Using Excel to manage your business is a Terrible idea!
But using software that looks and acts like those Excel spreadsheets you meticulously setup to run your business, that’s a great idea!
Today, you’re here because you’ve managed to grow a successful business. You’ve built it from the ground up, managed everything by hand, on paper, in excel spreadsheets, but now you’re frustrated, feel held back and want to do more.
Things have become hard to manage and you’ve come to realise one or all of the following:
- You’re losing money through lost inventory, customers or production
- You can no longer keep track of everything like you used to
- People in your business are storing important business information (like projects) on their computers and as a result, you keep losing track of things.
If this sounds like you, then read on because this is your first step on the road to freedom.
Let’s clarify something before continuing:
Systems run Businesses, People run Systems.
System’s create consistency, improve profit and help you plan for the future. A business that follows well built systems in well built technology solutions are substantially more profitable and less stressful to run than those without.
As you’ve grown your business, you’ve probably created some systems (A system is a process for people to follow) in order to ensure that things get done right. And those systems probably involved filling out spreadsheets with information.
Take for example a manufacturing production workbook, lets say you make concrete troughs for farmers. You put in the spreadsheet the order, what stage its in, who’s it for etc etc. And then, you hope your staff update it. You also hope your staff don’t make a copy of that spreadsheet, put it on their own computer and use that copy to manage production instead!
The trap of Spreadsheets
But we all know, people will do what they can to make their lives easier, and in excel, if John doesn’t quite like how Jill has laid out the spreadsheet, he will make a copy of it, change it to his liking and then before you know it you have two versions of the truth, and probably neither of them is right!
And then don’t get me started on reporting! Who’s data do you use, what is right, what is wrong, it’s a nightmare!!
But your processes (systems) are custom to you right?
The unique way you do business is setup because that works for you and you don’t want to change that, and fair enough, you worked hard to build a successful business in a way that you know works.
You decide to go to a custom software house, ask for a quote for them to build you a solution tailored to what you do now. The price comes back in the tens of thousands and carries lots of risk such as the simple fact that really only one software vendor can support you and if they go out of business… who will support you?
So you go back to Excel and hope for the best!
Not anymore, because now there’s an alternative, a system that can be built to look and run like your spreadsheets, follow your custom processes, only do it better, keep all your data in one place and make your life bearable again!
To find out how we can do this for you, get in touch to start your journey to business freedom.
