Old Equipment and Technology to Update
When Starting a Small Business
Many people want to be their own bosses, set their own schedules and choose what they do day in and day out. A great way to do this is to start your own business. While it’s not easy, there are more tools and resources than ever before when it comes to achieving this goal.
As you can imagine, there are several tools and technologies out there that make starting a business easier. While some are invaluable (like computers and software), there are also pieces of equipment and types of technology still being used by traditional companies that you simply don’t need. Many of these outdated systems have better and more modern alternatives, or simply cost more than they’re worth.
Here are some ideas about which equipment and technologies you can leave in the past when you start your small business.
The Fax Machine
The fax machine has long been a staple in offices around the world. Faxing was long used as a great way to quickly and securely communicate and send/receive documents or contracts. Companies would send dozens or hundreds every day, and it worked incredibly well. Unfortunately, fax machines themselves are generally quite bulky, and expensive to use and maintain.
Over time, new technology has made fax machines obsolete. While some older companies may still use a traditional fax machine in the office, there is no reason for a new company to buy one with the technology available today.
This doesn’t mean you need to abandon faxing altogether. Instead, you can opt to use an online faxing solution such as eFax or the notable online faxing solution ifaxapp. These programs make it easy to send and receive faxes, all from your computer, tablet or mobile device. You get all of the benefits of faxing, without a huge piece of equipment taking up space in your office.
Filing Cabinets
Another piece of equipment seen in most traditional offices are filing cabinets. These hold hundreds of even thousands of different documents, files, invoices, forms and agreements. However, with many small businesses opting to use the cloud, the need for a massive amount of filing cabinets is dwindling. With a lot of business being done online, including the signing of contracts and sending/receiving invoices, companies no longer need rows of filing cabinets taking up a lot of space. Many things can now be stored online.
In addition to saving space, there are several other reasons to use the cloud over filing cabinets. This includes affordability, security, scalability, the ability to search through records more easily. While you might need a few folders here and there for things that cannot be stored online, it will be a far cry from the traditional office that has dozens of filing cabinets kept throughout the building.
Desk Phones
When you think of a traditional office, you can imagine a pretty standard setup for a desk. It would have a computer, a chair and a desk phone. For years, these phones were staples in all kinds of offices. These obviously make it easy for coworkers to communicate with one another, as well as make it easy to forward calls to where they need to go. Unfortunately, this is a far from efficient system in today’s business world.
It can be expensive not only to buy the phones, but also to pay for their continued use and support over time. With the advancements in technology, there are apps that can easily help forward calls, which removes the need for a phone at every desk. Almost all employees will already have a mobile phone that can be used at work with a solid “bring your own device” plan.
While you should still have a dedicated customer service phone number, these can easily be routed to the cell phones of your agents, instead of having to set up an entire phone system in your office.
Modernizing Your Small Business
Various tools, technology and equipment play an important role in the success of your small business. However, older and outdated technology such as fax machines, desk phones and filing cabinets are no longer needed due to advancements in the space that have allowed for more efficient solutions.
