Learning business survival skills

IT has become an essential part of our lives and of the way we do business. At home, we use computers, phones and tablets to keep in touch with friends and family. At work, we use the same gadgets to arrange and hold business meetings, to manage the company and keep in touch with business partners.But what happens when we are left without them? Will our long forgotten instincts kick in? Or will we have to wander blindly through the economy?

 Learning business survival skills will help you and your company in times of need. It will help you become a better manager and make you stronger as a team player. Re-learning how to work without technology may take time, but it’s time you have to be willing to spare - if you want to be a good business owner.

If your company is small, you use just a few electronic gizmos. As the business grows, the need for technology grows exponentially. In both cases, having a good knowledge about business survival skills can save you time and money. Also it helps to have a contingency plan and a fast decision making process.

I’ve compiled a list of areas where I think the problems could be centered. I’m also providing you with some ideas on how to develop business survival skills and how to use them.

• Financial problems: One important aspect is to understand how the money are made in your business. Can you reduce the trail of paperwork and the time consumed? Also, think about the technology used when payments are being made. Can you bypass it? Make a list of strategies that will allow you to keep track of the money transfers.
• Products: Think about the ways in which your products or services reach the customer. Do you need technology to do it? If so, is there a backup plan in case you will no longer have access to electronic equipment? Compile a list of data using one of the business reporting tools on the web.
• Sales: Is your company dependent on Internet for sales? If so, have you thought about taking your business offline? There are many benefits of having a shop or a showroom in one of the nearby cities. It will probably cost you more than a website, but in the end you will see sales soaring.
• Another financial problem: keeping every information stored electronically. Most of us are thinking about keeping every information about the company on reports servers, either to save paper or just to save space. But what if one day you will not be able to access the online data pool? Make a plan to have printed documents available, just in case.

My last advice to you is to always keep your business survival skills up to date. Think about new ways in which you can keep your company safe and you will not regret it.