In the News: Almost 2/3 of Small Businesses Credit Automation for Overcoming the Pandemic

The challenges brought on by the pandemic are especially tough on small businesses. And one of the ways they have been overcoming these challenges is through the use of digital technology. According to the 2021 Zapier State of Business Automation Report, 63% of Small Businesses Say Automation Helped Them Endure COVID Pandemic.

A further 88% of respondents also say automation makes them more competitive with large businesses. They are attributing the technology for allowing them to quickly pivot from the challenges of the pandemic. Small businesses are using automation to lower manual data entry such as copy/pasting data from one platform, document, database, or system to another.

Additional uses include lead management, document creation and organization, and managing inventory and distribution. Considering 94% of the respondents say they perform repetitive and time-consuming tasks, automation can address many issues.

This is one of the articles in this week’s roundup that highlights a problem and offers a solution for small business owners. Another article also addresses automation as Keap debuts new functions including automatic invoice follow-ups. Take a look at the rest of the articles on the roundup and search Small Business Trends for any other small business-related subject.

Small Business News Roundup – May 14, 2021

Here’s a look at the other big news for small businesses this week:

GoToWebinar Launches New Live Streaming Tool

GoToWebinar, specialists in providing hassle-free webinar software to create live and pre-recorded events, has launched GoToWebinar Live Streaming. The new feature is designed to help small businesses and organizers of webinars deliver their events more seamlessly on a multitude of platforms.

Optily Releases Ad Spend Optimizer for Small Businesses

New SaaS software lets eCommerce businesses compare ad performance and reallocate budgets with a click of the mouse.  Optily’s Ad Spend Optimizer pits campaigns across Facebook, Google, YouTube, and Instagram to see which one deserves more ad spend.

Keap Debuts New Functions, Uses for Its Small Business Tool

Small business automation is picking up speed this year.  And a company that’s already tweaked its automation tools are at it again. Keap’s new updates to Easy Automations include automatic invoice follow-ups. “Keap is an all-in-one sales and marketing automation platform.

Square Offers ACH Payments for Big Ticket Purchases, Client Payments

Square, providers of software, hardware and financial tools to empower businesses, has announced a new payment functionality. Businesses can now accept Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments on Square invoices. The new payment solution is designed to bring convenience and flexibility to businesses and their customers alike.

These are the Top Etsy Shops in Each of the 50 States

The demand for online shopping is soaring, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the disruption it caused to bricks and mortar stores. With around 4.3 million sellers in 2020, up from 2.7 million in 2019, Etsy is a hugely popular platform for online sellers. In 2019, Etsy sellers contributed $6.6 billion to the US economy.

How Much Financial Impact Does Divorce Have on a Small Business?

Divorce under any circumstances is a messy and ugly affair. But it gets even worse when you are the owner of a small business or when your business partner is your spouse! On the Small Business Radio Show this week, family law attorney, Tiffany Hughes discusses how to prepare for the worst-case scenario to ensure that you and your company are protected.

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This article, "In the News: Almost 2/3 of Small Businesses Credit Automation for Overcoming the Pandemic" was first published on Small Business Trends