The modern workplace. It is built on speed, the ability to share with large groups of people in real-time, sharing information in minutes, and all of that comes from technology. It doesn’t matter what you actually do in your company, there will be a way that technology can improve your processes, and smooth out your workflow. Of course, you’ll be wary of technological disruptions when you are reliant on it, learn more about that and how you can prevent against issues. 

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So here are some smaller ways that technology can improve your business. 

Marketing

Learning to market yourself properly takes time. However, the internet has given everyone access to the information they need to be able to fully understand the pros and cons of all platforms and types. With that information comes a lot of tools options. Here are some of the free options that you can use:

• Buffer
• Google Analytics
• Hotjar
• Charlie
• WordPress
• Blog Topic Generator
• Onpage Optimization Tool

There are many more you can find with just a quick google. But the critical thing here is to think about what you want out of it, then take action. 

Productivity

If you are a one-person business, then you’ll know how hard it is to get everything done each day when you just don’t have the motivation to do it. And, when you are on a deadline, and you need to maximize your time. There are more issues that come under the productivity banner too, but those are the typical ones. Task management and time management apps will be your best friend here. They will give you mental and physical time limits. Being as we all work on Parkinson’s law, timers are particularly beneficial. Here are some free productivity apps:

• Scanbot
• Evernote
• nTask
• Canva
• Zapier
• Trello
• Google Drive
• Focus Booster
• Be Focused

Flexibility

So this is where owning your own business or working for yourself comes into its own. If you want to travel, or you have some work that you need to go over at the same time as your colleagues who are in a totally different country – it has never been easier than right now. 

There are plenty of tools to help with communication and flexibility; here are a few: 

• Google Drive 
• Slack 
• Fuze
• GoToMeeting

Depending on the size of your business, you might decide that Skype fits the bill perfectly. 

Safety

There is a lot of conversation about what a business can do for others with technology, but we seldom touch on how secure you can make your business with the right technology. Keeping data safe is your top priority, for both you and your clients. So here are a few options for you:

• LastPass
• BitLocker
• FileVault 2
• HTTPS Everywhere 

Rather than start downloading piles of applications and tools, you should make a note of what it is you think you need out of them. This way, you are unlikely to waste too much time on things that just aren’t going to work for you. If there is a trial, then always try that out first, so you know that you will be able to use it and apply it to where it best.