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Posted: Thu, May 18, 2006
Clare Barclay, Head of Small Business, Microsoft - the ITWales Interview
by Sali Earls UK small businesses make up around 99% of UK business, with a combined technology spending power of some £17 billion. Clare Barclay took up her post as Head of Small Business for Microsoft in November 2005, to develop and support these organisations. Amongst her responsibilities, Barclay oversees bCentral, Microsoft's designated small business website, which not only provides information on the company's products, but also sound business advice on everything from starting a business to making pension provision for employees, and everything between. She spoke to Sali Earls about the ways in which Microsoft can support small businesses, the open source debate and new products including Microsoft Vista. Small businesses are interested in growth and cost savings, how can Microsoft help them achieve these goals? Advances in technology have levelled the playing field. Technology can help a small company to look and act big; to be as competitive as larger rivals. For example, the internet can give a small company an international presence and an opportunity to expand into markets overseas as demonstrated by ACME Whistles which does business in India and Argentina. Technology can also help small firms address a range of other business issues, whether that might be increasing business efficiencies and reducing cost or improving communications and collaboration. Our primary goal is to help small firms thrive and succeed. Therefore, we have developed products for small businesses with these business issues in mind. By helping Small Business Owner Managers address these issues, Microsoft technology can deliver immense value to their companies. For any company with a specific business challenge, we recommend they turn to a locally based small business technology expert for advice. A full list of Microsoft approved small business technology experts is available at www.bcentral.co.uk/consultant. What top tips would you give to budding entrepreneurs to succeed as an SME? To create a business that will be valuable in a year or three years time, start off by asking yourself 'how you will judge the value of your business?' If your sole answer is based on money in the bank, you could be heading for a fall. Of course business survival comes down to the bottom line - but these days many more factors determine whether you're 'successful' or not. Firstly, stay true to yourself. With integrity you can't go far wrong. Most people start a business because it's in a field they enjoy, or in which they have particular expertise. Finally, many later starters in business have simply decided they want a better retirement than a pension, and something more to offer their families than an inheritance. All of these are things worth pursuing. The good news is that these goals are not incompatible with making money. Indeed, a responsible attitude to business is usually profitable. 'People buy from people' is one cliche you'll hear with alarming regularity, alongside learning to work 'on' your business instead of 'in' it. And the "people that other people like to buy from" are people who are likeable and have integrity. If you haven't already decided to do so, you should get down to your first serious task: writing down, step-by-step, what you aim to achieve with your new venture. This is your business plan. This plan is very important as it will be your starting point. It should take into consideration your realistic, achievable goals - both short- and long-term. In other words, without giving away all your secrets, you need to document the mechanics of how you intend to set up your business. This will give those you need to involve - for instance, your bank, accountant, partners, employees and backers - a clear picture of your vision for the enterprise. Then once you have a business plan compiled, do consider getting some advice from your local British Chamber of Commerce or Business Eye. Another good starting point for further information on starting up is www.bcentral.co.uk. Bill Gates is famously quoted as saying if he only had a few dollars to spend, he would spend them on marketing. What are your thoughts on this issue, and what advice would you give to SMEs about negotiating the marketing maze? There are many descriptions of what marketing is but according to the leading professional body, the Chartered Institute of Marketing, it is defined as: "the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably". Marketing is not about making the sale; it's simply about underpinning the sales process, by providing the tools necessary to allow the "conversation" with your prospective clients to begin. Marketing is the all-encompassing term for these tools, which include activities such as branding, websites, advertising, direct mail and PR. Research and planning of marketing activities is crucial to success, but it's important to understand the end goal too. My advice to any small business is to develop a marketing plan. This plan should be a statement of intent - where you are, where you want to go and how you are going to get there. But before drafting this plan, ask yourself who your average customer is and think how you can attract their attention. Put yourself in their shoes and live their life for a moment. Take yourself through their average day and imagine what processes they might go through when they decide to buy something. If you understand them, you can start to see which communications might have an effect and which might not. This process should inform and underpin your marketing strategy. Why should small businesses invest in Microsoft Office when open source alternatives are available which could meet 90% of users requirements? Small businesses choose Microsoft Office because it delivers superior business advantages, helping them to be more productive whilst also lowering Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). All Microsoft products are engineered to be familiar, easy-to-use, support a broad choice of applications, and with a special emphasis on security, reliability and consistent interoperability. Microsoft Office is no different. Specific benefits of Microsoft Office for small businesses include the following:
Bill Gates recently commented that Open Office is 10 years behind Microsoft Office. How do you think the products compare? The key differentiator, of course, is the maturity of Microsoft Office as a solution. This means that not only is the software highly-developed, but businesses can also take advantage of added benefits including a widespread customer support network. This is a particular consideration for smaller businesses, which often lack in-house IT expertise. Whilst choosing open source might sound like a great idea in theory, it's important that potential customers consider the issue of long-term support. Similarly, as open source solutions continue to evolve, so customers are increasingly regarding Linux vendors like any other commercial software provider - focusing on the overall business advantage, value for money and risk associated with these long-term technology investments. We believe that the inherent advantages delivered by Microsoft's products and support network means that they are still the logical choice for customers. There has been much speculation about Microsoft Vista - how will the security issues associated with current versions of Windows be addressed? Windows Vista is engineered to be the most secure version of Windows yet. Building confidence and trust in our customers continues to be the single most important ingredient to our success and the success of the technology industry as a whole. This effort, known as Trustworthy Computing, requires that we develop a more secure operating system. Windows Vista will meet that requirement by building a security infrastructure that provides a usable, consistent and manageable experience and ultimately making our customers more confident in their PC and the things they can do with it. Windows Vista will contain a number of new safety features that, taken together, are designed to make Windows PCs more secure and online experiences safer. The improvements will give users
It's well documented that IT can have a negative impact on the environment, so what would you recommend small businesses do to make sustainable computing a cost effective business priority? Every year throughout the world, millions of fully-functional computers are thrown away. The Microsoft Authorised Refurbisher programme works with refurbishment organisations to help prolong the useful life of this equipment and help ensure that it reaches those in need of affordable access to technology. Eligible recipients are eligible charities, eligible academic users, and other Microsoft specially-approved recipients wanting to obtain refurbished computers with a legally-installed operating system licence. This means that organisations of all sizes can ensure that their unwanted hardware is utilised in the best way possible. Software as a Service is a new buzz phrase, but do you think it could be a potentially sustainable business model for use by small businesses? As businesses of all sizes, including small firms, seek new and less costly methods to acquire and pay for business applications, software vendors are increasingly being asked to deliver their software on demand with usage-based pricing mode. Microsoft believes this new world of software-based services delivered via the internet is a fundamental shift that we aim to lead with a compelling vision and strategy of continuous innovation. To further support this commitment, we are developing Windows Live and Office Live. Windows Live and Office Live are optional sets of services that are available separately from the Windows operating system and Office. Customers will be free to run Windows with or without the Windows Live or Office Live services. In addition, Windows Live and Office Live will plug into Windows through platform mechanisms that are available for use by the developer community at large. These are the first manifestations of Microsoft's software-plus-services approach. More generally - databases, accounting, real-time access and collaboration, Customer Relationship management, Web publishing, and other key applications are already available via SaaS from a variety of vendors. Typically they are sold on a month-to-month, per-users basis. This "pay-as-you-go" model is a good option for small business, since it avoids large upfront costs. The cost of the service can grow or shrink as your company's needs change. However before deciding whether you should invest in your own technology or opt for a SaaS type package, do turn to your local technology consultant for advice on which option will deliver most value to your firm. Is the future of Microsoft in hardware or software? Business or consumer? Microsoft's goal is to allow people to realise their potential through technology. Everything we do has to be user centric, and you will see in products like Office or Windows Vista that Microsoft continues to be primarily a software business, but the future is about allowing people to seamlessly access their information, digital media or business data wherever and whenever they want it, on any device. One of the things that Microsoft does best is to work with our partners to take our software and build all kinds of devices and software solutions that allow customers to use the Internet in new ways - to reach out, create communities or work anywhere they choose. Microsoft provides the platform that makes this easy. What skills would you look for in young people that want a career in IT? A career in IT is one, which can offer a very varied and rich experience. I would counsel anyone considering a career in technology to do some research to see what area might most appeal to them - jobs in technology can range from helpdesk support through to being games software developer. A career in IT would best suit someone who is interested in new technology and has an aptitude for math and/or Computer Science, if the latter is an option as a course at your school. Once you have completed your GCSEs or A-levels, you can go on to study IT in college. If your school has a careers adviser, he or she will be able to help you identify the right course for you. You could also sign up to do some Microsoft certifications, which are highly prized by employers. A great initial qualification for a career in IT is the MCDST (Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician) which has enjoyed great success in the UK. This certification is globally recognised in the industry and validates that individuals have the skills to successfully troubleshoot desktop environments running on the Microsoft Windows operating system. A full list of Microsoft certifications and background information on each course is available from www.microsoft.com/uk/learning. For further information visit www.bcentral.co.uk. Send a comment about this article to editor@itwales.com. |
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