Upgrades That Help You Manage Your Business

Featured article by Calvin Page, IT Specialist

There are always upgrades you can make to run your business more efficiently, but you need to find a way to prioritize them. A new computer may not break new ground, but it will speed up your day-to-day tasks. Alternatively, there is a host of software out there that makes the management of your employees and your business easier. Here is a look at some of the best upgrades you should invest in for the new year:

Update Your Point of Sale System

If you’re a small retail shop, kiss your traditional cash register goodbye. A new POS system can track your earnings with more precision and simplicity. Instead of using paper receipts and books, invest in a digital system, such as Square, Clover or Shopify. With these, you can track everything from your sales from certain departments, hourly sales and daily sales. They also compile these statistics in graph form, so you can easily see what your busiest days and hours are. All of these run on iPads and iPhones, and most front-runners are also compatible with some Android devices.

Optimize Your Website

Data from Smart Insights shows that mobile web traffic overtook traditional computer traffic in the late months of 2014. This trend continues to move toward mobile as more people acquire smartphones every year. Responsive web design is a HTML code applied to your website’s back-end that allows it to recognize whether each and every visitor is on a mobile device or traditional computer. If the website concludes the user is on a mobile device, it then configures your website in a way that fits the smartphone’s screen and capabilities.

Unless you are code-savvy, it is best you hire a professional coder to implement responsive web design on your site. There are other ways to optimize your web page for mobile traffic, but RWD is usually the easiest and most cost effective.

Track Your Expenses

Use online accounting software, like Sage One, to track your expenses and know where your business stands financially. It has a simple and intuitive interface, so you can manage your cash flow on your own. Sage One provides online invoices, the freedom to sign in from any device and the ability to give your accountant access to information he or she needs when tax season comes around.

Schedule Your Time

There are many schedule programs that help you manage employee shifts and hours. Services like MindBody and Shiftplanning provide a platform for employees to raise concerns, request time off and switch shifts among each other. These services also give smart reminders to all employees when they have an upcoming shift, so tardiness and missed shifts are kept to a minimum.

A POS system makes transactions easier, while an online accounting service helps you manage your money with more accuracy. With a fully optimized website, your business will run smoother for customers as well as those who work for you.