Specialist advice

Is it time to take the plunge?

In today's world of social media, instant messaging and mobile phones with more applications than you could think of, technology appears to be in the driving seat of our day-to-day lives. But what impact has this had on business? Are we geared up to deliver to a new type of consumer?

Melissa Latham, Director at Splash Solutions takes a look at the developments in the IT world and discusses whether technology developments could be a help or a hindrance to our franchises.

Things are changing. Our high streets are moving to the internet, our best made plans can be changed at the last minute by a quick text message, our answers to our questions are a simple ‘Google' away. The developments in IT and technology have certainly changed the landscape of our personal lives, but what impact does this have on the way we do business and how do we respond to that change?

Without doubt it is the dominance of the internet and associated new media forms that have had the greatest impact on the business landscape. The accessibility of information, the existence of comparison sites and the many review and feedback forums has prompted one key outcome; the customer is king. As their market choice widens, their loyalty continues to decline.

The move from best services to best deal was fast and has had a lasting impact. Existing and future customers can today compare the services and price of a range of suppliers, both local and international, in a matter of moments. They can update and circulate their thoughts about your business across miles in seconds.

As a result, it is becoming more and more important to present a competitive price, a unique service to our clients, respond quickly to enquires and deliver superb customer service to keep each individual loyal to us. What's more, we need to achieve this all without increasing our costs.

Can that really be possible?
Central to the changing consumer profile and market place in which we function is technology. Technology has driven these changes and so must have the ability to help us respond to them.

Let's consider how:
It can provide us with the tools to automate, to monitor business activity as it happens, to work from any location at any time.
It can present us with the information we need to target our messages to clients with certain buying habits.
It can prompt notifications as soon as a problem or complaint, comment or issue is logged.
It can provide us with the key Performance Data that allows us to make informed business decision whenever they are required.

By implementing solutions such as email marketing applications businesses like yours can begin to change the way in which information is communicated making it relevant, timely and accurate, all at the fraction of the cost of traditional leaflets and letters.

By introducing centralised management systems, you can analyse your networks success in real time to help you keep each franchisees performing to their highest capability. You can introduce process automation that makes sure your organisation is the first to respond to every inbound enquiry and provide your network with the tools that help them nurture and manage their client relationships effectively.

By using a collaboration tool across your network you can gain the benefit of immediate shared experience, success and performance and help your franchise perform as a combined unit to improve market awareness and business productivity.

What's more, with the arrival of new cloud platform, costs are kept low, license counts flexible and systems secure making technology a real option for franchises irrespective of size and infrastructure.

If you want to stay ahead of the game this year, it may just be the time to take the plunge into a new generation of business tools and make sure you're ready for the next generation of clientele and beyond.

For more information on how technology could form part of your plan for development and growth, contact Melissa Latham, Director, at Splash Solutions on 0845 83 85920 or email melissal@splash-solutions.co.uk