{"id":69201,"date":"2021-09-11T08:00:37","date_gmt":"2021-09-11T06:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/?p=69201"},"modified":"2026-01-29T15:30:42","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T13:30:42","slug":"smes-rate-these-3-technologies-as-crucial-to-business-resilience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/smes-rate-these-3-technologies-as-crucial-to-business-resilience\/","title":{"rendered":"SMEs rate these 3 technologies as crucial to business resilience"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSMEs rate these 3 technologies as crucial to business resilience\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\tWarren<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are upsides to having your business enter survival mode. Necessity strips away cost and drives innovation. On the softer side, it rejuvenates an appreciation for your people and customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-in, those that do manage to skirt insolvency tend to come out the other side more resilient, albeit with a few bruises. This is where most small businesses in South Africa find themselves as the economic impact of the pandemic subsides \u2013 lean, a bit battered, but with the bit between their teeth. Now, though, they look determined not just to survive, but to thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In our recent survey<\/a>, there was consensus from participants that the secret to kickstarting their growth post-pandemic lay in technology. Specifically, technology that elevates customer service and payments, improves marketing and advertising efficacy, and drives sales through high-touch customer relationship management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Download the resurgence: small businesses and accountants are ready to try again Sage research<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

1. Elevate your customer service<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The mass adoption of online digital technologies, catalysed by the pandemic, has caused a rapid step change in consumer expectations. Convenience with a personal touch has quickly become the hallmark of an acceptable customer experience, and a prerequisite for repeat business. This is perhaps truest for small businesses that don\u2019t have a deep reservoir of brand equity to fall back on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While creating a work environment where your employees are engaged behind a common purpose is, arguably, the foundation of great customer service. The efforts of your employees can be drastically amplified through technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To start, most consumers now expect businesses to be accessible via multiple channels. Give them the option to do so and ensure that each channel, be it your website, app, newsletter, or social media page, has the functionality to support a consistent customer service experience. Making use of tailored FAQs and real-time chat systems like Facebook Messenger can improve query response times and engender customer loyalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, the customer service professionals in your business need access to a centralised repository that records the details of customer engagements to ensure queries\/complaints don\u2019t fall through the cracks. Those records can and should also be used to help identify any repeat problems or bottlenecks in the customer journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Payment options are also important. Giving your customers a variety of ways to settle their invoices reduces the friction of doing business with you and communicates a subtle but powerful message: we value your time as much as you do. SnapScan, Zapper, or Mobicred are some of the more common alternative payment methods in SA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the notable findings from the Sage survey was that many small businesses lack the time to implement tech solutions. Automation can help in this regard. Start by mapping your business processes to see which of them are amenable to automation. Tasks with manual or rote elements, like resolving common customer queries, invoice generation, payroll, and data capturing, will usually come out high on the list. Using tech to streamline these processes \u2013 via chatbots and accounting\/payroll software, for example \u2013 will give your employees the tools and time to create memorable customer experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Sharpen your marketing message<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not that we woke up one day and decided that we like it when businesses speak to us like they know us. We all want to be called by our name, we all want our preferences known, and we all want recognition. It\u2019s just that we never knew businesses could scratch these itches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But now we\u2019ve seen it done. We know businesses can do better. And we expect them to. The starting point here is for you to segment your target market according to their preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an example, the 6th EY Future Consumer Index<\/a>, based on a survey of 14,500 consumers conducted across 20 countries in February 2021, found that there are five broad categories that describe consumer spending behaviour:<\/p>\n\n\n\n