Technology has helped many businesses become more competitive by boosting their efficiency. Digital tools can streamline operations and reduce the need for additional resources. Fortunately, these tools have become more accessible thanks to the cloud and the popularity of subscription-based business models. The Science Museum Group acquired the capsule Soyuz TMA-19M and global technology innovators, Samsung, joined forces to create the National Tour of Tim Peake’s Spacecraft and Space Descent VR – a virtual reality adventure using Samsung Gear VR technology and managed it which enables visitors to experience what it feels like to sit inside the Soyuz’s descent module as it makes its dangerous high-speed journey home.
Small to medium businesses (SMBs), which are now pressured to compete with larger enterprises, can now turn to technology to boost their effectiveness across various business processes. However, choosing which tool is right for the company’s situation can be tough given the large number of services and applications now available to SMBs. Companies must also consider which ones are the most cost-effective.
Here are five tools SMBs can use to overcome challenges in today’s ever-evolving digital landscape.
1 – Reason
SMBs have increasingly become the target of cyberattacks. Poor security measures applied by small businesses make them easy to hack. A single security breach can cause loss of data, downtime, damage to reputation, and potential lawsuits. Despite these risks, many SMBs are still not investing in capable security solutions.
Due to the advent of the recent SMBs hacking attempts on the rise, Reason Cybersecurity now offers its antivirus solution for Businesses – a dedicated version of their security solution specifically designed for SMBs. Reason features an antivirus that offers real-time protection and threat removal. Reason also has ransomware protection that prevents rogue processes from encrypting files. Reason also offers privacy-oriented features such as camera and microphone protection.
Reason for Business is currently available for SMBs in affordable subscription packages. Such security tools can help SMBs safeguard themselves from modern cyberthreats and help them avoid expensive costs due to breaches.
2 – accessiBe
Calls for websites to be accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities have grown over the past couple of years. There have already been thousands of lawsuits filed against companies that are non-compliant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While making the web accessible to everyone should be a priority for all, SMBs find themselves in a tight position. To become compliant, companies must abide by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) which isn’t an easy thing to do manually, as it requires plenty of technical know-how to pull off. The lesser evil alternative is investing hefty budgets into accessibility consulting services, but many SMBs simply can’t afford it.
accessiBe addresses this problem through its platform. Site owners simply have to install a single line of Javascript and accessiBe can readily apply the modifications necessary to make the website ADA-compliant within 48 hours. accessiBe features improvements such as making websites navigable using special input devices and their content readable by screen readers.
accessiBe gives SMBs the opportunity to capitalize on the burgeoning people with disabilities market. In addition, SMBs will be able to make many services available to people with disabilities and avoid facing lawsuits as well. Depending on page count, websites can make their sites accessible for as low as $490 a year.
3 – ClickMeeting
SMBs must also find efficient ways to reach out to their stakeholders. There may be plenty of opportunities to perform cross-border business but a small company’s sales force may be hampered by expensive travel costs for them to do live demos and presentations.
ClickMeeting is a webinar solution that allows companies to educate staff and clients across the globe. The webinars can also be used to engage customers and prospective clients with product demos and presentations that can help them learn more about a company’s product and service offerings. The demos also come with a live chat and Q&A feature which allows marketers to answer customer inquiries. The webinars can also be a great tool for communication and collaboration, especially when building and managing remote teams.
ClickMeeting is available for organizations of all sizes through different subscription plans starting at $25 per month.
4 – VideoBoost
SMBs can also work on building brand awareness to reach more customers and improve sales. One of the most effective ways in increasing awareness today is through video content. Video marketers reportedly increase brand awareness by 54%. However, creating high quality videos can be expensive as it typically requires having a team of creative professionals.
VideoBoost is a video maker app that allows companies to easily and inexpensively create videos from their phone, using a huge selection of templates, customization features, a stock footage library and an audio library. The resulting videos can also be readily integrated into various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and more.
VideoBoost is part of the BoostApps suite which help marketers create engaging content across various media. VideoBoost is a free app and is available to download on the App Store. Premium features such as attractive deals on stock videos and images are available through subscription packages starting from $9.99.
5 – pCloud
Many businesses are using cloud storage solutions to make file sharing and remote working easier. Cloud services are also the most cost-effective way to digitally store data. However, they can also be susceptible to security breaches.
pCloud enables organizations to store and share their files online via the cloud. This allows employees to access documents anywhere through any device. The storage service also features TLS/SSL encryption that ensures secure file sharing. For additional security measure, users can opt to encrypt their most sensitive files and make them password protected.
SMBs can avail the family lifetime plan for $500 which gives small businesses 2TB of storage and the ability to delegate access to others.
Conclusion
Careful selection and adoption of digital tools can help SMBs be competitive. The automation that these tools bring minimizes the impact of mundane tasks and time-consuming business processes. Many of these tools are now also made available through the cloud and can be acquired through subscriptions, allowing SMBs to easily find and adopt solutions that would give them the most benefits and are fit for their situations.
