Being the owner of a small business means that you need to stay (way, way) ahead of the curve if you want to beat your competition. This means that your marketing strategies need to be fresh and unique, your customer service should be stellar and you need to be up-to-date with technology. Having computer skills is vital to all of these aspects, and taking IT courses can help to equip you with these much-needed skills.

It supports entrepreneurship

The whole world is literally at your fingertips, including valuable resources for entrepreneurs. Being computer literate by taking one of the many IT courses in South Africa means that you will be able to experience new ideas, build your self-confidence and help you to innovate in your own business.

To grow your small business, all you need is a PC or laptop and an internet connection to put you miles  ahead of your competition. Entrepreneurial minds in the twenty-first century are finding it easier to innovate in their business and in the SME community. The resources you will find online will help you to grow your business, but you will need to have the skills to do online research and networking.

Communication skills will improve

The world is digital, there is no getting around it, and consumers today expect to be able to communicate with any business in a digital capacity. Not having the right computer skills for effective online communication means that you are already two steps behind the competition.

If you take one of the IT courses in Durban, you will be taught effective communication skills, including how to type up, send and receive emails. This is arguably one of the most vital computer skills for small business owners,as email, IM’s and other messaging platforms are how your customers will be getting in touch with you regarding products and services. Your own communication skills will also improve as you continue to use email and instant messaging on a daily basis.

Work performance will increase

Being computer literate will enable you to work efficiently and effectively, which improves your work performance. Notes from client meetings can be taken via laptop or speech-to-text programs and you can use spreadsheets to effectively display ideas and budgets for clients and partners.

IT courses equip you with basic computer knowledge, and if you practise these skills on a daily basis, your work performance will increase and improve as well. If you work on your computer on a daily basis (and in this digital world, who can afford to run a business that is not online?) then you will need to be able to work quickly and without too much delay in customer service replies.

Business processes are streamlined

Owning and running a small business takes time and effort, but with computer skills, you will be able to streamline your business process in order to save yourself from spending hours answering emails and drawing up invoices.

If you sell products, sending someone your banking details for a payment is as simple as sending an email or setting up a Paypal account. If you have employees, nowadays you do not have to go around the office with a physical, written-out memo for them to sign, you can simply email it to them or send an IM that there is a meeting that day, cutting down time spent on unnecessary communication. If you have customer service to deal with, you could build a chatbot for your website to deal with simple requests that will then be passed to you for a final response.

Social media marketing can improve

Anyone in business knows the power of social media marketing, but not all of them understand how to do it. The larger companies will often hire social media marketing experts but as a small business owner, this may not be a feasible expense for your situation, which is where computer skills can come in handy.

You will be able to use Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin to reach your audiences in a more effective way, engaging in a conversation with them that builds brand trust and leads. Without the knowledge of how to operate a computer, you will not be able to log into your social media accounts to create posts and build traffic. You will also learn that you cannot simply post about what you sell or the services you provide, but you need to give consumers relevant and exciting content.

Technology is the future

Small business owners need computer skills to stay in the game. If you are not up-to-date with all the latest business trends, you will fall behind your competition and lose out on consumers who prefer working with digitally aware providers. Embrace technology and use it to your advantage. You will see your communication skills improve, as well as your business performance, both of which contribute to a better customer experience.

Source: EntrepreneurMag