Latest Gadgets Used in Small Business
With the incredible advances in today’s technology, small businesses are finding it easier than ever to compete with their larger counterparts. What previously was the domain of large corporations has now become accessible to nearly everyone, making it possible for today’s smaller companies to take care of business in ways that were never before possible.
Part of being a small business owner is finding ways to improve your customer service and to get the word out there, both of which are possible using such technology as smartphones and tablets. However, there are other ways that you can improve your business experience, including adopting some of the latest technology and gadgets that are available. Best of all, many of these new gadgets are well within the affordability range of just about any small business. Even the latest fiber optic Ethernet is advantageous to small businesses.
Square
With so many small business owners looking for ways to cut back on expensive credit card processing, the arrival of Square could not have come at a better time. This handy little gadget is part of a service that allows anyone with a smartphone to accept credit card payments from anywhere.
With rates that are competitive with some of the major credit card services, Square has quickly become an indispensable tool for the small business owner looking to branch out into accepting credit card payments without having to sign up for long-term contracts and credit card processing machine rentals. Salespersons who use the Square app have found they are able to check out customers from anywhere in the store, rather than having to have the customers stand on line.
Cosmonaut Stylus
Just about every small business owner has either a smartphone or a tablet. While useful devices, they are seriously limited — especially when it comes to using them as note-taking devices.
Enter the Cosmonaut Stylus. This handy stylus was actually funded through the Kickstarter initiative. The creators of the Cosmonaut went onto the Kickstarter website, explained what they wanted to do when they were building this wide-grip stylus, and received enough funding to actually make their dreams a reality.
What is the Cosmonaut Stylus?
It is a wide-grip stylus that is easy to use and provides one of the smoothest note-taking experiences currently available. It enables the small business owner to actually always have the materials at hand to take down information from customers and clients. The Cosmonaut Stylus is large enough to keep from losing, and is designed to withstand even the toughest abuse.
3-D Printers
There are few gadgets available for small business that are more exciting than 3-dimensional printers. These remarkable devices can literally print out a three-dimensional model of virtually any item. They are use to create everything from the molds for jewelry to making realistic action figures to even replacing important mechanical parts that have broken down and are no longer manufactured. Incredibly, the price for these printers can be as low as $1500, which means that just about any small business owner can set himself or herself up as a manufacturing facility. As more and more customers become aware of the myriad uses of 3-D printing, it is poised to become one of the “next big things,” and businesses that have it in place will be ahead of the competition.
iPad
While the iPad has been around for a number of years, it still consistently rates high among small business owners as to being an “indispensable” part of their company. While there are other tablets manufactured, the iPad is the one that seamlessly integrates itself with the iPhone.
Part of what makes the iPad so useful for small businesses is the incredible number of business apps that are available. Virtually every bank and credit union has come out with an iPad and iPhone app, making it possible to conduct banking business from anywhere that you are. In addition, there are apps that will help you process your payroll, as well as maintain records digitally, eliminating the need for valuable space to be used on keeping track of paperwork.