The credit crunch, escalating inflation and long-term economic gloom have left many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) struggling to manage their overheads. But it’s not all doom and gloom – proactively addressing the problem can lead to long-term improvements in budget management and productivity that will remain in place even after the storm blows over.
Developments in technology, combined with the ubiquitous nature of broadband and mobile phones have changed the way that we do business, enabling increased flexibility, mobility and cost savings that will make it easier to get through these tougher times. So here are some ideas on what you can do…
Encourage flexible working
The logistical nightmare associated with flexible working is now a thing of the past. As property prices are soaring, you can get rid of your entire office, or simply reduce the rent with less space, by allowing employees to work from home. Your staff will appreciate the flexibility and it couldn’t be easier for them to set up their own broadband access, PCs and web-based business phone systems. If your customers call the office switchboard, your receptionist (who’s also working from home) can put calls through to any employee’s mobile as if they were at their desk in the office. No one will even notice they are at home.
Hot desking & mobility
How often are all of your workstations full? For most companies it’s a rarity. Put systems in place that enable your employees to work at any desk, whether that’s having virtual desktops or laptops and switchboards that direct calls straight to employee mobiles. But beware of solutions that charge for diverting calls to mobiles. Your savings on office space could be entirely eradicated by extortionate call divert charges.
Get rid of hardware – you don’t need it
Do you really need a fax machine when you can use fax-to-email? And why have email servers in the office, when you can use hosted email that runs over the Internet and doesn’t need to be setup. The more hardware you own, the more technical expertise you’ll require to manage it, so it’s time to get clever and use web-based services. Expensive CRM systems and software can be replaced with web-based alternatives, offering the same functionality at much lower prices. And just as answering machines have been replaced by service based voicemail, phone system hardware can now be replaced by more flexible, easy to use web-based services where you only pay for what you use.
Disconnect your landlines
Try making employees part with their mobiles and you could face a mutiny. But get rid of their desk phones and they won’t really care. With corporate mobile tariffs now so cheap you’re better off reducing the telephony duplication and getting rid of landlines that sit idle on the desk for most of the day, with minimum charges still payable for each line rental. BT isn’t a charity – you don’t need to keep donating.
Beware of false cost savings
Cutting overheads is all about finding the clever IT alternatives and not compromising quality. Apparent savings can cost an arm and a leg if the quality is so poor that you need to replace your systems, or pay for costly engineer time on finding work-around solutions. VoIP is a prime example. It’s meant to be cheap but costs the earth in engineer time, new broadband connections and you still end up saying “I can’t hear you. I’ll call you back from my mobile”.
Re-evaluate your contracts
Of course your suppliers will want to tie you into inflexible long-term contracts – they’re trying to make a profit too. But don’t commit to paying for 1,000 mobile minutes a month if you’ll only use 200. You also shouldn’t be paying for hardware maintenance contracts when there are web-based IT and switchboard services that are intuitive enough for you to figure it out on your own. And watch out for hidden costs, such as roaming and high data charges when travelling abroad, not to mention answering services that charge a fortune to divert incoming calls to office landlines or mobiles.