Archive for category Small Business
How we make our customers happy
Posted by admin in Small Business, Uncategorized on December 15th, 2009
I believe it is important to reflect on why clients have chosen your company for the services you provide and how you make them happy.
Most days we are all rather busy running our companies and do not take the time to really stop and pause and think – why are all of these clients dealing with our company?
What is it that we are doing right?
Why do these clients call on a regular basis or renew the yearly contracts?
Is it our expertise?
Is it our pricing?
How about our exceptional staff or our marketing skills?
Perhaps it is just a case of being good at what we do.
All of these are important but in many cases others likely do these just as well
At the end of the day I believe it comes down to the philosophy that you use to guide your business and your ability to take on clients that share this philosophy as well.
If there is a clash in corporate values between you and your client – the relationship will not work.
If you run your business with integrity and honesty then having a client who does not value these ideals will not be a good fit.
If the client does not value the core values of your organization then you will not retain the customer.
Our philosophy is that every member of our company will look out for the interest of every client and manage their technology with integrity, trust and complete honesty.
This is how we make our customer happy as this underlying principal guides everything that we do and very interaction that we have.
Perhaps it is time to ask your provider – what is your philosophy?
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Does Your Golf Game Reflect How You Manage Your Business
Posted by Mike Haworth in Small Business on May 21st, 2009
The great thing about golf is that how you play is really a reflection of how well you manage and treat people in your life . It is not a question of How Good You are or What Your Score Is, but rather how well do you stand up to challenging situations and adversity?
If you mess up a shot and the ball only goes 10 yards three times in a row, do you throw your club? Do you yell and scream?
How do you feel as the three other guys stand there and think “this guy needs lessons”.
I have often seen people on the golf course make all sorts of excuses and blame others for how they play.
They will rant and rave and perhaps swear when things do not go well. They may even throw their club or pick a fight with the foursome that is coming up fast behind. Perhaps they will answer their cell phone in the middle of the fairway showing total disrepect for others on the course.
Are you nice to those in your foursome that do not play as well as you? Do you treat the new player kindly and issue words of encouragement or do you count his score to make sure he does not say “I got a 5″ when “he really got a 6″
Does your behaviour on the golf course reflect how you behave in business? Do you keep your head down and persist even during the most difficult of times when everyone seems to be watching? Do you treat your clients and staff respectively and always act with integrity?
Golf (and success in business) is a game of integrity and those that play the game well play the game with respect and honor. The real winners are not those below 80 but those who leave the course knowing that they played well.
Mike Haworth
Binatech System Solutions
West Seneca, NY and Hamilton, ON
The Time and Materials Service Model for SMB is Broken
Posted by Mike Haworth in Small Business on May 8th, 2009
Why Most Companies are Unhappy With Their IT Service Provider
Most companies we contact express dismay with their IT Service Provider. These companies complain about endless bills and a lack of partnership with their Provider. The reason for this is that most Service Providers bill clients on a Time and Materials basis.
The client wants the problem fixed as quickly as possible to save money and the consultant is able to bill more the longer the call takes and the greater the frequency of problems. This conflict of interest does not work in the best interest of the client.
This approach is reactive, the consultant is rushed to complete the work and the client usually does not allocate time for the consultant to properly manage the Network. This Time and Materials Service Model is Broken.
There is hope. By entering into a relationship with a Service Provider where you are not charged by the hour results in a better managed network with much fewer problems.
A new breed of IT Service companies has developed over the last 5 years where the focus is on strategically managing IT Resources for the SMB market place. If you own an SMB it is in your interest to identify providers where they will take ownership of your entire IT system and be held responsble for all IT matters. These service companies will offer a flat rate per server and workstation and will look after all issues for the set fees.
If an IT Services company believes 100% in the IT management that they provide then they will be willing to be held responsible and charge a set fee.
Something for Small Business owners to consider.
Mike Haworth
President,
Binatech System Solutions
Hamilton, ON and West Seneca, NY
When a problem arises the client contacts the Service Provider who arranges a time to come on site, who then bills the client for the time taken, for every hour spent on the job.