Business mentor: Use the web to spread the net

Q. I run a small business with a growing number of mobile operators doing work for clients. There is more need for them to access centralised information remotely. At present they have laptops but must return to the office to hook into our network. How can they access this info remotely in a cost-effective way?

A. Colin Bass, project manager for Business in the Community, replies:

The internet is an ideal medium for allowing people to access centralised information remotely. And the cost of doing this has decreased dramatically with the growing volume of pre-written programming language available.

Your website can become the virtual front door to your office. To open the door you simply need to navigate your way through a secure login process, much like using your security card to open the door to your physical office. Once inside, you can work with sensitive internal information not for public viewing.

Allowing access to confidential information does require taking your online presence a step further from the traditional brochure-styled website to a database-driven, dynamic site.

This new type of online business model has only recently become affordable for a growing small business.

In creating a dynamic website that fits the particular requirements of a business, programming language needs to be written for each functional element.

These programmes used to be the well-kept secret of developers, who charged high prices if the scripts were already written and even higher prices when they had to be created from scratch.

Few online processes are unique these days. Pre-written programming language to fit common processes, such as customer registration and online payment facilities, can be acquired from sources at a fraction of the cost of creating them from scratch.

Business in the Community is a good example of a company that has benefited from the lower cost of building a dynamic, database-driven website. Delivering its national, free Business Mentor Programme requires a large number of remote operators (mentors and agencies) who need to access information about clients and their needs.

Before the website was enhanced, the organisation's 22 agencies and 1400 mentors communicated mostly by phone and paper. To monitor its service, Business in the Community had to wait for a monthly mentor activity report to come from its agencies. This did not help the organisation to improve its service.

Now the organisation has instant reporting on a client's inquiry for a mentor. Each agency and mentor has a homepage to access information about clients matched to them. A secure login recognises the user and the level of information they can access.

This technology enables Business in the Community to attract higher-quality mentors and provide more value to patrons who give generously to allow the service to continue. The result is improved service to small businesses.

To find out if a web-based solution is feasible you need a good web development partner. Request proposals from more than one organisation.

Price is not the only consideration. The developers' understanding of your needs should be clear in their proposals to you. They should be competent in both graphic design and programming and their customer service standards should allow for plenty of contact with you.

Building a database-driven website will bring you benefits in efficiency, accuracy of information and increased satisfaction in the people who work with you.

* For more information email Colin Bass or call 09 917-9517.

* Email us your small business question. Answers are courtesy of Spring - A State of Mind for Business.