Companies need effective process, the focus of leadership and structure that can stretch to enable the business to grow safely as a massive 55% of businesses fail in their first five years of existence. The observers offer useless ‘insight’ as to why this happens. I continuosly observe three key reasons why this tragedy happens so often and to so many individuals with different backgrounds, education and knowledge.
The first reason is lack of market comprehension.
No foresight. For example People dream up the concept, build the product and then sit back and wait for the market to appear and purchase. In networked age there is no excuse for lack of research prior to wasting any time and money on creating a product until you have solid evidence there is a market.
The number two reason is lack of understanding of the basics of business.
The majority of folks starting a business know their trade, how to offer a service or build a product, but know very little about running a company. Being able to understand and track the balances in the P&L or the balance sheet is a vital. The basic knowledge of accounting is not very often imparted well by the business books, online resources and experts with the knowledge such as accountants and bookkeepers. The problem is worsened by greedy and short sighted technology companies such as Sage software misleading the market by selling only a portion of the functionality actually needed by small businesses.
Large corporations years ago deduced that all of their systems should be fused together to give them a complete picture of the business and then along came ERP software solutions and packages. One software developer NetSuite had the vision to see the gap in the market and started selling its small business ERP software. NetSuite competitors have seen the gap as well and as a result lower cost easier to use systems have emerged.
The final reason businesses don’t survive is because of a dirth of process and procedures that put in place the vital disciplines and continuity a business must have to perform efficiently.
You might have heard of SAP systems. It’s a software application used by a substantial number of medium sized and major corporations all over the world. The prime use of the platform is to ‘wire’ the entire company together and allow hundreds and often thousands of employees to store, share and recall knowledge concerning the physical and financial processes of the firm. Significant organisations are lead by intelligent individuals who know the strategic benefits of this category of software, such as how it can give them insight into why issues are happening inside their company or where there might be opportunity for refinements.
This category of package is often known as ERP. It is very complicated, very expensive and can take along time to implement. An installation of ERP software is a significant investment but this doesn’t stop big companies investing in these systems.
Until this year software like this was not within reach or affordable for tiny organisations. As a result tiny organisations have not been aware of the significant benefits that ERP systems can deliver. Tiny companies have been hoodwinked by aggressive software such as Sage Software and Intuit that small business accounting software is the solution. These platforms most often have no functionality to permit their users to join together the whole organisation or do basic tasks such as customer relationship management.
It is for this reason that small business ERP companies similar to Salesorder.com have started to make great progress in the market. They sell saas which includes all of the major functionality a small business needs at very low cost. What is even more interesting is these platforms are easy to operate and can be delpoyed quickly.
Now ERP applications are no longer the privilege of substantial vendors.
My perspective is bookkeeping is really unnecessarily complex but after struggling with my bookkeeping problems for along period I found a very practical shortcut that I need to share with you. Most owners I know in small companies want to devote their time to getting customers and selling as opposed to doing accounting. All organisations have to pay special attention to their bookkeeping if they want to avoid problems.
I asked my bookkeeper for guidance and he convinced me I should use Sage Software which turned out to be a small business accounting software package. Without even looking at software I simply went ahead and purchased the lowest cost version I could find. This was definitely one of the worst mistakes I made as the software turned out to be really hard to understand and use. OK my first piece of advice is that whenever you see the words accounting software tread carefully as it definitely means the vendor is assuming you know a substantial amount about accounting.
I had to find a solution that worked for me so reluctantly I cleared my diary and allocated quality time to find an answer. The second piece of wisdom I want to share with you is my discovery of a really easy to use and free web application called salesorder.com.
This is definitely the easiest software I have ever used and what’s more it is internet based and therefore I can use it from anywhere I want to work. Better still and the third piece of guidance I want to tell you is that the people who work at salesorder.com are not just very knowledgeable of their software but they know a significant amount about the problems of managing a small enterprise and have taught me the accounting I need to know.
The top reason people fail to succeed at operating remotely is they fail to realise the essential requirement of good quality organisation and enduring self management.
I have been toiling remotely for nearly 8 yrs since I first unearthed Quickbooks online an ‘on demand’small business accounting software web application and was energised by the fact that if you can do accounting on the Internet then why shouldn’t it be possible to perform other important types of work at a distance?
Whilst working remotely has many benefits there are numerous things that workers don’t realise which turn into issues that result in reduced productivity and lower motivation. The most cited reason for reductions in effectiveness in remote workers is disturbance and it is a proven and well publicised fact that it can take a employee up to 20 mins to establish their original output level after experiencing a distraction.
Deeper insights reveal that people who are consistently subjected to distractions are more likely to suffer from decreased memory power and are prone to developing mental health trouble in old age. We live in an over communicated world and it is important that you are acquainted with the issues this causes before you commence working remotely. When operating remotely you should do everything possible to reduce the probability of being interrupted.
Here are the essentials:
1, Get a habit, make sure that everybody knows it and stick to it!
Good examples are a consistent time of day when you review or write and send mail and make or take phone conversatiions. Before I began working remotely I used to receive up to 200 electronic mails every 24 hours. Now I think I am unfortunate if I get in excess of 5. To ’reset’ my e-mail experience I changed my e-mail address and vigorously took steps to shield the details being made known to anyone. I then educated every person who I gave my e-mail address to, to use it with special care. I also set up an automatic response that swiftly told anyone sending me mail my routine for processing mail and if something needed my urgent consideration to mark it as ‘Urgent’.
2. Get rid of alerts.
Disable every function that can send you a interruption. This includes cell and ordinary telephones and types of alerts from e-mail such as visual alerts, warning sounds, display changes to your inbox folder and of course facing a window. Get a door on your office and put up a ‘do not disturb’ sign on it.
In ‘Remote Working Part 3 – What should be in your tool box’ I will reveal my favourite tools and software.
Obviously not all of us is able to work remotely as there are some types of work that require employees to go to their office or travel to undertake their work face to face. But for those of us have the chance to work remotely then I thought it would be useful to share my experiences and share some practical wisdom by distributing it online with the sole objective of providing useful timesavers for adapting to remote working or managing remote workers.
I should warn you that there are groups of people on the Internet who will try and make you purchase courses for preposterous sums of money, trust me you don’t have to do this.
I am fortunate to be able to work in whatever location I choose and just about everyone who asks me what job I do wants to understand how I manage to work remotely. Don’t be fooled here I am still improving the art of remote working as all of the time I come across tribes on the net who teach me new methods and I am continually coming across new tools and ways that make my life simpler and improve my productivity.
In the past 7 years I have substantially adapted my working methods to let me to do most of my work remotely with a portfolio of internet tools and solid self discipline. One early morning whilst surfing the web I unearthed Quickbooks online and this made me aware of what just might be possible. The discovery of online ‘on demand’small business accounting software was a pivotal moment for me and the beginning of my ‘remote working history.
I have to inform you up front that successfully working remotely is as much about the software as it is about self discipline. Working remotely also means imparting to your co-workers, managers and clients as to what they can expect and how they will stay in touch with you.
In ‘Remote Working Part 2 – Staying focused and maintaining concentration’ I steer you through how to focus.
Before I present to you my collection of the top web tools that almost certainly assist you to operate remotely, I need to alert you to one more pearl of wisdom related to self discipline and specifically to do with keeping your focus and levels of concentration
I’ve observed and confirmed a consistent habit in colleagues who work online and I’ve known for quite a long time and I call this habit the 50 min effect. I uncovered these men and women who focus and work for 50 minutes and then kick back for a whole 10 mins. rest and are much more productive and generate a significantly better quality of work than members of both sexes who don’t have similar working methods.
OK as promised I present you with my list of favourite remote working online services:
Electronic Mail
Google Mail is free. For my money the search and label (categories) features are superior to anything I have previously seen. The only disadvantage so far is that I have seen it run quite slowly on lower spec.computers
Phone calls Skype used to drive me crazy as the connection performance was atrocious, but all credit to the software tech’s at Skype now as they have really improved the quality of the service. For few dollars a month Skype lets me call and conference in any phone and Skype subscriber in the world. The current version of Skype has an abundance of very useful functions and there are now plenty of of useful add ons.
Organising Content Evernote has connected more than a million users in no time at all – it lets you to store, organise and annotate any type of digital media up on the Internet. Just go check it out…it’s free.
Invoicing, Time and Expenses capture, Accounting and CRM
You definitely know that my ambition to work remotely was originally encouraged by Quickbooks Online, a small business accounting software system. But it is no match for the free edition of salesorder.com – a lead to cash system that’s as easy to use as a pc mouse I looked at NetSuite whose pricing (and people) scared me off. My choice here is salesorder.com – Go check it out.
The number one reason men and women fail to succeed at working remotely is they fail to see the criticality of having good quality organisation and enduring self management.
I have been operating remotely for more than six years since I first discovered Quickbooks online an ‘on demand’small business accounting software online system and was blown away by the fact that if you can do accounting on the net then why shouldn’t it be workable to perform other important types of work at a distance?
Whilst working remotely has substantial gains there are numerous traps that people easily fall into which convert into problems that cause reduced productivity and reduced morale. The most cited reason for decreases in productivity in remote workers is distraction and it is a verified and well known fact that it can take a employee up to 0.33 hours to return to their original productivity level after experiencing a distraction.
Studies also show that persons who are regularly experience distractions are more likely to be susceptible to decreased memory power and are prone to developing mental health problems in later life. We live in an over communicated era and it is essential that you know the problems this causes before you decide to work remotely. Whilst operating remotely you have to do everything possible to eradicate the probability of being distracted.
Here are my most important tips:
1, Get a habit, tell everyone about it and stick to it!
Good examples are a specific time of day when you read or compose and reply to mail and make or be available for telephone conversatiions. Before I began working remotely I used to get as many as hundreds of electronic mails in 24 hours. Now I think I am unfortunate if I get more than 5. To ‘restart’ my e-mail experience I altered my e-mail address and tenaciously took steps to look after the details being made known to anyone. I then made sure every party who I gave my e-mail address to, to use it wisely and sparingly. I also created an auto-responder that swiftly told anyone sending me mail my routine for attending to mail and if something should have my immediate consideration to mark it as ‘Urgent’.
2. Get rid of alerts.
Turn off every possible mechanism that can send you a perceptible alert. This includes portable and ordinary handsets and types of alerts from e-mail such as display events, warning sounds, screen changes to your inbox folder and of course facing a window. Get a door on your office and put up a ‘do not disturb’ sign on it.
In ‘Remote Working Part 3 – Basic Toolkit’ I will reveal my favourite tools and software.
Obviously not all of us can work remotely as lots of careers require people to consistently attend their place of work or travel to undertake their duties in person. But for those of us have the chance to work remotely then I thought it would be useful to share what I have learned and share some practical advice by putting it on the net with the sole objective of providing useful advice for adapting to remote working or managing remote workers.
I can tell you that there are a lot of self proclaimed ‘gurus’ out there who will try and make you purchase online education for big sums of cash, believe me you don’t have to do this.
I am blessed to be able to work anywhere I choose and just about everybody who asks me what work I do wants to know how I am able to work remotely. Don’t get me wrong here I am still refining the art of remote working as everyday I encounter people on the net who tell me about new ways and I am repeatedly coming across new systems and approaches that make my life simpler and increase my productivity.
In the past 7 years I have steadily adapted my working practices to allow me to do all of my work remotely with a portfolio of internet tools and solid self discipline. One late night whilst surfing the web I discovered Quickbooks online and this brought to my attention what just might be possible. The discovery of web based ‘on demand’small business accounting software was the turning point for me and the start of my ‘remote working history.
I have to tell you up front that productively working remotely is as much about the tools as it is about self management. Working remotely also means informing your colleagues, managers and customers as to what they can expect and how they will stay in touch with you.
In ‘Remote Working Part 2 – Best practises’ I talk about how to focus.
