The New Year is fast approaching. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a plan in place that would help grow your business without having to pour more money in? The question is, is this possible? The answer is yes, but only with careful planning. Make sure that you are using your ERP software, like Sage 300, to its fullest potential. Make sure that every aspect of your company is looking towards promoting expansion. We’ve listed some measures to help you achieve this.

Using Sage 300 ERP Software to Its Fullest Potential

1. Hire a diversified and skilled workforce

Do you have a clear view of your workforce’s role and skill set? Effective people are key to any successful business. Don’t start by looking at recruiting new hires, first assess your needs and look in house. Dedicated human resource management software, like Sage HRMS, can help you do this by outlining, via detailed list functions, positions as well as previous experience and training. You may be able to cut costs by hiring specialist freelancers for some projects, too. When you are recruiting, keep your long-term goals in mind. Look to hire people willing and able to step in to help you reach your goals.

2. Choose the cloud

Everyone is talking about the cloud and you should be thinking about it too. Choosing to run your business from the cloud will offer you flexibility and cost efficiencies. With software, access, and secure storage all available as and when required, this is an excellent option for companies who want the ability to scale without the burden of having to commit to costly new hardware or software. Moving to a cloud-based infrastructure will also help you to attract great hires. The new generation of employees like being able to work on the go.

3. Use business management software to fit your needs

A great ERP software, like Sage 300, is key to a company’s growth. It can offer you an all-encompassing view of your business. Making sure that any software you use can scale with you is an important factor. You only want to pay for what you are using. Pick software that drives efficiency by automating as many processes as you can. Introducing automatic billing and regular reporting would be some examples of how to do this. Make the best use of software solutions such as your accounting, payroll or customer relationship management software to ensure that your business is getting the most from it.

4. Grow cash flow

It’s the key to success for both big and small business around the globe. A positive cash flow is vital to the success of any business, but when you are trying to grow, it’s also a key factor. It’s a potential resource that will allow you to grow without having to apply for additional funds from elsewhere. Using software to maximize your reporting will allow you to highlight any late invoices or late payers. Ways to boost your cash flow can be to offer incentives to customers who pay invoices before the due date. Finding the right business software solution can bring it all together.

5. Form a good plan

Growth is a great thing, unless you don’t have a plan for it. Did your business grow and you simply were not able to meet this new demand? This can put your company in a very dangerous position. You will be letting your existing customer base down in order to gain new customers. The reality is that with a good business plan you don’t have to let anyone down. It’s important to monitor any expansion. Before expanding make sure that you can accommodate the growth. Make an updated business plan that shows you how your company could handle growth. Think about your future and draw a roadmap to get there.

6. Communication is key

Your customers are what keep your business alive. They are also one of your greatest resources. Your customers are in a great position to give you the feedback needed to grow your business. Don’t forget about having conversations with them. Build "touch points" into your marketing and online presence to make giving feedback easy and quick. This is a win-win for everyone involved. Not only will this communication give you great information to see how you are doing, but it will also boost your customer’s confidence in you. In turn you are creating lifelong customers and gaining possible referrals for future customers.

7. Jump online

More than likely, you already have a website and mobile technology in place, but the real question is: Are you utilizing it? Is your ERP system mobile? Are you training your employees how to utilize the system when they are out of the office? Is your website user friendly? Do you have a link for customers to post questions to company experts? If you have a link, do you answer the questions in a timely manner? Receiving negative feedback may seem like a bad situation, but you can turn it around by learning from it. Find a way to let your customers know that you are listening and working to make the changes they request. Take your mobile platform and make it work for you.

If you are ready to grow your business in the New Year, contact us for a free consultation. We, at PositiveVision, would love to review your business and offer solutions that will help grow your business in 2017.