Announcing Sage One

Sage One

We don’t normally allow product announcements on our blog, but we’ve just introduced an entirely new service that we think is worth a shameless plug!

Today we’re launching Sage One, our new SAAS offering for small business owners and their accountants.

Customers at its heart

Sage One has been developed with customers at its heart. We traveled the length and breadth of the country speaking to small business owners and accountants about what they would want in online accounting services. That information and input has been vital to our release of Sage One. It’s given us real insight into our customers, who they are and what their business needs are.

Three new services

Sage One offers three different services, tailored to particular needs:

Sage One Cashbook – Allows sole traders and cash-based businesses to manage customers and suppliers, enter transactions, record banking, and share data with their accountant.

Sage One Accounts – Provides the ability to create invoices, calculate and submit VAT returns online and view a snapshot of business performance. Ideal for small business owners who want greater control over their accounts.

Sage One Accountant Edition – Gives accountants anywhere, anytime access to client data and the ability to work collaboratively with clients in real time. Sage One Accountant Edition gives accountants the tools they need to save time, while providing their clients with a great experience.

Free 24/7 telephone support

Sage One requires no formal training and is easy to use, because it’s more than just software we include free 24/7 telephone support, email support and an online help centre.  Don’t take our word for it;  here’s what one of our customers think…

 

Yep, it works on a Mac

It’s also our first service for small businesses to work on a Mac and makes it easy for accountants and their clients to share data and collaborate whenever they need to.

Free 30 day trial

If you’re interested in using Sage One then just visit www.sageone.com and sign up for a free 30 day trial and let us know what you think.

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Posted in: Announcing

Top 10 tips for HR to build effective relationships with line managers

The first topic we’ve been exploring at HR Vision is ‘Has HR become remote from the line?’ It’s been interesting watching Tanith Dodge, HR director of Marks and Spencer and Jo Hennessy, director of research, Roffey Park, discuss the issues and their experiences. No matter what your experience we hope you’ll find something that gets you thinking. And if it does, why not have your say and tell others what you think?

We all know that the HR function has transformed over the past decade. It is no longer administrative but specialist and strategic. However this does mean that HR are relying on line managers to ensure employees are motivated, productive, competent and fully engaged with corporate goals. Therefore it is vital that these two functions understand each other and work together but we know this can be challenging!

So how can HR build effective relationships with line managers to ensure they are working in partnership?

Here are my top 10 tips

1.       Coaching and development

Line managers need both skills and development to execute HR responsibilities. Make sure the necessary coaching and development is in place. This will give them confidence and mean they will be happier with the extra responsibilities.

2.       Be honest

If you are introducing a new strategy or policy and it will involve a lot of line managers’ time and resources, be honest with them and ask them how they feel about it. Involving them like this will automatically make them more engaged and cooperative.

3.       Timing of communications

When you are trying to communicate with any audience, timing is vital. Don’t try to communicate with your line managers during the busiest time for the business because it is unlikely you will be heard. Pick your moments to communicate carefully.

4.       Listen and respect

It is likely that they will have different views and attitudes to certain things but this does not mean that they are less important. In order to build an effective relationship you need to listen and respect their views and take on board what they say.

5.       Equip them with the right tools

If you are relying on line managers to manage many of the day-to-day duties of people management ensure that you give them the tools and equipment to make this as easy as possible. Self-service technology can significantly reduce the administration and save line managers valuable time.

6.       Support

Make sure the HR department is there to support line managers when needed and make sure line managers know HR is there to support them!

7.       Personal performance objectives

Make people management responsibilities part of personal performance objectives as this demonstrates corporate sponsorship of HR activities as being crucial to the business.

8.       Make HR’s role and contribution clear

Explain the role of HR as a strategic partner and showcase the benefits that it can bring to the business.  Provide examples of how HR can add value to the business on a strategic level now that it has moved away from tactical activities.

9.       Recognise them as strategic partners of HR

Line managers should be recognised as strategic partners of HR and given recognition and reward for their responsibilities

10.   Give praise

If line managers have implemented a new policy successfully, engaged employees effectively, or are just are just doing a good job, make sure you tell them!

Well, that’s my top 10. What would you add to the list?

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Posted in: build,effective,managers,relationships

How to survive Credit Crunch in England

Came across an interesting article -> that can be accessed from the following link

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/whats_new_oct08_how_to_survive_the_credit_crunch.htm

Credit Crunch can be effectively handled by the following ways

Ignoring your debt problems will only make them worse. Don’t ignore calls or letters from the people you owe money to (your creditors).

Contact them to explain why you’re having problems. The sooner you do this, the more options you’ll have for solving your financial problems.

There are many organisations which offer free and independent money advice such as Citizens Advice, Shelter, National Debtline, and the Consumer Credit Counselling Service. Their debt advisers can assess your situation and work out the best course of action for you. For details of organisations which can help, go to the bottom of this page.

There are some debts you need to pay first before others, because the consequences of not paying them can be much more serious. For example, mortgage or rent debts are a priority as if you don’t pay these you could lose your home. Debt advisers can help you plan your budget and pay your priority debts first.

Work out how much money you’ve got coming in and going out of your household on essential expenses like food and bills. Then work how much you’ve got left over to pay your creditors. If you can’t afford to pay back all the money you owe, work out how much you can afford and offer to pay this. A debt adviser can help you do this.

Are you getting all the money you’re entitled to?

There may be benefits or tax credits you can get such as Pension Credit or Disability Living Allowance which you haven’t claimed. Working Tax Credit is an in-work benefit which is not just available to people with children. You might be able to get it if you work enough hours and are disabled or your income is low enough, even if you don’t have children. You may be able to get Council Tax Benefit or Housing Benefit to help you pay your council tax and rent. You don’t necessarily have to be out of work to get these benefits. You may be able to get help with your health costs such as prescription charges and dental costs. You may be able to claim help with education costs such as school meals and clothing.

You may be able to get a grant to help you pay for things like fitting home insulation and improving energy efficiency. This can help cut down the fuel bills.

Your gas and electricity supplier may be able to help you if you have fuel debts.

To find out if you can get help, visit the British Gas Energy Trust website at: www.britishgasenergytrust.org.uk or the EDF Energy Trust website at: www.edfenergytrust.org.uk.

There are also some charities which give grants to people to help pay their bills or buy essential items. You can find a list of these charities on the Turn 2 Us website at: www.turn2us.org.uk.

An adviser can help you maximise your income. For details of organisations which can help, go to the bottom of this page.

Look carefully at your spending and see if there is anything you are able to cut down on. For example, you could shop around for a cheaper gas or electricity provider, or look at cheaper mortgage or insurance providers.

You can find more information about changing your gas and electricity suppliers from the website of the consumer watchdog, Consumer Focus at: www.consumerfocus.org.uk.

To find out more about how to save money on financial products such as mortgages and insurance, go to the website of financial watchdog the Financial Services Authority at: www.moneymadeclear.fsa.gov.uk.

You may end up paying back a lot more than you borrowed and at very high interest rates. You may not be able to afford the repayments and the loan may be secured against your home which you could then lose.

Always attend the court hearings yourself. Court proceedings do not mean that you will automatically lose your home. The court process acts as a final check to make sure repossession is the last resort. Some courts have advice desks which can provide last minute assistance.

Selling your home and renting it back might seem like a quick fix to your debt problems. But, many of these schemes offer very little security. You could end up paying very high rent or even being evicted. These schemes are also not regulated so you will not have access to the same protections as a mortgage holder.

If you are struggling with mortgage repayments you may be tempted to send the keys to your lender or abandon your property. Don’t do this without advice. You could still be responsible for the debt on the property and may be pursued for it years later.

Tags: consumer credit counselling, Credit Crunch, debt problems, independent money, money advice, pension credit, priority debts, tax credits, uk index, working tax credit

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Posted in: Credit,Crunch,England,survive

Sage Peachtree 2011 Helps Small Businesses Stay Competitive

Sage North America announced today the availability of the Sage Peachtree 2011 product line, part of the broad portfolio of Sage business management solutions that service end-to-end business needs. A longtime favorite of small businesses and accountants, Sage Peachtree is easier to use than ever, providing companies with instant access to key information that makes billing customers, reacting to issues and controlling profitability easier than ever for small businesses, helping them to stay competitive in a rapidly changing economy.

“At a time when most small businesses need to do more with less, Sage Peachtree 2011 will help them to leverage efficiencies and answer the three most important questions of their day: are business activities on track, on schedule, and within budget,” said Connie Certusi, general manager, small business accounting solutions, Sage North America. “Sage Peachtree 2011 makes it easier for small businesses to quickly get the information they need so they can focus on what they do best: running their businesses.”

treamline Service Billing: Businesses that provide services can quickly invoice customers for any unbilled time and expenses; unbilled items can be filtered by date, customer or job. The outstanding time and expenses are then transferred directly to an invoice, increasing billing efficiency.

Improve decision making with the new Inventory and Services Management Center: A customized dashboard helps users process large quantities of information about a single inventory item or a service at a glance. It enables quick research, comparisons, and decision making, and helps small businesses easily see the impact of a service—usage, revenue, and more. The dashboard cuts time needed to track details on inventory for planning purchases, freeing that time for other activities.

Instantly identify Job Status:& Customizable job status indicators provide visual red/yellow/green “stoplights” for easy identification of what’s on or off track, and are completely customizable to suit the needs of individual businesses. Small businesses can easily delete, rename, or change the color-coded stoplight button attached to each status, with virtually unlimited status types, for easy monitoring.

Click here for Complete Release

Tags: business accounting solutions, business management solutions, sage business, Sage Peachtree, Sage Peachtree 2011, service billing, services management, small business accounting, small businesses, that provide services

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Posted in: Businesses,Competitive,Helps,Peachtree,Small

Sage To Partners: New Cloud Services Won’t Leave You Behind

May 21st, 2010 in SalesLogix CRM | leave a response

Sage North America is expanding into cloud computing with an on-demand version of its SalesLogix CRM application suite and plans to offer cloud-based “connected services,” modeled on Sage Payment Solutions, that extend the vendor’s on-premise applications.

But the software company is taking pains to reassure channel partners that its cloud foray won’t cut resellers out of the picture.

“We will ensure that you play a role,” said Himanshu Palsule, executive vice president, in a keynote speech Tuesday at the company’s Insights partner conference in Denver. “You will not be disintermediated by connected services. You cannot. Think about it. You still own the customer relationship.”

Sage executives, in fact, presented the announcements at Insights as a new business opportunity for solution providers, much as SAP did this week as it rolls out its Business ByDesign suite of on-demand applications.

“If you are a partner, this is a tremendous opportunity,” said Tom Miller, Sage vice president of channel management, in an Insights keynote. “You have the business knowledge. You have the business process knowledge. We see opportunity for you to add value to these connected services.”

for further details go to  http://www.crn.com/software/224900333

Tags: Sage Cloud strategy, SageCRM.com, SalesLogix CRM

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Posted in: Behind,cloud,Leave,Partners,Services

Sage Software launches ‘ERP X3 v6’ for mid sized and large businesses in the Middle East

Sage Software, the leading global supplier of ERP, CRM, and HRM solutions to medium and large organisations, has launched the ‘ERP X3 v6’ – the newest version of ‘Sage ERP X3’, the flagship ERP solution for mid-sized and large businesses in the Middle East. Built around the customer to place emphasis on ease of use, rapid deployment and cost effectiveness, the innovative solution focuses on cost and time savings, full interoperability among dispersed teams and customer experience improvement. The announcement follows the recent creation of an international team to support the development of the ‘Sage ERP X3’ business.

With hundreds of enhancements and new features, ‘Sage ERP X3 v6’ boasts of multi-currency, multi-country, and multi-legislation functionality to address the complex requirements of mid-sized and larger businesses. Compatible with ‘Sage ACCPAC’, a software that provides an integrated accounting solution, the latest ERP offering from Sage operates in 64 bits for Microsoft Windows Server 2008, RedHat Linux 5, IBM AIX 5.3, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and Oracle Database 11g R2 with Real Application Clusters and EXADATA compliance. The solution is available in seven languages: English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish, and can be deployed on a wide range of technology platforms and databases, thereby providing crucial flexibility for customers.

“The innovative, role-based web user interface of ‘ERP X3 V6’ makes manipulating complex and critical information easy and displays it exactly how the user wants thus improving interoperability across a business,” said Vikram Suri, Managing Director, Sage Software. “By launching this new version, we are aiming to help CFOs of global businesses get real-time visibility of their entire business and control over multi-legislation and multi charts of accounts. The development of ‘ERP X3 v6’ underlines our commitment towards helping businesses who cannot afford complex enterprise software, and we are proud to finally launch this solution here in the Middle East.”

Recognising that the needs of customers are changing, with an increasing demand for solutions to manage businesses on a global basis, Sage Software has created the global team, which includes key people from Sage’ worldwide business. Bringing together Sage Software’s local expertise and global resources, the team will focus on maintaining the relevance of ‘Sage ERP X3’ among today’s customers. The team will work closely with Sage’s local operations to ensure that the solution is complementary to local mid-market product offerings and includes international pre-sales and professional services, training, global R&D and global marketing and communications.

“Our established commitment towards delivering the specific needs of our customers is once again demonstrated by the creation of this global team to support ‘Sage ERP X3’ customers. This initiative will leverage our extensive local knowledge and strength at the international level, which have both contributed to our widespread success among established business as well as start-ups across the globe. As a trusted partner of many important organisations fuelling the world’s economy, we are proud of this exceptional step and we are confident of its success in the years to come,” concluded Suri.

Tags: 64 bits, aix 5, global businesses, microsoft sql server, microsoft windows server, real application clusters, Sage ERP, sage software, technology platforms, time savings

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Posted in: businesses,large,launches,Middle,sized,Software

The standard rate of VAT is returning to 17.5% on 1 January 2010 how do you apply it in Sage 2010

January 7th, 2010 in Sage 2008, Sage 2010, sage 2009 | leave a response

The customers will need to apply the 17.5% rate to all sales of standard rated goods and services taking place on or after that date.

What you should apply the new rate to:

All takings received on or after 1 January 2010All VAT invoices you issue to other VAT registered businesses on or after 1 January 2010

check further details on http://www.sage2010.com/

Tags: registered businesses, VAT Rate Change in Sage

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Posted in: apply,January,returning,standard