While scaling your business as a small business owner can be challenging, investing in smart technology can help. The Internet of Things (IoT) has made technology available to small business owners through their computers, making it easy to reduce costs, improve security, improve productivity, and much more. If you’re struggling to grow your business while keeping expenses under control, consider incorporating some of the items highlighted below.
Smart Technology to Improve Energy Efficiency
Spending money on lighting, heating, and cooling is necessary for a business owner, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take steps to reduce expenses. Smart lighting is just one such example. After downloading an application to your smartphone, you can easily control the lighting in every area of your business. You might also consider installing light sensors that automatically turn overhead lighting on and off as people enter and leave the room.
Using a smartphone application to control the thermostat in your business can also save considerable money every month. One application, Nest Technology, adapts to the environment and adjusts the temperature accordingly. For example, the application will turn the temperature down to the minimum after a certain hour when no one is in the office. You can always override the setting on days when people will remain in the office past the time their shift normally ends.
Automate Security to Protect Your Business, Customers, and Employees
Few things are as important to a business owner as security. However, security systems have often been too expensive and cumbersome, until now, for every business owner to take advantage of them. That is changing with smart security applications. The ring doorbell is just one such example. If you own a commercial building where visitors approach the front door, this application allows you or your receptionist to see who is at the door before responding to the ring.
Traditional keys and locks are quickly becoming a thing of the past in modern business. Instead, business owners are turning toward remote locking systems that they can control from their smartphones. You can also provide your employees with remote access codes or withdraw access when necessary without needing to be physically present at the office yourself. This application also enables you to see who is coming and going from your business from a remote location.
Ease Administrative Burdens with Alexa
The personal assistant device Alexa isn’t just for home use anymore. Office workers can summon Alexa to complete tedious and repetitive tasks such as scheduling meetings, dictating notes, control other smart devices, receive and make phone calls, and much more. The more you use Alexa or a similar device, the more it becomes accustomed to how your office operates and adapts accordingly.
Schedule a Consultation to Develop a Technology Strategy
Creating a formal strategy to use technology as efficiently as possible in your business can provide numerous benefits. Our business consultants would be happy to sit down with you to create a plan to put technology to work for you today.
Emory Ware