As a small business owner, it is sometimes difficult to keep up with the rapid changes in technology. If you are getting close to retirement age, you probably remember when no one had computers. A good electric typewriter was the office luxury, and copies of letters were made with carbon paper as the letters were typed. You checked spelling with a dictionary and added long columns of numbers with a calculator. You probably sent out statements each month by typing them individually and licking the envelopes and stamps. A good secretary was priceless. Of course, those were the days when a computer system was so large it had to have a large room to hold it. Students laughed with instructors told them computers would someday be so small that students could take them into the classrooms to take notes.
Then things started changing rapidly. In order to keep up, many business owners took courses to update their skills. Of course, a secretary who knew computers was a premium; but business owners learned ways they had never known to track sales, expenses, and other things about their businesses. The way to do business began to change rapidly. Many businesses had two-way radios so the office and the workers could get in touch with each other without having to drive back to the office. Car phones became popular, and the first ones were so large they were never taken out of the car. Today, cell phones are completely necessary, and we sometimes almost panic when we realize we left them at home. It seems they get smaller and smaller and continue to hold more and more data. Who would have ever expected a little smart watch to be so “smart?” With your business, you now must text. Face to face meetings are still good, but most people today would rather text than talk on our amazing little phones. If you are close to retirement age, you have probably had some frustrating moments learning all the new gadgets. Siri on the iPhone is a good example of things that make life easier. If you speak clearly, it is amazing how the words just appear on the screen. Of course, we’ve probably all sent some strange messages by mistake before we got our messages corrected.
Life is definitely easier than it was a few years back, and it is hard to imagine what will be developed and improved in the next ten or twenty years and longer.
We can do so much of our business on our computers now, and it is wonderful that owners and employees can have their files with them and work from home or wherever. It is great to email or fax a file to anyone from our computers, and there are people who train business owners to improve their businesses through the use of computers. One thing I heard that I’ve never forgotten is you should never use your correct birthday when setting up your computer account. Use the correct month and day but change the year. That instructor said it is easy for hackers to get all of your information if they have your birthday.
It is easy to do banking using your computer or cell phone, and it is a great convenience to deposit checks as you receive them using your mobile phone. It’s also good to set up a line of credit through your bank. With that, money is always available to withdraw when you need it and easy to deposit it back in when you are ready. That takes away lots of stress, as the timing of checks coming in fluctuates in most businesses.
Technology is more than machines and computers. It is the application of knowledge for practical purposes and is providing a new shape to human affairs. Business owners face a continuing challenge in the effective utilization of technologies, which have to be used intelligently by people. Whatever your business, you must have a good website. Most of us look on the internet for a certain type of business and items we wish to purchase, so make sure you have a website that is going to impress others and is user friendly. Computer technology is a major factor in reshaping businesses, and you must stay on top of our changing world. It will also be important when you get ready to sell your business.
