Widespread work-from-home practices continue to derail small businesses’ rise to the top. Over a few days or maybe weeks, companies had to develop, maintain, and execute remote working policies, which affected all aspects of their business operations. However, businesses, especially startups, didn’t have the means or the budget to incorporate technologies as enterprise businesses can. But, as 2021 rolled in, technology became a vital part for these businesses if they wanted to remain relevant in the market and grow at a quick pace.
Small business tech trends for 2021
If you are a small business owner yourself, you must remain searching to improve your company and its internal operations. You can take advantage of a few technology trends that flood the marketplace these days if you are trying to take your business to the next level. After all, technology leads to innovation. Today, in this article, let us look at some technological trends that are a must-have for all small businesses in 2021. Some of these are listed down below:
Adoption of Technologies
When remote working became a must-have during the covid-19 pandemic, small businesses were the ones who were deeply affected by it and started running around like headless chickens. It became apparent that companies that already adopted cloud-based technologies had an advantage over their competitors. They only had to make a few minor tweaks and incorporate a few applications to reap its benefits to the maximum level. Such a thing is now pushing small businesses everywhere to speed up their digital transformation process and move some of their operations to the cloud earlier than expected.
Today there is the need for individuals in every business who have business skills and are also well aware of the new technologies. Similarly, if someone is a tech-savvy person and wants to explore new business techniques, can opt for masters in business online to get the latest business knowledge.
Utilization of Intelligent Automation
You might have heard about automation in business. But do you know that 2021 is the year where we finally see many companies automating their business operations to their entirety? It is a fact because small businesses were always on the hunt for ways that allowed them to do more work with fewer resources. It was mostly the case when their employees adopted work-from-home practices.
As more and more employees opted for remote working, it became a nightmare for the IT departments to solve problems and issues that plagued these remote workers. Both artificial intelligence and robotic process automation started to gain increased traction due to such a reason. Thus the concept of intelligent automation came about. Together, robotic automation and AI provide small businesses with an end-to-end, rapid business operation automation. And such a trend is now prominent for not only small companies but big large corporations alike.
Adoption of 5g and Wifi-6 Connectivity
Wifi-6 and 5g were always the talks of the century when experts discussed the internet of things (IoT). These discussions focused on the effects of such new iterations of previously existing technologies on industries like manufacturing, where workers continuously work inside large warehouses. Nowadays, businesses usually operate inside large spaces. They require connectivity to be up-to-date to stand up to such a challenge.
Small businesses are the ones that enjoy the most benefits when adopting technologies such as wifi-6 and 5g. It will allow their workers to access company networks and servers from wherever they want, whether it be their home or a local coffee shop.
Increased Focus on Cybersecurity
As the number of businesses that move their operations online increases, so does their risk of experiencing cyberattacks from hackers. However, some companies don’t think such a thing will happen, and they leave themselves wide open to cybersecurity threats. In fact, according to BullGuard, around 60 percent of businesses say it is improbable for them to be a target of a cyber-attack. But, in 2021, cyber-attacks increased, and it is time for companies to fight back.
2021 is the year where the business that didn’t not factor in cybersecurity will give it the respect it deserves. Companies will start to utilize standardized tackling and blocking gameplans, disaster-recovery, and data-backup solutions to provide themselves with an increased security level.
Video Conferencing
Other than the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020 was also the year where Zoom usage picked up the pace. In 2021, more and more businesses will start to utilize it to enforce contactless business operations. The pandemic teaches us that we have to be productive, but we still require human interaction to enter video conferencing. It is bringing together virtual teams, and workers are becoming more and more comfortable on camera.
Such reliance on digital video conferencing solutions will force businesses to invest in upgrading their technological infrastructure. Besides applying changes to on-site workers’ practices, they will have to accommodate their remote-employees as they require human interaction the most in such testing times.
Influencer Marketing
While you scroll through your accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, you will indeed find branded and promotional content. The highest-paid sports personalities, such as Christiano Ronaldo, make a lot more money through Instagram than through playing football. Such a technique of using famous individuals to sell products is nothing new. However, your ads will appear far more frequently and suitably if you use influencer marketing.
If you are a small business owner, you cannot afford such big names currently, which is OK. Target a few influencers with around 100,000 followers on social media platforms. They will charge less and still provide your services and products the visibility you want.
Conclusion
The ability to set your businesses apart from the competition is about utilizing various technological channels. Maintaining productivity and efficiency while keeping your business safe and secure will provide your employees with excellent job satisfaction and security. Small businesses need to stop and take a more comprehensive approach by incorporating the latest tech trends mentioned in this article if they want to be relevant in 2021.
