It would seem inconceivable that any business today has not taken advantage of the online resources available to them. The internet has opened up a whole new world for businesses as new technology has created opportunities for companies to compete on a worldwide scale and become billionaires almost overnight. Companies are just now making use of faster communications, broad marketing plans, and twenty four hour operations. These factors have created opportunities for low budget companies to expand their bottom line beyond imagination.
E-Mail
E-Mail has reached beyond the computer desktop of the eighties and nineties. If you have a phone, a tablet, a laptop, or any other electronic device with a wireless connection, you can send or receive e-mail instantly and at will. The days of waiting back for responses to issues, or questions are over and most situations can be resolved in real time. Even without access to e-mail, texting through phones can be a tremendous tool itself.
Before e-mail, most companies would prepare memos and letters to disseminate information. Communication could take the form of person to person visits, group meetings, or even tape recorded sessions. Now, training is online with one training session uniformly training every position in the same way with greatly reduced costs. EMPLOYEES can be held accountable for attending training with online testing requiring logins with passwords. The liability that was assumed by putting your training into the decentralized hands of an unskilled trainer has been greatly diminished. Any time you can reduce risks, you are reducing costs.
Online Fax Service
Almost everyone over the age of twenty has a memory of a fax machine making the loud static noises and tumbling through the motions of scanning a document and translating the scanned image into a transmission. If you have been on the receiving end of a fax, you have certainly looked at a fax and seen that not all fax machines are created equal. The quality of imaging has less to do with the condition of the document and more to do with the capabilities of the fax machine.
There is good news businesses to take advantage of regarding their faxing needs. The option to purchase a fax machine is very easily dismissed when you consider online fax service options. Certainly, there are some truly amazing fax machines, but with a scanner and software application you can reach anyone with a fax through e-mail to fax technology. The idea behind an online fax service is similar to uploading scanned document groups and attaching them to email and clicking send. While online fax services seem overly easy, there is a lot going on behind the scenes that would surprise you.
Criminals have taken advantage of technology also and can steal anything if you give them a chance. Sending any personal information over an unsecured phone line can lead to a potential disaster. Purchasing or subscribing to online providers like FindAFax.com will secure the added protection of encryption for your company. The information can be encrypted before it leaves your office and decoded when it arrives providing end to end protection.
Applications and Software
There are applications for everything, and it would seem that some companies almost put out an application for their organization before they put up their website. While this may be a stretch, it is an indicator of how prevalent the applications have become.
Software was designed to accomplish almost anything you can imagine. Websites can functionally perform almost any service your front office would have the ability to execute. Accounting, photography, cinematography, computer automated design, writing, and marketing software has reinvented the face and capabilities of the American business environment. There is software made for the sole purpose of producing software. The development of artificial intelligence does not seem like an imaginary science fiction story anymore as the advancement of computers has transcended even the wildest imaginations of the modern age. Cars that drive themselves, gps devices that map every inch of the world, and computers that fit in your watch with high-powered abilities.
Businesses must continue to reduce costs of overhead to stay economically competitive and viable in the intense and volatile markets. The rise of the technological age has made it easier for consumers to identify deals that are in their best interest with good reputations. To not be online is to eliminate a very affluent group of consumers. Consider the old adage that, “time is money.” Companies taking advantage of online resources to shop for themselves can put themselves in the place of their own customers and refine the online experience. Shopping online allows companies to seek out vendors that will possibly supply better products at cheaper rates. Competition in the marketplace between businesses will result in win-win scenarios for the consumers as they shop online for the deal that is best for their purposes. Doesn’t everyone want to be online these days?
About the author:
Ray Donato is a small businessowner in the Central Florida area who is constantly on the hunt for new business solutions and tech developments. One of his favorite resources for his business needs at the moment is http://www.findafax.com. Stay current with Ray’s findings by connecting with him via GooglePlus.