Technology: Friend or Foe?
As we all know, technology is here to stay; we are living in the digital age. Many people I meet are resistant to the digital world and I wonder if it isn’t mostly out of fear. For many of us, most of today’s technology didn’t exist when we were young and so we are forced to learn and grow to stay up with the times. I find that this isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Which means it can be easier to put our heads in the sand and try to ignore it. However, when I see the resistance, I see business owners holding their companies back.
Technology can be our friend if we learn to embrace it, not fear it. Like anything new, it takes time to get used to the change. And it takes putting ourselves into our dis-comfort zone in order to grow. We can stay where we are and watch the world zoom by us, or we can choose to face reality and accept that technology has changed our lives forever, so we should go ahead and join the 21stcentury.
Most frequently what I hear from business owners not wanting to move away from the old methods of doing business is the worry that their money or information won’t be safe. And, yes, there is a lot of fraud, and data breaches do happen. However, there are also car accidents every day, and yet we have embraced our automobiles and take the risk of driving them everywhere we go all the time. The key is to minimize your risk to maximize the benefit offered using technology.
Remember too, that there is risk in the old method as well. I encourage all my clients to stop writing and mailing checks. You are actually at greater risk of fraud if one of your checks lands in the wrong hands than you are of having your data breached online. Yes, it’s true, checks do get lost in the mail. Online money transfers and payments are protected with layers of security measures making them less risky than checks. Not to mention, if you are accepting electronic payments, you will usually get paid faster!
Cloud computing is now the norm and yet I still find resistance; especially here in SLO county. As QuickBooks ProAdvisor’s, my team and I are all well versed in both QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online. What we have learned as we’ve made the transition to the online platform is that it is different, yes, but it is also more efficient. And, yes, it is very safe. Intuit, the company that produces all things QuickBooks, uses bank level security to ensure that the data stored on its servers (the cloud) is as safe as it can be. Nothing is completely safe of course, but to us, it is a risk worth taking to streamline your business and improve efficiencies.
To adapt and keep up we must be wiling to make a change. We must be wiling to face our fears and boldly go where others have gone before us. We are here to hold your hand as you walk into the digital age and join the rest of the world. Turning your business into a cutting-edge company, willing to embrace the technology that can move your business forward in so many ways. Learning to swim with the flow of the water, not struggling to swim upstream. Technology is your friend, let go of your fear and trust that the benefits outweigh the risks.
Sherry Lutz Herrington is the owner of Sherrington Financial Fitness, a business consulting and accounting firm specializing in strategic business planning and solid financial accounting for businesses. She is also the author of Strong Women Thriving (https://strongwomenthriving.com/), a blog which focuses on empowering women to be financially savvy, particularly after experiencing financial abuse. Sherry is currently writing a new book that both shares her personal story and addresses financial abuse. She can be reached at hello@strongwomenthriving.com.