The start of 2013 brings more misery to train travellers with rail fares for season ticket holders increasing by an average of 4.2%.  Is this the year that employees say enough is enough?

 

Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the TUC and chairwoman of Action for Rail, said: “At a time when real wages are falling and household budgets are being squeezed, rail travellers are being forced to endure yet another year of inflation-busting fare increases.

 

The TUC has claimed average train fares have risen nearly three times faster than average incomes since 2008.

 

Many employees will feel that they have no choice but to change jobs with this continued pressure on their earnings.

 

The loss of seasoned employees on small to medium businesses (SMBs) may potentially have significant impact.   A recent study from the Center for American Progress showed that for all jobs earning less than $50,000 per year the average cost of replacing an employee amounts to 20 percent of the person’s annual salary.

 

Can UK SMB’s afford to lose staff because of inflexible working practices?  Is 2013 the year when SMBs review their IT strategy with a view to allowing more of their staff to work from home by utilising cloud technologies?

 

Not only are employers likely to see an increase in productivity from staff working remotely they will also achieve additional benefits.    Decision makers will have a greater freedom of choice in how the services they require are obtained, cloud technologies help to reduce IT costs, they help organisations be more efficient and businesses can pay as they go – many SMBs are cash-strapped, and having a heavy capital outlay for IT infrastructure can cripple investment elsewhere

 

According to forbes.com 74% of small-medium businesses expect to use cloud services next year. They are also mobilizing their workforce. This can increase remote worker productivity by 72%.

 

By opting for something in “the cloud” businesses can make their data available to many users wherever they are, at work, on the go or even at home.

 

Cloud solutions such as SAP’s Business ByDesign allow employers to provide employees with up-to-the minute information wherever they are working.  And with the mobile application for smart phones such as iPhone and Blackberry information is available even when they are on the move.

 

SMBs really should consider taking the plunge and implementing cost-effective, efficient cloud solutions to aid their growth plans and to ensure staff retention.

 

About the author…

 

Caroline Atkinson is Director of Business Development at In Cloud Solutions. For more information on how SAP ByDesign can help your business, please visit https://www.incloudsolutions.co.uk/

 

Caroline Atkinson

 

Mobile: +44 (0)7923 495647

 

For many businesses this time of year can be crucial to their success, with increased energy being exerted to reach year-end goals.  However, for many disaster is looming in the wings.  Whilst so much attention is being expended on making sales, partying or even holidaying the old bête noire cash flow is temporarily forgotten.

Small firms in the UK should view the run-up to Christmas and the first few weeks of the New Year as one of the most dangerous times of the year to experience cash flow problems, warns IGF, one of the UK’s leading independent commercial finance companies.

With many small companies still using disparate software systems, often relying on spreadsheets, they are often unaware of the seriousness of their financial situation until it is too late.  It was reported on Smallbusiness.co.uk  in October that 70 per cent of businesses which go bankrupt are profitable when they close their doors … The figures speak for themselves: businesses that plan their cash flow needs once a year have only a 36 per cent survival rate over five years. Those who plan their cash flow monthly have an 80 per cent survival rate.

For many if would be beneficial thinking about implementing a solution with real time reporting.  This would give access to up to the minute financial data; giving businesses early warning of impending danger.

However for many, in today’s difficult economic climate, making large capital expenditure purchases can be almost impossible to think about as finances are feeling squeezed.  However, in opting for a solution that is in the “cloud” businesses can minimise their financial exposure.

Ideally the solution would also enable them to benefit from other business processes such as procurement, supply chain and customer relations   Software such as SAP’s Business ByDesign offers companies the ability to deploy an integrated solution and pay a monthly subscription, allowing them to accurately forecast their IT needs with no hidden extras.

More importantly, once cash flow is under control, real-time reporting and an integrated will give companies the management information they need to aid their growth plans and to have a 360^O view of their business.

About the author…

Caroline Atkinson is Director of Business Development at In Cloud Solutions.

For more information on how SAP ByDesign can help your business, please visit https://www.incloudsolutions.co.uk/

Caroline Atkinson

Mobile: +44 (0)7923 495647

Email:   [email protected]