Are SMEs Doing Enough To Market Their Business Online?

Image source: Jerrard Wayne

A new survey conducted by ReachLocal in the UK has revealed that 55% of small businesses, believe that not enough is being done to market their business online. 

The survey polls UK SMEs from a wide range of industries and it explores how they feel about online marketing and managing the enquiries they receive. 

54% stated that they are not sure which marketing tactics are delivering a return for their business and 23% spend their money on the marketing initiatives that they think are successful, even if there is little evidence to back up their success. 

The survey also reveals that 31-35% of email or website enquiries are not responded to in less than an hour, a staggering figure that could cost small businesses a lot of money.

Paul Liascos, UK managing director for ReachLocal, said: “Online marketing can be highly effective, but it’s wasted money if you can't respond quickly to the enquiries generated. The whole marketing and buying cycle has to work well to ensure that companies do not leak leads.”

A Harvard Business Review study found that 50% of customers choose to do business with the company that responds to them first, and according to a researcher from Portsmouth Business School, small businesses are also lacking in social media marketing, even though they are more likely to be striking the right personal tone in comparison to big corporations. 

How do you feel about your online marketing strategies? Do you think there’s more that you could be doing? Let us know your thoughts. 

360ict provides managed IT services and emergency IT support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including Bromley and Croydon. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website.

StartUp Britain, A Nationwide Tour Designed To Inspire Would-Be Entrepreneurs

A national campaign that aims to inspire new start-up businesses has embarked on a tour of the North. 

StartUp Britain is a campaign by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, which harnesses the expertise of Britain’s leading businesspeople to celebrate, inspire and accelerate enterprise in the UK. 

The 1966 Routemaster bus will tour 25 locations around England, Wales and Scotland to offer advice from the country’s best business mentors, start-up experts, business IT support professionals and employees from headline sponsors Sage to aspiring entrepreneurs. 

Yesterday in Newcastle mentors from the North East’s Entrepreneurs’ Forum spoke with members of the public about business ideas and of their own experiences, which highlighted that connecting budding entrepreneurs to local organisations can help them to get started in the business world. 

According to the StartUp Britain website, the campaign was founded by eight entrepreneurs and launched on 28 March 2011 by the Prime Minister, with the full support of the Chancellor and HM Government, although it is completely funded by private-sector sponsors. The campaign is now run by the Centre for Entrepreneurs, the entrepreneurs' think tank, enabling them to communicate better policies for entrepreneurs to Government.

“We are truly passionate about promoting entrepreneurship and its benefits to our economy and we do this by highlighting the myriad of support that is available to those who wish to start or grow a business, galvanising support where we see a demand and by acting as a voice for small businesses to Government.”

We think this is an excellent event and we urge potential entrepreneurs from across the UK to attend, you’ll never know what valuable information you might receive! And if anything, it’s a good chance to network with some of the best business minds around.

360ict provides managed IT services and emergency IT support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including Bromley and Croydon. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website.

UK Inflation Turns Negative For The First Time Since 1960

Figures released recently have revealed that the main measure of UK inflation turned negative for the first time since the measure has been in existence. 

The measure, known as the Consumer Price Index (CPI), reached a figure of -0.1% in April and based on historical estimates, is the first negative figure that has been recorded in the UK since 1960. It is believed that the biggest contribution to the downturn of inflation came from a fall in travel fares, with costs thought to be 2.8% lower than last year. Food is also 3% cheaper compared to April 2014s figures. 

Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England, discussed his thoughts on whether this statistic represented an ongoing trend in the UK economy. Although he did think that the situation would remain largely similar for the next few months he did think that ‘towards the end [of the year], inflation should start to pick up towards our 2% target.’ 

In the interview below, Chancellor George Osborne stated that these figures should not be mistaken for ‘damaging deflation.’ Forecasters believe that the negative inflation will not last long and are avoiding describing these figures as a sign of deflation. George Osborne did add that ‘of course, we have to remain vigilant to deflationary risks and our system is well equipped to deal with them, should they arise.’

As a result of these comments, business owners and others are left wondering whether their own companies are equipped to cope with wider economical changes. In light of the figures released it is crucial companies arrange their businesses in a way that will safeguard their operations. 

To find out more about safeguarding your business and emergency IT support or if you have any questions please get in touch with us. 

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including London Victoria, Euston, Croydon and Bromley. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website.

UK SMEs Have Their Say About The Country's EU Membership

This week a survey was released by Bibby Financial Services, which shows that UK SMEs want the new Government to provide simplicity and stability.

The survey highlights EU membership as a key concern for small businesses over the next few years and that almost a quarter want a simplified PAYE system. A reduction in business tax rates and an end of late payments by large companies were also high among concerns. And like many in the business community we are all left wondering what an exit from the EU might mean for staffing, exports and tariffs.

The survey highlighted many problems that SMEs face including the red tape that comes with being part of the EU. Talking to The Guardian Paul Statham, director of software development business Condeco, says he is pro-Europe but “there is a burden and I know that that is something which the government is continually battling with and I think they should continue to fight with the British point of view.”

Andy Bagnall, director of campaigns at the Confederation of British Industry also pointed out to The Guardian [that] “it is vital that the EU does more to support small businesses, like scaling back unnecessary regulation that can often burden smaller businesses, and making it easier to sell online across Europe.”

Business for Britain has stated that EU regulations accounted for 60% of all EU law, which led its chief executive Matthew Elliott to say that the Commission and the European Parliament see regulation as the answer “to every problem the EU faces”.

However, there is a feeling of indifference towards the EU from companies who don’t export. The IoD’s head of Europe and trade policy Alexandra Renison says: “For many of these businesses, they see all of the regulation with comparatively little in terms of concrete benefits that they're exporting counterparts do. Keeping in mind that over 99% of private sector businesses in the UK are SMEs (according to the government’s own estimate) and that only one in five UK SMEs export, that apathy may be more widely shared than many in internationally-oriented (both politically and economically) London may realise.”

From a business point of view would you rather see the UK in the EU? Let us know your thoughts!

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or contact us via our website.

End Of The Road for Windows Server 2003

Time has nearly run out for Windows Server 2003, in a few short months Microsoft is going to stop support. This means that the stream of security updates and bug fixes customers have received over the last 12 years will cease. 

People may wonder what all the fuss is about: Windows Server 2003 has been around for 12 years, surely it’s time for an update, right? However, businesses typically don’t replace critical servers and infrastructure often, definitely not in the same way consumers upgrade to the latest Apple products. 

Microsoft will pull support on July 14, and over the last week businesses have been discussing the effect impending support suspension will have on SMEs who haven’t upgraded their servers. Over the next few weeks these businesses will have some major decisions to make about the future of their server environments, and we're here to help with this awkward transition.  

A recent survey from Spiceworks revealed that companies across the US are allocating $60,000 for migration-related expenses on average, and that many of these migrations have already begun. For SMEs in the UK, if you haven’t started migrating to new servers, now is definitely the time to do so, because after July 14 2015 holdouts face a risky future. 

When it comes to security, Windows Server 2003 is certainly no Fort Knox, but continuing to use it post July 14 could have some serious security repercussions. 

Ade Foxall, CEO of application portfolio management firm Camwood, believes that “after the recent migration away from Windows XP, IT departments should be more aware than ever of the dangers of using an out-of-date platform. And yet, the lack of awareness surrounding Server 2003 is about to pose an unprecedented security threat to businesses all over the world.”

There is an upside to moving away from Windows Server 2003: businesses have the opportunity to modernise their environments, like moving to the cloud. In another survey conducted by Spiceworks, they found that 64% of business planned to migrate to Windows Server 2012 while the remainder would take their applications into the virtual space.

This is a critical time for SMEs and it’s important that the right decisions are made. Here at 360ict we can help businesses move away from Windows Server 2003 in a simple and affordable manner. If you have any questions, please get in touch!  

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including London Victoria, Euston, Bromley and Croydon. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website.