Small businesses are using SMS messages to improve time and resource management

Time and money are two things that business owners need. And it’s not as if they have these in excess. So, anything that a business owner can do to increase their supply of either will always be a good idea. And the one thing that can do exactly that is deceptively simple – SMS messages. Yes, the 160 character message that we’ve all been sending for more than 25 years has the power to revolutionize your business. Of course, there are also some other tools that you can, and should, make use of. Here, we’ll discuss some of these tools and how you can use them to grow your business while bettering your time and resource management.

SMS messages

There’s no doubt that when it comes to running a business, whatever its size, there is no tool more powerful than SMS. It can assist business owners and managers to keep and retain control over operations. SMS messages can be used to improve processes, send out scheduling reminders and updates, and inform staff members about emergencies. There are plenty of other ways that SMS can impact businesses for the better. Only once you really start tapping into its potential will you truly discover the time management and resource management capabilities of SMS.

Chatbots

To truly take your business to the next level, you need to be thinking about making use of chatbots. This unique tool can be used to integrate seamlessly into your business’ key systems, allowing you to communicate with customers via your website, social media, and chat apps. This can lead to increased sales, decreased costs, and streamlined support by ensuring your staff members are doing their best work at all times with the assistance of the chatbot. When put that way, why wouldn’t you want to make use of chatbots for your business?

Workflow management

Every business’ boss wants to ensure that their products or services are sent to the customers who have purchased them at the right time and in the correct condition. To do that, you’ll need to ensure all staff members are performing all of their responsibilities when they should be. Obviously, you can’t be everywhere at once and you can’t see everything going on in your business. That’s why you need to have effective workflow management tools in place. One such tool that enables you to track a number of tasks simultaneously, from start to finish, is Trello. It gives you the opportunity to keep track of your team’s progress on tasks as well as their efficiency, ensuring optimal resource management.

Finances and invoicing

Managing finances can often be a source of stress for those running businesses. After all, you likely started out because you had a good business idea, not because you wanted to be doing math all day. It can also be difficult to adjust to a new bookkeeping system when the business has been up and running for a while. It’s recommended that you use a reliable bookkeeping system from the start, one which can scale with the business as it grows. Tools like Xero and FreshBooks are cloud-based, allowing you and others in your organization to keep up with invoices and manage the finances wherever you are, ensuring the best possible management of time and resources.

As you can see, with just a few tools, your business can be efficiently and effectively run. And there should be no doubt in your mind that SMS is the best possible tool available to you. In addition to all of the points made above, SMS messages can also assist with in-house stock control, assist with team building, and improve employee safety. To read more about all of the ways bulk SMS can improve employee performance, read our recent article on the topic. It details how a number of organizations are making use of SMS to build better businesses.