Running a mid-market business is very rewarding for its owners but it can also be extremely challenging. Although established businesses in their own right, mid-market companies are still highly dependent on the close involvement of their proprietors and founders and frequently do not have access to a full range of professional skills in-house, especially information technology. At a very critical stage in their development and poised for the next stage of growth, they find themselves heavily reliant on the support of external software resellers, consultants and solutions providers for systems advice.
Most recognise that in today's highly competitive trading environment the effective use of information technology is fundamental to success. But when the stakes are so high, who can mid-market businesses trust to guide them through the maze of complex and demanding technology?
It is a dilemma only too familiar to Alistair O'Reilly, managing director and founder of Access Accounting, the privately owned British software company focussed entirely on the UK mid-market. He has seen the problem from both sides of the fence, firstly as a supplier of popular accounting software to the mid-market and secondly as the founder of a successful owner managed business. It gives Access Accounting unique empathy with the marketplace that it serves – something that massive resellers of global accounting packages find difficult to emulate.
"Not being huge, we can be much closer to our customers and have the time to listen to them and understand what they want," O'Reilly told FSN. "These days, customers want much more from their dealers than just the sale and implementation of accounting software. They want solutions providers who can provide advice on how to integrate applications and improve processes. That is why we put so much effort into training ourselves and our dealers, most of whom are exclusively Access resellers with deep product knowledge," he added.
The strategy of listening to customers' needs seems to be paying off. Andrew Blit, financial controller at The Libra Company, a £3 million turnover importer and wholesaler of quality furniture and giftware, has been impressed by the Access specialist he has dealt with. He told FSN, "It was a big leap for us to go from an old Pegasus DOS based system to Access Dimensions, but they took the time to digest the culture of our company and the way that we prefer to work."
It is a view supported by Bob Barnard, Managing Director of DBD Distribution Limited, a £13.5m turnover provider of kitchen appliances to house builders and a typical mid-market customer. He bought his Access Dimensions system through one of Access Accounting's principal resellers. "They listened to what we were saying and were attentive to our needs. They made the effort to understand our business processes rather than 'mould' us to their system. Everyone else we spoke to when we decided to change from our old Sage system was only interested in selling a fixed solution but Access's specialist centre had a much more consultative approach."
The Libra Company had a similar experience. "Access is not a large corporate and we thought that this would enable us to establish a good relationship," adds Blit. "What I like about them is that they are very professional, organised and structured. You never get the feeling that a call will be lost or an email will go unanswered. There is clearly a chain of command supported by good communications throughout. They are pleasant to deal with and exude confidence without being arrogant."
The Libra Company needed quite a lot of 'hand-holding' before Andrew Blit was hired to strengthen their accounting and IT capability. "We did not possess the skills in house to produce all of the management reports that we needed, so we relied on Access to help us create the reports during this critical phase," he says.
Now with Blit onboard, the company is much more self sufficient. "The package is excellent from an information delivery point of view – there is nothing that we can't get at. The reliability of the information, and the speed at which we can get it is as good as I've seen anywhere else," says Blit, who has worked with a number of mid-market packages.
In a further illustration of mid-market empathy, Blit relates good experiences around product development with Access Accounting. "We had teething problems with stock management because of our special requirements for tracking goods, but when we suggested new ways of working or highlighted issues with the software that are not ideal in our environment, Access worked hard to upgrade or add improvements. I don't think that would necessarily have happened with one of the global software suppliers," he told FSN.
Bob Barnard agrees. "We found our old Sage system inflexible but since our initial implementation of Access Dimensions we have had had a number of modifications, and have nothing but praise for our Access specialist, Armstrong Consultants," he says.
"It's how you sort out the issues that is important and Access demonstrate real determination. They seem to route any issues to the right people and I've been very satisfied with the outcome. The people are all very competent," adds Blit.
Although the business systems in both companies are now well bedded in, neither Blit nor Barnard feel that Access Accounting has abandoned them. "They call occasionally to check that we are happy with the system – sufficient to give you the feeling that they are in the background and don't just wash their hands of you," says Barnard. Blit also appreciates the contact. "They send us a regular newsletter and quite often there is something of interest in them," he told FSN.
Self-evidently, having access to award winning accounting functionality 'out of the box' is important to helping mid-market companies to succeed, but it is far from the whole story. Serving the mid-market is also about listening to customers, empathising with their business issues and culture, speaking their language and a commitment to a supportive and approachable style of service delivery. As Access Accounting's O'Reilly says, "It's about people and having a passion for making things happen."
[Sponsored link: For more information about Access Accounts please click on this link http://www.access-accounts.com/ ]
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