Does IT make you money?
So we are experiencing the worst economic downturn since the eighties. The pound is weaker; banks still refuse to lend money to small businesses, and the government continues to implement schemes that fail to tackle the issues at hand.
In order to survive these difficult times, businesses need to learn to be smarter in how they do business. You may know that in order to maximise profits you will have to reduce your costs, become more productive and utilise your resources wisely. You also know that you can get more customers by getting referrals from your existing customers or by designing (or redesigning) a website for your business - 65% of customers find new suppliers online.
What you may not know is that by utilising IT (information Technology) more effectively, you can achieve this. A recent study conducted by the DTI identified that the number one reason why businesses are unable to compete effectively in their market place is their inadequate use of technology.
Let me give you some examples of how IT can help improve your bottom line:
1. Suffering from high postage and printing costs? Using IT you can:
• turn your office into a "paperless office". Not only is this good for the environment but by using IT you can send your invoices, quotes and statements electronically
• We can help you build an intranet where customers can view their information online - so you no longer have to send samples or drawings by post or via courier;
2. Want to get more from your customers? Using IT you can:
• increase sales by anticipating your clients needs based on historic trends;
• identify your customers needs more effectively by understanding specific client requirements;
• cross-sell other products;
• identify which of your clients are profitable and which are not allowing you to spend your efforts on customers who make you money;
3. Want to get more from your resources? Using IT you can:
• consolidate your systems and make redundant systems that are costing you money;
• get more from your people by making them more productive in and out of the office;
• centralise your information, reducing the time it takes to process information.
So start working smarter and get your IT working for you. Some of the best companies in the world will testify to this - Virgin, Google, and Tesco dominate their market place by simply using IT to drive their businesses. You do not need to be as big as these guys to utilise IT in a better way.
IT should not be a resource that costs you money - when used properly IT SHOULD MAKE YOU MONEY!
