IT Requirements for Small Business

IT Requirements for Small Business

By: Axios IT

When starting up a new business it can be difficult to know what your IT requirements will be. Typically new businesses have a PC and the internet for email and use Microsoft Office for general word processing.

It is all too easy to overlook accounts and many new businesses fall in to the trap of using Excel for invoicing early on as it is easy to create your own template. Consider using MYOB or QuickBooks right from day one – there is more of a learning curve but with GST and tax reporting requirements it is a good idea to track expenses, account transactions, bills and enter invoices all from the same system. MYOB and QuickBooks can also grow as your business does and there is even basic customer management facilities. With reminder functionality you can track the status of all receivables and keep on top of cashflow which is often the biggest challenge for small business. Consider hiring a bookkeeper if you are too short of time to learn how to use the software as keeping everything up to date will only take a bookkeeper a few hours a week.

Another invaluable IT asset for small business is a website. Most people transact over the internet now and having a website that is easily found in popular search engines is a must. Paid advertising through Google and other popular search engines can drive traffic to your website and from there result in sales providing the website is properly structured to encourage conversions.

As your business grows there will be ever more complex accounting systems, internal spreadsheets, project management, timesheet, stock control, customer relationship management and other systems required to manage daily tasks and process workflows. Each of these specialised systems focus on one small area of your business and often this results in many details being kept in multiple systems. Business reporting becomes more difficult and systems maintenance becomes more and more costly. At this point in time it is often a good idea to streamline your systems with a single custom system that is tailored to your business and the processes you have in place. A custom system can reduce many manual tasks such as document and correspondence production, staff reminders and notifications, key performance reporting, quality control and project and/or process management.

Used properly IT can be your businesses greatest asset- enabling growth and creating efficiency and a competitive advantage. An IT professional can help at all stages of your business by:

• Advising on system requirements, software, hardware, suppliers and facilitating internet connections, email, software setup and maintenance, organising your website, designers, internet marketing campaigns
• Linking internal systems such as accounts, customer relationship management, staff worklogs and correspondence, document management, project and resource control systems and creating a single seamless system
• If your business is centred around an online service or a software product, an IT professional can also help with design, development and implementation services 

Axios IT specialise in developing online services and software products for all types of business, as well as building tailored IT systems designed to drive efficiency, quality and organisational improvement. Visit their smallbusiness[HQ] listing here.

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