Lunch With Richard from Connect Services

As we sit in a bistro eating lunch, far way from the office, we ask the owner of Connect Services…

“What prompted you to call simPRO?”

“My main goals in getting into business were financial independence and lifestyle – spending time with family and enjoying the weekends! But I didn’t know my business position. We didn’t know what we were really doing in the business. There were invoice discrepancies due to incorrect information or due to the absence of the right information! We were worried about staff effectiveness and stock control. There was confusion with the direction of the business and we didn’t know what we were spending on jobs.

“In business I’ve always gone forward, never gone backwards. I heard about simPRO from other electricians who used it, they loved it and spoke very highly of simPRO. I did look around at other products, but I’m very happy with my decision in choosing simPRO. We isolated the urgent issues I needed to address but simPRO supplied much more than we needed. It just keeps on giving.

“In simplest terms, I now always feel I have control of things.”

“How are you going with your job and invoice discrepancies?”

“It’s all there, documented, the discrepancies are no longer caused by confusion or lack of knowledge and turnover has improved since installing simPRO; gaining more and more large contracts and jobs. simPRO gives me the ability to keep a really tight control over costs.

“I can easily determine costs and have the ability to question suppliers as to why they’re charging me certain prices when in the past they’ve charged a different price. simPRO is saving me 30% on material costs which worked out to about $30k in the first year.”

“Has it helped the visibility of your business in terms of knowing which direction to steer it?”

“Absolutely, I know exactly where I’m at with money, who I owe, who owes me. I know how to choose the best customers. Not all business is good business, simPRO allows us to discern who the right customers are (when taking into account our business strengths) as well as those that would be better passed off to someone else. I am able to better manage my staff, by knowing where to send that guy and to what job. Life’s easy!

“I now have lunch breaks, and I also now have the time and money to take clients to lunch. I personally do a bit in the office but I’m also comfortable knowing that my office staff are able to use simPRO in the day to day running of the business.

“When I first started I had one tradesman, I now have 15 with only one admin staff and I am able to sign off after 30 hours a week.”

“What’s the advantage of Digital Pens and Vehicle Tracking?”

“I wanted to avoid the cost of a commercial shed – the boys don’t need to come to the office. The pen saves data entry, just goes straight into the job, keeps costs down. So easy for the staff to use and its made a real difference in terms of data entry.

“The Navman Wireless system we have works well with simPRO – it has effectively doubled the life of my company vehicles. The savings in cost are paying for it itself. It gives me even more confidence in my staff knowing that they are doing the right thing.”

“What’s next for Connect Services?”

“Now I have wholesalers wanting my business. They are looking at ways of how to improve my business. We are 99.9% happy with everything – that’s very important.”

“What would your business be looking like if you hadn’t taken on simPRO?”

“I’d be a lot worse off; my business is now looking the healthiest it’s ever been.”