Irish entrepreneurs use online applications to boost their productivity

Posted by: Krishna De | Posted on: September 7th, 2007 | 3 Comments | Posted in: Business blogging, Customer service, Free resources, Ireland, Marketing online, New media, Recommended resources, Social media, Technology, Teleseminars, Women in business

Have you ever considered using online applications to enhance your business productivity?

On line applications can help you when working with current and potential clients. For example in connection with lead generation, delivering services to our clients and as internal tools in our practice – all of which enhance your productivity and effectiveness.

I was recently approached by journalist Marie Boran of the Irish Independent who asked me to do an email interview about my use of online applications in business to enhance productivity.

Online tools are particularly helpful when you are in a role where you are mobile and your team and the business partners you collaborate with are dispersed across the country or event the globe as is the case in my business.

Many of the applications are available at no cost or require a relatively small financial investment to assess them.

In addition, you do not have the challenge of installing and keeping the applications up to date on your own in-house IS platform.

Many of the tools and platforms are providing a bespoke solution for us and we did not have a previous desktop application. Other tools such as Skype we use in addition to our regular phone services.

I shared 32 of my favourite online applications that I use in my business.

Marie also asked me a number of questions about my view of online applications and you can read my perspective about why I think businesses big and small can benefit from online applications to build their brand, generate qualified leads attracting more clients, enhance their productivity, improve customer service and increase profits:

Do you see all productivity in businesses moving online within the next decade?

I am not sure that all productivity tools will move online – I think there will still be a need for desk top applications. There are still circumstances and places in the world where we can not always guarantee being connected to a broadband connection. In those circumstances it can be frustrating not to be able to have access to the applications as and when you want them

Online applications also require us to fully trust the hosting provider and I believe  there are some situations and business who will continue to be concerned about online applications for purposes of client confidentiality and security of data which provides competitive advantage. In these cases, online applications are probably not the right solution.

Do you think online applications are best suited to small to medium sized businesses rather than large corporations?

I think there are applications that are of value to all businesses. Larger organisations are sometimes a little more hesitant to explore them because of concerns over internet security.

I believe online applications offer a great, and as yet, untapped opportunity to both enhance productivity, reduce overheads and also enable us to connect and engage with customers, clients, employees and prospects to support your brand and marketing communications plan as for example, as is the case with business blogs.

Do you think those whose businesses are not in the tech sector can easily use apps like these?

The adoption of online applications is relevant for businesses no matter what their size or business sector. My business for example, is not in the technology sector and I have found many applications that are relevant for me, my team and my clients to enhance our effectiveness.

What drives you towards using online apps rather than using a piece of software installed on your desktop?

The online applications we use have been chosen primarily for their functional benefits and ease of use. Many of the applications are available at no cost which is a additional great benefit.

I think online applications also offer you an opportunity to try out new platforms with little risk. There have been some tools that we have explored, and as we have not had to make a huge investment and install them on our systems, it has not been a problem for us to move to other platforms when we have found that the tool did not deliver the benefits we were looking for.

Are there any drawbacks to doing and keeping everything online do you think?

The key areas I have found a challenge have been for example this last month where I have been away on an extended vacation and we have had no access to a phone line. It has been frustrating at times to have to find a Wi-Fi spot to get online to access and update information.

As I mentioned earlier, some businesses may be concerned about the security of their data – I know that I prefer to hold my word documents on my own PC at this time versus on an online application.

The other challenge I have found is that many online applications do not have a live help desk, so if you need immediate support, you often have to post a ticket to a help desk which can be a major draw back if you need urgent assistance.

What advice would you give to an SME who is unsure about how these online apps could enrich and improve their workload?

I would recommend that you explore which part of your business you would like to enhance productivity and cost effectiveness in – is this lead generation, communication, marketing, project management?

Then you can focus on exploring online applications that meet those specific needs. As most are available at no cost for trial versions there is little risk for you.

Be sure to make time available in your calendar to try the application. I know many people register to try online applications and then do not invest time in exploring them fully. Before they know it, the free trial period has lapsed or they find they have made a financial investment in an application they have not used or gained benefit from.

What would you say to SMEs that might fear applications such as RSS feeds, blogs, Facebook etc are time wasting and unproductive?

Yes it easy to think that many of the online applications can be a waste of time rather than enhancing your productivity.

You can always ensure that you limit the time you spend each day in reading your RSS feeds. Of course the starting point is to make sure that you only subscribe to RSS feeds from websites that are going to provide you with the content that you need to support your business strategy and growth plans.

In relation to business blogs and online networking, I think it is important to consider these as tools to use in your marketing and communications plan. Consider your business blog as having your own “column” in a trade journal or newspaper. And consider online networking sites as a community such as being a member of your Chamber of Commerce or other business networking forum, but with the benefits of there being no membership fee, no travel time and no geographic boundaries to finding and connecting with potential clients and business partners.

I have to disclose I am an advocate and evangelist for business blogging to build your brand and your business online as both I and my clients have seen tremendous results for our businesses through business blogs. I can not think of any other way that I could have hundreds of my articles available acting as members of my sales team 27/7 and 365 days a year, so that when people search online for services, products and programmes such as I provide then I am more likely to be found. And I didn’t even need a webmaster to help me make this happen as business blogging has such an easy interface – if you can type an email you can blog.

In relation to business blogs, given that they are considered a trusted resource for consumers and customers, even if you are not ready to author your own business blog, I believe it is important to follow the conversations in the blogosphere for your business sector. This can give you great insights as to what is happening in the world of your clients, competitors and the market place in general.

In relation to online social networking sites, as I mentioned earlier, as many of them are available at no cost it takes little time to make sure that your profile is there so that you can be found. However I do not advocate you have to be active in every community. Just as you choose which offline networks you want to invest in, you should do the same with online social networks. Find the online communities that meet your specific networking requirements be that personal development, connecting to potential clients, market research or networking for social reasons.

I have to say that I took little notice of social networking sites until a few years ago when a colleague of mine secured a contract in business worth €60,000 all through making connections and building relationships through LinkedIn – now that made me take notice.

And of course if you are in a company and looking for your next career move perhaps into a new business sector or a new organisation within your own sector, building your personal brand through writing a business blog and being visible and active in online networking sites is imperative today. Your business blog can express your expertise in your field. Be aware that HR professionals, recruiters, journalists and researchers in the media are all spending time online – wouldn’t you rather be found versus your competition?!

Online applications provide us as business leaders with great low and even no cost platforms to build our brand, generate more leads for our business and increase both productivity and profits.

With demands on us all to deliver products, programmes or services faster, more cost effectively and more efficiently, with more and more teams working virtually across Ireland and across the globe, with the ease of access and use, online applications can provide competitive advantage and are a great addition to our leadership tool box.

You can also read about the tools the other female and Irish entrepreneurs featured in the article, Claire Wilson and Annette Clancy use to enhance their productivity on their business blogs.

© Krishna De. All Rights Reserved

Krishna De is an Employer Branding and Personal Branding strategist. You can access free articles and resources to build your corporate brand, employer brand and personal brand online and offline at Krishna’s business blog and podcast at www.bizgrowthnews.com