Small businesses drive our nation’s economy. They employ tens of millions. They are important neighbors in our cities, towns and communities. And they provide the services we trust.

However, economic conditions over the past few years have had a negative impact on the operations of many of these owners. Results of the 2009 edition of The Economics of Small Business: A Report to the Presidentcompiled by the US Small Business Administration (SBA) Defense Office, paints a troubling picture of our nation’s economic woes:

• More than half of the 763,000 jobs lost in the first two quarters of 2008 occurred in small businesses, while unincorporated self-employment fell from an average of 10.4 million in 2007 to an average of 10.1 million in 2008-9.6 million in November and December.

• Small businesses continue to face challenges in the current climate: accessing capital amid financial instability, the cost and availability of health insurance, attracting a quality workforce, dealing with global competition and perennial regulatory concerns, taxes and public procurement opportunities. .

• Surveys show that owners are less willing than in years past to expand their small businesses, hire additional workers, invest in new plant and equipment, and borrow money.

Given today’s economic conditions, small business operators are looking to do more with less and at lower cost. One feature that many are looking at is how they schedule appointments for their patients, clients, clients, and students.

ONLINE PROGRAMMING IDEAL FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

Online appointment scheduling is what is commonly known as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) program, where a business provides an app to clients to use as an on-demand service. Like most SaaS programs, online programming services are typically hosted online on a secure server, eliminating the need for the small business owner to purchase expensive hardware components for their network. In addition, some programming services also offer the advantages of online accessibility, which does not require the commercial operator to install the program on your computer.

Online appointment scheduling software offers numerous beneficial features for small businesses, including:

• Self-scheduling for clients, clients and students. People simply access the company’s appointment log, typically through its website, select a date, time, and location, and book their appointment.

• Internal programming. Some companies prefer that their staff schedule appointments for their patients and clients. The software makes this task much easier and more efficient than electronic calendars and the traditional pen and appointment book approach.

• Email and text reminders. Many online scheduling software programs feature these reminders, which eliminate the need for staff to make reminder phone calls and send reminder emails, which have been shown to reduce “no-shows” by 50 percent .

• Online payments. Collect utility payments from customers online and automatically process their credit card transactions.

• Reports. Businesses generally rely on accurate reports to get a snapshot of their operations and to judge the effectiveness of their service and their trainers, instructors, and other professionals. Online scheduling software providers often offer accurate reporting functionality.

• Registry mantenance. Businesses can securely acquire, maintain, and store their customers’ contact information.

• Marketing resources. Use the reporting functionality, if available, to create a list of clients, students, and patients, along with their contact information, to send out special offers and newsletters.

WHAT SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE TO SAY ABOUT ONLINE SCHEDULING

Recent surveys by Appointment-Plus, a provider of online appointment scheduling software, show the real need small business operators have for an alternative to their appointment scheduling procedures.

• Before using appointment software, more than 72 percent of small business owners and their receptionists manually took appointments over the phone.

• Business owners chose to use an online appointment scheduling system for two main reasons: expanding their customers’ ability to schedule appointments over the Internet (56.5 percent) and the amount of time they and their staff dedicated to scheduling appointments (53.2 percent) .

• Appointment software has helped business owners reduce their no-show rate by nearly 50 percent.

• Fifty-six percent of companies have seen their business grow since they started using online appointment scheduling software.

Appointment-Plus also collected survey results from companies that do not currently use an online scheduling service.

It found that more than 30 percent still use an appointment book (planner), while more than 20 percent rely on Microsoft Outlook programs, and more than 10 percent use Google Calendar. Those looking for an online alternative cited a need for a more efficient process (33.3 percent), followed by their desire for clients to schedule their own appointments online (29.3 percent) and the ability to send reminders by email and text messages of upcoming appointments.

The survey results clearly show the positive impact an online scheduling system can have on small business operations. With economic conditions not seen in more than seven decades, these entities must streamline their operations and cut costs at every opportunity to stay afloat. Scheduling software can free up employees, reduce the number of “no-shows,” provide an easy way to schedule appointments, and give you, the small business operator, the peace of mind that your appointment scheduling needs are met. efficiently. cost-effective and automated way.