How businesses can successfully outsource to locals

TOOWOOMBA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

LAST week, Toowoomba Chamber hosted their September Business at Dusk event with EFEX Toowoomba and Ambrosiussen Accountants at their Annand Street offices.

Over 150 attendees from the Toowoomba business community joined us to learn more about both companies and their adoption of the “As A Service” model, which provides goods and services to businesses inclusive of support and maintenance, on a simplified monthly billing platform.

A highlight of the evening was hearing from Darren Copland of Emu Gully Adventure Education Park, who shared how their business was growing as a result of engaging with companies such as EFEX and Ambrosiussen Accountants for a more cost down approach to accountancy and tech support.

The chamber are proud to have witnessed the change from Think Office Technology, a local print-based business who has supported the business community for over 25 years, to EFEX, an all-encompassing managed services company covering all lines of business technology, including IT, Voice and Data services.

The end result benefits to Toowoomba businesses is clear – one provider, one contact and one monthly invoice – proving that outsourcing technology services for small business is both cost effective and allows business owners to get back to doing what they do best. EFEX regional area manager Tristan James shared with us his top tips to help businesses improve their office technology plan for 2020:

■ Put a dollar figure on your staff ’s working hours dedicated to fixing technology related issues in the business and consider the impact of the staff member then not performing their main job tasks as a result of this. For example, if a CFO or Office Manager is helping staff with IT related matters at least four hours per week – this could cost a business about $13,000 a year in lost productivity.

■ Look at how many technology issues are being bandaided in house or by your current technology provider. Consider the impact from a financial and productivity point of view – it’s better to engage with a supplier who will fix the issue the first time, every time.

■ Do you know your current true printing costs? If you’re sending staff out of your office during office hours to buy toner for retail branded devices or want to understand your current print supply agreement better, you can conduct a printing health check by engaging with EFEX’s technology consultants. You can take advantage of a complimentary audit of your current situation along with recommendation’s on how to reduce costs.

For more information about the chamber, head to www. toowoomba chamber .com.au/