Business technology checklist: Tips for your business journey

The right tech solutions for your business journey

As a business owner, you know that staying on the front foot is crucial to success. This can be especially true when it comes to your business technology. The right approach can help your business run more smoothly and be more competitive.

A set and forget approach to your business tech may leave you relying on tools that are unfit for business. Over time, it can leave you with a complex mix of solutions that takes up more money and attention than you’d like.

Read on for tips to help you manage your tech proactively as your business journey unfolds.

How business tech needs change over time

Whether you're just starting out, managing growth, or fine-tuning an established business, you’ll probably place a high priority on:

• Connecting with customers and keeping them happy
• Finding efficiencies in how you operate your business, potentially with automation
• Maximising business resilience so you can manage through unforeseen issues.

The right business tech, including connectivity, security and support, should help you with these priorities. Just as the market changes, so will your business. This can mean that what worked well for you before may not be the best approach to help you take your next step.

The good news is that we can help you navigate changes to your business tech needs. So, let's explore how you can adapt your tech strategy at each stage of your business journey.

A business technology checklist for key stages of the business journey

No matter where you are on your business journey, having the right technology in place is key to success. The following checklists cover essential business tech considerations for key stages, helping you stay efficient, connected and ready for what comes next.

New business tech

Starting a new business can be an exciting time. You’re in charge of your own destiny, but that comes with a whole new world of decision-making responsibility. You’re often getting things up and running with minimal resources, but as a new business you have the luxury of a clean slate.

Putting thought into how you set things up from the start will help you evolve things more smoothly as your business journey unfolds. You might be used to using tech in your personal life, but make sure you put time into researching leading tech options specific to business.

Your technology checklist for starting a business:

1. Decide if you’ll be using the same mobile phone and number for business and personal use.
2. Make sure your internet solution is ‘business ready’. Explore plans designed for business internet use, even if you’ll be working from a home office.
3. Look for tools with plans that offer essential functions without overwhelming you with too many features to start. Consider the potential upgrade path as well.
4. Learn about cyber security for business. You’ll need to consider how to help protect business and customer data, as well as your own personal data.
5. Find trusted suppliers who can act as part of your extended team when you need support.

At this stage, simplicity is your best friend, but it’s also important to think about support for the long haul. You may need flexibility to upgrade or change things easily. Keeping one eye on the future as you set things up will help you manage change more easily as you focus on growth.

Explore more advice about tech to help you start a business.

Tech and your growing business

Growing your business can mean different things, depending on the vision you have. As your business starts to gain traction you might want to increase your customer base, diversify the products or services you offer, or expand to more locations. 

Your tech solutions should help you achieve your growth ambitions and make it easier for you to manage ‘growing pains’ as you scale up your operations. 

Your technology checklist for growing your business:

1. As you add new team members, think about your mobile phone policy. Will you support a BYOD (bring your own device) model?
2. Consider if you need to upgrade your business internet plan to manage increased demand if you expect to do more business with more people across more devices. 
3. Look to upgrade your business apps and software in a way that’s well integrated, to help you maximise efficiency and simplicity as you scale.
4. Make sure you’re getting the basics of cyber security right to help you manage risk in your growing business and consider solutions for device security.
5. Ensure your tech partners can support you with advice on managing growth and consider if managed services make sense for you as your operations grow.

At this stage your business tech set up will become more complex. You’ll need to think about integration and automation. More efficient processes can help save you time and money so you can continue to invest in innovation to help you grow. They can also help you keep up with increasing demand without compromising customer experience.

Explore more advice on how tech can help grow your business.

Managing tech in your established business 

Once your business is well-established, you might be tempted to take a set and forget approach to your business tech. If it’s not broken, then why fix it? Even if you’re happy with your business the way it is, the market continues to evolve and so do the expectations of your customers and employees.

Regularly reviewing and updating your technology also ensures that you’re not left behind as new advancements are made.

Your technology checklist for an established business

1. If you have a large team using mobile devices, explore how business mobile plans could work for you.
2. Explore how business-grade fibre internet can help you boost productivity. 
3. Explore how integrating data from your business tools could help bring you a more comprehensive view of your business operations to help you make data-driven decisions.
4. Ensure you have a robust approach to cyber security by assessing your business against the ASD Essential 8 maturity model.
5. Engage with your tech partners so they can help you manage changes to your business tech smoothly.

At this stage, a focus on optimisation and efficiency can help you find new ways to maximise productivity and minimise costs. There’s still potential to unlock significant improvements in your business's productivity and overall performance. The great news is that can help free up time for what’s most important to you – whether that’s a strategic project or more time with your family.

Stay across business tech trends and find partners who can help

As a business owner, you know that staying ahead of the curve is crucial for success. Your approach to business tech should evolve as your business grows. By strategically investing in the right tools at each stage, you can help set your business up for ongoing success and streamline operations.

Experts at our Telstra Business Technology Centres can help you navigate change along your business journey and find new opportunities along the way. Request a call back if you’re ready to talk about how we can help you tailor your business tech so it’ s just right for you.

Remember, the key is to stay adaptable and proactive in keeping up with technological advancements. Stay across the latest trends. Whether you're just starting out or managing an established business, evolving your tech strategy is a crucial part of your business journey.