Finally! Apple Announces Self Service Repair…And Other Small Business Tech News This Week

(This article originally appeared in Forbes)

Here are five things in technology that happened this past week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them?

1 -Apple has announced Self Service Repair and has made a new play for small businesses by taking on Google and Microsoft.

This past week, Apple announced details about its Self Service Repair. The new service will let customers who have the knowledge to repair their own hardware have access to genuine Apple tools and parts. The tech giant also released details last week about its new business tools service, which will be geared toward helping companies with 500 employees or less navigate technology as it pertains to working remotely. (Sources: Apple.com and CNBC)

Why this is important for your business:

This is a big thing for small businesses and a big win for the “right to repair” movement. How annoying is it that if repairs are needed to your or your employees’ mobile devices you have to send the device back to Apple or Samsung or whatever? The tide is turning and now Apple is going to allow people to do their own repairs. I suspect this will also lead to small fix-it shops expanding their services.

2 — Jotform Apps has launched as a no-code app builder.

Leading online forms SaaS solution company Jotform released details this past week that it now has a no-code app builder that anybody can use. The new platform-called Jotform Apps-will allow users to create portals for internal teams, bundle forms, build apps for businesses, among many other things. Key features include the ability to receive payments from any device, create an app with a single form, and a drag-and-drop app builder. On any device, users will be able to simply download Jotform Apps instantaneously without having to visit the app store. (Source: PR News Wire)

Why this is important for your business:

Jotform is a client of my company. But their public news captures a growing trend among software companies that are providing “no-code” tools so that their users can build custom applications and integrations without relying so much on a developer. The reality is that experts and developers will still be needed because none of us want to learn how to do this stuff. But the time required will be much less and the support can come from a wider field of resources.

3-Slack is revamping its platform as it aims for workflow automation and app integration.

Slack recently revamped its platform in order to make the popular app a vital piece in helping integrate multiple systems and ease workflow automation. The new layer will also help integrate more third-party apps and services. (Source: ZDNet)

Why this is important for your business:

Like Jotform, Slack is also jumping on board with “no-code” tools. According to ZDNet, Slack’s new approach will allow users to develop workflows and apps without the use of a code and make it simpler to tie together other workflows and apps with Slack through its new developer tools.

4 -Hightouch, which syncs data from warehouse to cloud apps, has raised $40 million.

Hightouch- which is a data integration platform- recently raised $40 million. With so many companies working to handle large amounts of data from various sources, Hightouch believes there is a great need for businesses to have a central location to combine product, marketing, and sales data, which is the company’s goal. Hightouch assists companies in taking their data from the warehouse and putting it into a single cloud app to help make strategic decision-making easier. (Source: Venture Beat)

Why this is important for your business:

Warehousing has been booming thanks to e-commerce growth and many small businesses are growing serving giants like Amazon and Walmart. Software like Hightouch can be a valuable tool for helping to capture and then synchronizing warehouse activity data to other cloud-based applications for project management, customer service and marketing. Using straight SQL tools, the product will sync data to popular online apps like Airtable, Google Sheets and Marketo.

5 — Plumbers and home service pros are turning to apps to help grow businesses.

According to recently released information, home service professionals and plumbers are turning more and more to apps to assist them in growing their businesses. With many businesses traditionally relying on cash or paper check payments, through the pandemic more and more small businesses are seeing the importance of being able to manage their cash flow and workflows digitally. Consumers’ expectations have also shifted since March 2020, as more and more expect businesses to modernize. (Source: Pymnts)

Why this is important for your business:

And yet still I’m paying my plumber with a check and signing a manual form attached to a clipboard. This won’t last.

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com.