Welcome to Sheldon King Consulting
There aren't many businesses that can get by without using a computer. Communicating with customers, keeping track of jobs, time or inventory and the obligatory reporting to government agencies and the tax office are all jobs that are getting more difficult and costly to do manually. In fact, most government offices are now nominating electronic methods of information exchange as their preferred method of interaction with small businesses - and increasing the complexity of their reporting requirements to reflect what computerised systems can do!
Square peg for a square hole. All too often technology buying decisions are made without consideration for the job a piece of equipment has to do. No-one would buy a fork to move a pile of sand, but plenty of small businesses invest in computers that are under-powered or under-specified. Properly specified computers, software and services can have users happy, self-sufficient and more productive and creative than they ever imagined possible. Of course poorly specified machines have the reverse effect.
The more businesses change, the more them become the same. Imagine that yours was the only shop in your town that had a computer. You could be able to manage inventory, customers and tax more efficiently than any of your competitors. You could hire less staff, spend less time stocktaking, be more proactive in marketing relevant products to your customer. You'd be king of the hill! Of course, when all the other shops cotton on and they all get computers, the playing field would be levelled again.
Make the playing field bumpy again. Now that just about everyone has computers in their business (including your competitors) and they're reaping the benefits of greater efficiency and smoother compliance, how do you create a competitive advantage? The answer lies in quality. The quality of the computing equipment and software you choose, the quality of the installation and the quality of the fit to your business.
Add the curves. Once you've got your computers working for you it's time to get creative. In many businesses, it's not only a solid computing foundation that makes the difference. Putting it to work in creative ways to help you to do what you do best - run your business - that's the clincher. This could be in the shape of a customised database or workflow to maximise efficiency and build up knowledge, a website to improve your reach to potential and existing clients or a stringent backup and service routine to minimise risk and keep everything humming along.
The more businesses become the same, but more they need to be different. When every business did everything manually, every business was unique. Human beings and their innate differences made them so. With the advent of computer technology, creative possibilities have multiplied, but through a lack of skilled guidance or inappropriate software the vast majority of users stick to the same basic way of doing things. Ask yourself "When was the last time I saw a truly individual PowerPoint presentation or newsletter?"
Getting the mix just right. A solid foundation in business analysis, quality equipment and implementation, risk minimisation with backups and service, encouraging creative flair in business operations. These are the cornerstones of an effective small business operation.
Sheldon King Consulting is all about using technology properly and making small business great!
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