always useful to write things down, sometimes it just isn’t enough. Bits of paper can get lost and destroyed, and working through a three inch thick folder to file your tax returns is never fun. Ask a developer to implement some internal software for you and your business – especially important if your business is based in an office. That way, you will have a private email server, a place to manage staff holidays and somewhere to keep all your important documents.