Tech tips

As a coach with the Idaho Small Business Development Center, Deborah Dickerson said technology can be a business owner’s best friend.

While it takes time and money, it doesn't have to be crazy costly.

It starts with keeping track of money. 

She said Quickbooks is an affordable, effective accounting software for small and medium-sized businesses that’s key for tracking sales, spending and other financials.

Some business owners “don’t know how much money they’re making and they don’t know if they’re making any profits,” Dickerson said. “That’s not the way to run a business.” 

Customer Relationship Management software is an avenue to connect with past, current and potential clients.

When it comes to digital marketing. Dickerson advises clients to collect email addresses pretty much every chance they get, even offering prize drawings to get those emails. 

Mailchimp, an email marketing platform is free, up to a certain amount and can generate business.

A good website is another important tool for any business, Dickerson said. One can be set up at low cost for a few hundred dollars, or you can spend in the $10,000 range and work with a professional.

You have to decide if the Return on Investment is good for finding leads, boosting sales, maintaining contacts to better serve customers.

“It doesn’t always provide the value you pay for,” Dickerson said, but done well, it can boost business.

A good digital presence and using key words will make it easy for people to find you online. A Google business profile is essential, as Google is by far the number one search, though Amazon is coming close to passing it in advertising revenue. 

“A Google business profile and getting reviews really makes a difference,” Dickerson said. 

‘That's like knocking on Google's front door saying, “I’m here, pay attention to me. 

To drive traffic to your website, Dickerson said you must know your target market and what its searching for. That’s why it's important to post frequently on social media and post what your target market wants.

It’s not just a matter of buying and selling, Post content people want to read and that points them to your website. 

LinkedIn is important. 

“You want to drive that traffic to your website," she said. “Most small businesses set it up and then forget about it.” 

She said 80% of small businesses are operated by one person who doesn’t have enough money to hire someone to maintain their website, handle marketing and keep them active on social media. 

Monthly costs could range from $50 to $100 or more. 

“It’s not an expensive thing,” Dickerson said, but adding that it takes time to build a following and get that initial ROI.

Some business owners are reluctant or don't see the value in being on social media, she said. They also can face difficult choices to make about where to spend their time and money,” she said. 

"I'm just letting you know you works," she said. “That's where a lot of business owners make mistakes."

Sine old-school networking and referral are huge, Dickerson said.

"Referral businesses can’t be beat," she said.

Last, Dickerson said experiment with using AI to generate content to promote your business. It can be quicker and doing it yourself but be sure to closely read what AI spits out for you. 

“It’s like having a brand-new college student. They have no practical experience but they have a lot of knowledge,” she said.