There is an oft-repeated phrase when it comes to business;
“time is money!” This is certainly true
and we have to be keenly aware of the time we’re spending so we can maximize
our profitability.
When we are using technology like phones, tablets, laptop
& desktop computers, we often have to make decisions about how much money
we’re going to spend because there really is a huge difference in pricing for
nearly every type of technology. You can
buy a mini tablet for as little as $70, or as much as $500.
Not long ago, there was a big push in the medical industry
to become paperless. Software companies
sprang up by the dozens that offered cheap, generic software packages meant to
appeal to the broadest possible client base.
These packages often didn’t easily conform to a small businesses’
documentation processes, and required staff to learn new processes of document
management. Most times the staff would
only use a portion of the functionality of the software, while the majority sat
idle.
Businesses were not only leaving money on the table in terms
of cost-per-feature, but staff productivity took an enormous hit and in some
cases even forced small clinics to close.
How often do we see technology claim to solve a problem, but
not only fails in the solution but creates even more problems for us? The tablet you buy might not be able to open
a Word document but you can open it through your web browser and print, so you
just email your documents to yourself in order to print them. Every step you add between where you are and
where you want to be costs time and “time is money!”
Small businesses are increasingly vulnerable to getting bad
technology advice and acting on that advice can cost big. It can even lead to the closure of the
business.
Having a strong business relationship with a quality IT
services provider can help you make the best decisions, and save a great deal
of money and time. They should sit down
with you on a regular basis that makes sense for your business and make some
long range strategic plans. Maybe you
want to use tablets in your enterprise in 2 years. There are things you can do now to work
toward that goal and spread the costs out over time.
We at Stewart and Son Computer Services want our clients to
be successful and enjoy a long business life by working with them to plan for a
profitable future.
Labels: advocacy, computer, industry, IT, open source, small business