These days we breathe technology (image: https://www.pexels.com/photo/apple-coffee-computer-desk-356056/)

By Lina Martinez

Technology is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry.” If you are anything like the majority of the population, we probably lost you as soon as the fourth word of the definition was written. Is that right? As much as we use it (from social media to search engines, the average individual is connected to the internet for an average of 20 hours every week), many of us don’t know much about technology, and this can be a real problem if we have to make use of it professionally.

If you also like spending time checking your Facebook or Twitter accounts but haven’t got the slightest clue as to what to do if your client asks you to send them a compressed file, the below lines are specially for you.

Here’s how to be better prepared for technological dilemmas.

File compression

There would have been a time at some point or another when you tried sending a file via email, and you received an onscreen message that told you the file you were trying to send was too large. This is a standard issue with many people who work in industries that require large and bulky documents to be transferred from one user to another. If the reports you are dealing with on a daily basis are image-heavy specially, these will pose a problem when it’s time to send them via email, and you will need to use software that enables you to compress these ahead of sharing the information. Learn how to zip and unzip files on your Mac so that you no longer have to face this issue.

Cheaper connectivity

If you run a successful company, making calls will also be part of your business, and at times, these will be international and lengthy. There is nothing technology can do (yet) if you would like to shorten your calls and make them less annoying (specially if your client is not the most exciting person to talk to), but there is something it can do to ensure you don’t end up paying thousands of dollars monthly on your telephone bill. With the internet and technology today being relatively easy to use for the average user, connectivity has also been improved and made more accessible by the key players in the industry. Applications like Skype will enable you to call Skype members for free, and those who haven’t signed up to the platform can still be reached at cheaper rates on their landlines and mobile phones. For more affordable connectivity rates, give Skype a go!

Scanning

Last but not least comes scanning. This is extremely useful if we wish to send our clients or customers a copy of a receipt or an identical copy of an original that already exists. Gone are the days when we would use our scanners and faxes to do this. These days, with applications like Dropbox you too can become a scanning master with just the help of your mobile phone. Download the app onto your phone and scan any document before you send it to your email address or that of the customers you serve.

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