Small Business BIG Impact Winners
The Secret Chocolatier is a blend of old-world skills and new-world flavors, all enhanced by technology. We’re a modern operation run by family and great employees, leveraging technology for everything from storage and social media to project management and email. Our stores and production are connected via fiber optics, which keeps everything running smoothly.
Small Business Big Impact Award
Time Warner's Small Business Big Impact contest was about explaining the technology you use daily. Without tech, we’d be back to note cards, faxes, couriers, and long phone calls. Funny enough, human error still plays a part—interpretation can be tricky!
The Secret Chocolatier Loves Technology
From our physical stores to our digital presence, technology plays a key role in everything we do.
- Point of Sale: Square - We use Square for all transactions. Integrated stands in our shops help us understand our sales tactics and strategies, and they offer additional features like borrowing against future sales.
- Platform: Apple - iPads serve as registers, iPhones for on-the-go tasks, and desktops/laptops for heavy lifting. Apple products keep us productive.
- Shared Documents/Email: Google Business - Google apps have become our infrastructure backbone, facilitating email communication and document sharing through Google Drive.
- Paperless: Evernote - We adopted Evernote for a paperless office, scanning and organizing all incoming paper items, making them accessible anywhere.
- Project Management: Trello - We use Trello for project management, setting up boards for various tasks like kitchen scheduling, marketing, and strategic planning.
- Cloud Storage: Dropbox - Dropbox is our go-to for cloud storage, housing everything from brand assets to important documents.
- eCommerce: Shopify - We've been with Shopify since their early days, using their platform and add-ons to manage our online store.
- Finance: Xero - Xero helps us manage our finances efficiently, integrating well with other tools like Square.
- Billing: Bill.com - Bill.com streamlines our billing and payment processes, reducing the need for manual tasks like mailing checks.
- Newsletter: MailChimp - We've used MailChimp since the beginning, relying on it for easy and effective newsletter management.
- Content Management: WordPress - WordPress powers our content, providing a flexible and reliable platform for our website and blog.
- Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and more - We maintain a presence across various social platforms to connect with our community and customers.
The Ebb and Flow of Services
Reflecting on our growth, it's clear how much technology has helped us evolve. We use numerous tools to improve efficiency and keep us ahead. We’re grateful for the developers who create these small business solutions, and we aim to empower them for future releases.
Winning the Small Business Big Impact Award has reinforced our commitment to leveraging technology to stay competitive while keeping budget-minded. We hope it inspires others to do the same!