E-commerce may be the buzzword of the year, but what does it offer the small business? Increased efficiency and wider markets, according to Pat Delaney, president of the Small Firms Association, which is currently holding seminars around the country on how to make the Internet an effective business tool. Ten years ago, a business card was incomplete without a fax number. Today an email address indicates that a company means business, while a web address has a certain hip status. But the Internet is about more than just image. It is also a practical tool for staying ahead of the pack.
Here are eight ways to make the Internet work for your business:
The simplest and still the most popular use of the Internet, email makes communication easy and cost-effective. For example, take the cost of posting 300 letters within Ireland at 30p each. There is room here to save £90 in postage, plus stationery and staff costs in handling the paper mail. Of course, telephone charges and Internet subscription must be set against this figure, but there is still room for hefty savings. Email really starts paying its way when the alternative is an international phone call. Geographic boundaries and time zones are broken down and email provides the immediacy of a telephone call while making sure that important details are recorded put in writing. A must-have.
Newsletters
As digital communication brings the international market within reach of Irish businesses, it also opens the local market to foreign competitors. More than ever, it is now vital that local businesses maintain good relationships with their customers, advises Pat Delaney. Email newsletters can play an important role in keeping customers informed of new products and services. Best of all, costs remain the same as business grows, unlike paper newsletters which involve rising printing and postal costs for longer runs. Mailing list software to manage an electronic newsletter is relatively easy to use. Those who don't want the hassle can have a list managed for about £5 per month. To get started, try Lyris (www.lyris.com) for a free mailing list of up to 200 recipients. Be careful, however, to only send to people who want the service as unsolicited email can alienate customers faster than canned music on a help-line. This is a low-cost way to promote a company if done correctly.
Web site
Before launching a web site, a company needs to determine how to make it an effective tool. This may mean simply an online brochure that can be updated without the cost of re-printing, or a fully fledged Internet store. Many web gurus sneer at the brochure-style site, but added to all letterheads, emails and company literature it can offer to all those who see it easily accessible information about the company. Updating a site is crucial. Nothing is quite as off-putting as visiting a site highlighting "news" from 1996.
Online shop front
According to a recent survey by the Irish Internet Association, 54 per cent of Irish Internet users plan to buy something online within the next six months. The survey found that 36 per cent of respondents had already shopped online, and 87 per cent of these planned to do so again.
Concern about the security of credit card payments persists, but this is not stopping people taking advantage of the convenience of online shopping as the success of the Amazon.com online bookstore shows (www.amazon.com). Turning a small business into an online store usually requires expensive technical expertise, but for a business that suits online transactions the rewards can be immense.
Teleworking
One of the biggest advantages of the Internet also requires the greatest change in attitude. Sales reps and managers who travel extensively can keep in touch with the office from a remote location, but other staff can also work from home. A new study of workers' attitudes by Gemini Consulting suggests that companies need to take a long, hard look at the traditional workplace.
Employees can keep in touch with colleagues via instant messaging utilities like ICQ (I-seek-you, see www.icq.com) and AOL's Instant Messenger (www.aol.com). ICQ, in particular, allows users to see which other staff are online at any time and lets them exchange messages, transfer files and even "chat". Properly-structured home working can save on office costs and on commuting time and can help to keep employees happy.
Fax
For very small or home businesses, Jfax can provide a fax number without the expense of a separate line. For £10 a month, a company can receive faxes and voicemail as email messages. The voicemail component is particularly handy for companies doing business abroad as overseas customers can contact a local number and messages are conveyed back to the Jfax-using company by email. The service is quite new to Ireland (see www.jfax.ie), but has had rave reviews in the United States.
Web conferencing
This is a useful tool when colleagues in different locations want to work together on a project. Software like CU-See-Me and NetMeeting can allow distant colleagues to work on documents at the same time, share notes on a whiteboard, transfer files, chat and even see one another with the addition of web cameras costing as little as £90 each. Slow connection speeds can make interaction jerky and frustrating, but it can still be worthwhile for small working groups and when travel costs are high.
Online communities
The Internet can be a powerful research tool, not only helping business people to keep up with industry trends, but also providing advice and support. One example is the Cambridge Information Network (www.ctp.com) which encourages technology staff to interact and to keep up-to-date with the latest developments.
- Info on Small Firms Association seminars: ttp://ireland.iol.ie/sfa/ or tel 01-660 1011
libbyy@indigo.ie