Editor's note
Get on the next wave
PestBusters' Thomas Fernandez says his firm charges two to three times more than his competitors. That's surprising, considering in today's business world, price does matter to the customer. Unless you're able to offer more, something that your competitor isn't able to offer besides a lower price, you're probably not in a position to charge premium prices.
In fact, Fernandez says, his customers are asking why they're charged so much more.
The answer: PestBusters offers value-added services. They don't just get rid of roaches. Next year, Fernandez plans to move into what he calls the "third generation of pest control", where IT is an integral part of this plan.
This month's report puts the spotlight on PestBusters and three other SMBs: manufacturer Litho-LAV Products, Chun Cheng Fishery and Singapore Hobby Supplies. We asked them to share their IT priorities and investment plans for 2005.
While ideas may come a little more easily for these companies, other SMBs are finding a tougher time deciding if they indeed need certain technologies.
In its recent survey of ICT (infocomm technology) adoption among local SMBs, the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI) found that about 65 percent of the 279 companies surveyed have basic IT infrastructure and applications in place. Almost 80 percent of them also said they believe that IT is the way to go for their business.
However, almost half of the respondents agreed with the statement: "With so many technology advancements, I do not really know what and which technology is useful or beneficial for my company."
According to AMI-Partners, SMBs typically go through three phases of IT adoption. The SCCCI survey shows that many SMBs in Singapore are ready for phase two, but they need a lot of guidance.
This is where IT vendors can play a big role. Besides ensuring their products are easy to implement and use by SMBs, the vendors would do well to pay attention--and respond appropriately--to the feedback provided by their customers and prospects.
It's been almost a year since CNETAsia published its first SMB IT Essentials report, and I'm pleased to say that this SMB focus will continue in 2005. My New Year resolution is to use CNETAsia SMB IT Essentials to plug this information gap, keeping our readers better informed.
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