Is your high street store open?

Marketing is a key activity for every business, telling your target customer base who you are and what you have to offer is critical to its success.
Organisations market themselves via numerous means, web sites, brochures, flyers and publication adverts, all with the aim to get people to contact them.

A scenario

You open your local paper and a large advert announces a new shop is opening in your high street and has an array of products that really interest and excite you.

You set aside next weekend to go and see what this company has to offer

But when you get there no one answers the door, you try ringing the phone number but it rings continually or is engaged, you try again a little later and you are able to leave a message, but after a couple of days nobody returns your call.

How many times would you go back to that shop?
Well over 95% of the people I ask such a question, respond with “Never”
So why do so many businesses act in a similar vein to this high street shop, its clear what the future holds.

How many companies know the following in a day or a week

• How many calls were received in a day/ week
• How many were answered
• How many rang off without talking to someone or leaving a message
• How are you able to capture the details of the people who did ring off and call them back
• How much is each missed opportunity worth

A clear telecoms strategy is as critical to any business as its marketing strategy
And the cost to implement a credible solution?

Well it can be significantly cheaper!

iPad - does my business need one?

Now that that Apple have released the 3rd version of the iPad more and more businesses are taking them seriously as business tools. For those businesses who are unsure about the value of a tablet such as the iPad for their organisation here is a recap on why I am using one and would now not be without it.
Last year we were trying to find a good mobile solution for a customer who wanted anywhere access to their FileMaker database. We had already tried to synchronise data via exchange server out to their mobile phone (iPhone based) network of users with some success, but the data was limited to contact information and they really wanted to see job status and invoices etc. on their customer base. After a bit of digging I found a great little App called FM Touch available for both iPhone and iPad (take note FileMaker - one licence for both devices) and after a bit of testing on my iPhone produced a great working system for iPad that synchronises across both wireless and 3G networks to the master database in the office. Here is an example of just one of the screens. They are able to list out active and inactive jobs and drill down to the details of each one.

Having found this app, and of course buying an iPad to develop on (because now I had my business case) I also found a great little RDP client that enables me to link to my PC (and client machines too) straight from the iPad. I no longer have to take my laptop with me everywhere to be able to provide remote support.

To top it off, I splashed out on Keynote and a VGA adaptor which means I'm now able to access data, provide support and present new ideas with a few swift finger movements.
If anyone out there needs a business case for buying an iPad then I hope this little insight will help.