There are many different ways technology can affect your business, either for the better or for, the worse.
Staying updated on the latest technology is a necessity for every business owner. In essence, we live in an era where everything is continuously changing, and the job you have today might be replaced by AI tomorrow.
The use of technology in businesses has a long history, starting with machinery, then the use of fax and telephones, computers, and the myriad of inventions that have proven to be invaluable today!
Let’s take a look at some of the latest inventions that are especially beneficial to a business.
Coinless Businesses
We could reach a point in the not so distant future where all the physical money like bills and coins will be obsolete. We are getting close to it thanks to the use of various platforms that work with digital money, but in 2020 the majority of people still prefer their dollars.
Every business should offer an option to people where they can pay with digital coins. For example, Bitcoin is starting to show up consistently on business sites as a payment method, and this is a great attraction for new and young customers!
ShinePay states that having a coinless business brings you many benefits – you’re less prone to get robbed, you will not experience any frauds, and you won’t lose any money in commissions from the bank!
Hotspots
WiFi is a necessity in every business. Old-fashioned cash registers are something from the past; now, we have fancy software that keeps all machines connected to a single network in order to get a better grasp of the sales.
A store can have multiple machines connected to a network, which is why it’s better to change those old connections to a single hotspot.
Going wireless will improve the look of your store, and it will make everything easier!
Ai Translation
People love exploring the world, which is why we see more and more tourists every day. This is great for the economy of the country, but it can be an issue if you don’t have personnel who can communicate with foreign tourists.
An Artificial Intelligence Translator will save you the hassle of finding someone who speaks their language, and it will save you some cash over hiring a professional translator.
Also, this device is very easy to use! Just connect it to the hotspot, put it on your ear, and you’ll get live translations fed directly to you.
Smart Lighting
Lighting can be a tricky subject in a store. If it’s too bright, your customers might feel blinded, but if it’s too dim, it could give the business a dark vibe.
It’s crucial that you have the right lighting at every hour of the day. Natural lighting is constantly changing, which is why, at some times, the same light might look different.
A smart lightbulb gives you the freedom to choose from a wide range of colors and intensity, which you can’t achieve with a standard bulb!
Self-heating Lunch Box
Working long hours at the office can be tiring, so employees usually bring their lunches and snacks to the office in a lunch box.
Even though there are great lunch boxes on the market designed to keep the food warm, there’s a better option. Self-heating lunch boxes will keep your food warm all day long, without affecting the consistency either.
There’s nothing more discouraging than having your lunch cold when you’re going to eat it.
Downsides of Technology in Businesses
Even though technology is a fantastic advance for us, it can be harmful to some businesses.
We all saw the downfall of Blockbuster when the digital era came around. They all started disappearing because people could find the same movies and series online without paying a dime for it.
Also, when the first machines were built, they indeed took a lot of human jobs away. However, it gave the opportunity to these workers to stop working in manual labor and to start studying to control those new machines.
Connections
Technology can bring us closer if we’re far away, but it can set us apart if we’re close. For example, there are restaurants where you can order through a computer, get your order delivered through a “production line,” and then pay through another device.
While this is great for keeping things fast and moving, it loses all human contact with the customer. If we continue on this route, there will be a time where humans will no longer interact with other humans but only with artificial intelligence machines.
Expense
Technology is expensive – from installing just a single computer or a whole system, these gadgets cost a lot.
Some businesses simply can’t afford to change their methods to a technological way, so, customers see them as outdated. Even though business owners think that this won’t harm their business, it can cause a lot of damage because customers are inclined to business who innovate the marketplace.
Mistakes
Even though we want to believe that computers can’t make mistakes, they do.
There have been countless cases of security breaches in the data archives of a company, stealing information from competitors, businesses affected by failure on their systems, and many more.
While technology can keep things organized, it can be dangerous if you store sensitive data on the computer. In order to avoid this, many companies have decided to take things back to paper, so they know exactly where the data is. Also, some businesses just prefer to store everything on a hard drive with a password, so only certain people can have access to it.
Final Thoughts
While technology can enhance and add prestige to your business, it could be harmful to us in the long run.
Having tech gadgets that help you get better sales, be more comfortable at work, and keep things safe, are amazing for any business. However, don’t forget that there’s always a downside to everything. It’s time to explore different gadgets you could benefit from in your business.
Technology has had by far the most decisive influence on the way we communicate. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing employers to switch to remote working apps like Slack, Trello, and TopTal tracker are becoming vital for every business. Slack lets you quickly bring all of your work communication into one place via minimalistic and easy to use design. Slack also lets you build up on its functionality through the Slack app directory packed with thousands of apps. If you want to learn more about extending capabilities of your slack team check this article on changing your slack game.
