Most business owners now realize that technology can be a huge game-changer and help them gain a competitive advantage. So, the question isn’t whether to invest in it—it’s what to invest in, and when. 

 

We asked business owners what technologies they plan to adopt in 2023, and how they expect it will enhance their business. Here’s how they responded:

 

AI-driven CRM platform

One tech trend that I’m hoping to adopt in the new year is a more advanced, artificial intelligence-ready customer relationship management system. Compared with traditional CRM systems, those with AI capabilities can quickly generate more targeted suggestions and eliminate the need for human employees to waste time on manual data entry. This type of system will free up my sales representatives to spend more time on what they do best: building quality connections with our clients.

—Adam Rossi, CEO, TotalShield, Gainesville, Virginia

 

Virtual coworking space

I’m considering adopting a virtual coworking space for my team. We all work remotely, but there is a decent amount of collaboration, so having this kind of a platform might really help us. Some of the top virtual coworking spaces I am aware of include Sococo, Walkabout Workplace, Wurkr and SpatialChat. Each of these platforms allows workers to quickly communicate with each other, send audio/digital files, and join videochat calls. Some replicate the layout of an office, allowing workers to enter specific “rooms” with different functions, using avatars. We might do some free trials to see what works best for us.

—Andy Kalmon, co-founder and CEO, Benny, Madison, Wisconsin

 

Drones

I typically buy properties that haven’t been maintained. Quite often the yard is poorly maintained. and it’s hard to get around the area. Plus, oftentimes there will be holes in the roof or other damage that’s not readily visible. To address this, I plan to buy a drone that I can fly around the house and property to reduce the number of surprises I get after the purchase.

—David Hampshere, founder and CEO, Purple Egg Real Estate, Niceville, Florida

 

New cybersecurity tools

The number one thing I’m going to be focusing on in the upcoming year is new cybersecurity solutions. My business has been growing so much over the past few years, and it’s been great! But as we grow, we also have more and more data floating around. I’ve always been very aware of my security protocols, but lately, it’s been getting harder to keep up with all of them. So this year I’m going to make sure I have a system in place that automatically checks every piece of information that comes into our system for anything suspicious.

—Gauri Manglik, co-founder and CEO, Instrumentl, San Francisco

 

Chatbot

I really want to adopt a chatbot for our website. More and more businesses have these now, and I think it would be a great way to improve our customer service. It would allow our customers to receive service around the clock, and it should reduce wait times and improve our response times.

—Jon Stephens, CEO, Rainwalk Pet Insurance, Columbia, South Carolina

 

What’s on your technology wish list for the year ahead? Share your insights in the comments section below!

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