Theresa Gattung: Broaden your horizons

COMMENT

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make up about 95 per cent of New Zealand companies. They are the de facto engine of our economy and when they do well the country prospers.

They also have different requirements than big business, particularly in their use and need for information and communications technology (ICT). While the business types vary widely, they share many of the same challenges.

Regardless of the business, whether it's an electrician in Invercargill or a clothing boutique in Ponsonby, there are certain truths for them all. To illustrate the point, the following are comments you will probably never hear from any New Zealand business owner.

Q: On technology: "Make it slow, pricey and complicated."

A: SMEs require technology and communication solutions to make their businesses more productive, flexible and mobile.

Above all for SMEs, the solutions need to be delivered and implemented simply, and they must be easy to use. Most SMEs do not have their own technology department and can't afford to spend a lot of time managing technology and communications. They want answers, not problems.

So ICT solutions must solve everyday business challenges in a simple manner so that non-tech people can readily understand and use them. The return on the investment and benefits are obvious.

At Telecom we've recognised the needs of the small and medium-sized businesses and see broadband internet as one of the most important ICT investments a business can make.

A broadband connection can enable greater productivity, reduced costs, better customer service and more freedom to focus on the core businesses.

The benefits come from the increased speed and convenience, which most business owners would agree are critical to all their business processes.

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Q: "I really want to own a nice cafe so I can spend hours doing accounting and paying bills."

A: Broadband's speed and convenience opens up a host of options that can translate into competitive advantage. Take, for example, accounting, scheduling and paying bills. To most business owners and managers it's a necessary evil. It certainly isn't the inspiration for starting a business.

A broadband connection can help business owners spend less time on the "business side" and more time with customers and on enhancing products and services.

Work such as online banking can be done quickly and easily with broadband. Without the slow loading of pages, you can do market research and study reports from around the world.

It's also easier to answer customer emails. It's amazing what a simple, rapid response can do in making a happy customer.

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Q: "I've got heaps of budget for communications and technology."

A: Telecom is committed to delivering the benefits of broadband to New Zealand business. But we also know that set-up costs can be a barrier to technology investment for small and medium-sized businesses. So we have launched a range of Xtra JetStream Venture plans designed for smaller businesses. The plans start at $59.95 a month (excluding GST) making broadband an affordable option.

With Xtra JetStream, the phone and fax still work while businesses are online.

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Q: "My most productive time is when I'm tied to my desk."

A: For many small and medium-sized enterprises, the most valuable part of their day is not the time spent in front of a PC but on the sales floor or talking to customers in the field. Yet the information on the PC remains essential for doing business. Telecom believes that being out of the office and away from the PC no longer means you must be without the information you need most.

Companies with mobile field service teams, for example, can use special applications such as Telecom's Mobile Service+ to enable simple and immediate contact between the office and the field.

Mobile Service+, a wireless job dispatch and management solution launched in March, has already helped many New Zealand companies improve their customer service and their bottom line - all through the power of their mobiles and Mobile JetStream.

A similar product, Telecom's Mobile Sales+, is designed to help the salesperson on the road with a wireless connection back to the office. With Mobile Sales+, the salesperson can get the latest customer information, log orders and check company news, most anywhere and any time.

We know we need to think like a partner in your business and not just as another vendor.

It's that type of thinking that underpins Telecom's being committed to helping businesses overcome daily challenges and to meet their goals.

Special Report: Turbocharging Your Business

(to be continued throughout this week)