(ThySistas.com) Almost every company has ditched paper records for software whether it be for accounting or mailing. Going digital can greatly boost your business, but there are dangers to using software that every business should be aware of. Here are some of the big mistakes that many companies are making.
Paying a lot for software you use a little
If you’re going to pay to have an expensive piece of business software on your computer, make sure you get your use out of it. Consider purchases carefully and choose software such as rostering software that will be genuinely useful for your business. You may have fallen victim to a convincing salesman or you may have bought it of your own free will thinking it would come in handy. Either way, it’s no use paying for a piece of software you don’t use often, so start using it or cancel your subscription. Consider project scheduling software, analytics programs, PR databases, and elite photo-shopping tools that you don’t use.
Not considering custom software
Instead of paying for lots of different types of software, it could be worth paying to create your own business software that meets all your specific business needs. There are lots of software developers out there that specialise in creating custom programmes for businesses. Alternatively, you may have the coding knowledge to create your own for free,
It could even be worth building an app. This could be for your customers (such as a restaurant menu app or a digital loyalty card) or it could be for you and your staff (such as a training app for new employees). This guide, How To Make An App For Your Small Business, details the kinds of things to consider when building an app for your business.
Not backing up data
All data should be backed up, either on an external hard-drive or ideally the cloud. This could stop all your company data being stolen or destroyed in the event of a fire or a burglary or a hack. Most modern software will automatically back up your files on a cloud server, but some older programmes may not. Disaster recovery software could be worth investing in, stopping a cybercriminal from accessing your cloud files in the event of a hack and allowing you to keep your company running smoothly.
Ignoring performance metrics
Monitoring performance metrics can allow you to tweak your software so that it runs more smoothly. This is likely to be worthwhile with custom software which may have bugs or performance issues that need ironing out. This How To Monitoring ASP.NET Applications goes into more detail on why performance metrics matter. In the case of software that you’re giving to clients, metrics could be imperative for ensuring that you’re not losing out customers through slow or faulty software.
Being apprehensive of apps
Apps have changed the dynamics of business. You no longer have to be sat behind a PC or laptop to work most admin tasks – many of them can now be carried out from your smartphone. Almost every business programme now comes with its own accompanying app. If you’re on your way to a meeting and need to tweak a presentation or need to have a Skype call with someone whilst out of the office, you can now do so.
Not using apps could be restricting your business to the office, which may not be useful if your work requires you to be on the go a lot. It could also be causing you to lose out to other businesses that are using apps.
The danger to apps is that it has become harder to take a break from business as your work will be always there on your phone. Having a separate work phone is advised so that you can separate your work life from your home life.
Staff Writer; Susan Love