“The probability of apocalypse soon cannot be realistically estimated, but it is surely too high for any sane person to contemplate with equanimity.” Noam Chomsky
Are you experiencing Apocalypse Fatigue? I heard the term on the news this morning and I have to say it rang true for me. There’s been so much bad news for such a long time, with no clear way to make things better, it’s easy to get worn out by it all.
One commentator suggested that society had adopted a head-down “brace” position in fatigued resignation of the multi-faceted apocalypse we’re hurtling towards, rather than collectively looking for things we can do to prevent it.
I’m not sure that’s entirely true, but I appreciated the image. It’s natural to feel powerless in the face of overwhelming forces. Change can be a frightening prospect, particularly when it comes to the things we do in our everyday lives.
Make a small change
On the plus side, small changes make a huge difference if enough people make them. I’m thinking about this from a small-business perspective. There are some steps you can take to help your business cope better.
In a recent UK government survey, they found that around 30% of SMEs are still using spreadsheets and paper-based records for their accounts. This presents a huge risk for incorrectly filed accounts and is incredibly time-consuming when you need to collate receipts, invoices and manually check payment has been received.
According to the Enterprise Research Centre, businesses that have adopted digital technology have seen sales per employee grow by between 7% and 18%, depending on the type of software.
Advantages of a digital upgrade
Upgrading your digital operations isn’t difficult, and it gives you a set of tangible advantages:
Efficiency
Digitising data means entering it once and making it available to everyone who needs it. A quick win to save time when inputting and sharing.
Flexibility
Teams can work anywhere there’s an internet connection. great for businesses operating across multiple locations.
Resilience
Easy online access to information makes your team more robust to cover staff illness and annual leave.
Market Access
Online trading and presence help you to reach more customers, in more regions of the world. Together with CRM, you can optimise how your leads are generated and followed.
Business Model
Upgrading your digital operations can refresh your business model by streamlining processes and creating opportunities previously unreachable with analogue practices
The tools for change already exist and are cheap and readily available. You just need to decide to take action.
