Technology has opened doors to a myriad of new business ideas. Still, business development is arguably more challenging than ever before thanks to ubiquitous connectivity, since buyers can now find and compare solutions like no previous generation. Let’s take a look at a few statistics backing this claim.
Today, around seven decision-makers are involved in the B2B buying process, and up to 90% of the buyer journey is over before the buyer even speaks to someone in sales.
This shift in behavior is a powerful signal, and it’s one that should be listened to. To ensure you contribute to growing your business and improving your sales figures and organizational growth, follow the tips below.
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Secure Data Storage Systems
From the time you first decided to start an LLC or another type of company, you may have discovered that you needed a place to store your important business documents in one place.
At the outset, you can probably afford to stick to Dropbox or another free cloud storage system that allows up to around 2GB of storage.
This is because, in the initial stages of starting and developing your business, your pertinent documents—including those related to choosing your LLC/organization name, articles of organization, operating agreement and more—are relatively light and limited in number.
As your business grows, you can look into cloud storage systems like Storj, which splits, distributes, and recovers data simultaneously and is capable of scaling alongside your business to any region by harnessing a major global storage network.
Prioritizing tools that replicate and distribute data globally and create backups can save you money and eliminate regional risks.
Communication Technology
By 2025, around 22% of the entire workforce in the US will be working remotely, and that means that relying on the very best communication tools is of the essence.
For large companies, Microsoft Teams—which permits up to 300 participants to take part in calls and offers messaging, is a must-have. Zoom, meanwhile, has a free plan allowing for 40-minute calls for up to 100 attendees and Jitsi is another free.
Open-source video conferencing platform that does not require users to have an account. Slack is one of the most popular tools for collaborating among team members, sharing files, and creating a myriad of channels for different teams.
Members can message each other privately and use general channels to communicate with the entire team, share newsletters and key documents, and similar.
Cybersecurity Technologies
Computerized systems and digital platforms are necessary for any business wishing to succeed, but these systems also make organizations more vulnerable to cyber threats.
Ransomware costs alone are predicted to be in the region of $265 billion by 2031, indicating the need to take cybersecurity technologies seriously.
Just a few tools that can help your business stave off attacks include AI and machine learning (which can be used by IT professionals to strengthen algorithms and perform vulnerability testing), blockchain (which can help secure the confidentiality of key business files), and data loss prevention and encryption (RSA, DES, AES, and other technologies can help keep your client data confidential.
Web security and firewalls, meanwhile, are vital for monitoring incoming and outgoing traffic and securing your website, respectively. It is also worth investing in behavioral analytics, which helps you identify and stop insider threats quickly, before any damage is done.
Digital Frontline Tools
Whether clients are searching for your products and services or conducting transactions such as purchasing from an online store, they expect a smooth, seamless, and quick experience. Thus, they expect the very best in IoT, apps, and website solutions.
Prioritizing conversational customer support is also vital. Tools like Acquire help businesses combine all their digital interaction channels into one unified dashboard. Staff can resolve customer demands quickly because a customer’s web browsing, purchase, and conversation history can quickly be accessed.
Top interaction technologies also include real-time live chats, video chats with clients, and conversational AI chatbots, which allow customers from all over the world to have a large percentage of their queries answered 24/7.
Work Productivity Tools
As your business grows, you will probably have numerous projects going on at once. Stay on top of them with work productivity platforms like ClickUp, which allow you to plan, track, and manage tasks, create new goals, choose from Gantt, calendar, mind map, and board views, create collaborative online whiteboards, and more. Similar tools are ProofHub, nTask, and Infinity.
If your team works on documents, then a tool as simple as Google Docs will enable them to edit work across devices and platforms, making it easy to work, amend, and track changes made to documents.
Asana is another excellent project management tool that allows managers to see the progress of a project and read all relevant communication between team members and clients.
The list of tools that can power up your business is large, but you can narrow it down by honing in on technology, security, and productivity.
With technologies like AI and the blockchain, it is easy to ensure that your information and that of your clients remain safe at all times. When communication and safety are ensured, you can concentrate on research, innovation, and making connections, so your business can make it to the next level.
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