Are Your Communication Needs Your Top Business?

All small businesses need to communicate.

After all, communication is what keeps you in business and helps boost your sales. It also is vital in maintaining employee morale and letting your employees and customers know of any changes or upcoming promotions within the company.

Let's face it - without communication, you don't have a business.

Before we look at various ways of communication within and outside of your small business, let's discuss 5 steps to identify your business communication needs.

First, determine what you want (new phone lines, upgraded systems, etc.), followed by setting goals and a budget, and finally getting organized and bringing in the experts (or simply discussing your options with professionals).

What are your small business communication needs?

• Social media - Social media is everywhere, and it's no longer a luxury for your business to use it, it's a must. Social media allows you to communicate to your customers in real time. You can Tweet about a promotion, host a Facebook giveaway, Instagram your latest product and more.
• Presently - Present.ly is like Twitter, only for specific groups as opposed to the general public. It's great for companies that have employees who need to communicate on a regular basis. Best of all, the basic service is free.
• Wrike - Wrike is project management software that can be useful for many different types of companies. The software helps you get things done as quickly and efficiently as possible. You can keep track of your schedule and work on a variety of projects all with the simple click of a mouse.
• HyperOffice - HyperOffice is an app that allows you to hold a business meeting or work on a project when you're away from your desk. This is great if you're traveling or if you have employees who work from home.

Of course, there are thousands of free options available to meet your business communication needs, but sometimes you need a little something extra - and more times than not, that 'something extra' is going to cost you some money.

How to budget for communication technology

Whether you need more money for advertising expenses or communication expenses, a budget is always necessary.

Research the type of product you want and compare it amongst similar products. Once you zone in on exactly what you want, figure out how much it's going to cost you.

Ask yourself if it's a one-time expense or a continuous expense. Can you finance the cost or will you need to pay for all of it up-front?

Next, save up for the purchase if you can't afford it immediately.

We live in a society where we get everything we want exactly when we want it, but unfortunately this unplanned way of thinking is what forces more than 80% of businesses to shut down within their first year of opening.

Always think ahead and plan for each and every expense.

It may be hard to wait, but it will be worth it for your business in the long run.