Small business technology consultants

Welcome to our blog here we will be discussing some of the technologies available to businesses and getting your business up to speed.

First, what do we actually mean by business technology? The small business chronicle states: "Business technology encompasses a wide range of hardware, software and services that keep companies running and enhance operations. Technology plays into every aspect of a business, from accounting to customer communications to product design and development. The rapid forward movement in technology development over the last couple of decades has provided more powerful and less expensive options for companies. Business technology can help small business look bigger than they are and keep them ahead in a competitive marketplace." which we feel sums it up but needs to include the internet and have a more global approach to possible technologies used at the sales end of good or service.

Key here is computers, software and keeping businesses ahead of their competitors. Technology is ever changing and so is the marketplace. Consumers get smarter and business market reach is global, not local. Taking into account the internet growing at phenomenal speed, it is crucial for any business to keep up with tools that can keep sales figures on the up and up.

Lets look at specifics.

Communication in a company or small business and their clients has never been so easy to implement and cheap to do. Forget about using cell phones, tin cans and pagers! The Internet is the way your business can, at a minimal cost, setup communication channels between staff and clients anywhere in the world. One way to achieve this is using Google Apps. Most of us are familiar with Gmail. Google apps is an extension of Gmail and as a business you can develop a flow of collaboration. Take a look at the diagram below then read our explanation.

With Google apps setup in your business you will be able to Share documents, Calendars, chat to colleagues or clients, collaborate on projects using the internet, globally. If a manager wants to direct a sales team, they can use all the above tools to communicate with the team. Administrators and team members can share ideas and material with each other seamlessly and the cost is minimal. With cell phones and tablets having the same software the communication channels are all open. No excuses for not knowing.

Take this scenario for instance: Fred in New York get's an email from a client in Denver asking about a product or service. With Google apps Fred can get answers collaborating with colleagues via chat, email or search documents instantly, then get back to customer with information instantly. It's the flow of information that is key to success here in satisfying client needs. If a business can not react with speed with information then the client may well look elsewhere. Think about it, how do you feel when a sales person cannot answer your questions? The likelihood of you buying form them has dropped because you do not have enough information to go ahead. And what if a sales person just shrugs their shoulders and says "I dunno" then you definitely will go somewhere else. I know when I buy I need to be confident in the sales person. Credibility is gold.

With internet technology any business can have information at their fingertips and answer any question a customer may have. Using Google apps this is achievable, again, with minimal cost.

There are other collaboration solutions which work just as well as Google Apps even just using a shared calendar and emails creates collaboration. Cell phones are a great collaboration tool, with emails, calendars and text messages. Include in that any software that has multiple user access where everyone can share and view information will do the job. Below is a list of software we have used in business and have setup for clients:

• Outlook by Microsoft shares emails, client contact information with history of conversations.
• Code two an application that shares emails, files, calendars between staff and clients.
• Teamviewer which creates remote access to client computers instantly.
• Salesforce application which tracks all sales activities between customer and staff and management
• Saasu an online financial collaboration tool for businesses, banks and advisers.
• Google Analytics,software monitors website performance in demographic detail.

And many more that all perform different tasks helping keep businesses ahead of the game.

The key with all the software is collaboration/communication that makes a sale easier to achieve. Some are expensive, but most are relatively cheap. There are literally thousands of options, and this is ever changing.

How then as a business do you get up to speed and start using the tools we have mentioned?

A business needs to look at current processes. Break them down and focus on bottlenecks in the flow. Where does your business take too much time to get a task done. Is it when representative answers the phone and cant answer questions? Or is it in delivery of order? Maybe the money transaction is complicated. There may be lots of bottlenecks and the old cliche of "Time equals money'" sure rings true. A smooth flow in first reaching the customer, letting them know what you have, have a way for them to buy from you then delivering the goods. Any glitch in that flow will be costing you business.

Sharp business men.

Using technology to overcome that bottleneck is key. The guys in the cartoon are an obvious bottleneck, but you'd be amazed how many of these there actually is. We've come across them and sometimes they are related to the owner of the company making any solution a diplomatic nightmare.

One of the companies we worked with were sharing one email address across 12 users. Unheard of yet true. We had to provide a solution that enabled everyone to have access to every email coming or going. Can you imagine the nightmare of sharing emails amongst many users? Looking for one single email could have taken an hour!! Needless to say we fixed that bottleneck of information flow between clients and personnel in the company by sharing all emails amongst all users. Now everyone in the business has access to all the information without having to dig for it. It's at their fingertips. This one solution saved hours of labor in the office and reduced reaction to client inquiries to minutes, not hours.

If you need help with any technology no matter where you are, we are just an email away. Take a look at your own business flow and see how technology can streamline your business. We do every single day.

The technology is out there, we can show you. As a business ask yourself, are we keeping up?

Carmine Cecere

Technology Consultant