Article in NZ papers today. Whilst no direct mention of 9Spokes, it is right to the core of the core of the prosposition.......
meantime, whilst the shares are below issue- thanks to seed sellers/ stop losses imho nothing has changed since the money was raised at 20c, infact the business is in much better shape as a result of the cash. A wealth transfer to the new owners!
Soon we should start to get some news flow regarding roll out of contracts with Suncorp + Barclay's.
And perhaps some new contracts in the wings??
Good mobile apps are a dime a dozen these days but there are a few standouts for small business owners.
Prak Sritharan owns Wellington lifestyle homeware store Precinct 35 and says Xero, Vend and online store builder Shopify are his top go-to apps.
He manages both a bricks and mortar store as well as an online shop and says Vend and Shopify help him do things like monitor stock levels without having to personally be in the store.
"Having those apps makes it a lot easier to manage the two [shops] together. I can make sure things are getting processed correctly, I'll get notifications on invoices I'm getting."
Apps that are user-friendly are as important as the functions they provide, Sritharan says.
He suggests business owners check out online forums for suggestions of good apps or just try things out and see what works best.
Serious Popcorn founder Roger Holmes says inventory software Unleashed is one of the main apps he uses to manage stock levels.
He uses Xero to manage his cashflow and Google Drive so he can access information anytime and anywhere he needs it.
"With organics, there's a lot of compliance and certificates and food supply information I need, so it's good to have all that on hand," Holmes says.
The useability of an app is crucial for Holmes, as are simplicity and function.
He says while using an app will never be the same as using a laptop, they cover all the main bases if owners are away from the business.
Spark small business spokeswoman Sally Gordon says the main benefits of apps for small business owners is saving time and improving accuracy.
They speed up cumbersome processes. For example, a tradie often has to fill out quotation forms, get quotes and then accept them manually.
With an app those processes are simplified, digital and less of a hassle.
The cost to use apps is small, compared to the time they will save business owners, particularly if they spend weekends catching up on administration.
Gordon says there is a strong uptake of apps from small business owners but she would like to see more.
The main challenge is implementing the app and teaching staff how to use it, which takes time that business owners often do not have.
"Small businesses are so busy. They're playing lots of different roles at once, but quite quickly the benefits [of apps] can be seen for the business," Gordon says.
9SP Price at posting:
15.0¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
