To Cloud or Not to Cloud?

To Cloud or Not to Cloud? by Lee Brookes, IT Manager, Beacon for Business

That is indeed the current question?  As an IT professional among the many questions I get asked here are the most popular regarding cloud

1.    Is my data safe?

2.    Where is my data?

3.    Can I get at my data whenever I want?

4.    Can I get my data out should I wish to change provider or host etc?

5.    What is the cloud?

Well In answer to my original question, to be honest it all depends.  What?  I hear you say kind of answer is that?  Well here is a definition of cloud computing:

Cloud computing is Internet-based computing, whereby shared resources, software and information are provided to computers and other devices on-demand, similar to a public utility such as the electricity grid.  [source]

You see, Cloud computing can mean anything from Virtual servers, virtual desktops or online applications such as Pearl CRM or Xero.  In the context of this post we are talking the lower end of the scale online applications such as Pearl or Xero both powerful tools utilising the Internet as storage medium over in house infrastructure.  Basically meaning instead of having to buy expensive Servers to store your data on its all done online also this means you can view it from anywhere.  The office home or if you so wish even on holiday!

So is your Data safe?  It certainly is, well as safe as anyones data is on the internet Amazon use cloud computing Microsoft do and Google are the granddaddy of cloud computing so that has to stand for something. I could go on but you can read here.

Where is your Data? That tends to depend on the individual company but you can always ask and then do a little research most cloud computing companies or companies that use cloud computing use highly secure server farms or data centres so the answer really is yes!

Can you get to your data whenever you want?  That is all down to your Internet access most companies have broadband these days and a good proportion of homes have a reasonable broadband link those that don’t can usually make use of a usb dongle. So accessing your data really is upto you. If you only use your broadband in the office and at home it wouldnt hurt to get a pay as you go USB dongle just in case your broadband supply experiences any downtime for whatever reason.

Can you get your data out (export) should you wish to change provider?  This really is a question you should be having before you sign up there is nothing worse than importing all you contacts/clients/suppliers using a system for a few months only to find it isn’t the system for you it isn’t powerful enough and then to find there is no export function or even worse you have to pay for it!

Cloud computing is a step in the right direction for any company and it can answer and solve or kinds of problems. To cloud or not to cloud really depends on the individual company. A good needs analysis is required before making this step but it can save time, money and help any company grow.

We have provided this service to many companies to see them expand and flourish

So to Cloud or not to Cloud you decide

Procrastination – any excuse to do something else

I love the work I do. My head is always full of new ideas but there are not enough hours in the day to bring them all to fruition. So why am I constantly distracted by the tiniest, most unimportant things? Why do I procrastinate?

When I’m training or working from clients’ offices, I’m completely focused and the day passes incredibly quickly. I often forget to eat! The problem seems to be when I’m left alone, procrastination strikes.

When working from home, it suddenly seems vital that I tidy up, put the washing out, have too many cups of coffee, eat whatever is in the kitchen and spend far too long on the internet and Twitter. Needless to say, I’m about to hire office space. But my children are still young so I have to work from home as well. How can I be more productive?

I have found one tool which has helped me enormously. The Pomodoro Technique. A pomodora is a tomato, as in a kitchen timer shaped like a tomato. When starting an activity, a timer should be set for 25 mins. Nothing else, but the activity, is to be done during this time. Most things can wait a maximum of 25 mins. At the end of the 25 mins an X is marked on a sheet of paper and a 5 min break is taken. The process is then repeated. After 4 x 25 mins, take a longer break eg 15-30 mins.

If you remember something that needs doing during the 25 mins, write it on the piece of paper and forget it until the next break.

This technique was designed for studying and goes into a lot more detail but I prefer to use it in this simple way. It is an amazing way to get things done.

Firstly, I often don’t want to start things because I think they will take longer than the time I have available. If I know I only have to commit to 25 mins, I will get the project started and often carry on, in 25 min chunks, until it is done.

Secondly, I find it is easy to stay focused for 25 mins. In fact it passes very quickly. I usually use the 5 min break to read emails or glance at Twitter.

Thirdly, making a note of things that randomly pop up in my head means I can forget about them until later. I can then enter these in my CRM system, to be done on a convenient day.

Fourthly, marking a cross each time 25 mins has been completed is a very basic but extremely useful time tracking system. At the end of the day I can see how I have spent my time and what has been chargeable.

Just one problem remains. I have to remember to set the timer!

Do you have any tips to help with procrastination?

Is CRM necessary?

Customer Relationship Management (CRM), what is it and why do we need it? This is what I thought a couple of years ago, in fact I had to look it up on Google! Now I believe every business that wants to grow and prosper needs to have some form of CRM in place, a way of making sure their customers receive the best possible service. Then, the most important bit, they need to use it.

CRM systems enable you to record and access all communication with every single existing and prospective customer quickly and easily. Procedures can be set up to make sure whatever you promised your customer will be carried out when you said it would be.

As most companies realise they need to find a way of coping with their contacts, communication and the inevitable, ever-growing to do lists, seeing a CRM system working is very exciting. Suddenly it seems possible to become organised and streamlined. And it is…….as long as the information is entered into the system. Every member of staff should be trained to use the system correctly and to use it at all times. If telephone calls aren’t logged, emails not allocated, meetings not recorded, notes not made your company will not benefit from the expense of investing in a CRM system and will probably be in an even worse position due to some information being on the system and some recorded elsewhere, if at all.

Changing working procedures is always a steep learning curve. People are naturally resistant to changing what feels comfortable. It may take a while to find the right system for you, train staff and set new ways of working but it will be worth it. Very quickly you’ll wonder how you managed to run a business without CRM. Your customers will notice a difference, your reputation will improve and more orders will come in. Happily, you’ll be able to deal with the extra work due to being so organised!

Personally, I love using Capsule CRM. It’s a simple system that keeps me focused.

I’m really interested to know you’re experiences using CRM, please leave a comment below.

Accounts System + Add Ons or Fully Integrated System

About three weeks ago I added a discussion to the Xero Community website, Xerousers and was surprised at the comments it raised.

Helen Stothard had told me a way of utilsing draft invoices in Xero as a simple way to track time. I hadn’t thought of this and was very impressed. I wanted to share it. But soon the discussion became about using add ons that integrate with Xero. Should you tweak ways of using Xero or should you invest in software that is designed to to do a particular job?

If you are a new business with very little to invest, you need to find the software that will do whatever is most important for your business; accounting, billing or time-tracking etc, at a price you can afford. This will be a compromise. As your business grows you will want to look for software that can further assist the growth. If you love what you’re using, you can look for something that integrates. And so it goes on.

Eventually you will have many integrated systems, each one costing an amount per month/year. It’ll soon add up. Also when one system upgrades it may not work as well with the other systems until they catch up with their own upgrades. This is when it is time to move over to a business management solution, which has been designed to run accounts, CRM, sales, warehouses, logistics, project management etc. It will probably be cheaper overall and all your business data can be accessed from one place.

Whatever you use to run your business it should save time and make the business more efficient. However tempting business management systems and integrated applications are it can be easy to use them just because you can. The time and organisation it takes to actually utilise a system can outweigh all its benefits. Which is why I hope Xero continues to remain a simple, easy to use accounting package, striving to be the best at what it is.

Mamut vs Xero

Originally, Totally 4 Business was a bookkeeping practice. Many of my bookkeeping clients were using MYOB. The UK division of MYOB was bought by Mamut Business Software about 18 months ago and the licenses will no longer be confirmable by the end of 2011. I became a partner with Mamut and learnt all about this business management system.

For the level of pricing, Mamut has amazing functionality and is especially suited to manufacturing companies. It is designed for small to medium businesses and I’ve seen it working really well in a variety of companies, including ones that have upgraded from MYOB.

Most of my MYOB clients were very small businesses, often sole traders. They used MYOB because of it’s simplicity. Mamut was too big and complicated for them, even the smaller versions. Of course, the majority of businesses, whatever their size, can benefit from an integrated management system as long as finances and time to learn and use the system are available, but this is not always the case.

I looked at many of the accounting packages available but struggled to find something that would suit my MYOB clients who just wanted a simple accounting system. One client showed me Xero and I’ve been a lover of it ever since. It really is straight forward and  easy to use. All the businesses I know who are using Xero were able to start using it immediately with very little guidance from me. In fact, most people say they enjoy using it!

There is a place for business management systems and a place for simple accounting systems. The two are very different and appeal to different businesses. Many factors contribute to the choice of system to be used; nature of the business, size of business, time available to implement new procedures and staff training, finances available and do the directors/owners like the look of a new system. The benefits of using an integrated system do not always outweigh basic simplicity and ease of use.