Our History As a Nation
As a veteran to this industry, raised in the trial fires of the DOS days, before Google.com existed; I have seen the reason for IT get lost in the mindset of American business owners and managers.
As a growing history buff and lover of the deep rooted history of the creation of the USA by the Europeans that settled this continent, I find myself wondering when exactly we lost sight of what made America great. When did we lose sight of how we were the massive production force that turned the tide in World War II. Folks, have we forgot what got us to the point of prosperity that so many Americans take for granted?
Practiced Business Philosophies
So enough about me, let’s talk about you and your business. Having been an entrepreneur since 2005, with an education in Business Management; I have realized that there are three basic philosophies held by business owners/managers today:
- Don’t spend a dime on anything not absolutely necessary, and horde all the cash you can.
- Make decisions solely based on your financials and what your accountant(s) tell you. (income – expenses = net income)
- Invest wisely in technology that streamlines and automates the organization, creates efficiency, increases productivity, naturally decreases operating costs, eases growth pains, increases security, protects assets, etc.
The first philosophy is held by the business owner that is no doubt your worst customer. They moan and complain about anything and everything and do not want you to be profitable. They simply do not understand economics, or maybe it is that they simply do not care about anyone other than themselves. Regardless of the reason, they simply just don’t get it.
The second philosophy is interesting. The last time I checked, business is about making money, not feverishly figuring out how to not spend any. This practice leads to short term gains, with long term losses. Anyone with an ounce of common sense can see this.
The third philosophy is the one our blessed founders and forefathers had. They were forced to find innovative ways to make due with less labor, as there was a severe shortage of laborers. This need caused them to invent tools that no one had ever seen before. The European trading companies were always fascinated with the new inventions of these brave souls. “Necessity is the mother of all invention.” -Albert Einstein
What Happens When You Don’t Invest in Technology?
I commonly run into small business owners, whom have built successful businesses that generate multi-millions of dollars in gross revenue every year. Some have done so without putting any or many checks and balances, controls, policies, and/or procedures in place. I have a plethora of stories of how these businesses had employees embezzle, customers steal from them, etc. It never ceases to amaze me how these incidents are always someone else’s fault. To quote the great President Ronald Reagan, “Trust but verify.”. Let’s face it, in business you have to trust people. Whether they are vendors, employees, sub-contractors, etc., you have to trust them to act in an ethical, moral, and legal manner. However, that does not mean you blindly trust them. Only a fool blindly trusts others.
Other business owners/managers complain about how their competitors are charging so much less then them and they don’t know how they are doing it. In a word – Efficiency. Payroll is by far the largest expense and liability a company has. Limiting the need of employees vastly reduces operating costs. Lower operating costs = lower pricing to your customers. Lower pricing = bigger market share. This is not difficult math.
So What Is the Answer?
A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software system creates the structure for you, if you implement it properly and in its entirety. If you do not have a CRM, I can promise you that you have more holes in your business, then fingers to plug them; resulting in a hemorrhaging of money and lost opportunity. Every business, regardless of industry, must have a solid CRM in place and use it the way it was designed to be used. Many modern CRMs come with Inventory Control, inventory tracking, procurement, and QuickBooks® integration modules. How else will you know when someone you trust is stealing your products or money?
Many modern CRM programs are well known for streamlining, automating, protecting, simplifying, and increasing the profitability of the company that embraces them with open arms.
If your Accountant or bookkeeper tell you that you do not need a CRM, that should tell you that you most definitely need a CRM and probably a new Accountant/bookkeeper.
You also need to have a 3rd party Accounting firm audit your books from time to time. How else will you be 100% certain there isn’t any embezzlement happening?
You need to invest heavily into the right technology. Considering that banks spend roughly 20% of their gross income into Information Technology and Information Security, it is given that they know something.
You need to invest in security, regardless of how small your firm is.
If you would like a Free Consultation, please call us at (678) 606-0018 or complete our Contact form: https://www.24x7protectit.com/contact-us/
We will reach out to you and schedule an appointment to see how we can help your business leverage technology!
I hope you found this article informational and helpful.
Paul J. Chrisco
Information Technology Professional