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Budget for IT – treat technology as an important part of your business and allocate funds accordingly. Include IT as a separate cost in yearly budgets to ensure you are covered for any IT upgrades or new software that may be required.
Broaden your horizons – broadband has revolutionised the workplace, providing not only high-speed Internet access, but the ability to reduce telephony costs. There are many providers offering great introductory deals and UK coverage is almost complete.
Always online – having access to emails away from the office through smart phones or Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) can be advantageous as they allow you to instantly respond to new business enquiries or customer queries, regardless of location.
Get on the web – research*** shows only 55 per cent of businesses have a website that promotes their products and services. Having a website can be a simple, relatively cheap and effective way to increase exposure for your business to a worldwide audience, 24 hours a day.
Seek software solutions – there are many cost-effective software packages that could save you money. For example, inexpensive accountancy software can complete complex calculations, simplify invoicing and give a professional appearance to paperwork, while saving you valuable time.
Secure software – one area which cannot be skimped on is IT security. Anti-virus screening and the installation of a firewall is today considered essential to protect valuable customer and financial data from computer hackers and virus attacks.
Get licenses – businesses risk prosecution and heavy fines if they operate software without the correct licenses. Make sure all software is original and registered and ban staff from installing unauthorised software on computers.
IT support – purchasing computer equipment and software from well-known and established suppliers is highly recommended as after sales support will usually be available. Also check what guarantees your supplier will provide and whether they offer any discounts on future upgrades.
Essential equipment – unsuitable IT equipment costs businesses in terms of time and productivity. Try to conduct individual assessments for each employee to establish their technology needs and tailor the IT you provide them accordingly. For example, it could be far more cost-effective to supply a laptop rather than desktop PC for an employee who spends a long periods away from the office.
“While the amount of ‘must have’ technologies can be bewildering, finding those that suit your business model needn’t be as daunting as you may think. Cymbol offers free help and advice on choosing IT solutions and implementing strategies to streamline your business and give you the edge on the competition.”
To get significant benefits from IT, you need to be able to trust your IT systems. This means having confidence in the company that supplies, manages and maintains them.
Choosing the right IT supplier is therefore an essential part of selecting an effective IT solution.
If you rely on IT for your day-to-day activities you need to have a successful working relationship with your IT supplier.
A good relationship with your supplier can help ensure that your existing systems run smoothly and also identify and develop new applications.
Trying to purchase IT systems and services at the lowest possible cost - with no regard to your business goals for the project or the overall cost of ownership - is likely to cause system problems.
Cymbol can gain a clear view of your business goals and the role of IT in achieving these.
The business relationship is mutually beneficial - Cymbol have a vested interest in whether you achieve your business goals, the benefits would be harder to realise if you just want software as cheaply as possible.
***Small Business Services – The Mail on Sunday, 14th May 2006
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