by Haris Quintana

(Pixabay CC0)

To stay ahead of the competition, you need to move with the times. It's as simple as that! But if you can spot the signs that we list in this article, you need to know that your business is in trouble. Your competitors will pose a greater threat to you if they have taken steps to modernize their businesses, and your customers will say goodbye to you if you are no longer relating to their needs. 

You need to bring your business into the 21st-century, but as the signs suggest below, you are currently living in the last century if you can relate to anything we say.

#1: You are still operating a paper-based business

In the modern business world, more and more businesses are moving their business processes to the cloud. They do this to save money, as the less paper that is needed, the less money that will be spent on both paper and printing costs. They are also moving to the cloud to showcase their greener credentials as, with a paperless office, they stand a better chance of winning over those customers who are environmentally aware. Additionally, cloud services offer enhanced security and ensure compliance with industry regulations, which is crucial for sectors that handle sensitive information, such as healthcare. As one example, companies in the healthcare industry might use the cloud fax solutions provided by Softlinx to securely transmit patient information, ensure HIPAA compliance, and reduce reliance on traditional fax machines. If your business is burdened with paperwork or struggling with inefficiencies, now might be the perfect time to explore cloud technologies. Google search the cloud technologies available to you and acquire the support of cloud migration services to help you make the transition. Click the link to see more.

#2: You are still reliant on dated communication methods

In days gone by, customer and client communications were largely carried out over the telephone. Snail mail was popular too, and if you go further back in time, so were pigeon carriers. Now, we are assuming you aren't using the latter, but if you are still reliant on postal services and your landline when communicating with others, you need to reassess your methods. At the very least, you should be using email, but you might want to implement Skype (or similar) when chatting to clients, and you might want to incorporate live chat and a communication form on your website for the benefit of your customers. You will save money this way, and you won't run the risk of losing those customers who hate using the phone or who are more likely to use another business if they can't get through to you in good time. 

#3: Your website isn't working out for you

You do have a website for your business, don't you? You really are stuck in the past if you don't, as many of your customers will be looking for businesses such as yours online, even if you are high-street based. But assuming you do have a website, you won't attract or retain many visitors if the design is outdated, or if you haven't optimized it for mobile devices. So, our advice is this. Check out other websites online and compare your site to them. If you're missing any modern features on your site, perhaps now is the time to implement them. You might also acquire the services of a web design company if your knowledge of website design trends is as outdated as the site you have online. 

So, is your business still stuck in the past? Are you currently in the process of sending out a fax to us in response to this article? If you have related to what we have said today, and especially if you are still reliant on that dusty old fax machine, now is the time to make the relevant changes. You will improve your survivability in business if you do, as your competitors won't have the opportunity to overtake you.