Software And Coffee

Our toilet seat broke. My wife bought a replacement, and it’s been leaning against the bathroom wall for the last week. The label states “Basic Toilet Seat”, and I wonder: “What does an Advanced Toilet Seat do?”. No doubt it costs more, but does it hold some advantage? Is it self cleaning? Will the “man sensor” activate when I enter the room, and raise itself (and lower itself when I leave)? Perhaps it would have installed itself by now.

When I speak with businesses about their software, I often run into this basic/advanced dilemma. Sometimes they’ve been sold an “Advanced Toilet Seat”, and all they really need is a “Basic Toilet Seat”. Sometimes they’re trying to make due with a “Basic Toilet Seat”, and they really need a full featured product.

If you need help picking out a toilet seat, go to Lowe’s or Home Depot. If you need help with picking software, drop us a line or post here. I’d be more than happy to point you in the right direction, even if it’s not with us.

Thanks for your time, and may the seat rise up to meet you….

Stephen Tuttle
DS Technologies, Inc.

Last week I ordered a pound of sliced turkey from the Walmart deli. The deli-slicer-guy brought out a sample. I nodded in approval. He offered it to me, saying he’d have to throw it out if I didn’t eat it. This triggered some strange clean-your-plate mental reflex and I gobbled it down.

This week I went through the same process at Publix, except the Publix deli-slicer-guy didn’t trigger that reflex I was waiting for. He smacked the sample right back into my package. I even asked if he’d have to throw it away after he proffered it. Nope!

Now realistically, I can’t see any difference in the two situations. However, I can’t help reflecting on this issue when toasting my turkey sub for lunch.

What can you do in your business to differentiate your services from your competitor? Even in a recession, higher service can conquer lower costs. What good is having a pound of cheap turkey in my “meat” drawer if that package is infested with negative thoughts?

Get a leg up on your competition:

• Make the customer feel comfortable. Assure them their privacy will be protected, and that you will treat their data (and credit card) with the highest security practices possible.
• Process your customer’s order ASAP. This will elate your client, and elicit a positive referral to their friends and family.
• Keep your customer updated. Notify them when the order has been processed and is sitting in a box waiting for UPS or FedEx. Notify them when the shipper has picked up the package. If you are in a service industry, send them email notifications at certain progress points.
• Follow Up. <a href=https://www.centralvacuumstores.com>Central Vacuum Stores</a> sends a follow up email to verify the order was correct and that the customer is happy.

You can accomplish these manually, but automating the process is much more efficient. You will receive a high return on investment from repeat business and referrals.

Thanks for tuning in,

Stephen
DS Technologies, Inc.

A trusted business adviser provides expertise you don’t have inside your business. Common advisers would be your lawyer, accountant, marketing consultant, and IT consultant. You count on these people. You trust them. Hopefully, they put your business first.

As an IT consultant, I selfishly care about my clients. I want them to increase sales, cut costs, improve efficiency, and increase profit margin. Sometimes that doesn’t put money in my pocket in the short term. In the long run, it usually pays off. I selfishly put their interests first, knowing that I’ll be consulted in the future.

Make sure you ask the right questions to the right adviser. Don’t ask your IT consultant about forming an LLC vs S Corp, or amortization rules regarding your new PC. Don’t ask your accountant what software to use, or your lawyer about your wireless network.

Surround yourself with a competent network of advisers, and hopefully each relationship will be a win-win situation.

Stephen Tuttle
DS Technologies, Inc

Joe Schmo is staring at his screen. The cursor is flashing between $1499.00 and the “Submit” button. What is running through his mind? “Are these guys going to rip me off?”; “Are they going to process my order quickly?”; “Is some ex-con processing my credit card?”. I think you get the picture.

Having a relationship with Paypal and Google can increase buyer confidence. When a shopper is on your site, they may have never heard of you. Allowing a shopper to checkout through Paypal or Google means brand recognition. Paypal and Google have verified you as a merchant, and they trust you. So should Joe.

The funny thing is, just seeing those logos makes the buyer feel better. Joe may not checkout using Paypal or Google, but he’s less likely to leave his cart in the aisle and walk out the door.

Thanks for tuning in, but I gotta go; cleanup on aisle nine.

Stephen
DS Technologies, Inc

I’ve been needing to get a garbage disposal, and for whatever reason, I’ve been putting it off. Normally, I’m a Home Depot man, but I recently I received a $10.00 coupon from Lowe’s in the mail. It was barely enough to cover the sales tax, but it was enough to pull me in. Coupons are a great way to pull customers into that purchase they’ve been contemplating the last six months.

Here are a few online (and cheap) ideas:

* Put a coupon on the receipt page of your shopping cart.

* Email coupons to your customers and prospects.

* Add a coupon to your email newsletter.

* Put coupons on specific product pages to entice those shoppers eating through your Google Adwords budget.

Good luck with your “coupon campaign”, and make sure you set a minimum purchase amount to qualify for the coupon.

Stephen Tuttle
DS Technologies, Inc.

One of my clients uses a software solution that maintains their clients, jobs, invoices and employees. Yesterday, I upgraded their solution to be able to track prospects. This change allows them to specify a contact as a prospect or client, track notes for the contact, and run reports on the prospects. The additional reports required access to the “reports” page, which contains job status and sales reports.

To accomplish this securely, I created individual rights for each report. This allowed management to select which reports individual employees have access to. In adherence to point 5 in “Lock The Gate”, employees only see links to the reports they are authorized to access.

It’s your data; be secure.

Stephen Tuttle
DS Technologies, Inc

Gated communities present an interesting paradigm. In order for the concept to work, you must trust everybody living in your community. Not only that, you have to trust all of their family, friends (and kid’s friends). You’re only as secure as the last person who entered.

Your business is very similar. At some point you hired people that weren’t friends or family. You trust those employees, and all their friends that send them email links to the latest you tube drudgery. Anti virus and firewalls are great, but this is a different attack vector.

Who is accessing your data? Do they require the level of access they have? Do your employees work odd hours? What is the impact of a notebook “walking off”?

Security is usually addressed after a breach has occurred. Obviously, this is too late. The impact a single breach can have on your business can be devastating. Security doesn’t have to be expensive. Here are a few cost-effective (read cheap) tips that can help:

1. Limit access to genuine needs. Few employees need access to a current client/prospect list, sales, aging or open invoice reports.

2. Enable logging in your business software. If a user changes an invoice or alters a bill, there should be an audit trail.

3. Perform periodic audits. Pick a random section of time and review who is accessing what. Not only does this provide a security audit, but can help in reviewing efficiency.

4. Get email notification if a user attempts to access to an unauthorized component. For example, a salesperson attempting to access HR or user administration.

5. Remove temptation. The user interface should only present what a user has access to. Some applications disable the menu item or button. I prefer to remove it completely.

Whether you use these tips or implement your own mechanism, start being secure today. Thanks for tuning in, and lock the gate behind you…

Stephen Tuttle
DS Technologies, Inc

Reading this post by David Drummond, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer of Google made me giggle. Yes, Google made me giggle. Basically, Mr. Drummond is asserting that Microsoft may attempt to exert “inappropriate influence” on the internet, hearkening to their monopoly practices.

Quite frankly, it’s hard to muster up any sympathy. Google wasn’t the first search engine on the scene, but they are the definition of the web searches. Just today my father-in-law said “I haven’t googled that yet”. And what about google ad-words? It seems they have their own share of virtual red hotels.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not defending Microsoft. I’ve chosen open-source technologies over Microsoft solutions whenever it provides my client with equivalent or greater capabilities.

I use Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo products everyday, and will continue to do so (for now). I just have a new search definition: “Giggle it; just a little bit….”

Stephen Tuttle
DS Technologies, Inc

Are we are or aren’t we? That is the question. Whether we are in a recession, heading towards a recession, in a market correction, or coming out of a recession, investing in your business makes good sense. As any good investor will say, “Invest in what you know”. Hopefully, your business is on top of your “knowledge list”. So, how should you invest?

Maybe it’s an investment in hardware that allows you to complete jobs 50% faster. Perhaps it’s hiring a manager, or restructuring your organization. Maybe it’s implementing a software solution to streamline processes or increase your service offerings.

In any case, ROI (return on investment) is the key. It may be cost effective (read cheap) or it may be a large investment. It’s the end results that matter. If a one-time $2500.00 investment yields a $3500.00 profit increase annually, that’s a no-brainer. If a one-time $50,000.00 investment yields a $40,000 profit annually, you’ll realize $30,000 the second year, then $40,000 each year thereafter.

Get out of the office, grab some java, and break out that yellow notepad (I prefer a spiral notebook of graph paper). Find an IT consultant, business consultant, etc, you can trust, and ask for ideas. Take the best ideas, and determine the ROI. Then invest in your business!

Feel free to post any questions or ideas here, or contact us below if you’d prefer to fly under the radar. Thanks for tuning in…

Contact us with to learn more about software ROI.

Stephen Tuttle
DS Technologies, Inc

When I speak with Presidents/CEO/Business Owners, there are various motivations for their technical choices. Some have promised a customer something they can’t deliver. Some want the latest tech gizmo. Some are driven solely by price. While these are all important, they should never be the sole deciding factor for technical directions.

1. Match your technical decisions to your annual and three year plans. Your IT manager/consultant should understand and comprehend your business strategy. (I know. Good luck…) Your tech solution should be solid, but flexible.

2. Automate, automate, automate. Many times you can incur a one-time cost to automate a business process, and save money in the short and long run.

Automation can also facilitate growth. As your business grows, the automated process remains at that fixed cost, yielding greater profit margins.

3. Bite the bullet. Sometimes several small steps lead to a dead end. IT should be a strategy, not a series of band aids.

4. Cause problems. Trying a new idea doesn’t have to be expensive. Try it using a manual process. If you get flooded with work, automate it.

This is merely a guideline, but the emphasis is making solid business decisions.

Stephen Tuttle
DS Technologies, Inc.