Top 5 tech trends for business owners in Hawaii 2022

Hawaii SBA shows that in 2021 there are 137,328 small businesses .
Small businesses accounted for 49.9 percent of Hawaii employment in 2018, which exceeded the national share.
When it comes to technology and the latest trends, few small or medium businesses are taking advantage of these tools. While keeping up to date on the latest trends can be challenging, considering your long-term strategy is essential for your ongoing success. Since many businesses rely on functions that have since moved online, knowing which functions like cybersecurity and other IT solutions will help you move forward.

Decentralizing Your Operations

Ever since the pandemic changed how many people do business, many entrepreneurs and current companies have plunged headfirst into remote operations. This has meant cutting their brick-and-mortar office for a lower overhead cost. With many consumers wanting to take their business online, moving your work onto the world wide web can make perfect sense for your company. It will help you reach a larger audience than you anticipated.

Automation

With increased productivity, more savings, and a much higher financial outlook, considering an automation tool could prove valuable for your business. With artificial intelligence increasing, automation can take care of your repetitive tasks, freeing you to take care of more essential business concerns. This will essentially help keep you ahead of the game and help you drive profit by doing the work that’s integral to your business.

Cybersecurity and Privacy

Let’s face it, with all the new tech and automation comes privacy and security concerns. With an increasingly digital world, cyberattacks will only increase as the pandemic has proven. Even your zoom meetings aren’t as secure as you’d like them. Taking advantage of cybersecurity protocols has become more manageable and will cost less than it did a few years ago. These protocols are also more effective, which reduces your chances of becoming hacked.

Cloud/Edge Computing

Since cloud computing has become integral for many large businesses, it hasn’t become thoroughly mainstream for small or medium enterprises. The adoption of cloud tech is still growing, and many entrepreneurs and business owners migrate to this solution. While cloud computing is growing, it does have its limits. To bypass these limits is edge computing, which works on processing all of your time-sensitive information from your remote locations with no centralized locations. This is the same as using a small data center. Using both together will help your overall productivity and is expected to increase.

The Internet of Things or IoT

As WiFi connectivity grows, the Internet of Things is continuously getting integrated into it. It has become the future essentially and will enable your devices like cars, computers, mobile devices, home appliances, and more to connect over the internet and exchange data. This is a great boon for the telehealth industry and others. Businesses have a considerable amount to gain, like better decision making, safety, and even more efficient use of data they have collected. It will help you speed up your customer service and has potential benefits that aren’t realized yet.
As technology trends change, so will the way people do business. To stay in the game, small and medium enterprises would be wise to integrate as many as possible. The cost is lower, and the benefits are more significant than ever. In a fast-paced digital world, keeping up with the pace of technology is essential for a business’s survival.

Makena it group located on Maui, provides consulting, tech services & IT Support for small and medium size businesses in the Hawaiian islands.