Starting a business has probably never been easier. With access to so much knowledge, experts, channels, and platforms, starting a business in 2019 has fewer barriers to entry.
From cheap web hosting and easy-to-create websites to free and easy social media, cost-effective marketing, and a wealth of content out there to help – starting a business has become a bedroom sport!
Micro-businesses are popping up all over the place and most can work on the run, in coffee shops, and even at home in the spare bedroom or kitchen table.
Cloud computing and the general shift from making things to offering services has seen the move away from traditional businesses to these new, flexible and lean operations.
Although running a business still comes with all the challenges and still presents some big hurdles, the online and more connected world certain makes a few of the old blockades to starting a business disappear.
If you truly want the edge in 2019 and beyond though, what you need to seriously think about is the structure of your business and how you can build a system that works with (or without) you.
Software can make or break a business
Young or old, large or micro, software can make or break your success. It’s often said that good business is built around good accounting and we completely agree… but it’s also built around a solid system, a structure, a base, and foundation that you can build on.
We work with many businesses who are growing. Time and time again we see that that the systems and processes they have in place are throttling their growth and hampering their efforts to move to the next step.
Software, when created or selected to integrate into a system or create a new one, can be the difference between constant plateau and exponential growth.
Good software structure – the blueprint for a successful business
We have access to so many tools, many of them free, and it’s a wonderful time to be alive and indeed in business. With cloud accounting making meetings unnecessary, and connected CRMs and cloud file sharing helping your team work remotely and in sync, it’s a time-saving and fast world that we live in.
Getting your software infrastructure right is key to this. Get the wrong software or neglect to see it all as one system and you’ll be forever double data entering and wondering why the software is causing you more issues instead of solving them.
What do you want to do? How do you want to work? How do you want to grow? Build or find software that fits you, not the other way around.
Build a solid base that supports not only you, but the business model and vision. It’s possible. And it’s so helpful that you’ll wonder how you ever coped without it.
Business is personal (with help from systems)
Business to Business or Person to Person? When you think about it, everything is person to person. Even this article. It’s written from one person here at iO Studios to you, the person reading it. Hello!
Being personal in business is important but as you grow this can slip away. A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool helps you to stay personal, store details and conversations, and then work with one client across your company in unison.
Storing contact details and tracking social media is one thing, but having the notes from a call your colleague on the other side of the world had with them is golden.
Assign tasks to your team, complete jobs, run invoices, and even create reports for meetings that show the conversion and lead generation for your business.
Data driven? You could be…
Knowing your numbers is key to success but it’s not all about knowing the cash in your business. Data can come in many forms and knowing key metrics like churn rate, conversion, key performing marketing channels, analytics from your website, and sales team stats are all up there with the must-have data answers.
Learning from and interpreting data will be the difference between knowing your sh*t and knowing you’re sh*t! Seriously. Getting deep into data might not be your thing but getting a good overview is a powerful tool for growth.
A good piece of software can aggregate all your essential data and present it in way that suits you. If you know what you need to know then you’ll know what your software needs to tell you.
Build software that grows with you…
Great software can change your business. Well thought-out software can (and does) build incredible companies.
Automate what you can. Link up everything. Empower your team (on-site and remotely). And build an infrastructure that becomes your business.
Need help?
That’s exactly what we do. We build business-changing software. Let’s talk!
