5 Ways to Move Your Business Forward With Digital Innovation

If you’re trying to streamline operations in your business or reach more customers without working longer hours, it’s time to look towards different forms of digital innovation for solutions. Working with new software and tools can be challenging, but Wolex Technology can help you with all of your IT needs! By incorporating some of these digital solutions into your business, you’ll be able to grow your company in a sustainable fashion.

Business Process Management

Maybe some of your manual processes seem inefficient, or perhaps your workflows are slower than you’d like. Business process management, also known as BPM, can help you identify areas for improvement and implement fixes. A digital BPM framework represents the future of business process management, and you’ll be able to optimize and automate your internal processes to enhance your company’s digital capacities.

Are you wondering how to gain employee buy-in for BPM and the changes that could follow? Explain how changing certain processes can help your team save time and energy. As you develop your BPM framework, you’ll need to keep assessing its effectiveness so that you can adjust your model if necessary.

Remote Work Support

Maybe your company hasn’t enabled employees to work remotely yet - but by doing so, you can expand your access to talented new team members all over the world. To support remote work, you’ll need to invest in a virtual onboarding program and a project management system that can accommodate the size of your team.

Transitioning to working with remote team members can pose some challenges, especially if they live in different time zones. However, the right software makes it easier!

Digital Marketing

Perhaps you’ve only dipped your toes into the world of digital marketing. But you’re not limited to promoting your business on social media or sending out the occasional promotional email to your loyal customers.

There are plenty of other techniques you can use! Canz Marketing recommends investing more time in search engine optimization and content marketing. By publishing original, trustworthy content more often and incorporating popular keywords for your audience, you’ll naturally be able to boost your search engine rankings. You could also consider running paid ad campaigns across platforms. As you test new strategies, assess their effectiveness by measuring essential KPIs.

Enable Internal Communications

Chances are, your employees communicate by emailing each other or occasionally scheduling video meetings with team members in other offices. But with an internal communications platform, you’ll be able to centralize important conversations, making it easier for everyone to keep track and get in touch with other team members when something important comes up.

Which internal communications tool should you use? Interact Software recommends choosing a tool that your employees can access on different devices without losing key functions on their smartphone or tablet - that way, you can keep in touch on the go!

Update Your Website

You might already have a website for your business - but when did you last update it? If it’s been a year or so, it’s time to conduct a website “audit” and ensure that all of the existing information is up to date. You can also add new features or content! Furthermore, don’t overlook the importance of cybersecurity - if you’re concerned that your website might be vulnerable to attackers, consult an IT specialist to see what protections you should add.

As an entrepreneur, you’re already a natural innovator. Many businesses don’t reach their full potential due to a lack of innovation behind the scenes, but you can keep your company out of a rut by embracing creative new tools and strategies. By applying BPM and some of these solutions, you’ll be able to achieve new goals in your business.

Do you need help implementing or managing new technology for your company? Wolex Technology is here for you! Fill out the support form on our website today to get started.

Guidelines for Long-Term Success for Small Business Owners

Once you have your foot in the door of the business world, it’s important for you to acquire a secure position there. You need to understand and master the practices that will allow you and your company to flourish for the long term, even in adverse situations. Some of the principles of good management may seem self-evident, but often even seasoned entrepreneurs need a reminder or a checklist of dos and don’ts. To help you find long-term success in your venture, Wolex Technologies offers the following insight for up-and-coming entrepreneurs.

Pursue something you believe in.

Running a business is a lot of work. Sometimes the work can be grueling and thankless. When you are putting in overtime to keep your projects afloat, you need that extra motivation that comes from believing in what you are doing. So don’t get into a business just because someone else told you it would be a good idea. Get into it because you have a clear vision of your own success and are convinced you have something to offer your clients that can better their lives.

Understand your industry.

If you’re going to succeed in your field, you need to have more than just a passing acquaintance with it. Talent or interest in an area won’t translate into serious proficiency without adequate training or knowledge. So, if you are good at accounting, for instance, make sure you get any additional education you need, and know your place in the larger industry, before making a business out of it. This advice should not discourage you; it simply should remind you to take these steps, if they are needed, prior to starting

Have an actionable plan.

Your business plan needs to be more than a general outline. It should set you up with the instructions you need to proceed from one step to the next. It should contain concrete information about how to perform the different tasks that are involved in launching and running a business and keeping it productive as it grows.

Maintain organization.

Once your business is launched, it is crucial that you maintain meticulous organization on every level of operations. Lack of organization will impede efficiency, as well as frustrate both team members and clients. Organization should be present in task management, information management, and even in your physical spaces.

Stay within your budget.

Yes, you need to have a comprehensive budget for your business. But creating a budget is not enough: you need to be mindful about sticking with your budget, also. To do this, you should follow certain general rules such as avoiding unnecessary purchases, shopping around for better deals, and aiming for low overhead. Work with your accountant to track spending patterns so you can see which areas are open to improvement.

Tap into free tools.

You can find a variety of free resources online that can help you with everything from design resources to project management to team communication to social media management. By implementing these tools, you can streamline processes without spending a fortune. For example, if you have yet to settle on your logo, an online logo design tool offers a chance for creativity without the hefty price tag of a designer. Customizable templates, an array of fonts, graphics and images make it easy to craft the perfect logo for your venture, all for free.

Hire people you can trust.

When you put together your team, think carefully about whom you will be able to work with effectively not just now but in the future. It’s generally preferable not to hire based on personal relationships, but rather on competence and shared values. Think about the long-term when you hire. Is this someone you feel you can rely on to oversee their area of the company? Will you be free to focus on your own tasks, knowing they are responsible in their area? Good management depends on your capacity to delegate, so you need to have a team of people you won’t be tempted to micromanage.

Have the right business structure.

The business structure you choose is important because it will affect taxation, paperwork, and any legal issues that might arise. For many small business owners, it’s advisable to register as an LLC, or limited liability company. As an LLC, your business will have access to certain tax advantages. And your personal assets will be protected in case of an accident or lawsuit. If you have not yet formed your business as an LLC, consider using an online service to help you do so easily and affordably.

These guidelines and principles can help you stay on track to success as a business owner while also remaining true to your values and ethics. If you are committed and organized and have a great team to work with, you can look forward to a productive and profitable business future.

How to Secure Your Small Business Website

When you think of crime in your small business, the first thing that comes to mind is often theft of products, materials, or equipment. However, this is not the only crime you have to worry about. As a small business, you cannot stay competitive without a website — and with exposure to the internet comes cybercrime. So, the question becomes, how do you protect your business website against these attacks?

Wolex Technologies presents a guide that explains what you need to know.

Use Secure Socket Layer Protection

A secure socket layer (SSL certificates) creates a secure encrypted connection between you and whoever uses your website. This encrypted connection helps prevent would-be hackers from intercepting client data and other relevant information.

Your entire website should use SSL. That way, customer and server side data are never exposed to anyone but you and your clients, no matter what page on the website they are on. You can recognize websites that use SSL because the web address begins with HTTPS.

Watch Out for SQL Injection

SQL has revolutionized the way that forms are used. This has also created issues with security. A SQL injection is when a potential threat uses a SQL form to inject new information that allows them to access client or server side data. When you are creating website forms in SQL, be sure to specify parameters. This creates a highly specific set of rules for the form input and stops hackers from making up their own using your forms.

Hire a Professional

When in doubt, hire the pros at Wolex who understand cybersecurity and who can efficiently set you up for multiple layers of protection. In addition to offering security solutions, Wolex also provides managed IT services, network consulting and wireless infrastructure services.

Always Update

You update your antivirus and other programs on your system, but what about your webserver? Make sure that you sign up for any security updates offered by your host and other website providers. It is always good to look for automatic updates when offered since this will keep you from logging in and manually updating any scripting, cart, and inventory programs.

Use Strong Passwords and Logins

This is a great rule for you, your clients, and your employees on any website or program you have to log into. Keep in mind rotating your password is frustrating and ultimately not beneficial. Using a strong password is an excellent way to make sure sites are secure.

You should have password criteria that help people pick secure passwords. This means adding requirements like symbols, numbers, and capital letters.

Beware of logins like admin, administrator, or client. You want each login to be unique to the user. This helps with tracking data, orders, and users as well as security.

Two-Step Verification

While you are looking into security options, you might want to add two-step verification to the list, particularly if you have sensitive client data or financial information on the web. During two-step verification you fill in your login, password and then the website sends a message to your phone or backup email to verify that it is you.

Learn the Ropes

It may seem extreme, but because you rely so much on your website and technology, it stands to reason that a great way to become familiar with all of the processes is to take coursework in computer science. This will give you the opportunity to fully understand the inner workings of your systems, and it can benefit you as you start to hire IT professionals or continue to work with outside agencies. Online degree programs make it easy for busy SBOs to return to school while still being able to successfully manage their businesses.

Each of these precautions is easy to implement and hard for hackers to bypass. Keeping your website and your client's data secured should be a priority for your small business. When you’re ready to call in the pros, reach out to Wolex Technologies today! (503) 662-2190