But if you can buy from others all over the world, how big is the step to start doing business digitally and to export your product or service?
Before you start, you have to see if your products and services are worth going digital. Do you provide a service, a product or both? Is your target group waiting for your products or services via the digital route? “What’s in it for me?” What advantages does digital entrepreneurship offer you? Digital entrepreneurship is not only outwards, it’s also internal. Are you going to work with software to keep track of your administration, products such as a Customer Relationship Management system, but also your bookkeeping online? Send a quote or invoice where and when you want?
Today I am going to help you take those first steps towards an efficient route to prepare your business for the digital transformation.
Task management
As a productivity coach I think it’s important to get all your ducks in a row before just starting randomly. You need to get your goals clear. You achieve this by creating projects with a desired outcome. Below each project you write down all tasks that come to mind. Don’t bother thinking about the right order, it’s all about getting every step towards completion out of your head, so you can’t forget.
All of this is possible on paper, but if you are thinking about switching to digitization, use a mindmap and task management program.
Customer Relationship Management
When switching to digital entrepreneurship, start using Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software from day 1. This is a type of software that covers a broad set of applications, designed to help businesses manage many of their information and processes, such as information about your suppliers and clients, customer interaction, accessing business information and automating sales. You could use your CRM software for your financial administration and your marketing via newsletters.
Online sales
Think about the market you could serve by switching to digital entrepreneurship. It makes you go from the local market to practically the whole world. You can sell your courses and coaching sessions online through an online learning space. You are no longer time-bound or location-bound – people take your classes when and where they want to.
If you have a physical store and sell your product to a local audience: think about sending your product globally, by switching to digital entrepreneurship!
Online invoicing
The benefits of online invoicing are unprecedented. For those who can’t remember: you made invoices on the computer, printed them and sent them by postal mail to your customers. Then you had to wait for them to pay. If it took a long time, you made a call to them, reminding them of the invoice. With the rise of online accounting software, these actions and costs are a thing of the past. Save time and money by sending invoices digitally to your customers and sending automated reminders after an x number of days. Bookkeeping has never been so easy for the entrepreneur.
Online Marketing
By choosing the digital route you reach a larger audience faster. You can opt for traditional media, such as newspapers and magazines, but you can enrich your world by going to the world wide web for so many more possibilities: social media, sending press releases to news sites, joining groups and of course your own website.
Invest wisely before setting up a digital business. Look at your options carefully before purchasing a software product. Make sure you choose one that ticks all your boxes, and keep the future in mind as well. Are you still in doubt whether you should take the step to digital entrepreneurship? Don’t! Make sure you get the right help and go for it.