Another Short Small Biz & Tech story
I picked up a new client the other day, and ran into a situation that I’ve seen MUCH too often:
ORGANIZATIONAL CHALLENGES,
and LACK OF TRAINING.
This client is in the throes of opening up a retail location, where 2 businesses will be location – Event Planning and Photography (focusing on Babies and Weddings). They are hoping to add a bakery later on.
The owner had already paid someone to design the logos and setup 3 initial websites plus a brochure. The designer had to move to Germany, however – and the owner was not comfortable working remotely (although I’m sure the designer could have done this!).
What I found when arriving onsite reminded me of the importance of staying organized with your data. They had data strewn across 3 different machines, weren’t sure of where the logo file were – in fact, weren’t even sure what format the files were in. It also took some time to find the login information for the GoDaddy account to see what had already been setup.
[As an aside - the original designer also signed them up for "account protection" - which means that we will have to jump through some serious legal hoops before we can get the domains transferred over to MidGaHosting.com - a MUCH friendlier and less expensive option].
The staff are also in some serious need of training in basic computer processes – and some decisions need to be made regarding file management, network sharing, printer setups – all with an eye to increasing efficiency. After all, the less time spent LOOKING for a file means more time WORKING on it, right?
Small Biz is a tough market, yet so very important to our country. It is a TOUGH decision to spend money on training because it is an intangible thing – yet having on-site training from a GOOD trainer can pay extraordinary dividends in terms of efficiency gains and aggravation reduction!
I’ll be talking with the client after the dust settles about doing some onsite training. It’ll be interesting and fun!
