It is easy to sit back and read about upcoming technology that can affect your personal life and, just perhaps, be useful in your professional life. The difference between advances in technology and actually using them to progress your small business is basic implementation. Here are not only some gizmos and gadgets that are just too cool not to talk about but that will also advance your business into the middle of the New Year.

• In 2015, brick-and-mortar technology is pretty much out of the window. If you haven’t abandoned it completely, I hope you’ve at least started to reduce it out of your office. In the same way that a camera, video recorder, calculator and clock alarm are now all on your phone, your computer, printer, server, and network combined physically on top of your desk plus things like maintenance fees can really increase your investment on technology and not in the way you want.
• Besides moving some of your infrastructure to the cloud, a lot of this hardware can be downsized these days and it’s not as expensive as you might think. Spending a little bit of money (and perhaps selling some of your older tech gear) can really bring you down to skeleton hardware and a minimalist attitude to go along with it. If you are a little scared to clean your tech house, starting new projects/clients on the cloud can help make the transition that much easier and will allow a certain point to occur where you will want to input all former data in the cloud as well. Remember, in 2015, a paperless office is a happy office!
• Don’t forget to back up your info! Even on the cloud. No, the cloud isn’t full-proof and if you use an off-premise company to maintain your cloud data, it could take time to recover any information and time is monies. Having your own backup recovery can really help in a time-snag.
• Although you already knew this, mobile technology is up and running… and sprinting I should say. Mobile websites get more traffic these days than the ones you’re spending all of that money on. But that’s the way the cookie crumbles, especially when you never know what technology consumers will utilize next. But it is best to be prepared for anything, right? Make sure that your website’s mobile site is functioning and user-friendly.
• These days, small business marketing is more automated than ever. While there are many companies that can help your business, sometimes just doing a little research can change your digital marketing game. Don’t forget blogging and social media! While they may both seem simplistic, they offer the most organic way to create links to your website and get your target audience’s attention!!
• Integrated sales sounds funny but it can lead to more funny money if you catch my drift. It’s really just a way to say, connect with the consumer at all points of sale, not just after they buy. There are applications you can add to your website, including integrating promotions or coupons or even integrating their social experience to get instant feedback. There is a whole world of integrating applications and ways to increase your customer’s experience while helping your business stand out and collect data and information at the same time.
• While this may not need to be expressed, it would be a big disservice if I didn’t at least mention security. No, you’re business might not be on the scale of say, Sony or Apple but there is always room for improvement when it comes to your business’ security. We all want our clients to trust us and be confident in our abilities to protect their information. But, that takes time and effort. Stay on top of security trends and nowadays it might be in your small business’ best interest to spend a little more cash on protection in general, for your clients and for you.

None of these things is very innovative, but it is something important to remind ourselves in the New Year. These trends will fluctuate as most do, but they are here to stay for the most part. Mobile technology and online security are just a few things that are not going anywhere anytime soon. So remember to research, spend smart and good luck with your bright and shiny year!