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Plunging into the true depths of your business pro...

Plunging into the true depths of your business programs

If you want to stand any chance at getting a business off the ground these days, you need to get on top with tech. On a fundamental level, that means taking care of things like your website and online presence. But, you knew that already, right? Any business advice will tell you the same thing.

Don’t worry, though; we aren’t going to cover old ground. Instead, we’re going to consider another aspect of business tech which often falls under the radar. As well as getting online, every modern business needs to make use of various computer programs. Each of these stand to make their lives easier. They could be anything from Microsoft 365 to a specialist accounting program like Quickbooks. With these on board, you can halve the time you spend on tasks, and thus increase your efficiency.
The only trouble is, most companies fail to utilize these programs as much as they should. For the most part, we stick with functions we’re comfortable with. These may be a drop in the ocean compared with what that program could do for you. By addressing this issue, you can ensure you get the most from every penny, as well as further reducing your workload.

The question is, how can you get to grips with this without proper training? In truth, it’s easier than you think. Read on to find out why.

Do your research

The most simple step you can take is to research. By doing brief searches for the program in question, you could discover features you weren’t even aware of. YouTube is your best bet if you want to speed this process up. By searching for video tutorials on your programs, you should be able to learn a whole load in a few short videos. While there may still be further research to expand your knowledge, this can set you off on the right path.

Get some help

If in doubt, it’s always worth asking for help. In extreme cases, you may find it helpful to hire someone with a certification in your chosen program. It may seem like a significant commitment, but you may find that their knowledge saves you more money in other areas. As such, you could still end up pulling a profit as a result. If you don’t fancy a new member of staff, you could always outsource with a company who offers professionals trained in things like Microsoft certification. That way, you can call on their expertise whenever you want to make use of different features. They’ll also be on hand if your attempts here don’t quite work out the way you imagined.

Experiment

At the very least, you should sit down and experiment with your programs. Open a blank file so that you don’t lose anything, and play around with what’s available. More often than not, this is the way most pros start with their programs. If you avoid clicking on anything but what you know, you’re never going to learn anything new.


Christine Buske is a former academic who left science at the bench, and now considers herself a woman in tech. She is a frequently invited speaker, and enjoys talking about career transformation (particularly leaving academia for the business world), tech, issues around women in tech, product management, agile, and outreach. She is a proud Canadian resident, and qualifies as a "serial expat".

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