Take stock of your tech set-up and assess whether you can take advantage of the instant asset write-off.

The 2019 SME Agenda found that 47 per cent of employees aged 18 to 44 believed that their small businesses needed more technology. Deloitte has predicted that by 2025, millennials will make up 75 per cent of the workforce so it’s a given that SMEs will need innovative technology to attract and retain top talent.

A customer’s first experience with your business may be via your website. “We have a beautiful bricks and mortar store but went hard on our website four years ago,” says Corrie Perkin, owner of My Bookstore in Hawksburn, Melbourne. “It’s less for sales, although the numbers are increasing, but it’s an important marketing and resource tool. A lot of customers come into the shop for a book they saw on the website.”

There are plenty of plug-and-play website builders, such as Squarespace and Wix. Paying a developer to build a website can be expensive so do your research; business.gov.au is a solid place to start.

Yellow, an Australian brand born out of the Yellow Pages, offers services such as a free digital check-up to ensure your website ranks high in search, is optimised for mobile and loads quickly. The Yellow Business Hub has a feast of free educational tips, videos, articles and case studies from digital content specialists.

And in the timing-is-everything department, the end of the financial year is fast approaching so take stock of your tech set-up and assess whether you can take advantage of the instant asset write-off. Many employee benefits attract FBT but since 2016 it’s been FBT-free to supply your staff with personal electronic devices such as laptops and smartphones when they use them for work. (Always discuss specific circumstances with a qualified accountant.)

Dell has a dedicated small business online store with advisors who can help with upgrade decisions. The company partnered with SMB Group to produce the Putting Technology to Work to Help Your Business Grow report, researching the bottom-line benefits of embedding technology in the heart of your business rather than regarding it as a support tool

Dell will also take your old kit and do its bit for the world’s growing ewaste problem. Dell’s Global Recycling Services has take-back programs and services in 83 countries, with multiple options for customers to safely dispose of their end-oflife computer equipment and reduce their environmental footprint.