Technology Is My Friend
Being an entrepreneur with a physical disability, I’m always on the lookout on the latest and greatest technology to allow me to do more and more at the workplace. Some of the innovations that have given me the freedom to do what I do include:
STANDING WHEELCHAIR:
I would never have even started my business had I not been able to stand. I love looking my customers and employees in the eye when talking to them instead of looking up at them. This allows me to really connect with them at a whole new level than was ever possible when I was sitting down. The extra mobility also allows me to be able to work as early as 5 AM on a Friday morning until 1 AM on Saturdays if I need to!
TELEPHONE SYSTEM:
When I’m at the shop, I’m able to connect my Bluetooth headset to our telephone system. This allows me to answer incoming calls independently. When I’m not at the shop, I’m able to forward the calls remotely to my cell phone. This allows me to take phone orders for the shop from the comfort of my home (sometimes even in my PJs ;-)). This is especially helpful when I have minimal staff at the shop that require a little bit of assistance to allow them to continue operating in a timely fashion.
REMOTE ACCESS:
When I’m not at the shop, I’m still able to remotely connect to the computers/POS from wherever I am at. This is helpful because I’m able to assist my staff to resolve any technical issues they may encounter and even put orders into the POS at any given time even though I am not physically at the shop. I also have cameras set up that I can view my entire business remotely from my phone or any computer.
Technology, and my God-given superpowers, are the only reasons why I’m able to do what I do!