If you are running a business in Zimbabwe, you cannot turn a blind eye to technology anymore. Already you are doing most of what you do through technology, like it or not. It would be much better to take an active stance in using technology. The truth is that adoption of certain technologies can streamline your business operations. It can be the key to unlocking your competitiveness in the marketplace. You may wonder which technologies you should consider. Well, here are five technologies that can make running your business easier in Zimbabwe:

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Tools

A CRM tool or system is typically a digital system used to identify, target, acquire, and retain customers. You will usually find them as software-as-a-service (SaaS) packages. This means you will normally be required to pay monthly subscriptions for access. Getting a CRM tool or system custom-developed for your business may also be possible. Some globally acclaimed CRM tools are Salesforce, Hubspot, Salesflare, Streak, and Nimble. A local example in Zimbabwe is Workzuite which provides an all-in-one productivity app that handles most business processes from one dashboard. Workzuite enables you to handle invoicing to payroll, CRM, HRM, Asset Management and Cloud drive.

Content Management System (CMS)

The place of content in running a business nowadays is indisputable. No wonder content marketing is such an important part of a business today. This implies you need to have effective means of managing that content. That is where a content management system comes in. A content management system is a software application used to upload, edit, and manage content displayed on a website. Such a system is good because even someone with zero coding skills can use it. A CMS enables you, amongst many things, to streamline how content is displayed and how often it is shown to the users. Some common CMS platforms are Hubspot, Drupal, WordPress, Wix, and Joomla.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

There are already so many business processes that are anchored on AI. I detailed how AI can make running a business easier in a separate article. For instance, content creation or content marketing is based on AI. Thus if you use content marketing for your business, you are using AI. Paid ads, using data analytics from social media platforms or Google Analytics, are AI-driven tools central to content marketing. There is even dedicated AI-driven software, e.g. Microsoft Power BI for data analytics. The use of digital humans, e.g. chatbots, is on the rise. That is also another way AI can make running a business easier. LLM-powered platforms, e.g. Microsoft Bing, is another example. There are also countless more applications of ChatGPT in business operations. Thus leaning on AI will make many processes easier in your business.

Cloud Computing

You also have to take advantage of cloud computing. Interestingly you may already be using cloud computing but on a basic level. For instance, if you use an email client, e.g., Microsoft Outlook, you already use cloud computing. Using email marketing software would be another layer of leveraging on cloud computing. The use of CRMs and CMSes also has its base in cloud computing. Think of using cloud storage platforms, e.g. Box or Dropbox. That can make data storage for your business easier.

Overall, cloud computing eliminates the need for physical hardware and even office space. That is why it makes running a business much easier. Think of aspects such as remote working and or collaboration. Cloud computing makes that easier to do. Thus you can get software, web apps, or mobile apps that work on cloud computing. The other approach would be to get custom-written cloud-based software, web apps, or mobile apps for your business.

Big Data Analytics

Tableau defines big data analytics as uncovering trends, patterns, and correlations in large amounts of raw data to help make data-informed decisions. Once again, on a basic level, you can indirectly use this. For example, big data analytics is at play in social media marketing. If you take the time to review the post insights, you will use big data analytics. The other more advanced levels entail collecting and analysing data in your business operations. Some common applications for big data analytics are Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power BI, and Tableau, among others. Sadly, some people running businesses still do not value collecting and analysing data. They cannot even use what is in front of them on a silver platter, e.g. social media post insights. Properly using big data analytics can make your business much easier to run.

These are five technologies that can make running your business easier in Zimbabwe. There are infinite ways through which you can put these technologies to use. That is why you must always stay on top of business trends locally and globally. It will help you know how and where to apply these technologies in your business.