What is it you’re definitely going to need when you run a business, no matter what you might be selling or what sector you might be selling it in? You might think the answer is the most up-to-date technology, and in some ways you’d be right - but not in all ways. The fact is that although some technology can be good for business (and often absolutely non-negotiable), it can also be a bad thing, and for some, less tech might be better. That might sound confusing, but it does make sense - keep reading to find out why less tech can be good for business.
More Focus
One of the biggest reasons for having less tech (although it’s wise to note that doesn’t necessarily mean no tech at all) is that rather than fussing about with all the software and programs you need (or think you need) to run your business, you can actually focus on what you’re doing and make sure you’re great at the core of whatever it is your business does.
Something else you can focus on if you’re using less technology in your business is your customers. Have you ever been doing business with someone using a tablet or laptop and found you’ve got no wifi or the program freezes or crashes? If you haven’t, you’ve been lucky - but that luck probably won’t last. If you opt for using something more traditional, like custom notepads, for example, you won’t have to worry about it not working, and you can make sure you’re completely listening to and working with your customers rather than constantly trying to keep your tech from breaking down.
Cost Savings
The entire point of running a business is to make money. Yes, we don’t like to talk about it, and a lot of the time we’ll put a spin on it and say we want to be successful and make something from scratch, but although these things are sure to be true as well, the fact is that if a business doesn’t make money, it’s no business at all. In the end, a business that doesn’t make money will have to close.
However, as well as making money through sales, which is perhaps what you’ll think of first, you can also make money through savings - if you’re not spending as much, your profits will go up, which not only means you’ve got more to spend elsewhere if you need to, but it also means that your books look better to any potential lender or investor - or even buyer when you get to that stage. By using less tech and only buying exactly what you need, you’ll save a lot of money and be in a much better position.
More Secure
There are many benefits to using technology of all kinds in your business, and you might feel that the pros outweigh the cons, but there is a big issue that you do need to consider - your security. Cybercrime is a big problem for businesses of all sizes and in all sectors, and hackers are always trying to get into business networks to find customer information, banking details, and to generally cause mayhem for all involved. No one wants that (apart from the hacker, obviously), and the more tech you use in your business, the more risk you’ve got that someone will get in and cause problems.
Yes, there are ways to be more secure in general, including having firewalls and antivirus software installed and providing training for your staff to ensure they understand how to stay safe online, but there’s a simple solution you might not be thinking of - if you’ve got less tech, you’re giving cyber criminals less chance to hack into it. And, to make things even better, when you’ve got less to focus on when it comes to security, you can ensure that the security you do have is top class because you’ll be able to think more in-depth about it and spend more on it. In the end, less tech will keep your business more protected.
Adaptability
Things change all the time, and that can be expensive and time-consuming to keep up with - if you’ve installed a piece of technology and then there’s an update, what are you going to do? You’ll either have to spend more to update things or be left behind, which won’t be good for your security or your reputation.
Of course, if there’s an update for something, you have to go along with it, so having less to update makes sense - there’ll be less downtime, it will be more cost-effective, and you’ll be able to keep up with everything much more easily. It just makes sense.