Mobility, a strategic asset for your very small business
Today's mobile applications include business management tools with a range of functions. An undeniable operational advantage, particularly for VSEs, that can be turned into a competitive advantage.
The expectations of very small businesses
Connected on the move
Wifi is everywhere. It's become the norm. It's desirable to be connected wherever you are, whenever you want, for personal or business reasons. That's why work tools, whatever their field of action, need to adapt to become accessible on the move. Business management software packages are moving in this direction. Sage, a pioneering software publisher, is launching a mobile application for its very small business solution, Sage One: Sage One.
The benefits for managers
For entrepreneurs and managers of very small businesses, being connected means being able to manage their business in real time. Being able to consult, collect and transmit relevant information on their phone or tablet is an obvious operational advantage. As far back as 2013, more than half the managers of very small businesses chose to equip themselves primarily with a smartphone to be able to work on the move (Linkeo study).
Greater autonomy and comfort
The benefits for employees
It's one thing for managers to be connected as soon as possible, but what about your employees? Well, for employees, the benefits are real too. Before, not having access to your work tools meant you had to 'be in the office' to work. And, as a result, you had to "do your office hours", with the risk of drifting towards unproductive face-to-face work. The accessibility of mobile working tools is undoing these perverse effects. Employees, who are not subject to an obligation of means but of ends, have more leeway to organise their work. Sales staff on the move can thus also ensure continuity in the more support-oriented part of their work.
Changing ways of working
New working arrangements are flourishing with teleworking, which is becoming increasingly popular. BYOD: Bring Your Own Device, the use of personal tools such as telephones and computers in the workplace. For the employee, it's part of the comfort gained on a daily basis. They keep their bearings, their habits and work in a familiar environment: from home and/or with their own equipment. And this can have a real positive impact on their productivity.
On the operational side
More collaboration
The advantages of mobile access to work tools are also felt on a collective level. In terms of company management, for example. The fact that the person who wants to issue an estimate can do so wherever they are unblocks the situation for their colleagues. There's no need to wait until the person has returned from a business trip, the quote is saved in the tool and the information is passed on to the people concerned. This remote coordination makes work more collaborative and efficient.
Greater responsiveness
This ability to maintain continuity of service has a positive impact on customer relations. Information circulates, and members of the company are kept abreast of progress on files in real time. As a result, the responsiveness and availability perceived by customers and/or prospects are at their highest. This fluidity in customer interaction is a guarantee of efficient, long-term sales management.
Competitiveness
Better customer service
By keeping your accounting and sales management up to date, you project a positive, professional image to your customers and partners. Satisfied customers are customers who will stay with you. The word-of-mouth effect also means that you won't have to go looking for potential prospects. This saves on canvassing costs and starts a virtuous circle.
A competitive advantage
The choice of your management tools is a strategic one. By improving your operational agility, you can gain market share and stand out from the competition. That's why you need to opt for high-performance business software that's also adapted to the way we work today. And in this respect, mobility has clearly become a must.
Enterprise software packages are at the heart of operations. And for entrepreneurs and very small businesses too, they represent an undeniable success factor. If you or your colleagues can access the same interface, in real time, wherever you are, then you are better coordinated, and by extension more responsive to your customers. That's why the mobile version of the Sage One management application is a real competitive advantage for your very small business.
Article translated from French