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Get More Control Over Your Small Business With These Time-Saving Tools

 
If you're having trouble balancing time between business and pleasure, you'll be relieved to know that there are plenty of useful tools that make managing your small business much easier. In today's digital world, there are all sorts of products and services at your disposal, time-management apps to gadgets that can help you streamline your business responsibilities. Here are just a few time-saving tools to help you get more control over your small-business operations.

 
Smart Meter 

If your business has a ComEd smart meter installed, you may be surprised by just how much valuable information you can obtain online and how much energy this information can help you save. A ComEd smart meter provides you access to several useful tools. Among them is ComEd's Business Energy Analyzer, a free service that analyzes the energy use of your business and allows you to compare your use to similar businesses. Additionally, because the smart meter can notify ComEd when an outage occurs and when power is restored, it can provide you with quicker response times and more efficient outage restoration.

 
Accounting Software

One of the best ways to get better control of your business is to digitize your accounting system. By using computer software like QuickBooks Desktop Pro or Quicken Deluxe, you'll be able to manage your expenses more efficiently and accurately, and at the same time save time and money by reducing paperwork and the cost to produce it. Another option to consider is investing in a more advanced program like QuickBooks Online, which requires a monthly payment, but provides you with a larger collection of accounting functions and allows you to perform businesses operations right from your mobile device.

 
Online Payment System

Since mobile devices have become such an indispensable tool, it makes sense to use an online payment system for your business. Indeed, the convenience of sending and receiving money via a smartphones and tablets has become so popular, these services are now available from a growing a number of providers, including established names like Apple Pay, Google Wallet and PayPal. The payments you receive can even be electronically sent to your company's bank account.

 
Mobile Credit Card Processor

If you accept credit cards, it's likely you have a credit card processor already installed. But if you're looking for something more flexible, you can consider purchasing a reliable mobile credit card reader like Square or QuickBooks GoPayment. These types of devices allow you to swipe, scan, take a snapshot or manually enter in a customer's credit-card information when a purchase is made, and can connect with many of the best online payment systems and accounting software products.

 

 
Want to learn more about how smart meter-enabled tools and services can save money? Contact ComEd at 866-368-8326 or visit ComEd.com/BizSmartMeter.

For more tips and inspiration for small business owners,
visit Small Business Pulse Chicago.

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