Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks

April 12, 2018 By bob.basson@tvba.co.uk

UKBA recently held one of its bi-annual National Conferences, the chance to meet up with colleagues you don’t see between one meeting and the next, apart from exchanging emails. Really good to renew relationships, discuss common issues and concerns, and generally realise that you’re not alone out there inthe big wide world.

A common trait we all tend to fall into though time is that we have been there, done that, T-short and all, ad believe we know what we are doing well enough. So, first a simple question, could you pass your driving test if you had to take it again? Old habits picked up as tempus fugits, aren’t always the best ones to continue with, and you don’t always realise you have them.

One such event in the dim and distant past was being sent on, not again, a Sales Training course. As circumspect as one might have been at going to these, there was always something that you finally realised was beneficial.

Which brings me back to the National Conference. As usual we had a guest speaker, it was Will Kintish, who spoke to us on the subject of Networking – no not the one with lots of ethernet and wi-fi, the one where we go out and make contact with other folk as a part of promoting ourselves and our businesses. Even though you are an old hand at this, his presentation brought a refreshing reminder to all of us on how to network, the ways to work the room, the people and the sticky situations; well worth a follow up via YouTube if you don’t want invest in a face to face with him.

And the moral of this? You may not be able to teach old dogs new tricks but you can certainly get them to improve the ones they already now.

And that is also what UKBA, and the Local Groups that operate all over the country, can do for you. Local Advisers, with their wide spread of skills and experiences are there to help, advise and assist in more ways than you could imagine. Time spent working through our sites could be a worthwhile investment for the future.

IT Support, Fundamental Policies for Your IT Department

October 10, 2017 By bob.basson@tvba.co.uk

As an expert in IT support for small business, I routinely work with clients looking to fully establish an IT department after previously relying for years on the collective efforts of multiple employees from other departments. Establishing a dedicated IT department is certainly no small undertaking. But it is necessary for a small business with IT tasks that have evolved into full-time work.

Whether establishing the IT department for the first time or looking to improve an existing department, I encourage my clients to look at the policies they have in place. Every small business IT department should have a least six fundamental policies that govern how the department accomplishes its mission. Those six policies are explained below.

1. Acceptable Use of Technology

Workers in the IT department have access to all sorts of technology during working hours. A policy outlining the acceptable use of said technology is critical. This policy defines how computers, mobile phones, fax machines, the internet, e-mail, and other technologies are used, along with penalties for misuse.

2. IT Services

In order for the IT department to effectively do its job, staff need to know the full scope of their mission. A comprehensive IT services policy establishes this. It outlines a supervisory structure and addresses the various tasks the IT department will be responsible for.

3. General IT Security

A general security policy outlines how networks and data is protected. It covers things like the proper use of data, the need for confidentiality, and so on. It also creates various levels of access and establishes guidelines for user names and passwords.

4. Networks

Creating a policy that includes guidelines for all in-house networks makes it easier for IT workers to know how those networks are configured, how employees are added and removed, how software is licenced, etc. A good networks policy can answer many of the questions not covered in the other five fundamental
policies.

5. Technology Standards

This policy outlines how software and hardware is purchased and used within the company. It also includes policies regarding any technologies that are banned in the workplace.

6. Disaster Recovery

Every IT department should have a solid disaster recovery policy in place. This policy dictates how the IT department will recover in the event any kind of disaster threatens network integrity or stored data.

Making the IT Department Work

Every small business IT department should have at least these six policies in place. It is fine to include additional policies as-needed, but these six are non-negotiable. They provide the foundation for making the IT department work efficiently and securely.If you are in need of IT support in Reading, please contact me at your earliest convenience.
I would be more than willing to discuss all your IT support needs, including developing comprehensive policies to govern your IT department. Remember that the success of any small business IT department depends heavily on the policies in place and how strictly those policies are followed.

Why Remote Network IT Support For Small Business Is Critical?

August 7, 2017 By bob.basson@tvba.co.uk

In the digital age in which we now conduct business, having a reliable and robust IT system is not an option. Everything from internal computer systems to local and wide area networks have to be up and running at all times. To lose access to computer systems is to lose access to one of the most important tools for doing business in the modern era. To that end, IT support for small business should always include remote network support.

Remote network support is that support offered by consultants and technicians not located on the client’s physical premises. It can be offered over the phone, via video conferencing, or through logging on to an actual network for troubleshooting and repair. More importantly, remote network support is now considered mission-critical. It is as important to business as computer systems and networks themselves. Below are three reasons that make the case for having remote network support in place at all times.

3 Reasons for Remote Network IT Support For Small Business

1. Problems Cannot Be Scheduled

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if management could schedule when IT problems would occur? They could then make sure they had support specialists on-site to have those problems dealt with. Unfortunately, problems cannot be scheduled. They come and go on their own time irrespective of whether their appearance is convenient or not.

Remote network support gives companies access to support specialists regardless of when problems occur. Indeed, support is just a phone call or text message away when companies contract with a competent support provider.

2. Response Times Are Faster

What is the main advantage of doing things online? Speed. Staff use e-mail to communicate in-house because it’s faster than running around the building looking for the person you want to speak with. Customers interact with businesses online because it is much faster than waiting in queue on the telephone. Network support works the same way.

Remote network support is, by its nature, heavily focused on doing things online as much as possible. That means faster response times from consultants and technicians. It means faster solutions more often than not. If anything, IT support for small business needs to be fast.

3. Remote Support Is More Flexible

Lastly, remote network support is generally provided by individual contractors or small companies supporting multiple clients simultaneously. In this regard, IT support for small business is a lot more flexible in that companies can utilise the services of support specialists only when they need them, rather than having to maintain their own staff of support specialists. This increases the flexibility of support without straining the company budget.

IT support for small business is the new normal in the digital age. If that support is to be utilised by small business to its fullest potential, it must include remote network support, which is now mission-critical. Remote support is available 24 hours a day, it is faster and more responsive, and it is flexible enough to meet the needs of clients regardless of their size and annual turnover.

Ransomware: What It Is and How to Avoid It

May 12, 2017 By bob.basson@tvba.co.uk

How serious a problem is ransomware? According to Symantec, makers of the popular Norton suite of cyber security products, hackers employing the ransomware tactic are making millions of pounds every year. In one particular case they studied, 168 infected users paid a total of £27,064 on just one day alone. Ransomware is big business among hackers who know how to deploy it.

Ransomware: What It Is

Ransomware is a kind of malware that can be embedded on a computer, mobile device or even within a cloud environment. It uses some sort of threat or intimidation to extort payment of a fine. Hackers can completely lock users out, encrypt data so it cannot be accessed, or take sensitive data and spread it across the internet for public scrutiny. The malware uses cryptovirology (the practice of using cryptography to spread malicious software) to get in and take over a device or cloud environment.

The most common form of ransomware is one that encrypts data so it cannot be accessed. Victimised users tend to be more than willing to pay the ransom under the false belief that no one else but the hackers responsible can undo the damage. Rest assured that this is not the case. Security experts are very good at successfully addressing ransomware attacks.

How to Avoid Being a Victim

As a specialist providing IT support for small business, I can say without question that avoiding ransomware is a matter of taking some simple steps to protect yourself. The first thing to understand is that ransomware cannot be installed on your computer by itself. It finds a home by way of malicious downloads, opening infected advertisements, or following links in e-mail.

There are four simple strategies to prevent being victimised:

Never visit untrusted websites for any reason whatsoever

Never click on pop-up ads; use caution with embedded adverts

Never click links embedded in e-mails even if an e-mail looks legitimate, unless you trust or know the sender

Always maintain an up-to-date security suite that includes anti-virus, anti-intrusion, and so on.

The last of the four strategies is the most important. Makers of security suites spend their days identifying and combating all sorts of malware, including ransomware. They issue regular updates that, when applied, will protect most people from being victimised.

For more information about my IT business support services, please feel free to contact me at any time. I would be more than happy to provide a comprehensive health check of your IT system to help you identify potential issues and improve performance.

[Sources: Norton – https://uk.norton.com/ransomware/article]

Utilising a Fleet Effectively to Expand Your Business

May 8, 2017 By bob.basson@tvba.co.uk

(image: Pixabay)

Operating a fleet is a great way to make your business grow. For SME owners, it’s one of the best methods to get your business recognised especially if you’re relatively new in the industry. A fleet can be used to build your brand and The Telegraph showed various ways to do it such as heightening your business’s presence through visual impact and making a statement.

More importantly, however, a fleet’s functionality is unparalleled especially in terms of logistics and service efficiency for SMEs that require mobility. Company cars are even enticers or retainers of top talent considering that they may be provided as incentives for your employees.

But although the benefits of utilising a fleet are easily understood, the same can’t be said for fleet management. According to Small Biz Daily, a fleet may also be the biggest expense for any SME so if you’re unprepared, it can significantly damage your business instead of being an asset for growth. Thus, here are some guidelines to help you manage your fleet effectively.

Evaluate the pros and cons of both leasing and ownership for your business

There are many things to consider when managing a fleet, and at the top of the list is the choice of either ownership or leasing. In most cases, the latter is the better option; more so if you’re business is constantly shifting, i.e. project-based field services. Unless your business is directly related or largely linked to automobiles and any other similar industry, leasing outweighs ownership.

If you’re still not convinced, a report from Fleet News mentioned the additional drawbacks of ownership as compared to leasing. Currently, more than 50% of fleet vehicles in the UK are operated by SMEs and it was found through analysis that managing owned vehicles take up a huge chunk of daily business hours. Majority of SME owners seek assistance on relevant tasks, which can otherwise be reduced through vehicle leases thereby allowing them to concentrate on other facets of growing their businesses. To put it simply, leasing requires less time and costs.

Take advantage of technology and other similar tools

A fleet can be considered a technological investment. In our previous post titled ‘6 Important Technological Considerations for a Start-Up’, we discussed the numerous factors that can affect your business including flexibility and integration. Many of these elements apply to fleet management as well.

Additionally, creating a fleet management system will allow you to gather data which can then be compiled and analysed regularly. This information is crucial for you to know how your fleet is affecting your business.

Acquire knowledge on vehicles or get someone who can help

Another major component for effective fleet management is to know which type of vehicles to get, the advantages of each make and model, what features are available, etc. With all the automobiles out there, it can be overwhelming to decide on which vehicles to take for your fleet.

Furthermore, sustainability is important for SMEs like we’ve mentioned in a past UKBA post so elements like emissions should be taken into account. In fact, it plays a role in reducing costs as you can be charged with higher taxes if your fleet has high CO2 emissions, hence, be sure to consider green cars. This may even work in your favour in terms of your reputation, as it shows that your company is adhering to ecological standards.

Getting someone you trust who is knowledgeable on vehicles that can double up as an insurance broker is also a good option. This person may be tasked to handle fuel and maintenance costs, repair bills, injury claims and other related matters.

Invest in the people who will be using your vehicles

Last but not the least, the people who will be using your vehicles should be considered just as important, if not more important that any other variable. Invest in driver training so as to improve their road behaviour and focus on safety. It will equip them with useful knowledge as well such as improving fuel efficiency and proper vehicle handling.

The use of fleet tracking has also been proved to be beneficial. In the Telogis blog post‘Combat Distracted Driving with Fleet Tracking’, it was explained how distracted drivers are costing lives and damaging property including businesses. Through fleet tracking, issues in factors like safety, cost-savings, and efficiency are addressed.

To sum it all up, you can grow your business exponentially through utilising a fleet, but just like your business operations, a fleet also comes with the responsibility of effective management. Thankfully, information that aids its implementation is easily accessible.

For more personalised support in handling your business, you can proceed to our Contact Page to get in touch with an advisor directly.

Written by Alicia Venus
Exclusive for ukba.co.uk

Excel automation

March 23, 2017 By bob.basson@tvba.co.uk

Not more spreadsheets to analyse and chart…

Always a regular cry in the office. Reports produced on a regular basis need to be embellished, with charts that involve some fairly complicated calculations – cross-reference look-ups, previous month comparisons, and all that sort of thing.

Probably, now this is done largely by hand. The data sits in several spreadsheets and/or databases, and is extracted, filtered, pivoted and everything else that was necessary to get it ready, before feeding into a chart. When the chart was ready, it is pasted into the report.

Wouldn’t it be great with the data is all in one place, and with a single front-end, the necessary criteria set from drop-downs. Once these selections have been made (locations, benchmarks, which dataset to use, and so on) you click a button and go and make coffee. Actually, you haven’t really got time to make coffee as the process takes just a couple of minutes – if that.

In this instance, any number of queries can be run; sometimes one query, sometimes several to generate the data. Each one automatically loading a into an Excel workbook, in to the right columns, in the right order to aid presentation. Then, your screen explodes into a fresh multi-coloured set of charts based on the information just collated! And is that the pivot table I slave over every month appearing before my very eyes!

In the past that has meant spending anything between a couple of hours to a couple of days for more complex reporting every period. Multiply that by twelve, and it becomes a not insignificant amount of time in a year m to get these twelve reports, graphs and charts prepared.

Say it was half a day of someone’s time, at the average salary of £26,000 – that’s a cost of around £60+ to the business for each report, or chart. Each and every time.

If reporting is weekly, that’s going to be more than £3,000 every year – more likely a lot more than that. If it now takes 30 minutes to do the whole job, that’s a total of just over 4 days for the whole year’s worth (at one report a week). The four days will cost under £500. So you get to keep £2,500 to do something else with.

What would you like to do with it?

Excel automation by Bob Lewis-Basson – 07802 441 728

Data Protection

March 22, 2017 By bob.basson@tvba.co.uk

Under the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) you must:

use personal information fairly and lawfully;
collect only the information necessary for a specific purpose(s);
ensure it is relevant, accurate and up to date;
only hold as much as you need, and only for as long as you need it;
allow the subject of the information to see it on request; and
keep it secure.

Good information handling makes good business sense, and it provides a range of benefits. You’ll enhance your business’ reputation, increase customer and employee confidence, and by ensuring that personal information is accurate, relevant and safe, save both time and money.

Your business has established an appropriate Data Protection Policy?

A policy will help you to address data protection in a consistent manner. This can be a standalone policy statement or part of a general staff policy. The policy should clearly set out your business’s approach to data protection together with responsibilities for implementing the policy and monitoring compliance. The policy should be approved by management, published and communicated to all staff. The policy should also be reviewed and updated at planned intervals or when required to ensure it remains relevant.

Your business has nominated a data protection lead?

It is good practice to identify a person or department in your business with day-to-day responsibility for developing, implementing and monitoring the data protection policy. Allocating these responsibilities to a data protection lead will help you effectively manage and co-ordinate data protection, and make your business more accountable. The lead should be appropriately skilled and have the necessary authority and resources to fulfil their duties.

Your business provides data protection awareness training for all staff?

Any data security breaches are accidental and result from insider actions. You should brief all staff handling personal data on their data protection responsibilities. It is good practice to provide awareness training on or shortly after appointment with updates at regular intervals or when required. Specialist training for staff with specific duties, such as marketing, information security and database management, should also be considered. The regular communication of key messages is equally important to help reinforce training and maintain awareness (for example, intranet articles, circulars, team briefings and posters).

If you are not sure where you stand in respect to DPA (Data Protection Act) or the forthcoming GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) call me now …

Bob Lewis-Basson 07802441728, or email bob.lewis-basson@tvba.co.uk

Power up your business with a Virtual Non-Executive Director

March 6, 2017 By Gordon Carmichael

The benefits of Non-Executive Directors are well understood by many successful business owners. They bring an independent view and additional experience that enable better decisions to be made by the management board. Our Home Counties and London Group Business Advisors have developed a Virtual Non-Executive Director (VNED) service that offers Managing Directors and business owners the same independent view and advice without the complexity of shareholdings, appointing legal directors and director’s service agreements.

Every company is different and yet there are many similar and transferable aspects from other industries and markets. Our experts are able to utilise their broad business experience and extensive network of contacts to support companies to achieve their strategic objectives. An independent view that challenges existing or new strategies can substantially enhance the robustness of a company’s direction. Sometimes difficult decisions are required to deal with business problems and the VNED can act as a sounding board to provide guidance and help the decision making process.

Our approach recognises that established and start up businesses have different needs at different times in their life cycle. New businesses often have a need to demonstrate credibility externally to customers and investors. Appointing a Virtual Non-Executive Director can enhance this.

How does it work?

The optimal Virtual Non-Executive Director approach varies with the needs of a business, the existing in-house skills and the “personality” of its MD and management team. Our experts are adept at engaging with companies to strike a balanced approach between coaching, practical advice, strategic input and holding the management to account where appropriate. Prior to engagement, we offer a confidential, no obligation, no holds barred discussion to establish what is actually needed and to establish priorities. A flexible approach is adopted to accommodate the practical time constraints of running a business, the need to react to short term opportunities or threats, planning for growth, the changing needs of the business and potentially planning for exit.

Businesses need to get things done but don’t always have access to the in house skills or expertise required for projects or specialist activity. If appropriate, our business experts can introduce trusted resources from their network that can jump start new requirements.

What does it cost?

The VNED service is charged on a monthly retainer basis with no long-term commitment and no surprises. The service is designed to deliver on-going value to the MD and the company. The monthly cost depends on the level of engagement agreed and will be tailored to your needs.

Contact Gordon Carmichael on 01276 818125 or gordon.carmichael@hcbusinessadvisors.co.uk to discuss how our Virtual Non-Executive Director service can benefit your business.

My business is driven by technology – can I claim R&D Tax Credits? My business is driven by technology – can I claim R&D Tax Credits?

March 6, 2017 By Linda Eziquiel

Maybe you are creating apps or adapting existing software for cloud delivery (SaaS), or creating tools to make sense of big data, or using CNC machines to mill complex parts, or developing wearable tech or designing new medical devices …… the list is endless.

Whatever your angle you will know that technology and what you can do with it, is constantly evolving. But what you may not know is that the skills and knowledge you are investing into technology could mean you can claim generous Government support.

The questions to ask are:

Do I design innovative products or processes?
Do I employ technical staff or technical subcontractors?
Is there some uncertainty in how to go about getting the outcomes I’m seeking?
Do I spend staff time and money on my designs and developments?

If you do, then you really should check your R&D tax credit eligibility. It’s quite easy to find out, quick to do and will cost you nothing.

How do I check my eligibility for R&D tax credits?

Actually it’s very easy…. most R&D tax credit specialists don’t make any charge for an initial assessment – and it can be done in as little as 10 minutes over the phone. All you have to do is call one!

What happens next?

You will want to know how much your claim is worth and again, most good specialists will make no charge to advise you on the potential cash benefit.

They earn their fee from providing you with support once you have decided to go ahead. They’ll help you to make the case for your claim to maximise the total value. Since the fees you pay for assistance are commonly contingent on success, it’s a low risk process.

What does it cost?

A competitive rate is around 18% of the successful claim value, although some R&D tax credit specialists charge much more… often because they use their internal accountant which adds to the cost. Usually, you can ask your own trusted accountant to submit the R&D claim for you and most accountants actually prefer that.

Any benefits you get go straight onto the bottom line, so they are a welcome ‘windfall’ especially considering that you did not know you were eligible in the first place.

Checking whether you can claim is quick, painless and costs nothing.

Interested in finding our more about R&D Tax Credits for your business? Then email Linda Eziquiel at linda.eziquiel@lgbusinessadvisors.co.uk or call her on 020 8856 9835 for a ‘no obligation’ chat about your eligibility.

6 Important Technological Considerations For A Start-Up

February 6, 2017 By Lauren

1. Watch the cash!

Obviously, for a start-up, this goes well beyond spending money on technology, but it’s important to keep it in mind when choosing software.

Where possible, invest in systems that allow you to pay monthly with no tie-in. Even if you feel that your business requires something more bespoke and specific in the medium term, selecting Pay-As-You-Go systems initially can pay dividends. Initial use of a Pay-As-You-Go system will allow you to test your requirements and then purchase a more bespoke solution from a more informed position.

Consider things like dedicated or hosted servers, and shared environments, so that you are not spending money on in-house servers and so on. Rarely are these necessary nowadays, and in fact they can limit your flexibility. The online environments are usually available for a monthly fee as well, and this helps cash flow as well as limiting risk.

If your requirements change, or if the business fails, you are faced with a relatively small write-off as long as you haven’t signed up to long-term support contracts, or made large capital outlays in these early stages.

2. Do your research

Many business owners are not technology experts, and there is no reason why they should be, but there are many vendors who will take advantage of this fact, unfortunately. If you talk to someone who has a software package to sell, you will always find that their system will do everything that you ask of it – sometimes it is only later that you discover that those claims are at best costly, and at worst simply untrue.

This may seem a cynical view, and there are of course many technology vendors who will offer you the best advice and the benefit of their experience, but they will also tell you that there are no shortage of business like those above. The risk that you run, as a non-technical start-up, is that you don’t know which of these categories the people sitting in front of you fall into!

Make sure you research the market, talk to other businesses that you trust and find out what their systems are, or take external advice. When you settle on a solution, ask for reference sites that you can visit or speak to, in order to find out what the after-sales experience is.

3. Keep it flexible

You may well find that your business changes to some extent as it develops – you find some avenues are more worth pursuing than others, and sometimes what you end up doing a year or so in is not necessarily what you set out to do.

Having systems that are suitably flexible, or which can be dropped and changed quite quickly and easily, can keep you ahead of the game. If you have spent a lot of money on large and inflexible system, this can actively hold back your business growth

4. Aim for integration

It can be tempting to take on an assortment of systems to fulfil various functions that you either need, or think you need. Bear in mind that most of these systems will hold, for example, your customer contact details – perhaps in a CRM system and an accounting system.

If any of those details change, they will need to be updated in two places. Quite quickly, this process will fail, and you will find yourself in a position where you have two different addresses for someone, and you are not sure which is the correct one!

It’s not always easy, depending on the systems you need, but it’s worth aiming for the greatest degree of integration that you can manage.

The golden rule is to aim to store every piece of data only once, and then share it, if you can. So you have one core customer or contact record, one central product record and so on.

5. Consider your processes

When you start a business, you will probably have a fixed idea of how you want it to work. Be prepared to learn from the way that the systems you look at operate – by their nature they will be generic, as they are designed to fit the needs of as wide a base of potential users as possible.

In the early stages of your business growth, try and follow these generic processes, rather than being too prescriptive about your own idea of how you want to operate. You will find it much easier to get started, and you will still be able to get orders out of the door one way or another!

There is an adage that you shouldn’t let software control your business, and this is certainly true, but at the same time you should always be asking yourself why you need to do something that is different to the way in which many businesses operate. As often as not, you may find that there is no compelling reason, certainly in the early stages.

6. Plan ahead

Having made the above point about keeping your processes as generic as possible, it is still important to bear in mind where you want to get to in the end. If you are likely to have specific requirements, mobile apps or e-commerce for example, then try and ensure that the systems you are using can support some form of integration with external systems like these.

You won’t necessarily want to spend money on a mobile app at the start (unless that’s your business!) but you don’t want to be in a position where you are prevented from moving forward by a hasty and poorly researched decision made when you started.

In the end, choosing software is always a risk. You may find something better a few months later; you may spend too much because you are not familiar with the market; your business model may change; new technologies and possibilities may become available, and a host of other factors.

Keeping these six key pointers in mind while you are making your decisions may help to mitigate those risks. Like many purchase decisions, there is a balance to be struck, and there is no right and wrong.

We have extensive experience in implementing processes and systems to help you find the right focus for your business. If you’d like to find out more, please feel free to get in touch with me for a ‘no obligation’ chat about your business software and systems at david.hardstaff@hcbusinessadvisors.co.uk or on 07722 605545 .

Navigation

Making the IT Department Work

3 Reasons for Remote Network IT Support For Small Business

1. Problems Cannot Be Scheduled

2. Response Times Are Faster

3. Remote Support Is More Flexible

Ransomware: What It Is

How to Avoid Being a Victim

How does it work?

What does it cost?

How do I check my eligibility for R&D tax credits?

What happens next?

What does it cost?

1. Watch the cash!

2. Do your research

3. Keep it flexible

4. Aim for integration

5. Consider your processes

6. Plan ahead