Coming to a Business Like Yours: Webware
Whether you sell a product, a service, or a combination of both, those who are successful have one thing in common... an efficient back-office. But the "cost" of an efficient office has meant using complex accounting and order-entry programs that are hard to learn and can require a computer expert to network many machines together. The software companies have not been standing still during the past two years. They have heard their customers complain and many of them are now coming out with what is often termed "webware" or web-services.
Web services were first made popular by the on-line stock brokers like Ameritrade. The concept spread to banking, then to payroll services like PayCycle and now to the full back-office such that all of the major order-entry, billing, reporting, and financial functions of the office can be done on-line with services like JAYA123 (http://www.jaya123.com) and the Oracle Small Business service. Instead of buying or downloading a large and complex software package that is not only difficult to install but difficult to learn, vendors are now offering on-line services that you simply subscribe to and pay monthly, the same way you pay your ISP or
cable bill. While programs like QuickBooks and Great Plains won't disappear, a lot of small and medium size business are switching to webware. The advantages of these services are many.
First, there is nothing to buy, so you don't end up laying out a chunk of change. Second, there is nothing to install because you access the software on the web using your browser. Third, you can use any kind of computer you wish.... as long as it has a browser. (Some services even run on a Palm Pilot-like device!) Fourth, there is nothing to backup or to crash.
Fifth, you are not tied to any one machine... you can run your business from anywhere in the world. The word "security" comes up all the time. But most experts agree that there is more hype than fact when it comes to Internet security. A well maintained "locked down" server that runs software designed to be a web-service is just as secure or more secure than the office desktop, that is easily compromised by any employee who has access to it, or anyone who might just help it "walk away." And as for "up-time" how often has your desktop crashed compared to how often your Internet connection has gone down or your ISPs server was not available? For most businesses, the answer is obvious.
People have been doing their banking on-line for years. Same with payroll and taxes. There are no known breaches. The back-office order-entry, inventory, etc., is simply a logical extension of what has been going on in other sectors. Should you switch? The answer depends on many factors.
If you have many tens of thousands of customers, you are probably better off with a traditional desktop, multi-user, network system like QuickBooks or Great Plains. However, smaller businesses, especially those on a budget, will find back-office "webware" to be very attractive. Also, if you have remote offices or if you have vendors (like fulfillment houses) that might need access to your data, web services are the way to go. You can buy a "read-only" account and give that to outside vendors (or employees) and they can use it (anywhere in the world) to view data, but not change anything. Large firms have Virtual Private Networks to do all of this.
The small business sector will now have the save advantage. The web is the network! One of the best things about webware is that you can truly "try before you buy" without having to download and install anything. The "demo" that you use on the vendor's web site is the same system that you will
use "for real" when you subscribe. A lot of business people don't use the latest software products (or they don't update the software they have) because they fear they will have trouble installing it or learning how to use the new system. One of the advantages of webware is that everyone knows how to use a browser.
Well-designed webware is intuitive by nature... just like the web. There is hardly any learning curve. Contrast that to learning how to use one of the more popular back-office desktop systems. There is no underestimating what a well-oiled office infrastructure can do for your business.
Being able to take orders, create invoices, account for the money, keep track of customers, do your taxes, and create reports to show you how you are doing are invaluable assets to anyone running a small business. With webware, it finally gets easier..
Alan Canton is the president of Adams-Blake Company, Inc, Fair Oaks, CA. The company provides the JAYA123 back-office web service. Information can be seen at http://www.jaya123.com.Adams-Blake Company, Inc.8041 Sierra StreetFair Oaks, CA 95628Contact: Jennifer Churchmedia@adams-blake.net916-962-9296Small Business Franchise Opportunities
Many businesses offer small business franchise opportunities. There are many things that are needed for a small business of this kind, but the rewards are great. Franchising allows you to take on a proven and marketable brand and logo, without having to go through the time, effort, and money to build a name or a reputation. When investigating a small business franchise, it is important to know the industry related to that franchise. Restaurant chains, supply stores, and many service-oriented businesses have franchises available and the first step is finding a company that you believe in.
Your faith and commitment to the product or service that you market are imperative.
Small Business Franchise opportunities in the restaurant industry are extremely profitable. This will not be an undertaking for the faint of heart though. There will be a larger investment monetarily and time wise initially that you would not have with smaller endeavors. However, once established, you...
Payroll > Small Business Franchise Opportunities
QuickBooks Users Save Time on Payroll Accounting
Madison (ContentDesk) November 2, 2005 -- The Payroll Company today announced its General Ledger Export for customers who use QuickBooks, one of the most popular business accounting packages on the market. This simple-to-use system allows customers to access their payroll data online, and then export that data to their QuickBooks software. ???Before General Ledger Export, many companies that wanted to manage their employee costs in QuickBooks had to enter the data manually, even after already entering much of the same data into their payroll system. With this product, companies no longer have to worry about re-keying data and then often searching for the resulting data-entry errors.??? Were excited about this new time-saving option for our customers, said Eric Schroeder, President of The Payroll Company. It makes use of the data already in the payroll system, so users dont have to re-key the data, ever.
We expect it will save our customers about an hour each pay period, and...
QuickBooks Users Save Time on Payroll Accounting
Payroll > QuickBooks Users Save Time on Payroll Accounting
Caribbean Books introduces ?Patriots Vote for Guaranteed Medical and Full Salary Retirement? by Jim Johnston. Promising the aging a guaranteed income retirement commensurate with their life style of today
(ContentDesk) May 2, 2004--In this book, the primary objective of the author is to make Americans aware of the message contained in chapter 12. This chapter describes a proposal now before congress that may provide full salary retirement income to those who retire under this plan and in the process save Social Security and Medicare.The problems of concern to Social Security and Medicare are projections; it is projected in the very near future these social programs will not have sufficient income to support the benefits that must be paid to future recipients.The solution is simple, either increase income or reduce projected future recipients and the plan described in the book reduces future recipients by offering retirees full salary retirement income in lieu of benefits paid from these social programs.The plan is paid for by the employers and while paying for this plan the employers convert 40% of their current payroll expenses into new taxable net gain and most importantly the employers...
Caribbean Books introduces ?Patriots Vote for Guaranteed Medical and Full Salary Retirement? by Jim Johnston. Promising the aging a guaranteed income retirement commensurate with their life style of today
Payroll > Caribbean Books introduces ?Patriots Vote for Guaranteed Medical and Full Salary Retirement? by Jim Johnston. Promising the aging a guaranteed income retirement commensurate with their life style of today
Directo Paycards Ease Payday Stress For Temp Workers
Atlanta, Ga. (ContentDesk) April 25, 2006 - Directo, a leading provider of paycards for unbanked consumers, announces that Chase Staffing has selected the firm to meet its employees direct deposit needs.Chase, a rapidly growing staffing company focused in the southeastern United States, provides direct deposit to 68% of its employees, a figure that continues to climb. For Chase, offering a paycard to its employees has become an imperative, and Atlanta-based Directo, Inc., was the natural choice as service provider.
"Directo drives our direct deposit engine," says Debi Brusehaber, Purchasing Manager for Chase Staffing.
"For employees who don't have bank accounts, it's great to be able to offer them one when they sign up for employment.
Plus, Directos implementation team was outstanding so that we were up and running in no time. Employees work for the $18.5 billion dollar a year staffing industry because of the flexibility it offers, allowing them to take time...
Directo Paycards Ease Payday Stress For Temp Workers
Payroll > Directo Paycards Ease Payday Stress For Temp Workers
TALX Launches New Learning Solutions Aimed At Reducing Unemployment Costs For Employers
TALX Corporation (Nasdaq:TALX), a leading provider of human resource and payroll related services, today announced the launch of new electronic-based learning solutions that deliver training to front line management as part of TALX UC eXpress unemployment cost management services.These new learning solutions provide employers with on-demand, training capabilities for their first-level management. Designed to help employers further reduce their unemployment costs, these solutions include the convenience of desktop learning with the ability to track progress and effectiveness of the training. These comprehensive and systematic learning solutions enhance the skills needed at critical places within an organization to improve efficiencies and increase margins."Controlling unemployment costs is everyone's job," says Ed Chaffin, president of TALX UC eXpress. "Whether you're a manager working at the headquarters location or a front line supervisor, it is critical to understand the unemployment...
TALX Launches New Learning Solutions Aimed At Reducing Unemployment Costs For Employers
Payroll > TALX Launches New Learning Solutions Aimed At Reducing Unemployment Costs For Employers
Coming to a Business Like Yours: Webware
Whether you sell a product, a service, or a combination of both, those who are successful have one thing in common... an efficient back-office. But the "cost" of an efficient office has meant using complex accounting and order-entry programs that are hard to learn and can require a computer expert to network many machines together. The software companies have not been standing still during the past two years. They have heard their customers complain and many of them are now coming out with what is often termed "webware" or web-services.
Web services were first made popular by the on-line stock brokers like Ameritrade. The concept spread to banking, then to payroll services like PayCycle and now to the full back-office such that all of the major order-entry, billing, reporting, and financial functions of the office can be done on-line with services like JAYA123 (http://www.jaya123.com) and the Oracle Small Business service. Instead...
Coming to a Business Like Yours: Webware
Payroll > Coming to a Business Like Yours: Webware
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