| Keeping costs under control is a challenge that most | | | | and video calling for his business. |
| companies face, but for small businesses operating on | | | | For firms operating on incredibly tight budgets like |
| tight budgets it is essential if they are to survive. So, | | | | PippedOnline the ability to conduct high quality video |
| any new technology, such as free calls via the | | | | conferences via PC is literally a Godsend. Not only can |
| internet that can help reduce costs is welcome news | | | | Wilson get the vital human interaction necessary to |
| to the large army of small businessmen and | | | | develop meaningful business relationships, but he can |
| businesswomen throughout the UK. | | | | also do it without leaving the comfort of his own |
| For those who regularly deal with international clients | | | | office. In addition, it also addresses the productivity |
| and suppliers it can be quite damaging to cash flow | | | | issue as key employees are not out of the office |
| to frequently travel abroad in order to attend | | | | travelling to meetings. |
| meetings. Previously, however, the only realistic | | | | He said: "We win in three ways with video |
| alternatives to face-to-face meetings were phone | | | | conferencing. Not only can we spend more time in |
| conferences which tended to be difficult to arrange, | | | | the office being productive, we keep costs down by |
| usually expensive, and often led to confusion and | | | | not travelling and it also makes PippedOnline more |
| misunderstandings between the parties involved. | | | | eco-friendly by cutting down our travelling carbon |
| However, the combination of internet and broadband | | | | emissions." |
| has made life a lot easier for small and medium-sized | | | | But, Wilson concedes it is the economic benefits that |
| businesses, especially those that have clients or | | | | appeal to him most. In line with the figures produced |
| customers in foreign countries. Although larger | | | | by OFCOM detailing the impact on SME costs, he has |
| companies can usually afford to regularly send staff | | | | seen his broadband bills drop by 20% since 2004, and |
| abroad, for many small businesses such an expense | | | | his telephone costs reduced by 8% over the same |
| cannot be justified. So, those that have customers | | | | period. |
| abroad must find alternative methods of conducting | | | | Now, he is also seeing the benefit of reducing |
| their business, and using internet phone and video | | | | international travel costs, as he regularly makes free |
| calls can be the perfect solution. | | | | video conference calls to his clients in Canada and |
| David Wilson, Managing Director of Pipped Online Ltd, | | | | Germany, via the internet. Using video conferencing is |
| a specialist marketing agency based in the South | | | | particularly pertinent for Wilson as he is able to |
| West of England, has suppliers and customers | | | | include several staff and suppliers at any one time, |
| throughout the UK, Scotland, Germany, and Canada. | | | | although he has never got anywhere near the |
| Constant travels to their premises took him and his | | | | maximum 24 people that he could include. |
| small number of staff out of the office for days at a | | | | He is in no doubt though that all small businesses |
| time, leading to a loss of productivity and an increase | | | | should take up the internet phone and video calls |
| in company expenditure. But recently, he has been | | | | options, although rather mischievously he hopes his |
| able to cut down international travel and reduce his | | | | competitors don't, making their cost base significantly |
| telephony bills after selecting to use internet phone | | | | higher than his own! |