There’s nothing wrong with hanging on to your company’s traditional values, because they’ve been a big part of your ongoing success. But technology has revolutionized the way we do business, and hanging on to the old ways can be very risky. If you don’t learn how to adapt, you can very quickly find yourself at a competitive disadvantage.
Even though you can find just about everything on the internet these days, many businesses still believe in direct sales. There might not be nearly as much “door to door” selling as there was a few decades ago, but many clients still prefer the personal touch of a salesman who will listen to their needs, and make specific recommendations for their business. Leave-behind sales collateral is an important part of the sales process, and a great visual aid to demonstrate higher value for a company’s goods and services. High quality color materials are less likely to get thrown away as soon as you leave, and ultimately increase your chances of getting the sale!
Congratulations! Thanks to a lot of great decisions, your business has survived for those crucial first few years, and developed enough repeat business to continue to grow and thrive. You’re great at what you do, and people have taken notice. But are you truly prepared for the future?
Even if you’ve only been in business for a few months, you’ve probably accumulated thousands of pages of physical files. Each time you gain a new customer, pay a bill, or a hire a new employee, the paperwork has to go somewhere. You might be highly organized and keep good records, but when it comes to record keeping, you always owe it to yourself to use your time and office space effectively.
The modern office is changing, but a lot of things are still the same. No matter how much we do online, we still need a place to transact business, store documents, and meet our clients. Or do we? Many companies are moving away from traditional “brick and mortar” offices, and seeking new ways to do more with less.