Slides from one day course on ICT for SMEs at Warwick Business School 9th November 2010

1. ICT for SMEs
Warwick Business School
9th November 2010
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD 1
IT for Small Businesses
Chris Woodhouse
cw@cwoodhouse.com
Warwick Business School
9th November 2010
ICT for SMEs 1© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD Warwick Business School
Agenda
ICT for SMEs 2© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
Housekeeping
Introductions
Requirements vs Design
Setting the context
Where might IT help my business?
What can IT do for me?
Requirements revisited
What else should I know about
Where next?
Wrap up

2. ICT for SMEs
Warwick Business School
9th November 2010
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD 2
Health Warning!
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD ICT for SMEs 4
No
recommendations
Introductions
ICT for SMEs 5© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
About you
About your business idea...
Objectives for the day
Have you got any IT yet?
Have you got a website?

3. ICT for SMEs
Warwick Business School
9th November 2010
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD 3
Requirements
ICT for SMEs 6© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
Requirements
ICT for SMEs 7© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
"Cheshire Puss," she began, rather timidly, as she did not at all know
whether it would like the name: however, it only grinned a little wider.
"Come, it's pleased so far,"
thought Alice, and she went on.
"Would you tell me, please, which
way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on
where you want to get to," said
the Cat.
"I don't much care where——"
said Alice.
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.
"—— so long as I get somewhere," Alice added as an explanation.
"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough.‖
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

4. ICT for SMEs
Warwick Business School
9th November 2010
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD 4
Setting the Context
ICT for SMEs 8© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
What sort of business?
How many?
• Staff
• Customers
• Suppliers
• Partners
How is the business changing / will it change?
What IT is already in use?
How quickly to take on or expand IT?
Where might IT help my business?
ICT for SMEs 12© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
Reaching customers
Managing suppliers
Communication
Dealing with officialdom
Managing products, stock, ideas, publications
Front office and back office
Managing, developing and supporting staff and volunteers
Managing services

5. ICT for SMEs
Warwick Business School
9th November 2010
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD 5
What can IT do for me?
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD ICT for SMEs 15
Administration
Dealing with officialdom
Communication
Managing customers and
prospects
Advertising and marketing
Managing stock
Staff development
Industry specific systems
Websites, the Internet and
Web 2.0
What can IT do for me?
ICT for SMEs 16© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
Letters
Reports
Plans
Budgeting
Accounts
Collaboration
Productivity suites
• MS Office
• Adobe
• Open Office
• Apple iWork
• Google Docs
Sage
MS Accouning Express/Pro
Huddle (Web 2.0)
The ―Cloud‖
Administration

6. ICT for SMEs
Warwick Business School
9th November 2010
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD 6
What can IT do for me?
ICT for SMEs 17© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
Keep records
Make statutory
returns
• PAYE
• VAT
• Companies House
Dealing with officialdom
Websites
Installed
software
What can IT do for me?
ICT for SMEs 18© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
Email
•Webmail vs Client
•Individual or Mail server
Phone
•VOIP – Voice Over Internet Protocol
•Skype
Mobile
•Integration with other messaging
Instant messaging
•Windows Live Messenger
•Google Talk
Online meetings
•WenEx; GoTo Meeting; TokBox...
Document sharing
•Google; SlideShare; Huddle...
Communication

7. ICT for SMEs
Warwick Business School
9th November 2010
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD 7
What can IT do for me?
Managing customers and prospects
ICT for SMEs 19© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
Customer Relationship
Management (CRM)
• Sage ACT
• MS Outlook Business Contact Manager
• Campaigns
• Categories
• Contact history
What can IT do for me?
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD ICT for SMEs 20
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Free/opensource
http://www.junauza.com/2010/06/open-source-crm-software.html
Sage ACT
Outlook with Business
Contact Manager
salesforce.com
Campaigns
Categories
Contact
history
Commercial products

8. ICT for SMEs
Warwick Business School
9th November 2010
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD 8
What can IT do for me?
Advertising and marketing
ICT for SMEs 21© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
Internet and email
Website
Web 2.0
• Facebook; Twitter
Email campaigns
Brochures
Flyers
Business cards
Free/cheap
• Vistaprint; Good Print
Consistent messages
What can IT do for me?
ICT for SMEs 24© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
Managing stock
―Inventory‖

9. ICT for SMEs
Warwick Business School
9th November 2010
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD 9
What can IT do for me?
Staff development
ICT for SMEs 25© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
Managing, supporting and developing
Computer Based Training
Staff records
Appraisals
Payroll
What can IT do for me?
Industry specific systems
ICT for SMEs 26© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
CAD/CAM
Point of Sale (POS)
Inventory management
ERP
...

10. ICT for SMEs
Warwick Business School
9th November 2010
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD 10
What can IT do for me?
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD ICT for SMEs 27
Websites, the Internet and Web 2.0 (1)
History
• Internet
• www
• Hyperlinks
Types of websites
• Information
• Brochure
• ecommerce
Your website vs
those you see
What do you want
from your website?
• Requirements before
design – AGAIN
Trading
• eBay
• Amazon
• www.yourdomain.com
What can IT do for me?
ICT for SMEs 28© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
―F‖ shape of reading a webpage
Tracking activity
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
What is Web 2.0
• Interactive sites and collaboration
Websites, the Internet and Web 2.0 (2)

11. ICT for SMEs
Warwick Business School
9th November 2010
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD 11
The ―F‖ Shape
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD ICT for SMEs 29
“About us” product page Search Engine results
Tracking and Optimisation
• http://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/analytics/tour.html
• SEO
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD ICT for SMEs 30

12. ICT for SMEs
Warwick Business School
9th November 2010
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD 12
Web 2.0
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD ICT for SMEs 31
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
...
What else should I know about?
ICT for SMEs 35© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
Build vs Buy
Budgeting
Choosing equipment, software and services
Going online
Updating and refreshing technology
Support
Keeping websites fresh
Employees’ use of IT
Security and safety
Legal obligations

13. ICT for SMEs
Warwick Business School
9th November 2010
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD 13
What else should I know about?
ICT for SMEs 36© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
Build vs Buy
Your
time
Support
Pareto
What else should I know about?
ICT for SMEs 37© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
Budgeting
Must
haves
(Scope)
Creep
Benefits Review

14. ICT for SMEs
Warwick Business School
9th November 2010
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD 14
What else should I know about?
ICT for SMEs 38© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
Choosing equipment, software and services
Laptop vs desktop vs
server
―Platform‖ (Windows,
MAC, Linux) Printing Mobility 3G / MiFi
Productivity gadgets Freeware vs
shareware vs
―commercial‖
Networking Security Support
Ecofont http://www.ecofont.eu/ecofont_en.html
What else should I know about?
ICT for SMEs 39© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
Going online
• Bandwidth
• Storage
• Upload/download limits
• Email
• Included in ISP offer?
• Webmail?
• Email marketing support
• Support
• Growth

15. ICT for SMEs
Warwick Business School
9th November 2010
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD 15
What else should I know about?
ICT for SMEs 40© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
Updating and refreshing technology
What else should I know about?
ICT for SMEs 41© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
Support
Self service
•Knowledge/confidence
•Security discipline
Retailer
•Insurance
•Remote service
Managed service
•£25-£95/user/month

16. ICT for SMEs
Warwick Business School
9th November 2010
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD 16
What else should I know about?
ICT for SMEs 42© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
Keeping websites fresh
• Newsletter
• Manage subscriptions
• Blog
• Competitions
• This year’s charity
• Home page
• F shape
What else should I know about?
ICT for SMEs 43© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
Safe operation of computer
equipment
• HSE guide
• Contribution to spectacles
Liability
• Acceptable use policy
Consumerisation?
Employees’ use of IT

17. ICT for SMEs
Warwick Business School
9th November 2010
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD 17
What else should I know about?
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD ICT for SMEs 44
Security and safety
Access Data
Protection
Disposal
Loss Backup and
recovery
What else should I know about?
ICT for SMEs 45© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
Legal issues
• E-commerce and e-marketing
• Protecting Intellectual Property
• Acceptable use policies

18. ICT for SMEs
Warwick Business School
9th November 2010
© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD 18
Where next?
ICT for SMEs 46© 2010 C WOODHOUSE LTD
Courses:
SEO; marketing
Networking
groups
Trade
organisations
Quangos