Affordable, easy-to-use tech tools and platforms designed for small businesses are springing up everywhere—and will only to continue to do so in 2020 and beyond.

 

We asked business owners what their top technology goal is for 2020, as well as what technologies they plan to invest in. Here’s how they responded:

 

Invest in the cloud

Our workforce is completely remote, and this poses very interesting challenges for a highly creative agency like ours. We utilize tools such as Slack and Asana to stay in contact and deliver projects on time. However, we work with large-format video, audio and graphic projects that require large amounts of storage and quick access to creative elements. So in 2020, we plan to invest heavily in creative cloud options from Google and Adobe, providing more flexibility and easier access to files. This easier access for our designers will hopefully increase productivity and provide faster delivery schedules for our clients.

—Christopher James Foust, founder and CMO, Motus Creative Group, Nashville, Tennessee

 

Create a private online community

My top technology goal for 2020 is to build a private online community. Even though I’ve had a Facebook group for the last few years, it’s become more and more difficult to break through the “noise” to engage my clients. My clients are older and have told me they spend less time on Facebook than they used to. With several different private group platforms out there, it’s easier than ever to create your own community space online.

—Kathe Kline, founder, MedicareQuick.com, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

 

Offer online services and education

Our video production business is launching additional consulting services and online courses in 2020. We’ll be investing in software to automate the process of booking appointments. We are setting up this entire process using Zapier, Zoom, and Book Like A Boss. For online courses, we’re creating a members-only area of our website in March. Our top-paying clients and paid subscribers will have access to our “pro” content. Our goal is to use this technology to cut costs by 15% and grow our revenue by 35%

—Jacob Landis-Eigsti, owner, Jacob LE Video Production, Denver

 

Make a data play

I own a sports analytics website. Since my company is data-driven, I am focusing on investing in our data foundation. Our goal is to have all historical data loaded and automatically updated daily for the four big U.S. professional sports leagues. This is currently a manual process, so investing in infrastructure will be crucial. Specifically, we will be improving our Python code, implementing Tableau for data visualization and moving our data to Snowflake, a cloud database solution. The outcome of this investment will be richer data and better insights for our visitors. Additionally, I expect much more content to be produced, as we won’t be spending as much time retrieving and cleaning the data. Overall, our visitors should see a big difference in our content going forward.

—Evan Ankney, owner, Sportsbook Scout, Chicago

 

Adopt an all-in-one business management platform

I’m looking to invest in technology that allows me to be more efficient by providing an all-encompassing management system. Customer relationship management, the operating budget and marketing systems are all major aspects of running my business, but I need to find a cost-effective approach to manage all three. I don’t have time to learn to use three separate systems to manage my daily work activities.

—Robyn Flint, founder, Property Wise, Bedford, Virginia

 

Automate tasks for time savings

My top technology goal for 2020 is automation. From email to payment portals to social media and marketing, I plan to take full advantage of all of the amazing technological tools that help with making things faster and easier. As a CPA, I want to focus on automation because it allows me to focus more on creating content that helps other business owners understand the complex and overwhelming world of accounting and taxes. My mission with my accounting firm is ultimately to empower business owners, and I feel that automating the parts of my business that have the ability to be automated will help me with that mission.

—Alexis Cartagena, founder and principal accountant, Advance Accounting, Hollywood, Florida

 

Build out social media presence

One of our top technology goals for 2020 is to build out our social media presence and showcase our team’s skills and capabilities. We plan to buy various tools for driving social media audiences globally, such as TweetDeck and Cyfe.

—Steven Xia, founder, Boster Biological Technology, Dublin, California

 

 

 As you think about your technology plans and investments for 2020, consider whether you need greater internet bandwidth to support them. Contact us at 855-299-9353 to discuss your options.

 

What is your company’s top technology goal for 2020? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

 

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