Michael Levitt's Blog, page 107

A Healthier Workplace in 6 Easy Steps

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We spend a huge portion of our lives in the workplace, so if you’re a business owner, it’s your duty to create a healthy workplace and ensure your employees can thrive. Below, we’ll take a look at 6 easy steps you can take to create a healthier workplace. 

Use Encouraging Colors 

The colors you use in the workplace may seem irrelevant, but they can actually have a huge impact on your employee’s productivity levels. For example, there’s a reason the color orange is often used in fitness centres. It promotes enthusiasm and energy. Then there are colors like blue, which can give a sense of productivity, calm, and focus. Of course, you’ll need to consider your color choice carefully based on how you want your team to feel. 

Enable Healthy Food Choices

The foods your team eats will have a big impact on how energetic they are. Enabling them to frequently snack on sugary things could leave them sluggish and unfocused. Think of ways you can encourage healthier choices from your team. You can stock up on water bottles, make sure fresh fruit is available, and provide information to ensure they are equipped to make these smart choices. 

Encourage Regular Movement and Exercise

Usually if an employee exercises before work, they will be energetic and focused for the rest of the day - not to mention the mood boosting properties that a workout can provide! At least 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day can work wonders. You could introduce a cycle to work scheme, for example, or you could provide gym memberships as incentives. Are there any activities you could arrange with your employees, such as team netball games or even football games? 

Purchase Supportive Furniture

We spend hours and hours sitting each day, so the furniture we work with should support us as best as possible. The last thing you want is for your furniture to promote lethargy and cause health issues. By investing in sit/stand desks, you can ensure your team is able to stand and stretch out when they need to. This can help them to stay alert, too. Ergonomic desk chairs are also a good choice. Working with manufacturers that can help you with other healthy office supplies is also a good idea, like high quality mold releases. Make sure you do all you can to create a healthy and positive environment. 

Use Live Plants

Live plants look great and clear the air. Employee health and productivity will improve over time if you take care of plants and ensure there are plenty. Snake plants and peace lilies are particularly easy to care for if you’re worried about having to buy new plants all the time. 

Use Good Lighting

Natural light is best for most workers. Using artificial light can cause headaches and mess with circadian rhythms, causing eye strain to boot. Make sure you consider your lighting carefully. 

These simple changes could make a huge difference to your employees. What are you going to change? 

Front-Of-House: Your Unspoken Competitive Advantage

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What is it that makes your company better than your competitors? 

Ask the average person for a list of features, and they'll probably come up with ideas around their marketing, products, or prices. But have you ever stopped to consider your front-of-house? 

How you present yourself to your customers makes a big difference. If they can see that you have professional operations in person, they're much more likely to want to part with their cash. 

You can see this effect in action all over the place. For instance, high-end hair salons always have a grand entrance with a beautiful reception desk, designed to convince you of the quality of the establishment. The barbers' skills might not be any better than the cheap place down the street, but that's not important. Presentation gives you margins. 

Why Your Front-Of-House Is Key For Competitive Advantage

There are several reasons why your front-of-house is vital for your competitive advantage. 

Advertise High Margin Sales

The first benefit of having a great front-of-house is that it allows you to advertise your high-margin sales. You see this sort of thing in retail all the time. Outlets will regularly put their most profitable lines at the shop's front to encourage purchases and then arrange their standard lines behind. 

The purpose of this is to grab the attention of as many consumers as possible. Stores want to be able to prioritize some products more than others to protect their margins. 

You don't necessarily have to be in the retail sector to benefit from this approach. Think about what real estate agents do. They regularly put up posters of properties on which they stand to make the most money at the front of their shops and then leave the rest to brochures at the back.

Even accountancy firms do this sort of thing. They like to use their entryways to promote their most valuable products, leaving others to pages on their websites. 

It Boosts Your Brand

Let's go back to the hair salon example. Remember, we said that the high-end hairdressers weren't necessarily any more skilled than those at other barbershops. The difference was in how the business as a whole presented them. Creating a beautiful entryway is often enough to get clients to believe that they're receiving a superior product, even if they're not. 

You see this sort of thing all the time in the hospitality industry. Hotel owners will invest vast sums of money in their lobbies, adorning them with all sorts of embellishments. But when you actually get to the room itself, it's pretty much the same as any other. 

The interesting thing, though, is that guests don't seem to mind. The fact that the hotel looks good from the outside seems to be sufficient to keep them interested. 

Lobbies and reception areas are, therefore, absolutely essential for building a successful brand. Often when you invest, you get much more in return. And that's ultimately what you want. The more you can convince people that you have a quality operation, the more likely they are to buy from you. 

How Can You Tell If It's Time To Abandon Your Marketing Campaign?

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Launching a new marketing campaign isn’t cheap, which is why it’s important that you make sure you see a return on that investment. If you don’t see a marked increase in leads and sales as a result of your marketing strategy, you are wasting money and that’s never good.

Unfortunately, a lot of marketers don’t pay attention to the success of their campaigns and they continue pouring money into something that simply isn’t working. In some cases, people don’t like to admit defeat and they want to see the campaign through because they have already invested so much in it. Even though it is important to give a new campaign a bit of time, you also need to know when to cut your losses and change your strategy if it isn’t working. 

Measuring the right metrics is vital during any marketing campaign because it gives you an indication of the effectiveness of your methods. Checking digital data reports will show you how many impressions you have made, how much traffic your site is getting, how that traffic translates to sales, and what engagement levels are like. However, it’s important that you know how to make sense of this information, so you understand when it is time to call it quits and take a new approach. These are some of the common signs that you should abandon your marketing campaign. 

Website Traffic Is Low

Website traffic is one of the most important metrics to consider because it gives you a sense of how your overall marketing campaign is performing. If you don’t see an increase in traffic, that is a big indication that something is wrong. If you are using paid-ads, for example, it probably means that the design of your ads isn’t right and they are not inspiring people to click through to your site. It could also be an indication that your SEO strategy isn’t working well and your site is not getting any organic traffic from Google searches. Make sure to check the metrics so you can see exactly where the traffic is coming from to determine which parts of your marketing campaign are failing. 

Your Conversion Rate Is Low 

If you track your website metrics and see a big increase in traffic, you might think that your marketing campaign is working well. However, an increase in traffic doesn’t necessarily help you because you could be attracting the wrong people. It’s important that you see where that traffic is coming from and check your conversion rate. If you have a high traffic rate but the conversion rate is low, that suggests people are drawn in by your marketing campaign but when they get to your site, they realize that there is nothing for them. If this is the case, you need to rethink your campaign because it is attracting the wrong people. Consider what your target audience is and what kind of campaign will resonate with them. If necessary, you may need to conduct some more market research to learn what makes your ideal customers tick. 

Social Media Engagement Is Low 

Engagement is another very important thing to consider when assessing the health of your marketing campaign. If your campaign is a success, you will create a big buzz online and your followers will share content and interact with you on social media. If that isn’t happening, that is a very bad sign. In some cases, a lack of engagement from your followers may be down to a lack of effort on your part. You need to make an effort to respond to comments and reach out to people. However, if that doesn’t make a difference and customers don’t seem to be engaging with you online, there is something wrong with your marketing campaign and you should go back to the drawing board and rethink things. 

People Are Confused By The Message 

Marketing is all about storytelling and if you want to catch the attention of your customers, you need to send a clear message that is easy to understand. If there is confusion around your marketing, that’s a very bad sign. If people are contacting you on social media and asking for clarification about things, your message is too convoluted and you need to strip it back to the basics. Many marketers make the mistake of thinking that the customers are the problem and they should make an effort to understand the message. But if you push forward with it and spend time explaining your message over and over again, you won’t get anywhere. It’s best to admit that your marketing campaign was too complicated and you need a rethink. Consider what the most important aspects are and what the core message that you are trying to convey is. If you can cut away everything else and focus on one specific area, your campaign will be a lot more effective. 

Sales Are Plateauing

Regardless of your specific goals, the overall aim of most marketing campaigns is to boost sales and increase revenue. If that isn’t happening, you have a big problem. Often, you will see a quick increase in sales, to begin with, but then sales will start to plateau. This is an indication that, although your campaign caught the attention of a few people to start with, it isn’t effective in the long term and it will not lead to a sustained increase in sales. 

If your sales plateau, you should consider whether there are any other factors that could be causing things to slow down. For example, is your business a seasonal one that normally experiences a bit of a sales dip at this time of year? Maybe one of your competitors just released a new product that is an upgrade on one of yours. If you can identify another reason for the sales plateau, you may be able to continue with your marketing campaign. However, if you can’t identify any other factors, it is likely that your marketing campaign isn’t working for you and you need to go in another direction. 

Investing more resources in a campaign that simply isn’t working for you is one of the biggest mistakes that you can make. If you notice any of these signs, you should take another look at your marketing strategy and think about changing direction.

Shifting Gears Into Post-Covid Business Practices

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There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the coronavirus pandemic has profoundly affected the way we all do business. You have likely already noticed a wide range of ways in which this has happened for you, and it’s something that you are probably keen to take on board as fully as possible. If you are thinking about how you might be able to take these lessons forward, there are many areas in particular to focus on. In this post, we are going to look at how you can start to shift gears into a post-covid world as a business.

Hosting More Online Events

If, like many other businesses, you have started hosting a lot of online events recently, you are probably going to find it necessary to see if you can take this forward. For many of us, it has become obvious just how easy these events are to put together, but also how profoundly useful and exciting they can be. There is no reason not to continue them long after the pandemic is over. Learn now how to host the perfect virtual meeting, and you are going to be in a very good position in the future post-covid world.

Utilizing The Cloud

For many, it has been essential to start using cloud-based technologies more and more. As people work remotely more often and everything becomes generally less centralised, so too has it become increasingly apparent just how useful the cloud is for so many parts of running a business. Whether you are aiming to share data with employees, or you just want a platform where you can all communicate effectively, the cloud has your back - and there is a strong suggestion that businesses which make use of it in the future are going to be way ahead of the rest.

Pic Credit - CCO Licence

Keeping Clean

The focus on hygiene has reminded us all just how necessary it is to keep our employees safe from harm at all times. You should be aiming to do this anyway, but if your eyes have been opened to just how important this is recently, then you are not alone. One way to take things forward after covid is to simply keep up many of the hygiene practices that you have taken on this year. That doesn’t mean wearing masks and sanitising all the time, but it does mean taking greater care to keep the place clean and tidy.

Marketing Your Ethics

It’s always been important that people view your business as ethical, but that became more so this year as a response to the covid pandemic. If you have noticed how much you have benefited from this approach, then it makes sense to aim to carry it on in whatever way you can even once the pandemic is long gone. That’s bound to help keep your customers coming back for more, and it’s going to help with the future healthy growth of your business in a surprisingly big way. Make it clear you’re on board ethically, and people will follow.

Five Things To Think About When Running A Blog

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Running a blog has many benefits and for a lot of people is a passion and great fun. That said, the bigger your blog gets, the more demanding it is, and the more you have to do, that people may not realize. There is always something that you can do to improve a blog, from planning new content to finding ways to bring in more income. Below are five things to think about when running a blog.

How will you make an income?

For some people, blogging can make a good income for them. Essentially, the more views and social media followers you have, the more like brands are likely to work with you, and the more income you can make. Income can come from many streams, from sponsored posts or sponsored competitions, as well as affiliate marketing and ads that pop up on the screen. It’s always important you declare what is an ad and what isn’t. 

Scheduling your content 

Running a blog and a full-time job is demanding and requires a lot of dedication. This is why it is important you plan a content calendar and know what you are writing weekly. By doing so, you can schedule your content to go out automatically during the week while you are at work or at a set time when your readers are expecting something to be published. By having a schedule, you will also find it easier to sit down in the evening and write something, as you will have a subject all ready to think about, instead of having to think of one on the spot.

Declaring Your Income On Your Tax Return 

For a lot of people, running a blog is a side income and not their main one. For this reason, you have to declare your income as a sole trader, as it is separate from your employer, and they may not know you run a blog. By using a Cash flow management system, you will be able to track what comes in and out of your business, as well as expenses and loans. (If you are a bigger blogger) by doing so, all your finances are in one place, making it easy for you to manage. 

How to bring in more views 

The more views you get, the more exposure you get as a blog. Getting views is a challenging thing and requires a lot of time and effort put in. To increase your viewership, you need to think about a few different things:  organic traffic - how do you increase the number of people who see you from search engine searches. Social Traffic - how many people come to your website through social media. Referrals - how much traffic do you get from people referring to you on their website. All these things can improve the overall success of your blog. 

Growing your social media channels 

Social media is becoming more and more important to help grow your blog and increase your portfolio of offerings. The more social media followers you have, the easier it is to share your content with them and let them know when posts are going out. Don’t try and grow all your channels simultaneously. Concentrate on one or two, and then work on the others after. Social media can be very time-consuming, and trying to grow them all can take up too much time. 

Don't Let A Move Abroad Derail Your Career

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You’ve made the decision to move abroad. Whether that’s because it is something that you have always wanted to do, your partner has to move there for work, or it’s a decision that simply makes sense for you at the time, it doesn’t matter. What’s important is what you do when you move abroad, particularly when it comes to your career. 

You see, the fact is that for a lot of people, moving abroad can lead to the derailment of their careers. That is when there’s a lack of organisation and planning, which is why it’s so important that when it comes to your move abroad, that you take the time to think carefully about the entire process, and how you can ensure that your career isn’t impacted as a result. 

Wondering what steps you need to take to do that? Below is a guide to a few of the steps that you can take when it comes to making sure that a move abroad doesn’t derail your career. For everything that you need to know, read on.

Get the legalities right 

First and foremost, if you want to be able to work when you move abroad, it is important to make sure that you get the legalities of doing so right. This means thinking about your right to work abroad and what it takes to see success. If you are going to work abroad, you need to look at what the country you are moving to requires in order for you to be able to do so, such as h1b sponsorship for instance. There are a lot of ins and outs to the right to work abroad, so it’s important that you take the time to make sure that you have got the legalities of the situation right. 

Put an action plan in place 

It’s also essential that when it comes to your career when you move abroad, that you have an action plan in place. By putting a plan in place that you can follow to ensure that you are able to see continued success from your career, you can make sure that your career is not disrupted any more than it needs to be. Whether your action plan maps out how you can transfer from one company to another or looks at how you can continue to run your business abroad, it doesn’t matter, just as long as you have an action plan to fall back on. 

Be innovative 

When it comes to working abroad, it is important to take an open-minded and innovative approach. It’s important to realize that you might struggle to find work in your preferred sector, for instance. It’s also important to be open to working in new ways, such as working in a remote, freelance capacity. If you take the time to look, you will find that there are plenty of remote, freelance roles being recruited for on a global level, meaning that you can work from anywhere. 

There you have it, a few simple tips and pieces of advice to ensure that a move abroad does not derail your career.

How To Ship Electrical Items

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Anti-static bags are the ideal solution for anybody that is looking for the best way to ship an electrical item. 

Shipping electrical items the right way

Does your company sell or repair computer processing units, circuit boards, and such like? Maybe you need to send off products for PCB board testing from MIS Electronics? Perhaps you are simply looking to send an electrical product to a friend? 

What happens if you don’t ship electrical items in the correct packaging?

Whatever your requirements maybe, if you are shipping something electrical you need to make sure you do it in the right way. If you fail to do so it is highly likely that your item will be damaged when in transit due to the effects of electrostatic discharge. 

The benefits of anti-static bags

On the other hand, an anti-static bag is slightly conductive, ensuring that the item inside the bag does not experience any localized charges being deposited onto it. You can be confident that the electrical item you are shipping arrives at its destination in the exact condition it was in when you first posted it. 

Finding the best anti-static bags online via a packaging website 

If you look online, you will see that there is an extensive selection of anti-static bags for you to choose from, ensuring you find the perfect packaging product for your item specifically. 

You need to make sure the bags you choose are of good quality. They should boast a strong peel and seal closure and are made from material with a weight of 70 microns. You should be able to choose from a huge array of sizes, ranging from the likes of 130 mm x 80 mm to 350 mm x 280 mm. 

Value for money is another quality you will be on the hunt for. Yes, make sure the items are priced competitively to begin with. However, a lot of the packaging suppliers today always have fantastic discounts running, allowing you to make your money go even further! 

Bulk discount deals are very popular. If you wish to buy anti-static bags in large quantities you have the chance of making savings of 50 percent off and more! The way this offer works is simple; the more you buy the cheaper the item becomes per unit. This deal is available on virtually all items sold on wholesaler websites. 

Make sure the shipping rates are favorable too. There is nothing worse than getting to the checkout and find that your good deal has become a bad one due to expensive shipping.

To conclude, when it comes to postage and packaging, there is more to consider than meets the eye. You need to make sure that the company you select offers great deals and that you post your items in the correct packaging. Follow the tips that have been provided in these guidelines when shipping electrical items so that you do not experience any issues with your product while in transit. 

How To Differentiate Your Business and Succeed

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As a business owner, there’s a lot that you must do on any given day to ensure your doors stay open. It’s not just about surviving but also thriving through the ups and downs.

It’s wise to find ways to differentiate your business so you can succeed and surpass your competitors. You need to stand out for all the right reasons and be able to deliver on your promise. Your goal should be to have consumers view you as the expert in your field, so they turn to you for answers and are motivated to purchase your products and use your services.

Be Attentive to Customers

You can differentiate your business and succeed by being more attentive to your customers. Show your appreciation for them and for spending their hard-earned money with you. Get to know them by name and their needs so you can meet and exceed them every chance you get. Separate your company from the other businesses out there by focusing on delivering superior customer service and staying true to your word. Be responsive through online and offline channels and work hard to solve problems quickly and efficiently. Address concerns head-on and request feedback, and be willing to make changes based on this information.

Have A Strong & Strategic Online Presence

Another way to differentiate your business and succeed is to have a strong and strategic online presence. More and more consumers are spending their time online, searching for answers and information before making a purchase. For example, you must have a user-friendly and responsive website design in place and be active and engage on social media regularly to stand out. You want to be the first solution that pops up when consumers are researching online and to ensure you have a long list of followers who trust you and believe in your brand. You’re missing out on a large segment of potential buyers when you opt not to interact and advertise online.

Focus on Innovation

You can stand apart and differentiate your business by being more innovative. If you do what you’ve always done and aren’t inventive, you risk people taking their business elsewhere.  Consumers want to work with brands that are on the cutting edge of new and exciting products. They want the next best thing, and you have to be able to answer their call. Brainstorm ideas with your team and be willing to take calculated risks to help you succeed and roll out innovative and attractive solutions and products.

Build A Unique & Driven Company Culture

You can attractt op talent to your business when you build a unique and driven company culture. You’ll perform a lot better and reach your goals faster when you have people on your side who are creative and motivated to succeed. Differentiate your business by building a culture that’s attractive and potential employees can’t help but be drawn to and want to work for. Offer appealing benefits and rewards for hard work and to your top performers so they stay working for you throughout the years.

My first Car - How 1,000 Americans Got Their First Car

Photo by Levi Jones

Everyone remembers their first car and how they obtained it. Whether they saved the money themselves or received a hand-me-down vehicle, a first car usually holds a special place in the owner’s heart. But could the method in which someone’s first car was acquired impact them later in life? 

In a new study, Leith Cars asked 1,000 Americans how their first car affected their life as adults. They wanted to find out details such as whether respondents helped choose their first car or did their parents choose for them, how that decision might affect an owner’s appreciation of the vehicle, and why they wanted the car to begin with.

First Car Benefits

There are many reasons why people would want a car. Having the independence to go where the owner wants when they want is always a great perk. But what were some of the other reasons respondents wanted their first car?

Approximately 82% of people said they wanted their car to give them more social opportunities. Nearly 4 in 5 people said owning their first car made them more responsible and allowed them more work opportunities. Almost 70% said having a car made them more financially responsible. 

First car feelings changed by generation. For example, millennials were more likely to believe that their first car made them a safer driver. Those in Generation X were most likely to think that their first car gave them more work opportunities. Baby boomers were the generation that believed their first car afforded them more time to socialize and made them more responsible.

First-Time Feeling

More than 3 in 4 people said their first car was a used vehicle, and about 2 in 3 respondents were able to choose the car they wanted. Gen Xers (81%) were the generation most likely to have a used first car, followed closely by millennials (75%) and baby boomers (73%). 

But baby boomers were at least 11 percentage points more likely to pick out their car than the two other generations analyzed. On average, respondents drove their initial vehicle for about 4.6 years. About 30% of millennials are reportedly still driving their first car, compared to just 8% of Gen Xers and 7% of baby boomers. 

The average number of miles respondents drove their first car was 43,000 miles. 

Road to First Car

Over half (51%) of respondents reported purchasing their first car themselves. More than 1 in 4 people revealed their parents bought their first car, and 21% said they got it secondhand. 

Baby boomers (67%) were 21 percentage points more likely to buy their first car than millennials (46%). Of those who purchased their first car themselves, millennials paid $10,800, on average; Generation X paid $7,500; and baby boomers spent $3,500. 

Where car payments and car insurance were considered, younger generations were more likely than their older counterparts to get help from their parents or not pay at all. For example, 56% of baby boomers were solely responsible for paying for their car, while just 39% of millennials reported doing the same. 

According to the study, the top three first cars that were the most common among respondents were the Honda Civic, Honda Accord, and Toyota Corolla. 

First Car Appreciation

Respondents who purchased their first car themselves were more likely to be satisfied with it. Approximately 63% of people who bought their first car were happy, compared to 53% of people who received their car secondhand. 

Also, those who could buy their first car on their own were more likely to be satisfied with their careers. About 2 in 5 people who purchased their first car were very satisfied with their jobs, compared to 25% of people whose parents bought their first car. 

How might this affect respondents’ children? Nearly 40% of people said their children would be required to buy their first car independently, while 35% said their child would not be responsible for that large of a purchase. About 1 in 4 people were unsure as to how they would handle that decision. 

More than half of people who bought their first car on their own have or will require their kids to do the same. 

Receiving your first car is such an amazing experience, but the study suggests how that car is obtained can affect you later on in life and how you raise your kids. Since more people found satisfaction with buying their first car on their own, teaching your kids about how to handle money early on might be a great way to set them up for their future.

5 Ways Automation Can Help Your Small Business

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Automation tools are more common than you might think and they don’t just benefit larger companies. Small businesses rely on state-of-the-art software too and many of these programs employ intelligent machine learning to give you the best results. By automating procedures at work you can run a more efficient business and provide a better service. You’ll also improve both customer and employee satisfaction. Automation not only allows you to streamline processes but also analyzes the results to continue to improve them. Here are five ways automation can help your small business.

Increased accuracy

By automating certain tasks rather than having them carried out by employees you reduce the risk of human error. With automation testing, you can also test your automation software along the way and ensure it’s performing at its best. You’re guaranteed better results and can continue to improve the process. CRM marketing software, for example, will continue to assess data and use this to learn more about your customers, you can then improve your marketing strategy.

Better customer experience

Automation should be a key focus in your customer experience strategy. Many small businesses now rely on automated customer service tools like chatbots for example. Studies have shown that customers actually prefer speaking to an automated service online rather than waiting on hold for a call center. It’s often the quickest and easiest way to get the information they’re looking for. You can provide a more efficient service to your customers and free up your customer support team for more complicated queries. 

Improve productivity

By using customer service tools such as automated answering services, your team will have more time to focus on the job at hand. You will be able to increase productivity in the workplace by automating more repetitive tasks. Automation works best for streamlining front-loaded processes that would normally be time-consuming for you and your staff.

Employee satisfaction

Automation helps out your staff with these repetitive tasks which will increase employee satisfaction. Your employees can focus on more interesting tasks and their own professional development. This will help to make them more motivated and improve morale. Technology also makes your employees’ lives easier. It improves collaboration and allows for more flexibility. Your team will be able to share and access documents on the cloud at any time from anywhere, for example. Automation improves communication making it easier to allocate resources, and set and achieve project goals.

Allows you to scale your business

It’s known that automation is an essential component of scaling your business. In order to cope with the rise in demand, most small businesses need to rely on technology. You can use automation in a variety of fields and departments to deal with more customers, increased production, and more staff members as you expand your business. It also gives you more control and continue to provide a quality service. Automation isn’t about replacing human employees but more gives them a helping hand by streamlining everyday processes. It can benefit your business in many ways.