Driving Growth and Profit
The system looks great and the demo went amazingly, ticking the boxes of their every wish. And then the feedback:
“It really is amazing and I’m sure it would do everything we wanted, but we just haven’t got the budget for it in our business.”
It’s a perfectly understandable response. Whether finance software, a new CRM or a new staff scheduling system, investing in new technology requires a potentially hefty financial commitment. In a world of increased competition, growing expenses and tighter margins, the temptation to be a little risk averse in your investments is only natural.
But is the ‘Thanks, but no thanks’ response really the best, or even safest, course of action?
Have you missed an opportunity to get ahead of the competition using the benefits of new technology?
Investing in New Technology is Not Just for the Big Players
Whatever sector you operate within, there will be factors that affect your profitability that remain out of your control.
These include issues such as: fluctuating markets, political factors like Brexit or the imposition of new trade tariffs, or increases to commercial rates (which has taken its toll on the High St retailer in recent times).
But what about:
- The productivity and efficiency of the workplace
- Marketing strategies
- Customer experience and service
These are the areas in which you CAN have an influence, and areas that most certainly CAN positively impact on your profits.
It’s in these areas of the business, in which the correct application of modern, future-proof technology can offer solutions that help your growth and protect your margins.
Never before has there been an age where technological innovation has occurred at such a pace. From the cloud and mobile applications to the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), it can be easy to fall into the trap that these are all bit space age for your business, and not really relevant to your operations.
The reality might, however, be starkly different.
The right technology can drive growth and boost your company’s bottom line
Improving operational efficiency should be an area of key strategic focus when it comes to consolidating or enhancing your profitability and there are loads of advantages that new technology can offer to help here.
Manual admin tasks, for instance, can become a major drain on time in the office.
This can be problematic. Businesses that are bogged down in manual admin are spending valuable resources and time that could be more efficiently spent on business or brand development.
Investing, for example, in an online booking system might seem to be one of those ‘nice to have’ items – a good addition to the business but not of any intrinsic value.
However, if you’re still manually managing your appointment booking processes, then consider how much time is being drained away:
- 10 minutes on the phone?
- 10 minutes drafting an email response?
- 5 minutes apportioning the appointment to an employee?
- 5 minutes adding details into the diary or calendar?
If this is the process for each of 20 appointments per week, then you’re spending more than a working day per week managing them.
What if, by automating your booking system, you could cut this time in half?
Put another way, how much could your business benefit by freeing up half a day per week? Or, 25 days per year?
There’s a tendency to think that introducing new technology is somehow sacrificing the human element of the business. In fact, correctly applied, the exact opposite should be true. Your technology should be working for your business, taking care of the tasks that, while essential, can be a drain on time which could be better spent delivering customer facing and business development activity. Improving your productivity and, ultimately, your profits.
At thinkBooker, we specialise in online booking systems for training courses, classes, activities and events – optimised for efficiency, growth and ongoing client satisfaction.
Browse the site to learn more about course booking systems, sports booking systems, event booking systems and more, or get in touch directly to find out how we can help you.
For more insights into using technology for business, have a look through our other blogs below:
Bookings Systems and the Business Benefits of Big Data
Why Responsive Booking Systems Will Matter More in 2018
How the API Connects the World
How Technology and the Booking System Is Likely to Evolve in 2018
