How tech can help small businesses and startups to stay ahead of the curve

India is going through a sort of startup revolution right now, with multitudes of new companies coming up to provide new experiences to its customers. One of the most prevalent trends in this ecosystem in recent years has been their close relationship with technology. Management consultancy firm Zinnow estimates this to be an $80 billion opportunity by 2024, making it a key pillar for India’s economic growth going forward.

A small business’ success is closely linked to how well it can employ technology in a way that it complements the workflow of the organisation. It’s not just about keeping a keen eye on the market trends but also on advancements in the technology that can positively affect a company’s functioning. It is expected that close to 75 million SMBs will pump in $14-16 billion on digital technologies.

It’s never easy for a small startup to operate in this competitive landscape, as there are so many aspects that need to be taken care of. In times like these, the successful sideloading of certain tasks to technological solutions might just prove to be the differentiating factor between a small business that can constantly innovate and stay relevant against one that cannon execute tasks effectively. Accelerators like Dell can help these younger companies with their IT with offerings including payment solutions, productivity, discoverability and connectivity.

Dell as an enterprise has transcended beyond being a hardware company and now offers a complete stack of solutions and services targeted at SMEs to help them transform their businesses.

Here are some common ways in which young, growing companies can leverage tech solutions to smoothen out their execution:

Improve their online presence by way of social media, dedicated websites and landing pages and content platforms, which not only help in marketing but also communicate with customers in a cost-effective way.
Easier invoicing by implementing smart billing solutions, which no longer call for dedicated expert personnel to handle the finances, making it simpler for all the parties to a transaction.
Some companies have also opened up their gates by allowing employees to continue using their existing computer systems, thus saving upon a major overhead as well as not pushing employees out of their comfort zone. This also opens up remote working possibilities for applicable companies, letting the team continue working ceaselessly while travelling out of office.
Data is a big element for a company’s decision making, as it can analyse historical observations, pull out trends and help make a more advised decision. Deploying models that can analyse this raw data into meaningful observations is only going to get more important.
For brands that need to share a lot of content and project files between teams, a NAS device can be used to locally access any required file in a safe way. This also enables teams to collaborate more effectively and meet deadlines.
SMEs can also host specific content such as blog posts, videos, podcasts to share expertise on specific topics, as well as tutorials to digitally train and upskill employees.
Companies are also known to set yup direct feedback mechanisms which employees can use to pass on their suggestions to the concerned authorities in a safe and anonymous fashion, thus creating a positive and open interaction environment.
For mechanical tasks, automation patterns can be used to easily finish certain tasks in a particular order without the need for human intervention. Growing IoT platforms that are connected will further help this process.

To further foster startups, Dell has also launched a new digital portal and e-commerce platform with a curation of the best-suited offers for growing companies. Notable offers include discounts up to Rs 20,000, along with Small Business advisors for IT support, advice or further partnerships.