moneytalks
Is Your Head
in the Clouds?
Peter Wesley explains what the 'cloud' is and how it saved his business.
I was on my way home, looking
forward to spending some time with my
kids, when the phone rang. It was a client,
an important one. He wanted a quote
changed and needed it asap. Before I began
using the cloud, I would've had to turn
around and go back to the office. But now,
with all my systems hosted in the cloud,
I was able to head home, change the quote
and have it back to him before he expected.
When I set up my business I knew
I wanted things automated, inexpensive
and simple, but at the time there wasn't
much available. Today, there still isn't
one package that can do everything, but
with two or three software solutions, you
can pretty much run your whole business
remotely and automate so much of it –
cheaper, faster, more easily.
What is the Cloud?
The cloud is software as a service – in
other words, you pay for someone else to
manage software, backups, security etc.
Instead of buying software and installing
it on your computer, the software is
installed on a server in a data centre,
with all the security and redundancy
built in, and you log on via a browser.
What tools are available
for Trade Businesses?
Email
The main benefits of having your email
hosted are security and redundancy.
Microsoft Office 365 and Google Apps
are both good but have different strengths.
Google Apps costs $5-$10 per month, per
user, while Office 365 for small businesses
is up to $13.50 per user, per month.
84
A File Server
All your files are stored in the cloud so you
can access them from any computer. Plus
all the backup is taken care of.
Options:
• Dropbox – www.dropbox.com
• SugarSync – www.sugarsync.com
• iCloud – www.apple.com/au/iCloud
• Live Mesh – login.live.com
• SharePoint – www.office365.com/
SharePoint
Dropbox costs $10 per month, so $120 per
year keeps my file server secure.
Job Management Systems
Every business has different requirements
so you need to spend some time working
out what will best suit your business.
Online job management systems allow
you to get your business processes into
the cloud and automated. Being able to
complete a job, have the customer sign off,
email the invoice and take payment all on
your phone saves time and money.
Web-based systems include:
• Connect 2 Field
– www.connect2field.com
• Foxbuddy – www.foxbuddy.com.au
• SimPRO – www.simpro.com.au
• GeoOP – www.geoop.com
Accounting Software
In the past, the major problem with
accounting software has been data security.
If you lose your data file, you can spend
thousands of dollars trying to recreate your
most important business information.
It's important to consider the business
behind the software so you know that
you'll have support and backup in the
future. Most accounting software packages
start at around $9 per month. To get full
functionality, expect to pay about $50 per
month – excellent value when you consider
the cost of running a server, UPS, backups
and software updates.
Options:
• Xero – www.xero.com.au
• QuickBooks nline
– www.intuit.com.au
• MYOB LiveAccounts
– www.myob.com.au
• Saasu – www.saasu.com
Getting your business automated takes
time and effort but ultimately, it will save
you time and increase your profits.
"When I set
up my business
I knew I wanted
things automated,
inexpensive
and simple."
Peter Wesley is the creator
of BetterBackOffice.com.au
and author of 11 Secrets of the
Millionaire Tradesmen.
peter@betterbackoffice.com.au
