Sage Blog

In advance of our free event for small businesses, Rory O’Neill, Senior Director with BlackBerry Marketing, talks about BlackBerry’s passion to help small businesses benefit from mobile technology.

Small and medium enterprises are crucial to both the economy and employment in the UK. They are responsible for more than half of the employment (59.4 per cent) and turnover (50.1 per cent) in British business.

The benefits of investing in technology

Small businesses continue to invest in technology, especially smartphones, which have become a necessity to SMEs with workers on the move. In fact, 65% state that technology helps their business by allowing increased staff flexibility and the ability to keep in touch with customers and suppliers, while nearly half say that it has improved the productivity of their workforce. Nearly a third of small businesses say mobile technologies have even enabled them to cut costs through reduced fixed office space.

Be more productive on the move

These factors have led to more business owners utilsing the latest technology as nearly half (46%) of SME decision makers believe they can be more productive on the move. There has been an 81% increase in the number of smartphone users in the last year alone and multi-tasking now accounts for a fifth of media and communications usage.

Savvy SMEs can thrive against the competition by focussing on customer services, optimising revenue streams and increasing business productivity.

Make real-time decisions

On Wednesday, September 8 at 4.00pm, we will be at Sage World 2010, presenting on how SMEs can do just this by utilising mobile applications. At RIM, the company behind BlackBerry smartphones, we believe passionately in empowering businesses to make accurate and immediate real-time decisions that impact the bottom line.

BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express

We practice what we preach. We have recently introduced new software specifically tailored to the small and medium business – BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express. This new software provides a host of benefits and allows companies to empower all employees with wireless access to their corporate email without compromising security or manageability, maintaining critical connectivity to the office.

Business success and survival

By citing customer examples, we’ll be highlighting how BlackBerry smartphones and associated applications have given employees the freedom to work from anywhere, provided access to critical apps on the move, and enabled interaction with customers and colleagues in real-time.

These customer implementations have led to improved employee efficiency, increased customer responsiveness and utilised downtime – three tangible benefits which have encouraged business success and survival.

Register now

There is still time to register for our free Sage World event. Go to www.sageworld2010.co.uk

Business Networking Strategist, Andy Lopata, is speaking at this week’s free Sage World event. He talks to the Sage Blog about getting the most out of business events.

Business Networking Strategist, Andy Lopata

I’m delighted to hear that registrations for the Sage World 2010 event in Telford this weeks are now around the 1,500 mark.

I’m speaking on both days at the event alongside some exceptional business experts and entrepreneurs and Sage have worked hard to ensure that each delegate will enjoy a fully interactive experience. I’m particularly interested to see in action the SpotMe technology they are using for people to exchange details, meet key people and ask questions of the speakers.

In my first presentation I’ll be looking at how to get the most from the event, and the importance of a networking strategy in general. Two days is a big investment of time from any entrepreneur, but one that can offer a tremendous return if used wisely. I’ll be aiming to give delegates a few ideas to really focus their attention on what they want to achieve by being there.

At the end of day two I’ll be sharing some simple tips to help delegates develop a powerful referrals strategy, hopefully with the help of some of the contacts they will have made over the previous 36 hours!

As well as my two talks, I’ll be holding surgeries, facilitating networking and be available to answer your questions on networking and referral generation on both days of the event. I’ve also invited some questions in advance on the Sage World Facebook page and I will deal with as many as I can at the event.

There is still time to register; go to www.sageworld2010.co.uk to book your place today.

Keith Proudfoot, Regional Director of Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), will be speaking at next month’s free event for small businesses, Sage World. He’s taken time out to talk to the Sage Blog about the needs of small businesses.

Last week I attended a round table discussion with Dr Vince Cable.  Among some talk about Local Economic Partnerships replacing the 10 Regional Development Agencies discussion turned to small business and their needs to drive the recovery.

Keith Proudfoot, Regional Director ICAEW

Dr Cable sees the SME sector as pivotal to the future of the UK.  So it’s good news that his Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) will do what they can, or what they can afford, to help smaller businesses.

The promise of less regulation has been heard before, but the most encouraging part was Dr Cable’s affirmation that he would use a combination of sticks and carrots to ensure that the banking sector lends to smaller businesses.

Of course a bank overdraft is just one way that a business sets itself up to do business and I shall be talking about alternatives in my session at the Sage World conference in Telford next month.

I will also be looking at ways to make your approach to banks more likely to succeed.  While I can make no promises on turning sow’s ears into silk purses, I will be giving tips to make your approach to the bank be given proper consideration.

I’m looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible at the Sage World conference and hope you will find my presentation useful.  I know I will enjoy hearing the other presentations and find out a little more about Telford: the home town of my daughter’s boyfriend – it’s a small world!

Keith Proudfoot

Register free for Sage World at www.sageworld2010.co.uk

Marketing Specialist, Geoff Ramm, talks to the Sage Blog about why Sage World adds up to an event not to be missed.

They say business is a numbers game, so here goes;

Geoff Ramm

On the 8^th and 9^th of September 2010 over 1,500 businesses will descend into The International  Centre, Telford.  The investment £0.

In just 48 hours 15 professional speakers will share their own ideas, techniques and vast knowledge to help transform your business, take it to the next level and maybe help you to stay, 1,2 or even 3 steps ahead of the competition.

By my own calculations all you have to do is take a minimum of 1 idea from us in those 2 days and you will walk away 30 ideas richer. 

Now let’s think for a minute of the potential of networking with 1,500 entrepreneurs, companies and organisations who will be there.  You will also have your very own Spotme tool to help you to network with exactly the right people you want to connect with!

As for me…..  my ‘Now That’s What I Call Marketing’ – Volume 1 & 2 keynotes will be packed with great cost effective ideas to help you gain more customers, retain more customers  and yes I will also reveal how using powerful numbers will help you to stay ahead of the competition! 

Warning there will be great prizes to be won too. 

Look forward to meeting you at the 2 day conference.

Geoff Ramm, International Marketing Speaker, Marketer & Author

Register free for Sage World at www.sageworld2010.co.uk

We’re getting closer to our free small business event, Sage World 2010. So, we’ve asked another of our top speakers, Rory MccGwire– to tell us why he’s taking part.

I was delighted to be invited to speak at the forthcoming Sage World event as I believe it will provide a great platform for start-ups to gain practical insight, contacts and advice to help them set up and run successful small businesses.

Rory MccGwire

I’m also pleased to see that Sage World is trying to do something different from the usual business event with their ‘interactive delegate technology’. The fact the event is technology driven (and yes, Sage can provide that technology) means there will be lots of demonstrations of the software tools you can use to get your business idea off the ground.

If you’ve already established your business, then you’ll find plenty of ideas to help you build on that foundation and meet the technical challenges that small firms face in the modern business climate. So it’s not about the technology for its own sake. It’s about what the technology can do for you, and the event will be looking at finance, HR, marketing – many of the most important aspects of running a business well.

Which is where I come in. As founder of the Donut small business advice websites , I’m well-versed in what small businesses really need to know. In my presentation, I’ll be encouraging you to take a realistic look at your business and its potential and I’ll be sharing my thoughts on how you can hone and reach your objectives. Sage World also offers a tremendous opportunity for you to build useful contacts. If I were a start-up owner at the event, however, I would be looking to take home more than a fistful of business cards, some leaflets and vague recollections of having spoken to someone from somewhere about something. Networking is about meeting the right people, making the right connections and tracking them during and after an event. So I’m dying to try out Sage’s Spotme electronic networking device. I’m sure this could really help me find and talk to the people that matter to me.

I’m sure it’ll help you, too. So please do track me on Spotme, come and say hello and make the time to hear my presentation.

Rory MccGwire.

Register free for Sage World at www.sageworld2010.co.uk

I recently had the privilege of joining Carl Hopkins and Jonathan Hick (who you might have seen on Channel Four’s Secret Millionaire) as judges for the North region heat of The Pitch 2010.

The Pitch 2010: North England heat

What is the Pitch?

The Pitch 2010, for which Sage is one of the sponsors, is in its third year and is Britain’s largest pitching competition.  It is similar in style to Dragon’s Den and instead of pitching for an investment they are pitching for a chance to win a prize of business services worth £50,000.

It’s a tough competition with five finalists selected from regional heats and one people’s champion selected from an online public vote.  The winner will be announced in November at The Business Factory event.

As a judge my goal was to understand and evaluate the business concepts, identify the opportunities and the threats as well as the business and presentation skills of the people pitching, searching for the best of the best.

The North Region Finalists

• Gaist – Utilises Microsoft Bing Maps and overlays this with information about transport infrastructure such as road works etc to enable organisations such as local councils and the fire service to collaborate real time.
• MyMall – A virtual shopping mall which enables you to experience all elements of online shopping in one place.
• Meltwater – A chocolate fondue which uses hot water allowing you to enjoy chocolate in a healthy way with the minimum of fuss.
• Acadreamia – An innovative service that enables university students to rent textbooks easily and affordably.
• Philip Porter Guitars – Hand built electric guitars to Phillip’s specifications which he believes will eliminate amplification feedback.

The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in the North

Throughout the event I was really impressed with the entrepreneurial spirit of the North Region; the presenters were passionate about their business and where they saw it would fit in the market.  They talked us through their idea, where their business was now and where they saw the future.

The ultimate winner of the North Region was Gaist who impressed us all with their business acumen, an impressive track record and some existing and potential contracts which have been borne out of their past success.

With all of the businesses they had real areas of strength as well as areas where we could help with advice on other options to consider.

Advice to start-up businesses

1) Don’t restrict your market

If possible open your business to as many options as possible. For example with MeltWater initially their business concept was a healthier way to enjoy chocolate which may limit its appeal to people who want to be healthy.   The product itself is also completely transportable so could also be marketed as a way to enjoy fondue on the move as part of a romantic picnic or whilst camping.  By opening up the concept you widen the markets you can operate in.

2) Don’t underestimate the logistics of your venture

Whilst starting out and having a small client base it might be feasible to manage the operation yourself but once the business grows will that infrastructure still be appropriate?  When you only have a few customers you may be able to purchase package and ship yourself, however when you have 100’s of customers you may need premises and staff all of which need to be built into your business plans.

3) Understand your customers

Who is your customer and what are they looking? Don’t only consider what product or service they need, but what sort of customer experience are they looking for? Customers will have a preference in how they interact and how they purchase. For example many will research on the internet but for certain products they will choose to buy in the store as they want the experience that brings.  By understanding this and making it easy for customers to move seamlessly through channels you will widen your appeal.

4) You don’t need to be overwhelmed

Starting your own business and then running it successfully can feel like you are having to become an expert in a variety of fields from marketing to service, sales to finance and it can feel like you are on your own.

It doesn’t have to be like that. Take advantage of free advice and software on starting up and running your business. We have a range of free business white papers covering  topics from starting your business to understanding your market. There’s also plenty of free software out there to help you get off the ground, such as:

• Sage Planning for business – free software that will help you plan and launch your new business
• Sage Invoicing – free invoicing software

Good luck!

I wish all you budding entrepreneurs out there the best of luck and would recommend you take up all the advice available. And of course, best of luck to all of the The Pitch’s finalists.

Kim Eyre, Sage’s Small Business Division

We’re working hard to get everything ready for our free small business event, Sage World 2010. So, we thought we’d ask one of our speakers, Chris Hunter - writer, businessman and former bomb disposal specialist – to tell us why he’s taking part in our event.

As somebody used to taking risks and dealing with pressure, the chance to become immersed in a forum of this kind, is an opportunity I simply couldn’t miss.  Sage World’s ‘Immerse Yourself’ event not only offers an amazing number of networking opportunities but  also an impressive line up of inspirational speakers all of whom promise to offer business beating techniques that attendees can implement immediately.  

Chris Hunter, speaker at Sage World 2010

Personally, I’m going to be drawing some parallels between my life now – as a businessman – and the lessons I learned in my former life where I frequently operated in high pressure environments in which disabling terrorist bombs and dealing with the continual threat of insurgent ambushes were everyday occurrences.

Stay focused

I’m going to be covering a lot of topics, but I’m especially looking forward to discussing the importance of staying focused: Four days into my tour in Iraq, a tabloid published fake photographs that led to a local cleric putting a price on our heads. That night, my driver and I were shot in a terrifying ambush. Staying focused was all that kept us alive.

Pursuing your goals

I’m also going to be sharing my thoughts on importance of pursuing a goal relentlessly – but not over-complicating a situation. In Iraq, as we became more skilled at disabling terrorist bombs, the bombers also became more skilled and determined.  My team only stayed alive because we didn’t cut corners and were relentless in seeing the task through to the end. But the bombers weren’t our only enemy.  Because of the intense heat and the harsh terrain, our kit and equipment often broke down right at the critical moment.  Our ability to improvise and think on our feet was the difference between instant failure and total success, and we quickly learned that it often pays to keep it simple. NASA spent $12m designing a pen that could write in space. The Russians took pencils! 

Overcoming fear

And finally, for those of you who get nervous at the thought of networking…I’m also going to be offering a few techniques on overcoming fear: ‘You’re going to do the world’s most dangerous job in the world’s most dangerous place.’ That’s how my bomb disposal tour in Iraq was sold to me, and I wasn’t overly enamored at the prospect…but I knew that fear can be your friend; and if you take nothing else away with you, this event will teach you to embrace and nurture fear – and how to gain strength from it to give yourself a competitive edge.  

Life is a daring adventure…or nothing at all.  See you there!

Chris Hunter

Register free for Sage World at www.sageworld2010.co.uk

We all know how crucial credit can be. Yet in these uncertain economic times, guaranteeing access to lending is becoming more difficult than ever.

Despite being recognised as a vital survival tool for small and medium-sized businesses – and a necessary strategy for the UK’s long-term recovery – many are still struggling to secure the credit they need.

Steve Porter, Sage Accountants' Division

A more cautionary approach to approving funds has been seen across the board with suppliers, trade credit insurers, building societies and banks failing to meet their lending targets this year – all showing a reluctance to extend terms.

A mistrust of traditional business data as a way of measuring risk is recognised as one of the biggest barriers to securing credit and many banks and suppliers are demanding more up-to-date and monthly management accounts as part of any application.

One of our recent Sage Omnibus surveys found that half of accountants polled said they were now being asked to help prepare quarterly or monthly accounts, while another 53 per cent revealed clients were struggling to access credit.

Here at Sage we have been engaging with numerous industry bodies such as the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) – as well as other trade credit insurers and interested parties – to understand the impact on the market and explore ways that we could potentially assist both you and your clients.

Help is at hand

What can SMEs do to help themselves? If they are to secure continued lending, they must be pro-active about their credit profile – looking at ways to offer more real-time accounts and to improve their financial standing.

Accountants’ role is key, and there are credit and analysis tools at hand to help identify new ways to help businesses stay ahead – such as CreditPal (provided by Future Route).

These secure, internet-based facilities help users maintain detailed financial accounts and manage lending needs. For example, CreditPal complements Sage software – such as Sage 50 Accounts and Sage 200 – requiring no extra download or installation, and allows users to review internal finance and automatically generate standardised and validated monthly management accounts.

Accountants can offer such credit and analysis tools as a value-added service, generating data on a client’s behalf, or acting as an advisor to help SMEs access and set up the service in-house.

However these links are made, accountants are able to play an invaluable part in maintaining the steady credit flow all businesses need.

Steve Porter, Marketing Campaign Manager, Sage Accountants’ Division

It’s Business Startup Show time again… and we’ll be there Thursday and Friday this week (20/21 May) doing more than we’ve ever done to get out and about to talk with small businesses about their needs and opportunities for the future.

Business opportunities and challenges

At previous shows, we’ve heard a lot about the opportunities and challenges that businesses face. Business planning and cash flow are always top of mind with young business.

We’ll be talking about these and other business challenges at the show. And we’ve got loads going on to help you get your business off the ground.

Free CRM and business planning workshops

We’re doing something slightly different this time around. First off, we’re running some dedicated workshops at the show – Business Planning and CRM – so you can come along and take part in an interactive session with some of our experts. And after all that walking around we’ll make sure you get a comfy seat!

Small business research

Secondly, if the thought of a seat appeals for half an hour or so then you can also take part in our small business research that we’re running whilst at the show. Register your interest in our small business research if you’d like to help shape the future of our software and services for small businesses – there’s even a free coffee and a little incentive on offer! It would be great to hear your views.

Business software for start-ups

We’ll also be there with a couple of traditional stands… but I promise you won’t get heckled from the aisles! If you want some more ideas about what you can find out then here’s a few:

• Sage Planning for Business – Free business planning software that helps you evaluate, plan and launch your new business
• Sage Invoicing – Free invoicing software that gets you up and running using software to manage your incoming revenue
• Sage Pay – looking to trade online? Find out how our online payments services can help
• New Sage Outsource Payroll services – find out whether in-house payroll software or outsourcing your payroll is your best option
• New Sage Mobile HR Advice – it can be difficult to stay on top of HR issues so see how our mobile HR advice tool can help you
• ACT! by Sage – get a demo of the world’s favourite contact management software and learn why CRM is vital for your business

Free business seminars

And if this isn’t enough, some of our experts will be taking part in free business seminars, such as:

Getting on the e-commerce bandwagon

Overcome mediocrity through exceptional customer service

Are you planning for success?

Watch out for more updates from the show in coming days. I’ll be there both days so please come and say hello.

Geoff Phillips – one of the men in the orange t-shirts! (there will be few!)

The tax situation for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) has increasingly become a focus for debate in this election (For small businesses the choice on tax is not straightforward). Putting the spotlight on this issue is good news for small businesses, as research amongst our own customer base suggests that many find the complexity of the tax system frustrating. The overwhelming majority (72%) of UK SMEs we surveyed, also indicated that the complexity of HMRC rules is a barrier to start-ups.

We surveyed 2,000 of our SME customers in March 2010, from our 800,000 strong UK customer base. Insights from the Sage Omnibus, enables Sage to highlight the challenges facing UK firms and provides a barometer for British business.

The survey discovered that seventy-seven per cent of businesses felt that the current tax system is preventing them from taking advantage of tax benefits and breaks. Furthermore, sixty per cent of SMEs polled did not know what breaks they may be eligible for.

Our research shows that there is a lot of confusion amongst the UK business community about the current tax system. At times of economic uncertainty, knowing what tax benefits and breaks your firm is entitled to can make the difference between success and failure. My advice to all businesses would be to seek professional advice from an accountant to inform them of any breaks that they may be entitled to.

Interestingly, more small businesses would choose to make the current tax system simpler (34.5%) over freezing VAT at its current rate of 17.5% (25.9%), highlighting the extent of their frustration. When asked what single change they would like the government to implement, SMEs indicated that they would also like to see the planned 50p income tax for top earners (5.8%)scrapped.

Jayne Archbold, Managing Director of the Accountants’ Division