Top 5 Small Business Tech Trends
Posted: April 18, 2023
Congratulations! We’ve made it through another season of taxes. Now that you have one less thing to worry about, and (fingers crossed) a refund coming, start the conversation about investing in the right technology that will benefit your business – including better customer experience, higher productivity, and tighter security protection.
What will be the top technologies pushing businesses forward in the year ahead? Which technologies will dominate 2023?
Here are five small business tech trends expected to grow in 2023:
Trend #1: Adopting AI-enabled business tools
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are being integrated into all sorts of business tools today. From online chat to content generation to customer relationship management, AI is helping businesses work smarter and faster across a wide range of business activities while gleaning valuable insights from their data.
“Artificial intelligence and machine learning-driven technologies are becoming increasingly accessible and affordable, and are being used by small businesses in a wide range of industries to automate tasks, improve decision-making and gain insights from data,” says Jonathan Poston, a business growth consultant.
CommWest Advice: If you are interested in AI and associated tools, make sure to discuss it with your IT Partner. There are benefits and risks to adding new tools to your business and existing technology. In some cases, the risks may outway the benefits or there may be steps needed to ensure proper integration.
Trend #2: Increasing reliance on mobile devices
As mobile networks continually get faster with 5G—and devices like smartphones and tablets easier to use—businesses are seeing the benefits of integrating business mobile.
“As more and more people rely on their smartphones and tablets for both personal and professional purposes, small businesses are increasingly using these devices to connect with customers, manage operations, and access business applications,” Poston adds.
CommWest Advice: Given there are more mobile devices than persons, they can be leveraged to help businesses grow. However, as with anything, there are precautions to take before integrating smartphones into your business environment. Learn More >>
Trend #3: Buying electric vehicles
Starting in 2023, business owners can qualify for tax credits worth up to $40,000 for buying new electric and hybrid plug-in vehicles (EVs) and certain heavy-duty electric-powered trucks and machinery. There are two levels for the commercial EV tax credit: Electric vehicles that weigh less than 14,000 pounds qualify for a credit of up to $7,500, while those that weigh more than that (think heavy-duty trucks) qualify for up to $40,000.
CommWest Advice: Due to the complexity of the tax credit, consult a tax advisor before buying a vehicle. We also encourage you to investigate the reasons to buy now instead of waiting for the economy to pick back up. Don’t automatically eliminate necessary purchases. Learn More >>
Trend #4: Saving time with software integrations and workflow automation
As business owners look to reduce costs and increase productivity, they are turning to built-in software integrations and platforms that allow them to automate business workflows and tasks. A growing number of “low-code” tools and applications are making such automation accessible to even the smallest businesses.
CommWest Advice: Again…always discuss new software, integrations, or new technology with your IT Partner. Software integrations and platforms are not universally compatible and they will bring an additional strain on your existing system. Better to know limitations, resource impacts, and other potential side effects before the process is started.
Trend #5: Investing in digital collaborative technologies
Employee experience is becoming a bigger priority as small companies struggle to hire and retain employees. For many, with that comes the added struggle of maintaining a remote and hybrid work environment. Investing in technologies that help their team collaborate, gain access, and communicate will increase as businesses stay hybrid.
CommWest Advice: Whether a business is currently offering a hybrid work environment or considering it, take a moment to discuss the elements with your IT Partner. By doing so, you’ll understand the security, settings, hardware, and employee policies that will be necessary to support an effective remote team. “Effective” being the key word.
- 8 Strategies for Remote Workers >>
- Benefits and Dilemmas of Working from Home >>
- Technology Wellness Checklist >>
Now is the time to consider what technology will do for your business! This article outlined the current trends for small to medium-sized businesses, but that doesn’t mean they are right for your business. That is why we always encourage utilizing an IT Partner.
Servicing the Western Slope, we partner with our clients to “help our clients be successful and be a comprehensive resource throughout their business’s growth.” Contact us today to experience the CommWest Difference for your business and we’ll be there for whatever your next step stage of business is.