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Beneficial Tech Skills for Women-Owned Businesses

Damian Vines

Let’s take a look at a selection of tech skills you’ll find are particularly beneficial.

There are few businesses today that don’t in some way require a little technological prowess. At the very least, most companies benefit significantly from the use of digital tools. It’s not just a case of their place in opening your business up to a global marketplace or improving efficiency. Consumers are increasingly showing a preference for engaging with businesses digitally.

For women-owned businesses, it can be especially important to adopt effective technological protocols. Unfortunately, you are likely to experience greater hurdles due to negative bias and prejudice on your road to entrepreneurial success. While technology doesn’t solve this social issue, it can be a route to gaining the competitive edge you deserve. To make the most of these tools you must ensure the skills to use them are present in your business.

Let’s take a look at a selection of tech skills you’ll find are particularly beneficial. 

Data Analytics

Data is the key to making better-informed business decisions in the digital age. Arranging for you or your staff to gain skills in the use of data analytics technology can help ensure all areas of your operations benefit.

Wherever possible, this should be geared not just toward the data science theory but also the practical application of tech tools. Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) are quickly becoming prominent elements in commercial fields. This is especially important for women-owned businesses as the practice of AI and data analysis is so often informed by the unconscious biases of the men who represent the majority of users. As a female entrepreneur, upskilling in this area means you can approach your analytics with a more diverse, impactful, and competitive use of the technology than many in your industry. 

Data analytics can be beneficial to more than just traditional sales and marketing areas. Your business will be subject to a unique selection of internal and external risks that you need to be able to predict and manage. Some of these will be common to all companies, others specific to your industry. There will also be those related to the challenges of being a woman in business. Data analytics can play a vital role in your broader assessment and mitigation strategy.

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Financial Software

Today, much of daily bookkeeping and financial planning is undertaken via financial software. This isn’t just a case of utilizing spreadsheets but also integrated banking and invoicing applications. Gaining skills in this area can ensure your business utilizes these tools strategically.  

The simplest approach to this is usually to ensure there is a qualified accountant on your staff. The skills modern accountants possess usually go beyond the basic principles and expand into areas of ethics, communication, and problem-solving. A key feature of this more in-depth education is a working knowledge of various financial software platforms. Bringing an experienced professional onboard can ensure you’re utilizing the technology in not just the right way but in an agile, even innovative manner. 

However, if you run a small independent business or an ecommerce company from home, hiring an accountant may not be within your budget. You can still engage with elearning courses to take you through the fine points of using financial software. There are classes available to take you through the basic functionality of these tools, but you can also progress to the use of software in more complex financial analysis. 

Marketing Methods

Marketing is an essential tool for any company to connect with consumers. But for women-owned businesses, it’s also a vital way to be heard above the noise of a commercial environment that can feel stacked against you. You or your staff need to develop skills in digital marketing to make sure you can be effective in getting your messaging to your target demographic.

Thankfully, there’s no shortage of online educational resources on the subject of digital marketing. You can take courses to introduce you to search engine optimization (SEO) and how to build campaigns to improve your online discoverability. It’s also wise to learn about creating online content and how to strategize posting these for maximum impact. Even watching videos and reading blog posts about how to better utilize your website analytics and social media insights is beneficial.

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Alongside the digital techniques, it’s important to learn how you can use technology to gain resources that impact your marketing. Becoming a certified Women-Owned small business (WSOM) can bolster your profile, qualify you for certain contracts, and open you up to resources. However, a certain amount of technological knowledge is critical to the certification process. You may need to engage with online education courses and understand how to upload certification data to the online portal. From a marketing perspective, learning how to use social media to leverage your membership to make connections is valuable.  

Online Networking

It’s important to consider how networking with other people — particularly other women in business — can improve both your company and your experience. Today, a significant amount of networking is performed online rather than in person, so you need to cultivate skills in this area.  

This can be as simple as getting to grips with navigating professional social media platforms and industry forums. Establish practices for locating leads on LinkedIn and connecting with other entrepreneurs in your field. Many conferences are held virtually as well as in person. These often include video conference breakout rooms for discussions, so it’s important to become comfortable with this method of communicating and representing yourself. There is an increasing number of conferences aimed at women in business, so these can be vital opportunities to make connections, share experiences, and perhaps locate mentors.

Conclusion

Your women-owned business has something valuable to offer the commercial and social landscape. So you must gain the tech skills you need to make a positive impact. Develop knowledge of data analytics tools and learn how to use financial software strategically. Embrace the tools and resources for effective digital marketing and establish professional connections through online networking. There are exciting opportunities in business right now. With the right tech skills, you can help your business truly thrive.

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