You Can’t Run a Business Without These Key Computer Skills

Starting a business is now easier than it ever has been before, and that’s partly thanks to the internet. While you don’t have to be online in any way, it certainly helps for any business to have an online presence. New businesses especially need to be online if they want to get noticed. But making sure your business can be found on the internet isn’t the only thing you need to do on a computer if you want to manage your business successfully. There are several fundamental skills you need if you want to be successful. If you need to improve your tech knowledge, concentrate on the following things.

Good Grasp of Microsoft Office

Most people now learn how to use the Microsoft Office suite at school. However, even if you did learn how to use the software as a child or teenager, retaining your knowledge and keeping up with new versions can be tough. It’s important to refresh what you know and update your skills. Some people might never have learned to use programs such as Word and Outlook. Fortunately, there are classes you can take and resources online that you can use. You can learn basic skills like adjusting columns widths and saving workbooks in Excel. You can also go deeper and learn more complicated things that will help you keep your business organized.

Internet Knowledge and Website Management

Being comfortable online is essential if you want your business to go far. Most people these days are able to do basic tasks. Even those who are reluctant to use any kind of technology can usually send emails and use a browser to view websites, and perhaps even shop online. If you want to run a business, you might have to get a bit more comfortable than the average user. You don’t necessarily have to be able to do everything yourself, but if you outsource your online stuff, you need to understand what others are talking about. It can help to be able to manage your website so you can update it on your own, among other things.

Design Skills and Knowledge

Graphic design is something that you will often want to hire someone else to do. However, it’s extremely useful to have some knowledge about it so that you aren’t completely reliant on others. You might want to learn some basic skills with software such as Adobe Spark, Photoshop, or InDesign. Even if you can’t do the work yourself, knowing about some of the key graphic design principles is a good idea.

Social Media and Online Marketing

Print media is still important, but a lot of marketing and advertising these days is done online. You need to have some knowledge of how things work, from pay per click advertising to affiliate programs. On top of that, some knowledge of social media has become more important to have for business owners. It’s now a major method of marketing for businesses both big and small.

It’s hard to have a phobia of technology and run a business. If you want to stay current, some key computer skills are vital.