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Friday 19 September 2008, 5:25 PM
Here comes the Small Business blog
There's a lot that IT can do for a small business. It can be a godsend in getting the work done -- think of how mobile tech can keep things moving when you're out on client calls -- and it can also be a real driver of growth.
But it can also throw up a whole new handful of problems. For a start, there's working out what exactly would give you the boost you're looking for. Then there's identifying what software and devices fit those needs best. Vendors are eager to jump in and suggest -- of course they are -- but they're maybe more attuned to bigger enterprises and not as flexible as they could be in recognising the particular demands of small businesses.
Next week we're launching a group blog dedicated to IT for small business, called Small Business blog (it actually took us a while to come up with that name -- don't ask.) We hope that by sharing experiences and ideas, you'll be able to get a better picture of what you need and what you could be doing with tech.
So give us your war stories, share your problems and suggest solutions. Just make sure to check the box that says "Small business blog" when you make your post. It's hard for smaller companies to connect with each other, yet your peers are the best people to give you advice. This is where you can tap into all that knowledge.
PreviousComments on this post
Look forward to posting the startup tech kit bag you might need these days and how it's so hard to cut through all the stuff one can be offered
Utz
This comment has been deleted at the users request
This is superb news. I've just made the leap to self emlpoyment so I will be participating.
One of my favourite topics... a) because I work in a small business (70 employees) and b) spend most of my time talking to small businesses.. if I had a tenner for every time this topic comes up.....
Here are a few starters...
- At what stage does a small business genuinely need a person / role devoted to IT?
- Why do vendors continue to over promise on technology for small businesses? resulting in a cautious, veering to sceptical view of IT amongst business owners...
- How far should consultants and third party solution providers be entrusted with IT advice and buying for small businesses?
- How far are vendors guily of 'talking tech' rather than 'talking benefit' when they explain their latest whizz-bang development?
- Why have great ideas for managing IT like ASP, SaaS, Hosted Services, VoIP failed to live up to expectations?
- Finally - mobility is a very big issue - I suspect contributors to this blog maybe be preaching to the converted (no harm in that) - but what about all the small business owners who are yet to believe the benefits of mobile email, mobile broadband, remote working - what does the industry need to do to make sure every business who would benefit - can benefit.....
I look forward to some heated discussion!
Having been involved with small businesses in one form or another for 20+ years, I'm still consistently surprised by the mistakes small businesses make when assessing/buying business applications.
A few examples to get the debate going:
1) Why do so few small businesses scope out exactly what they need from a business application (Accounts, CRM, MRP, ERP etc) before they go shopping? A key decision is usually made on what they "feel" best about and they're perceived view of the market i.e. they start with the applications they know are out there, rather than a key list of requirements.
2) Why do so few of them scope out their complete business and it's requirements rather than buy piecemeal bits and pieces and then spend a fortune trying to make them all co-exist?
3) Why do so few of them insist on a fixed price/fixed scope implementation and then complain endlessly about how much it's costing them midway through with no end (to the cost) in sight?
4) Why do so few of them take ownership of their new business application (even though it's agreed upfront that they will assign someone to the project) and then complain at the end that they don't know the system and are being charged for someone to run it for them?
5) Why do so few consider the issue of scalability so they don't have to go through it all over again in a few years time?
All these issues and more up for discussion...
Ian
Well, it's great to see all the interest in taking part in the discussion! Just to let you all know, the Small Business blog is now live and open for anyone interested to put blog posts in. You'll see a checkbox at the bottom of the page where you write posts--just click on that, and your post will appear both in your own blog and in the group blog. (You can also go back and edit old posts to add them to the group blog, if appropriate.)
Anyway, I look forward to the discussion--it promises to be a good one!
