No business owner will grow inside their comfort zone; they need to constantly take risks and test their limits if they want to become the best versions of themselves. This applies not only to leaving their old techniques behind in exchange for more modern approaches but also to continue learning the ways of running a business in the digital age.
Brick-and-mortar vs. Brick-and-click Stores
Small businesses are the backbones of the economy because they comprise over 90% of the whole business sector and provide more than half of all job opportunities to the workforce. That’s why they aren’t just considered as parts of the economy; instead, they are the foundation and the blueprint.
Most small-to-medium-sized businesses began as brick-and-mortar stores. These businesses are characterized by their physical locations and practice of selling products or services to their customers face-to-face. For generations, this was how almost all businesses established their names in the industry.
At least, that was until the world entered the digital age. Since then, brick-and-mortar businesses either adopted the brick-and-click business model or ceased to exist. Unlike the traditional method of doing business, brick-and-click entrepreneurs exist in both landscapes by having a physical location and an online platform.
Because of this development, brick-and-mortar business owners are having difficulties competing with web-based and brick-and-click businesses. Although the online presence of businesses has done wonders for the consumers, the same cannot be said for the local businesses that were forced to close down because they lost their patronage.
Growing Your Brick-and-click Business
So, if you’re wondering how you can adapt your own business to the times using modern technologies, you have come to the right place. Of course, you still have to gauge the necessity of these solutions for your business, but these innovations may help you grow and improve your day-to-day operations:
1. Server Database Administration Services
When you’re relying on an SQL server to power your online platform, you’ll need to make sure that it’s being managed properly. This is because bugs, server crashes, or malfunctions can all lead to downtime, which can then cost you a lot of potential profits in the process. Plus, it can inconvenience your clients.
But you can avoid all these by working with specialists in server database administration, such as those you can check out on websites such as dbaservices.com.au. With professionals by your side, you can reduce the possibility of experiencing downtime and suffering from financial losses because of faulty IT infrastructure.
Another benefit of server database administration is that you can ensure that your platform will always be operating at peak performance because you’ll have experts managing it from the background. This means that you won’t have to worry about possible issues, and instead, you can just focus on your core tasks.
2. Customer Relationship Management Software
As a brick-and-click business, you have the chance to reach a wider audience because you exist in both physical and digital landscapes. While you may already be managing your face-to-face interactions with your customers down to a tee, it’s a different matter altogether when it comes to online mediums.
This is because your customers will be directly using your online platform to place their orders or inquire about your services. The online platform eliminates the need for human intervention during transactions, which can make it more difficult to establish relationships with your customers.
That’s why using customer relationship management (CRM) software can be good for your business. The CRM software can become a driver for your business’ success, provided that you can collect ample data from the feedback you receive and the online interactions you have with your customers.
3. Collaborative Tools and Platforms for Remote Working
The best thing about having an online platform for your business is that you won’t always have to be present in your store’s physical location. If your business tools are upgraded for remote working, and you use the right platforms to collaborate with your employees, you’ll be able to work from anywhere.
Of course, this would mean cutting down on your existing hardware and investing in cloud-based solutions, which may have expensive upfront costs. However, if you think about it, digitizing your processes means that you can forego your hardware altogether, which means no more spending on hardware maintenance and upkeep.
There are plenty of collaborative tools and platforms that you can use to operate your business remotely. For instance, there are messaging applications and videoconferencing platforms that you can use to meet with your employees. Or you can use various tech innovations to communicate with your customers.
The most important thing that you have to keep in mind is that using expensive software solutions and tools doesn’t automatically equate to business growth. For growth and development to take place, you’ll need to implement your solutions and tools properly. Only then will you be able to do wonders for your local brick-and-click business.
