Project Future

Freeagent – the best accounting software by far…

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:34:40 +0000

The more I use Freeagent the more I like it. Not only is it is easy to use and understand (not a debit or credit in sight!), it looks good and the on line support is fantastic. Got an answer on an email query on New Year’s Day within 15 minutes – how good is that?

Use my referral code -3ws4wtts - to get 10% discount if you want to give it a try – I am sure you will love it!

Make CRM systems work for your business

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:00:22 +0000

We can advise on a range of Customer Relationship Management Systems appropriate to the size and nature of your business, both private and public sector. From the customer perspective, CRM can lead to better service levels and one-stop answering of enquiries or
resolution of problems. For your business, employee productivity is increased by less information processing and the empowering of the ‘front office’ end of your business.
The CRM solution can feed directly off your website and greatly increase the business transactions you can do with your customers via the web.

The most tricky software issue for small businesses….

admin — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:45:17 +0000

…….has got to be that entry level accounts packages generally have low functionality, are written in accounts speak, and do not integrate closely with a CRM system in the price range that small businesses can afford.

Accounts and CRM are the two key things that a small business needs to ensure they run efficiently and focus on sales! A CRM system is such a great way to monitor and progress sales, it is a must for any new or expanding business.

It is great that Freeagent accounts is not written in accounts speak, is easy to use and presents a professional image to customers – and – best of all – you can link it to an online CRM system – Capsule CRM.

Can’t wait to try out the link!

Accounts made very Easy with FreeAgent!

admin — Thu, 26 May 2011 13:25:43 +0000

I have recently set up www.freeagentcentral.com for two completely different clients.

It is a brilliant product and so user friendly as it is completely free of ‘accounts speak’. Upload your bank data to Freeagent and you can quickly allocate all your receipts and payments. With products like Sage, you have to enter them all manually – it is such a chore! You will never have to use costly headed paper or send invoices by post with Freeagent (unless you have to that is!) because you can email them straight from the system.

The added benefit to Freeagent is the dialogue it creates between you and your customers when you instantly email invoices, credit notes and statements. This can only improve your cashflow too.

If you want the easiest way of handling your business accounts without having to learn about Debits and Credits and all things boring about accounts then talk to us about Freeagent!

From local government to small businesses – we could all learn lessons from Sir Philip Green’s report

admin — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 10:44:43 +0000

BHS owner Sir Philip Green has condemned government procurement practices as “shocking” in a review of government spending published last month.

Sir Philip’s report found that billions of pounds are being wasted through poor data and inconsistent, inefficient procurement processes across government departments. He condemned the processes currently in place and concluding that it is impossible for the Civil Service to operate efficiently using them.

The report found numerous examples where government departments have not been making the most of economies of scale, working as separate entities without a consistent approach to procurement. One example revealed the vending machines and cafes in Whitehall are operated by eight different companies under 16 different contracts – one for each department. Another example included one department paying £73 for a box of paper while another paid £8.

Central government practices may be an extreme example but some of these lessons can apply to any business.

Projectfuture can review procurement processes across your organisation, whether you are in the public or private sector, and reveal what savings you could make.

Local Enterprise Partnerships – will they really help entrepreneurs?

admin — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 08:25:14 +0000

Nearly 60 bids have gone in to the Government to form Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPS) to take over some of the functions of the soon-to-be abolished Regional Development Agencies. Projectfuture consultants have considerable experience of working with public-private sector partnerships promoting economic development at a local level. We know that getting local authorities to engage on equal terms with businesses in running such partnerships is not easy. How can these organisations avoid being bureaucratic and a total switch-off to local businessmen who have valuable experience to contribute? How can we avoid setting up admin-heavy structures that syphon off funds from the front line of business support where it is needed? What business-relevant services can be offered with the (limited) funds that will be available? If you are an entrepreneur who wants to be engaged in LEPs or you are addressing these issues within a local authority, we would like to hear from you.

Double dip recession? – efficiency in your business is even more important!

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:07:49 +0000

The economy seems to have grown by 1.1% in the three months to June. Manufacturing output advanced by even more – 1.6% It can’t last – or can it? The truth is, we don’t really know. But one of the main drivers of growth, the public sector, will be cutting back soon and thats a definite. This will have effects on spending power across the economy and could hit your sales. On top of this, many businesses still report that maintaining credit limits at their bank, let alone borrowing more, is extremely difficult (despite protestations to the contrary by the British Bankers Association). If sales could be vulnerable and your bank is not an option, look at other ways of protecting your bottom line and dealing with cash outflows -perhaps by managing your cashflow better rather than by borrowing. This is where our approach can help.

Can we cut waste in the public sector without harming services?

admin — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 08:54:23 +0000

Without a doubt. Working with staff to improve process efficiency is powerful. Not only does it improve morale, it improves customer focus because work tasks are made as efficient and effective as possible. The public sector can cut waste by using the principles of our positive process change programme. We can prove that the cost of this programme can translate into costs savings within the first year!

Lynne Cowan

How skilled is your workforce?

admin — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 23:03:30 +0000

Are you frustrated by the inadequate skills demonstrated by some of your workforce? Does this include the effectiveness of your senior managers? A new government funded survey points to a worrying trend at all levels including leadership and management skills.

The first National Strategic Skills Audit undertaken by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills found that since 2005 the number of people in work reported as “not fully proficient” at their jobs had risen by 400,000 from 1.3 million in 2005 to 1.7 million in 2009. The report, which provides an analysis of current labour market trends and sets out what skills will be needed in the coming years, also found that the UK workforce had particular shortages of those with leadership and management skills as well as technical skills. UKCES chief executive Chris Humphries said that despite unprecedented increases in the number of people with qualifications, the UK still lagged behind other developed countries, with one of the lowest growth rates in highly skilled jobs in the OECD.

Project Future can give you important pointers about how to assess and remedy technical skills deficiencies in your business.

We also have a directly delivered service to boost the leadership and management skills of the senior people in your business. Contact us today to learn more about our approach to getting your managers to work more effectively together.