Harnessing Technology for Business Success

A few years back I would regularly think I was born a few years too late.  I was still at College doing my A-Levels when first given the opportunity to use the Internet and at University when it really became a useful tool; both on a personal and commercial basis.  I felt that being a few years older, wiser and more experienced, I may have been able to capitalise in some way on that first wave of Internet consumption.  However, this view has changed of late as I’ve come to realise that some of the tools and hardware that have just reached maturity, and more importantly a certain level of usability, are the very things that enable me to run my businesses today.  Five years ago I would not have been able to run things the way I do today.

Here are the main things that I’m talking about when I consider the technologies and tools that ‘enable’ me to make things work the way I do.  I have no affiliation with any of the companies mentioned in this post and provide the information based solely upon our dealings with the companies:

 

<1. (Almost) Ubiquitous Internet

Of course this is location dependent; quality of service will vary greatly on a location basis.  However, I can be sure that the vast majority of the working week both in and outside of the office will see me with access to both a fast and reliable Internet connection.  Most of my time is spent in the UK or Taiwan where a local SIM with a data package enables me to access the mobile Internet, using my mobile as the gateway (more about this later).

Coverage in the UK is reasonably good in urban areas and at times beyond whilst coverage in Taiwan is pretty good apart from the most rural/mountainous areas.  Taiwan download speeds with Chungwa Telecom regularly enable downloads quicker than the maximum achievable on our landline connection in the UK.  Costs are relatively cheap too.  Unlimited data in Taiwan costs approximately £20 a month, £15 provides similar in the UK.  This compares favourably to using chargeable services in hotels, coffee shops etc.

A few years ago not having access to the Internet for a few days would mean no email or Instant Messaging but now it means much more; no access to the web services and software that enable me to run my businesses.

 

2. Software as a Web Service

Purchasing software would once have been a case of browsing the shelves of PC World or the pages of PC Pro, paying your money, installing the CD, flicking through the manual and then using it.  In many cases this model has well and truly gone out the window.  Take the case of invoicing/accounting software; Sage has always in the past been our software of choice.

Favoured by accountants in the UK the software is comprehensive yet bloated, often not particularly user friendly and support can be somewhat patchy.  Recently we considered the latest update but instead looked at alternatives before settling on the online service FreshBooks.   Now, due to some limitations for many people FreshBooks probably won’t be a suitable alternative to Sage (FreshBooks themselves probably don’t view it as an alternative) but for us it is.  It enables us to easily (and dare I say almost enjoyably) create invoices, email the invoices, setup regular invoicing, keep track of costs, keep track of time, do basic profit and loss calculations etc.

There are limitations, charging in multiple currencies on one account is not currently supported but we got round this by setting up different accounts for each currency we bill in.  The system is good enough for our invoicing purposes and also does enough to keep our end of year accounting simple.  It’s the sort of service that the likes of Sage should be offering, but probably never will.  One major benefit of FreshBooks is the quality and speed of support; some pre-sales enquiries we had were answered within minutes (for Sage read days) whilst free phone support is provided in the UK (despite them being based in Canada).  Other benefits that come to mind is the ability to access the system from any internet-connected computer, not having to install updates or do upgrades and the pay an amount according to the number of clients you need the system to handle.  You can try the system for free.

There are a couple of other web services that come to mind when thinking about what makes our businesses successful.  Whilst we have only really just started using them, their value is quickly becoming clear.  They show innovation, ease of use and an attention to customer service that makes them deserved successes:

MailChimp – Great online service for email newsletters and managing mailing lists.  Brilliant integration with other services.

BatchBook – A fantastic web-based CRM tool.  Syncs with FreshBooks too so your BatchBook contacts become your FreshBooks clients at the click of a button.

Google Mail (Gmail) –The above comment about customer service probably doesn’t apply here but Gmail, for us, is a fantastic business tool.  Whilst other offerings such as Google Documents have not shown great value for us, Gmail does.  Multiple email addresses can be combined and with smart filtering and labelling setup even high volumes of mail can be handles efficiently.

 

3. SIP Voice Communications

Me:  Can I have another phone line for my business please?

BT:  That will be £95 setup plus £12 a month line rental.

Maintaining copper cable and upgrading networks can’t be cheap but I’m loathe to pay the sorts of prices above when there are much cheaper, flexible and downright smarter options available.  Given a fast and reliable Internet connection, SIP is a perfect choice for both the personal and business user.

Calls are routed through the Internet, terminating at a computer, a standard phone or a SIP based handset.  This is how it works for us:

We needed a batch of numbers for our different businesses.  Having done a bit of research I hear good things about VoipFone and take the plunge.  Setup costs are nil whilst each geographic number costs £1.99 a month.  You can even choose your area code and cancel when you like.  Also setup a virtual PBX with them, again no setup and a cheap monthly fee.  Also add a few extensions at £0.99 a month each.  What this gives us is total flexibility.  Numbers can be routed to one or groups of extensions.  Calls can be transferred between extensions and calling between extensions (even if in different continents) is free.  International calling to landlines is cheap too and the quality is generally fantastic (forget Skype).  For ease of use go for some Snom handsets that once setup are brilliantly flexible and great quality.

Our voice calling requirements are somewhat modest; most customer interaction is carried out online through email support but I do like to try and answer customer calls myself whenever possible.  When travelling I can just pack my Snom 360, plug it in to any network point and I will be able to make and receive calls as if I was back in the UK.  I can divert my UK mobile to the number too so I will not miss these calls or incur expensive roaming costs.  The caller will not know that the call is being routed the thousands of miles to me in Taiwan.  The same goes for when making calls, the receiver will see the CLI number as a local UK number.  Having done some research it is evident that we are quite fortunate in the UK with regards to being able to purchase and use phone numbers in such a way.  I haven’t been able to find a similar provider in Taiwan.

VoipFone provide excellent support as well as many more advanced services such as call recording, call queuing, fax to email etc.  They could well revolutionise your phone systems and certainly reduce your telecoms costs.

 

4. Mobile Computing

Laptops, tablets, netbooks, PDAs, smartphones ….. mobile computing options have never been so plentiful.  Disappointment used to be in order when I considered my mobile computing choices; the bulky laptop, then the iPaq that didn’t include phone functionality, followed by the HP smartphone that was slow, laggy and frustrating to use even for the purpose of making a simple call.  I would find myself returning to a business-focused Nokia for my phone needs and a laptop for my computing needs.

Having toyed with an Acer netbook (toyed being the operative word), my current mobile computing needs are dealt with handsomely by my HTC Touch Pro 2 smartphone.  It includes a usable QWERTY keyboard, excellent screen, GPS, brilliant speakerphone along with comprehensive connectivity (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPRS, 3G, HSDPA etc.)  Checking email, scheduling appointments, browsing the Internet is for the most part an absolute breeze.  Combined with an unlimited data mobile internet contract it is the ideal work companion.  Whilst the Windows Mobile OS may not be to everyone’s tastes, the HTC Touch-Flo interface that overlays it makes the device feel much more up-to-date than the Windows Mobile tag suggests.  Whilst Android and Apple may be better future options, I’m more than happy with my current HTC phone.

For large screen mobile computing I find my Dell Latitude fast and durable.  The screen is decent enough for use in bright light out of the office and perfect as part of a dual screen setup when in the office along with a Logitech Alto Express laptop stand.  Battery life isn’t fantastic but extended battery life options are available and my phone caters for most of my mail and messaging needs so the laptop isn’t used that much when on my travels.  Tethers by USB cable or Bluetooth to my phone, coverage permitting, Internet access can be relied upon throughout the working week.