The main principle for small business technology – ignores fluff

Fluff is evil. Fluff is not clear. Fluff comes out to get your small business. Let’s face it, as your small business owner is often ignored and below is served by members of the technology community. Sometimes it seems like the only purpose of some software packages and technology consultants is to seize your time and force you to question your sanity.

Applying these six simple business principles for your small business technology initiative will help you fight Techno Fluff and ultimately increase your income and productivity.

Principle 1: identification and consider fluff. This is quite simple – any technology solution that is not in accordance with the principles of 2 to 6 needs to be examined carefully and, if applicable, identified as fur and is treated properly.

Principle 2: Solution must be stable. Each and every part of the technology you apply in your business must be stable. This means that it works with a minimum amount of support, and / or support is very good and easy available. This means that the solution does not have a negative impact on your business. What does one hour do for your small business cost application? What about emails that are missed to your sales staff?

Principle 3: Easy. Easy access to company information and applications empowers employees to focus on your business. This means you only apply software tools that are easy to use and meet their goals without adding unnecessary complexity for the lives of your employees. If the solution can be explained in one minute and the benefits are easily visible, the possibility of not feathers.

Principle 4: Support. One reality about all the technology – in the end it will be damaged and need support. For new technology (or existing, for that) what your company pays attention, need to have good support. Technical staff and vendors need to be available during business hours and are able to fix the problem on time. Also, don’t buy from companies that cannot provide references to quality support. This also means that technicians in places need to wear reasonable rates, have a good and timely attitude. For those who employ IT staff, it means leadership, technology support from business goals and happy end users. Remember that support does not consult. People who provide support may not be the right person to offer business technology advice.

Principle 5: Knowledge. It often happens that one or two hours of training can save someone’s time or company, increase interaction with customers, improve security and ultimately increase income. With a new technology project, make sure the training for end users is close to launch days. Identify people in your company who will become experts on new software. The successful implementation of any software can be assessed on how well the end users are trained and how subtle launch days. If the training resource for the solution you evaluate is limited, move forward carefully.

Principle 6: Integration. The functioning integration immediately succeeded. Integration is about increasing productivity and making everything easier to do. Sometimes this is amazingly simple and inexpensive, and this time is very complicated and requires expensive consulting and software development. The results always have to be the same – a real increase in the way it works. Before pursuing an integration project, do Vs. fast fees. Benefit analysis. The solution that costs $ 10k from one vendor might only cost $ 2k than the other. Always get some bids on the Integration Project and if you have doubts get the third or fourth opinion. Finally, always, always, always verify the integration of claims that software vendors make. Often “can” integrate software, but that does not mean that it will do it easily. Ask for a demo from every major integration feature you are looking for – Create a vendor proves that it works.