Home  Sector IT & E-business Train to gain a competitive edge
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Train to gain a competitive edge |
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 A Lanarkshire based company says it is surviving the credit crunch by investing in its staff and is encouraging other SMEs to do the same.
Eureka Solutions, a software company specialising in Sage and accountancy packages, posted a £730,000 turnover, up 60% on the previous year.
And the company’s commitment to practicing what they preach is clear as they are the only Scottish business to have been selected as a customer development centre, providing not only the software product, but training on how to use it.
Managing director Alistair Livingstone believes that training, especially continuing professional development, is not now merely a desirable add-on to employee activity; it is a vital necessity if both the enterprise and its people are not to become hopelessly left behind, especially in the current economic climate.
He said: “When commercial margins are so tight, firms need to work to their full potential to improve the overall performance of the business and its ability to endure the difficult trading climate we are in. Well trained staff work more effectively, make fewer mistakes and take better decisions. It is these qualities that will help businesses succeed in these difficult times.
“Someone told me years ago that if you think training is expensive, you should count the cost of not training. The same applies to continuing professional development.
“What we do at Eureka is highly technical, but we have to be absolutely on top of our game in a number of disparate disciplines.”
Eureka brings IT trainers on-site for in-depth sessions which keep staff up to speed on the many different packages used. Other trainers provide information on the latest regulatory and legislative changes within accountancy and business.
As well as encouraging graduate recruitment, Livingstone is also keen to develop wider management skills, including the cornerstone of modern management thinking, an MBA degree. One of his employees is already being funded by the company to go through this gruelling academic course.
Livingstone says he is well aware of other business owners who are wary of “equipping staff to find jobs elsewhere”, and he acknowledges that in some companies it can be an issue. However, he believes that CPD inspires company loyalty, illustrated by the fact that only one of the graduates hired by Eureka has ever left.
He said: “I have no illusions that everyone is going to stay forever. But I can give them one cast-iron guarantee. If they make even a two-year commitment to the company, I can promise them that their CV will be a helluva lot better when they leave than when they joined.”
And Sales Training International, a UK based training company which has trained many Scottish SMEs, has seen an unprecedented number of enquiries from businesses across every sector.
The company says that each financial downturn results in a 'survival of the fittest' mentality, where those with the best skills base, training and unique selling points manage to weather the storm.
Liz Metin of The GO Group, one of Scotland’s leading business support organisations, said: “Training staff to a higher level and encouraging a variety of skills can give your company a much needed competitive edge, especially in the current economic climate.
"We would encourage businesses in every sector to consider developing new skills, or sharpening up on existing ones, to ensure they remain ahead of the competition."
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