The technological age has brought many changes, and not all of them are positive. Relationships changing with the advent of mobile phones, social media and instant information. The old ways are dying out, I hear people say, we aren’t talking any more, we pay more attention to virtual friends than real ones. In other words, the threats are obvious.

And all this is true. These changes often challenge us in ways we wish we didn’t have to face.

However, technology can also be an opportunity. If you’re reading this, you have the skills to use this wonderful world of innovation to your advantage.

Apart from the obvious emails and websites, technology has so much to offer the willing practitioner, and many of the resources available online are either free or come at a very modest cost. But many people get frightened away and don’t know where to start. A really neat trick I learned many years ago, that applies to this (or indeed any other problem) is summed up in this riddle:

Q:        How do you eat an elephant?

A:        A bite at a time!

Take it slowly, one step at a time. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Choose just one of the ideas below and allow yourself to play around a little with it. Here are some of the great ways that technology can help you with your practice:

Marketing Your Practice:  There are lots of people online that will help you to solve just about any problem you might have. For example, on Fiverr.com, for $5 you can get someone to design a brochure, a flyer, a business card, write a blog post, or set up a basic website.

Online learning: There are plenty of opportunities for learning online, many of them free. There are podcasts, webinars, and demonstrations galore. Just Google the subject you’re interested in, and see what comes up. For example, I’m interested in EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique, or Tapping.) Each year, in Spring, there is a week-long summit of free presentations by well-known experienced EFT practitioners, sharing information and demonstrations of how to use EFT in many different ways.

Bookkeeping: You can use online accounting software to write up your books and records. This is available for a small monthly fee, and when the year-end comes around, you can use the records to prepare your financial statements or send the records to your accountant to do it for you.

Online banking: You can use online banking to pay bills and transfer money (all the major banks provide this facility). Regular payees (such as landlords, credit cards etc) can be set up and paid directly from your computer, without cheques or going to the bank.

Time management: There are dozens of systems for helping you to organise yourself, and save time. These include calendars, online to-do schedules, and reminders.

Concerned about the risks of going online? You’re right to be concerned. There are risks, and there are also solutions to those risks. One solution is not to engage with the technology at all, and that is indeed a valid choice. However, there are so many wonderful resources out there that could get you more clients, and save you time or money. It would be a pity not to give them a try! Another choice is to use technology the same way you would any other tool, with awareness. You don’t drive your car recklessly, and the same applies to going online. Be safe, and have fun!

If you’d like to know more about how you could use technology to enhance your practice, contact me here for a free 20 minute consultation.