The key to building a sustainable business

Readers of my articles over the years will have heard me say this time and again: only by continuous evolution can a business remain viable and sustainable for the long term. That evolution can come from several areas, be it operational improvements/changes or product improvements/changes, as well as smaller more incremental changes which all add up to long term change, such as updating your shop signage, or refreshing the look of your logo. Right now, one of the most powerful ways you can evolve your business is by the smart use of technology. Despite this being quite common knowledge for the past couple of years, few businesses truly use readily available tools to better position them as a business, so anyone doing this right will almost certainly have one up on their competitors. Regardless of the type of business you run, technology can be used to help you generate efficiency, save you time and money, and improve your overall profitability. The technology I am talking about includes your website, email tools, CRM’s, project management tools, sales trackers, smart plugins, analytics tools and more, which when used collectively can seriously set you apart from the competition. Here at Digital Duet I have implemented many of the tools I mention above, and my business runs lean and efficient as a result. Is it easy to implement such systems? Well, yes and no. In some cases in all honesty the setup is very painful (sometimes costly too), which is why so few business owners often bother with them. Interestingly though, it is usually these painful setups that tend to result in serious change and efficiency generation, so I guess the saying ‘no pain no gain’ fits in really well here. Lucky for you however my team of professionals and I are always at hand to help (I couldn’t resist inserting a shameless plug here). So where to from here? We recommend talking to your IT team, or us, about technology for your business, to see what is available and at what cost to help evolve your business. Research the topic yourself and build awareness of what is possible. Then decide on a strategy moving forward and action that strategy! Interested in knowing more? Give me a call, drop me an email, I am always happy to help. Written by Peter Spinda, CEO www.digitalduet.com.au Peter is the founder of Digital Duet, a Brisbane based company specialising in the design and development of business websites, marketing strategies and online business models. Visit Digital Duet today.