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Cloud Technology for Regional Business: Barriers, Benefits and Success Stories

Cloud Technology for Regional Business: Barriers, Benefits and Success Stories

Cloud technology does so much more than make it easier to manage your finances, workflow, timesheets or compliance. For regional and rural businesses it can open up a whole new world of efficiency and opportunity. The efficiency comes from streamlining processes to work smarter, not harder—a benefit for any business, regardless of location. But as someone who is regionally based myself, I witness first-hand the benefits that cloud technology brings to local businesses, and the broader effects it has for communities. When regional businesses embrace cloud solutions to increase competitiveness and attract a wider client base, they thrive. The benefits are considerable for any business, especially service based businesses such as accountants, designers, marketers, surveyors, consultants or lawyers. And thriving local businesses means jobs, investment and economic stability for rural and regional communities.

Benefits of cloud technology for rural and regional businesses

With cloud-based technology becoming more accessible, rural businesses can attract non-local clients, creating new revenue streams for their business. In the past, a regional business could only be strong as its local economy. Serving clients outside this community was a rare occurrence without incurring significant travel time and costs, but this is no longer the case. Business Continuum itself is a great example of this. Whilst we are not regionally based ourselves, we have clients across Australia, in locations such as Port Hedland, Bunbury, Launceston, Port Augusta, Mildura, Wagga Wagga, Mullumbimby, Dubbo, Newcastle and many others. We have seen these regional businesses use cloud solutions to save time, reduce manual labour, increase flexibility for their workforces, improve reporting and compliance, drive down costs and enjoy many other benefits.

Another benefit of cloud technology for rural and regional small businesses is being able to access interstate or international workers. This gives regional businesses access to a wider pool of talent, if they are willing to forgo the traditional nine to five ‘everyone at the office’ mode of operation. These benefits bring greater resources to regional and rural businesses, making them more competitive.

Broader community benefits

Of course, having a hub of thriving locally-based businesses is great for regional economies. Businesses with solid profits invest back into local resources such as real estate, hospitality, design and professional services. Cloud technology also gives regional business a better chance of competing with inner-city based service providers who may have higher overheads. And if your regional businesses has lower operating costs, you might choose to pass on savings to your customers.

Businesses that reduce costs via cloud technology can also invest the savings in employing the local workforce. With a thriving local economy, younger workers are far less likely to have to move to the city to get professional jobs. For example, a skilled graphic designer living in Lorne could be working for an agency in Toowoomba, using cloud-based project management to get the job done without ever setting foot in the office. Time saved on the commute can be spent surfing at the beach instead.

Barriers to entry

It’s reasonable to question the wisdom of migrating your entire business online when your local broadband service is sketchy. Fortunately, regional internet access is considerably improving with the rollout of the National Broadband Network.

The bigger barrier to cloud migration for businesses in regional areas is their own fear and reluctance. Embracing change is never easy, and this was demonstrated to me recently when I met a local plumber and his son. Nev, aged 55, established the business and is in the process of handing the reins to his son, Jack, 28. Nev wants to cruise through the next ten years to retirement. He doesn’t have the energy to try new solutions. He tells me ‘it all works fine the way it is’. His son Jack disagrees. Jack knows that the future is in the cloud, and he wants to get the business ahead of the competition as quickly as possible. I see many people like Nev, and they aren’t necessarily aged in their 50s—and this isn’t a problem exclusive to regional areas. Change is difficult, but worthwhile when the rewards are so considerable.

Case Study – Wangaratta Surveying Firm

At Business Continuum we worked with a Wangaratta-based surveying firm who have 35 staff working across three offices. We helped the firm migrate to WorkflowMax to manage applications at a far lower cost of deployment and management than its old client server architecture. By using cloud-based software and tweaking it to the company’s needs, they’re now able to do business with clients all over Victoria and interstate, offering a range of land surveying and development services. Staff are now able to log timesheets from mobile phones, giving the staff flexibility but allowing management to retaining operational visibility and control.

Case Study – Shepparton Accounting Firm

An accounting practice in Shepparton with 40 staff approached us to help them transition to the cloud, and subsequently we migrated them to Xero and Xero Practice Manager. Xero now has more than 600 add-on applications (software that integrates to provide additional services and support), so a core part of our service was utilising the right combination of add-ons for this business. This approach enabled the firm to streamline its processes and save hours of manual processing. An added bonus is that the firm has engaged remote workers, who bring additional skills to the business without being based locally. By using mobile based invoicing systems, they are now getting paid faster too!

It’s rewarding to help many regional and remote businesses embrace the benefits of cloud-based software solutions—it can really open up a new world of opportunity for them. By basing the technology around the process (and not basing their processes on the technology) they are well equipped to continue serving their clients for the next five, ten and twenty years. Good cloud-based businesses of the future will have the capability to understand data and apply it to deliver client value. Some will get left behind—don’t let that be your business!

Whether you’re an established business or just starting out, we can help you select the best cloud software for your needs. Contact us today to talk about what cloud solutions can do for your business.

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Business Continuum Appoints Tim Dowling as Client Director

Business Continuum Appoints Tim Dowling as Client Director

Tim Dowling, a leading technology industry veteran with more than ten years of experience has joined Business Continuum as Client Director.

Extensive knowledge of WorkflowMax for our customers

Tim brings considerable experience to his new role, including four years in-house at Xero—firstly as Direct & Channel Sales Manager, and then as General Manager for WorkflowMax.

“I’m delighted to join the Business Continuum team and I’m impressed with its success and continual growth,” said Tim. “Business Continuum is a business that really cares about its customers, and is at the forefront of cloud innovations for service industries, which is a great fit for me. I can’t wait to get stuck in.”

Strong addition to Business Continuum team following significant growth

Matthew Peng, Business Continuum’s Director, said that Tim’s experience, connections and enthusiasm make him a welcome addition to the team.

“We are experiencing a strong growth phase, so it’s essential that we manage it effectively. Tim helps us solidify our service offering and create sustainable growth whilst continuing to provide cloud solutions for our growing customer base. His in-house experience with Xero and his extensive operational knowledge of WorkflowMax will be a welcome resource for our customers.”

Tim says the opportunity to join the Business Continuum team is the perfect fit for him. “Their methodology, success and services are a winning combination,” he said. “I am looking forward to using my extensive consulting experience to help Business Continuum continue to attract and retain customers as more and more service based businesses identify the benefits of migrating to the cloud.”

Tim’s experience

In addition to his several years with Xero in various roles, Tim was previously General Manager of Commercial Operations for Vault Intelligence, leading creators of risk and safety management software.

Tim is also a well regarded technology industry commentator with a strong following on LinkedIn, where he shares business insights, advice and opinions from thought leaders across the world.

Tim holds a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Accounting and Commercial Law from Deakin University and in his spare time he enjoys reading IT and business books, making apps, camping and keeping fit with Crossfit, running, walking and swimming.

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The Benefits of Cloud-Based Inventory Management

The Benefits of Cloud-Based Inventory Management

Imagine a world where automation and cloud technology didn’t exist – a world where everything had to be documented manually. Imagine how long it would take to communicate with colleagues and clients without email, or having to write down every single transaction by hand as a shop owner.

Without software to automate laborious tasks, everything would slow to a halt. Despite this, a significant number of businesses still fail to automate and fix outdated processes that, if they were to do so, would save valuable time and reduce the number of costly business errors caused by manual data entry.

Inventory Management is one example of this. If you’re a business that sells a tangible product, it’s vitally important you get your inventory management setup sorted so you’re capturing the right information, in the right way.

What are the benefits of cloud-based inventory management systems?

When it comes to Inventory Management, some businesses still start with a spreadsheet or even gut-feel to manage their stock levels. This might be adequate enough at the beginning, but as your business grows these manual processes won’t be able to scale with you, reducing productivity and increasing the likelihood of lost business through stock-outs and data entry mistakes.

Here are some of the benefits a cloud-based inventory system can offer.

Save time. Manually entering stock detail into a spreadsheet sucks up a lot of time and energy. Think about how much time you and your staff could save if key parts of the inventory management process were automated by software.

Minimise lost sales. Manual data entry leaves plenty of room for error, and means you’re less likely to be on top of your stock as a result. Cloud-based inventory software has the ability to display your stock levels in real time and allow you to set minimum stock level alerts, so you can anticipate demand and respond proactively rather than reactively when it comes to managing your inventory. The outcome? You’re less likely to lose sales due to unexpected stock-outs.

Powerful reporting capabilities. Access to insightful reporting is one of the big benefits of a cloud-based inventory management system. Apps such as TradeGecko, Cin7 and DEAR have powerful built-in reporting tools that can help you track sales and, in some cases, help you forecast stock levels based on previous sales periods and seasonal trends.

Integration (and automation). Many software platforms like the examples above integrate with other cloud-based apps – examples include Xero, Shopify and Magento as well as many others. Integrating inventory management with your accounting software removes the time-consuming need for double data entry. And with your inventory system and ecommerce store automatically working in sync, your online customers are less likely to be disappointed by a surprise stock-out.

Fit for purpose. One of the great advantages of inventory management software is that it’s built for purpose. POs and invoices capture necessary detail such as quantities, item size, item colour and units of measurement in a way that’s industry standard. Many inventory software platforms also include additional features such as B2B ordering platforms, 3PL integration, barcode scanning and the ability to categorise, track and order product by location.

Monitor stock levels wherever you are. The beauty of cloud-based software is that you can access it anywhere – in most instances, all you need is a laptop and internet connection. If your company has a mobile sales team, being able to check stock and raise orders on the run can save them valuable time.

Cost-effectiveness. Cloud-based inventory software tends to be sold by subscription, and many providers offer tiered packages so you can pick the right one for your business. Paying a subscription also ensures your software is automatically updated by the provider as and when updates are ready – gone are the days of having to purchase a CD and install new software (and with it, the potential for unexpected down-time).

Right, I’m sold! How do I get ready to migrate?

Most cloud inventory software companies offer free trials, and this is a great way to dip your toes in the water as a starting point. Test-drive a few options to see what works best for your business, and make the most of your trial period by getting your team involved and testing out the different features, reporting tools and templates on offer.

Once you’ve made the call to move to the cloud, the first thing to do is tidy up your stock list, customer and supplier information – working with clean data is key. A full stocktake will be required before converting your business over to a new inventory system, so it’s best to schedule all of this outside of your busy sales periods if possible.

It’s also important to consider whether you need to shift your accounting software to Xero at the same time, as this will add a few extra steps to the process to ensure everything integrates seamlessly.

If this all seems like a lot of work, there’s no need to feel daunted. As an experienced cloud integrator, Business Continuum can help guide you on the best way to transition your business across to cloud-based inventory management software. If you’re keen to find out more about how your business could benefit from cloud-based business software, feel free to contact us to discuss your specific requirements.

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5 Highlights From the Xero Roadshow 2017

5 Highlights From the Xero Roadshow 2017

Last week the Business Continuum team attended the Xero Roadshow in Melbourne. These events are always a great opportunity to catch up on the latest news from the Xero camp and with some of the app partners doing interesting things to enhance the Xero experience for accountants and small businesses.

Here’s a few of our highlights from the roadshow:

1. Fixed assets with tax

Joe Salvati (Head of Partner Solutions) announced that Xero will be incorporating tax values into the fixed assets module of Xero. This much anticipated development will allow accountants to set up tax depreciation on the fixed assets register including pooling.

2. Xero Tax

Some nice updates for Xero Tax were unveiled – and there are a few more on the way. You can now set up multiple customised email templates for sending your eSign tax returns and activity statements. There’s also a reminder email template for following up clients who haven’t signed their tax documents yet, which is a precursor to automatic email reminders (currently in development).

A faster, more intuitive Xero Tax user interface is being rolled out this year with new tax forms. Matthew Prouse (Partner Solutions Manager) demonstrated a cleaner UI that’s designed to make it easier for the user to speed up the processing of tax returns.

Matthew also unveiled Xero’s partnership with Tax & Super Australia that would see the integration of their tax knowledge base directly into Xero tax forms. Accountants and bookkeepers will be able to access the latest, up-to-date information direct from Tax & Super Australia for each line item of a Xero tax form.

3. Xero HQ recap

Matthew also took us through a great recap of Xero HQ features. These included adding client notes and tagging clients (like Gmail labels). He also explained how you can set up custom alerts in Xero HQ – for example, to notify you when a client organisation has reached a certain number of unreconciled bank transactions.

4. Clone organisations

This feature was first announced at Xerocon South last year and is now close to launch. Users will be able to copy data across from an existing Xero file when setting up a new one, which will help to save time setting up bank rules, chart of accounts, contacts and tracking categories. This will be a great time-saver for accountants and bookkeepers.

5. The food!

Xero sure does know how to put on a good spread, and the mini beef rolls were our favourite – enough said!

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