03.25.2010

Ask an Expert - What technologies and operations can streamline a business?

Q: How can I better integrate technology and operations to streamline my business?

A: Technology can be a nebulous and intimidating subject—especially considering the constant change and new options. Pick technologies and providers that are straightforward and have applications that are easy and quick to implement.

Start simple with things like file sharing for collaboration, social networking for staying connected to your customers and basic website presence for both product presentation and generating sales. Add more technical capabilities as you understand what works for you and find a provider that can lead you to the right solutions.

Provider choice is critical—pick a provider with free tech support that can help you get activated without the pain of becoming a technology expert yourself. Ask those in your personal and professional network what works well for them. The right partner should provide aggregated service options that all work together, allowing you to focus on how to make the services work for you as opposed to just getting them to work.

Q: How do I build a marketing database?

A: A marketing database may or may not be a necessity for many small business owners, but the goal is to know who your current/potential customers are (including how to contact them) and how they consume your product/service. Gather and organize enough information to be able to proactively engage and drive new and repeat business.

You don’t have to build from scratch; there are “off-the-shelf” software applications available that may meet your needs with minimal expense. A simple list of your customers and contact information may even suffice. The right application will be determined by your business model, marketing plan and individual goals. If you have salespeople, you probably should have some kind of CRM (customer relationship management) solution. A retail business might look for a solution that ties to inventory management and consumption. Or, simple service-based businesses may only need a contact list to streamline mail merges for reminders, announcements and newsletters.

Q: How often should I be marketing to my customers? How do I avoid marketing fatigue?

A: Relevance is king. A marketing plan should be developed based on knowing your customers and how they interact with you and/or consume your product offering. Customer purchase patterns vary by business type—timing your touchpoints with customer needs will give you a more effective return. New “news” announcements and periodic newsletters are also good ways to keep consistent contact without creating fatigue and indifference.

You can also tap your existing customer base. We recently launched the Qwest Business Referral Network, providing incentives for customers who refer friends and associates. For more information, visit www.qwestbizreferrals.com. Whatever you do, focus your marketing program to make sure that your business offering is top-of-mind for the next purchase decision.