Small and Midsize Business Success: 6 Inspiring Stories

Head to any major news outlet right now, and in the financial section you’ll likely find coverage of major mergers, new technology that is making a splash, and how the market is faring. All of these stories are important to be sure, but they’re not the only news worth reporting. Every day, whether we take notice or not, small and midsize businesses (SMBs) are making equally noteworthy moves we can all learn from.

So, in the spirit of fairness and good will, here are some SMBs that have recently reaped great rewards by rethinking the way they do business.

1. Gearys of Beverly Hills. Gearys has been a standout in luxury home goods since its doors opened in 1930. With the advent of online shopping, this little store with a big reputation started looking for a way to deliver its high standards of personalized, attentive service to online customers. Recently the company made the decision to modernize, adopting Microsoft Dynamics and the Microsoft cloud  to  help strengthen relationships with online shoppers and give on-site sales associates mobile access to customer account information, while also connecting sales and accounting processes for visibility across the entire business.

2. Midlands Air Ambulance. Another organization making great strides to understand its community is this UK-based charity, which operates three emergency response helicopters. By using Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, Midlands now has better information about its donors. This improved insight can help the charity increase contributions and use incoming funds donations more effectively. Increased visibility into the use of these funds helps assure donors that their money is being spent wisely, so they’ll be more likely to donate again should the need arise.

3. Bounce Foods. Just 10 years old, this global producer of healthy snack foods has experienced rapid growth in recent years. As Bounce Foods added new suppliers and customers of all sizes across Australia, Europe, and North America, the company needed to upgrade its management of customer and supplier experiences. Thanks to a new cloud-based, mobile-centric ERP solution, company representatives can now handle orders and customer issues the moment they crop up, even while on the go. States company CEO Mark Tanous, “One of the most pleasing things for me personally is when someone thanks me for a quick reply. It makes my day!”

4. Kelly Roofing. A small, family owned company, Kelly Roofing was looking for tools to help improve its already sterling rapport with customers, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for rapid growth. With Dynamics CRM Online, this small business now has the technology to ensure that each customer receives the proper level of service. Aided by online scheduling and workflow tools, Kelly Roofing has also doubled revenue without increasing its staff size.

5. World Animal Protection. Despite having offices in 15 countries, this global animal welfare organization is made up of fewer than 500 employees. In an effort to reduce back-office costs and obtain a unified view of its geographically disparate finance and operations processes, World Animal Protection replaced spreadsheets with a connected, cost-efficient, cloud-based solution. The reduction in cost and time spent on analysis now means that staff can spend more time in the field, secure in the knowledge that they can do their jobs efficiently from anywhere.

6. Adaptive Solutions. After years spent working out of physical offices, this consulting firm made the decision to move its business to the cloud. Now the full power of Adaptive Solutions exists everywhere that its agents do, thanks in part to the use of holistic CRM and office tools housed in the cloud. The reduced overhead that resulted from leaving the office for good also enabled the business to expand faster than ever before.

If you operate a growing company that’s held back by outdated or basic management tools, it’s time to take the steps to move your business to the cloud, better manage your finances and operations, and build closer customer relationships. With the right business solutions, you too can experience the kind of success these folks have.

You owe it to yourself to discover what Microsoft Dynamics can do for small and midsize businesses. And for an in-depth analysis on how so many small and midsize businesses are finding success in the cloud, check out our e-book, The Cloud as a Platform.

 

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