Small businesses are a thriving sector in Bahrain’s economy. Each month sees the beginning of a new business. Indeed, the number of home-based businesses is on such a rise that the government has initiated funding programs addressing home-based businesses specifically.
As an idea is transformed into an actual business, there are five essential tools that every entrepreneur must bear in mind to ensure the business starts off correctly.
Voice and Data
First, a business – whether based at home, online, or at a physical site needs to be reachable. Connectivity is key to ensuring the business can be reachable at all times. Voice and data connectivity are critical enablers to get your business accessible. There are several ways to get connected – setting up a fixed line at your home or business is as simple as filling out an application form. And if voice isn’t your preferred method of connecting with your customers, then the ever-growing popularity of internet and messaging may be the right choice for you. Getting connected to the World Wide Web is no longer an issue – Batelco recently launched routers, mifi devices and dongles that connect users over their 4G LTE network. Similarly, a fixed internet connection can now offer you up to 16mbps – giving you the power to download, upload, stream, and view whatever your business requires.
Online Presence
The second key factor in a successful startup is having an online presence. Consumers today are very technologically savvy and often resort to an online search before establishing contact with businesses. They search for information about a business’s services and products, location, contact information, and such. It is therefore essential to have a website for your business. Having a Bahrain-specific .bh domain for your business is relatively easy and can be requested from Batelco through a normal service request form. You can take your business to the next level in the online realm by actually setting up your own webshop. Displaying your products in an easy-to-setup catalog, setting up online payments, receiving payments from global customers, managing mailing lists, and even designing your store’s layout is easy with Batelco’s Altijara Online. Altijara Online has been designed such that any user, even with very little computer knowledge, can set up a webshop in a matter of minutes.
Online Payment
Irrespective of the objectives your business aims to meet, the sole reason of existence is to be profitable. Setting up convenient payment methods is key to attracting the maximum number of customers. Keep in mind that cash payment is not always the preferred method for customers. In order to expand your reach, and appeal to a wider range of clients, offer a safe and secure payment method to accept all major credit cards. Altijara Online enables you to set up an online payment method as well as a mobile-based soft Point-Of-Sale.
Electronic Messaging
Being connected is not enough. As a business, you need to utilize the popular communication methods to ensure you reach your customers with the right information through the right channels. Some of the tools available are mobile messaging (with Apps like Whatsapp, BBM etc.), social media platforms (like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.), personalized SMS, and electronic messaging (like emails and efax). For instance, Batelco’s efax can be extremely effective when dealing with suppliers. Suppliers often deal with printed or handwritten orders, invoices etc., and a fax message is their preferred way of transferring this information. With efax, you don’t need a physical fax machine, instead, you are allocated a unique 8-digit number that directs all messages to your email and allows you to send from email to fax.
Cloud Services
A fundamental success factor for your business is making sure you have the right tools to empower you from an operational perspective. To start, you will need software to manage your finances, stock, human resources, and profitability. There are a number of tools available online with minimal cost. Online tools like www.waveapps.com offer a variety of functions such as invoicing, payroll, and others at little or no cost to the user. Additionally, Cloud is a current hot topic and rightly so. Cloud frees you of unnecessary storage and connects you to your documents irrespective of where you access them from.
In summary, the five tools mentioned are necessary enablers to ensure the success of your business, and they free you to focus your efforts on your core business– selling.
Batelco is proud to support Bahraini enterprises to excel in their business.