7 Challenges Small Businesses Face with Employee Apps

As a small business owner, I understand the struggles we encounter when using employee apps. These digital tools are supposed to make our lives easier, but they often come with their own set of difficulties. Today, I’ll walk you through seven key challenges that small enterprises like ours face when utilizing these apps.

1. Compatibility Issues: Have you ever downloaded an app, only to find that it doesn’t work on your device? It can be frustrating! Small businesses often face compatibility issues when trying to implement employee apps across different operating systems and devices. It’s like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

2. Complex Setup: Setting up these apps can be a daunting task, especially for small enterprises with limited resources and technical expertise. It can feel like solving a puzzle with missing pieces. Getting everything up and running smoothly requires time, effort, and often external support.

3. Limited Customization: Many employee apps offer limited customization options, making it challenging for small businesses to tailor them according to their unique requirements. It’s like wearing someone else’s shoes that don’t quite fit. We need apps that can be customized to match our specific workflows and processes.

4. Training and Adoption: Getting employees on board with new apps can be an uphill battle. It’s like herding cats! We need to invest time and effort into training our team members to use these apps effectively. Ensuring widespread adoption is crucial for maximizing the benefits they can bring to our small enterprise.

5. Data Security Concerns: Protecting sensitive company information is a top priority for small businesses. With employee apps, there is always a concern about data breaches and unauthorized access. It’s like guarding a vault full of precious treasures. We need robust security measures in place to prevent any unauthorized access and keep our data safe.

6. Integration Challenges: Small enterprises often rely on multiple software systems for different aspects of their operations. Integrating employee apps with existing systems is like connecting different pieces of a puzzle. Seamless integration is essential to ensure smooth communication and streamline workflows across the organization.

7. Cost Considerations: Lastly, small businesses have limited budgets, and the cost of implementing and maintaining employee apps can be a significant concern. It’s like trying to juggle expenses on a tightrope. We need affordable options that provide value for money without compromising on quality and functionality.

So, my fellow small business owners, these challenges may feel overwhelming at times, but we are not alone in facing them. By acknowledging the hurdles and seeking out solutions, we can make the most of employee apps for our enterprises. Let’s navigate through these challenges together and embrace the digital tools that can transform our businesses for the better.

As a small business owner, I understand the struggle of working with a limited budget. I don’t have the luxury of having many employees to help me out. This means I often have to pass on opportunities that involve taking risks, simply because I don’t have the resources to support them.

However, I have discovered that mobility is the key to overcoming these challenges. It offers solutions to many of the problems small businesses face. With the help of enterprise mobility, I can reduce my operating expenses, reach potential customers through webinars, and even hire remote staff.

The Challenges of Embracing Mobility for Small Businesses

Of course, along with the benefits come challenges. Here are some of the obstacles I have encountered:

Adapting the Business Process

In today’s world where mobile devices rule, it’s crucial for businesses to have processes that are mobile-friendly. This is easier said than done for small businesses like mine, as we often don’t have a website or online presence optimized for mobile devices.

This could be a problem for them, and I’ll explain why:

In the future, smart devices will be even more important. Right now, responsive design helps make websites look good on phones and computers. But when people start designing websites with phones in mind first, computers and laptops won’t matter as much.

Small businesses usually choose cheaper hosting servers. But these servers don’t let you sync files between different devices. This makes it hard for small businesses to use their phones for work.

The best solution to this problem is to make special phone apps just for their business. And over time, they can switch to using a phone system that focuses on the tasks they do the most.

Choosing a Cloud Server

• Get an office suite that lets you store things in the cloud,
• Be able to control who can see what you put in the cloud,
• I can update and sync my files automatically.
• I can protect, recover, and analyze my data.

But these features are just the beginning. Almost all cloud servers offer them, which makes it hard for me to choose the right one for my small business.

To make this decision easier, I need to ask the cloud server some questions before I make my choice. Does it offer zero-day updates? Can I use it on different devices? Can I easily manage my expenses? And can I deploy it quickly?

These features are perfect for small businesses like mine. Quick deployment saves me time, and flexible expense management lets me grow at my own pace.

Bring Your Own Device

I’ve been hearing a lot about BYOD lately. It stands for Bring Your Own Device and it’s become a popular idea. It’s especially beneficial for small businesses like mine. BYOD saves money, saves time, and provides a good solution for when things go wrong.

But there are some concerns that come with it:

First, employees who bring their own devices cannot access classified information. This kind of information can be really important for a small business, so it’s not something we want employees accessing on their personal devices.

Secondly, some software can only be installed on specific devices. Take Photoshop for example. It used to be something you could install on any computer. Now you need Adobe Creative Cloud. So if employees are using their own devices, they won’t have access to certain software.

When it comes to BYOD, there are a few things to consider. First, while it has its benefits in terms of security and deployability, it does have its drawbacks. One of the main concerns is that it doesn’t allow for an integrated work environment. This means that different devices and platforms may not work well together, which can create challenges.

However, in the IT world, there are device management standards that require a centralized system to be in place. This is important for maintaining control and ensuring that everything runs smoothly. So, even though BYOD has its challenges, businesses still need to have a system in place to manage devices effectively.

If you’re a small business dealing with BYOD, there are a few things you can do to overcome these challenges. First, you need to set a BYOD policy. This means establishing guidelines and rules for how devices should be used in the workplace. It’s important to ensure that this policy complies with all relevant regulations.

Once you have a policy in place, it’s also important to provide training to your employees. This helps them understand the policy and how to use their devices in a secure and efficient manner. It’s important to make sure that everyone is on the same page to reduce the risk of any security breaches or data loss.

Finally, having a robust data-recovery plan is crucial. This means having a backup system in place so that if anything goes wrong, you can quickly restore your data. This is important for protecting your business and ensuring that you can recover from any potential disasters.

When it comes to enterprise app development and management, small businesses face a unique set of challenges.

One of the main challenges is keeping the app up and running smoothly. Even with the use of cloud servers, technical glitches can still occur. This can lead to poor performance and slow speeds, which can be deal-breakers for companies.

To address these issues, it’s important to invest in quality app development and regular maintenance. This ensures that your app is running smoothly and providing a good user experience. It’s important to prioritize performance and speed to keep your customers happy.

Overall, while BYOD and enterprise app development can pose challenges for small businesses, there are steps that can be taken to overcome these obstacles. By implementing a BYOD policy, providing training, and having a strong data-recovery plan, businesses can navigate these issues and create a productive and efficient work environment.

First of all, I want to talk about the challenges we face in front-end development. You know, the people who design the user experience in small companies often lack expertise. And not just them, the developers also face the same issue. Plus, we don’t always have access to the best tools because they can be quite expensive.

But hey, there’s a solution to this problem! It’s called the Mobile Application Development Platform (MADP). MADPs have some amazing low-code tools that make our lives easier. They come with customizable templates and the ability to simply drag and drop elements.

Now, let’s talk about employee apps. These apps are designed for internal communication within a company. You see, when it comes to digitalization in the corporate world, we often forget about our blue-collar employees. Some companies don’t provide them access to email servers. But with staff communication apps, we can bring these employees under the corporate umbrella and ensure everyone stays connected.

There are some apps that employees can use to help them do their work. Apps like Asana, ConnecTeam, and Trello are examples of these employee apps. They are designed for people who don’t have access to computers at work. ConnecTeam even lets companies make their own apps for smartphones, which is pretty cool. With these apps, companies can not only train their employees, but also keep an eye on them.

I’ve tried all three of these apps, and my favorite is ConnecTeam. It’s not that Trello or Asana are bad, it’s just that I didn’t find their interfaces as easy to use. Trello can be a bit confusing with its cards, and there’s a big difference between the free and paid versions of Asana.

On the other hand, ConnecTeam is great because it allows companies to create their own apps. It also helps with communication within the company. Some companies don’t like using third-party apps to share important information, and ConnecTeam solves that problem.

If you work in an industry with lots of manual labor jobs and people who don’t sit at desks, then this solution is for you. Some industries, like construction, have a pretty old-fashioned way of communicating. But with this app, workers in these industries can easily talk to each other and their managers. This makes the work simpler and safer for everyone.

Not only that, but the app can also make training easier and cheaper. In the retail industry, it costs about $1000 to train each employee for two weeks. But with this app, companies have saved 80% on training costs and 55% on communication costs.

You could try using a different tool, but just make sure it has all these features.

We’re Ready for IoT

I’m sure you’ve heard of the Internet of Things, also known as IoT. It’s all around us, and it’s a pretty big deal. You see, we live in a world where we have multiple screens – like our computers, tablets, and phones – and now, that extends to IoT too. But here’s the thing, IoT brings its own set of challenges, especially for small businesses like yours and mine.

So, in the previous paragraph, we talked about the challenges that come with the mobile web. Well, let me tell you, IoT is even more complicated than the desktop and mobile web put together. It’s like a whole new level of complexity.

One of the reasons why IoT is so complex is because every device, or thing, has its own unique set of sensors. One device might have a gyroscope, another might have a motion sensor, and yet another might have an RFID tag. These different sensors make it difficult to have a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to developing apps for IoT.

Doing this task might take a lot of time, and we might not have enough skilled workers to do it in-house. Plus, there are many different ways to connect IoT devices. We can connect things to other things, people to things, or even machines to machines. But for small businesses, it can be difficult to handle all of these connection models because of limited resources.

Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to solve this problem. However, a small business can improve its point of sale (PoS) system to make it more mobile-friendly. They can also follow the EVM liability shift and other compliance standards. Additionally, they should start offering portable services and make their operations more efficient in the connected world.

Building Relationships

Getting leads is like a numbers game, but building relationships with those leads requires good persuasion skills. Having a mobile strategy is crucial for building relationships with potential customers.

Most businesses use marketing automation software. These advanced tools track potential customers and use their online behavior to send notifications to the sales team. To take advantage of these notifications and turn them into actual sales, you need to be able to move quickly and act on them.

Unfortunately, many small businesses still rely on traditional methods like cold and warm calling to nurture their leads. But cold calling is already outdated and warm calling isn’t any better. While platforms like Hubspot and Marketo offer mobility, their high prices make them unsuitable for smaller businesses.

The key to overcoming this challenge is to improve collaboration among employees. This way, leads can be quickly turned into promising sales opportunities while unnecessary steps in the sales process are eliminated.

Of course, relying on automation seems like a better option, but as I mentioned before, it can be quite expensive.

Managing Employee Expectations

When it comes to getting things done, the workforce is key. If a business wants to make any progress, it needs to have a flexible and adaptable workforce.

The first thing we need to do to create a flexible work environment is to understand and meet the needs of our employees. We also need to recognize any skill gaps they may have and manage their expectations accordingly.

Making changes to our infrastructure is important, but it’s even more important to consider what our employees want. For small businesses, it’s crucial to understand the different demographics that our employees belong to.

Many of our employees are millennials. They value mobility and the ability to work remotely. They also have a strong interest in the latest technology. Millennial men enjoy trying out new gadgets, while women are drawn to multimedia experiences. Unlike older generations, millennials are eager to learn and adapt, making them great candidates for training opportunities.

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Projectplace, Tobias Andersson, recently stated that neglecting expectation management often leads to a major wave of dissatisfaction that negatively impacts productivity. This emphasizes the significance of effectively managing employee expectations.

Wrapping Up the Solutions for these Mobility Challenges

By adhering to the following seven tips, small businesses can enhance their readiness for mobile operations. While mobility is currently important, it will soon become a necessity. Therefore, if you are a small business owner, it is advisable to implement the seven tips discussed here and find peace of mind.