Remember when email was high-tech, and you had to actually ask people if they had an email account?

Technology has hit our world at lightspeed, and the changes it brings have enabled our society to change at a drastic pace over the last decade. I was using some methods of electronic and digital maintenance 15 years ago in my business with AVL, but life did not revolve around an electronic device. Back then, we still did things like taking notes manually, and answering phones that were connected to wall outlets. Nowadays however, the ways technology has infiltrated every part of normal business life is astounding.

In this way, technology has enabled so many businesses to grow in ways never before imagined, and enabled them to reach so many more customers than anyone ever imagined possible. Tech has certainly changed everything for the better, and I embrace digital innovation wholly for what it does for a business. With that in mind, here are my thoughts on the best ways that tech moving so fast has enabled amazing business growth for my company, as well as so many others.

Business Phone
Nearly every aspect of my business can be handled from my phone, which means that I can be in many places at once. The level of productivity is exceptional. For many people, their phones can be a source of entertaining distraction, however in a business environment, an iPhone can eliminate even needing to use a desktop computer to accomplish the majority of tasks. From the moment I get up in the mornings, my phone is at my side and I am on the move checking reports, stats, emails, and staying up to date on everything going on. Working in the moving industry means I am rarely ever stationery, and my phone allows me to manage everything from the palm of my hand. I can visually communicate with my staff, as well as realtors easily; sending photos in seconds allows us to get a clear-cut idea of the situation at hand. I can take calls, respond to emails, stay in touch with every associate, member of my team, and customers whenever need be.

Instant Communication Gratification
There used to be expected waits on getting responses from business associates and staying connected; leaving messages and waiting for call-backs. It took so much longer to get things done and it was just part of the everyday challenge of running a business. In contrast, now, you just send an email and expect to get a response in five minutes or less. If you’re out, you’ll receive their response on your phone. If you want to be really direct and get an even faster reaction, texting offers more instant gratification, especially in the business world. Email seems even archaic and slow by comparison. Business meetings no longer have to wait on people being in person; FaceTime, Skype, Google Hangouts make it really simple to communicate face-to-face in an instant.

Cloud Perception
The “Cloud” has streamlined life, thanks to companies like Apple, Dropbox, and Google. Google Drive has all but replaced other methods of word processing and documentation, enabling the simplest, smoothest transition between documents and photos, sharing them easily, and not accumulating an excessive assortment of useless files on your computer’s hard drive. All data gets stored in the cloud, you can access it from anywhere you’ve got an internet connection, and you don’t have to wait on sending time-consuming emails, and downloading/ uploading this stuff.

Never would I have thought, 15-20 years ago that the future would look like this. Even 10 years ago, it was hard to imagine technology would have us propelled at such a pace, with time effectiveness and multitasking available so easily. If you’re not using technology in your business much, I definitely suggest implementing it in a few areas. Some throwbacks really make you aware of how slow time used to move!