Getting the Most out of Your PC

1. Questions and Answers

Assess what you want to achieve for your business and then see if you can use your PC to get it. A PC only does what you tell it to do, so you must be clear about your aims.

1.1 Identify and prioritise activities that could be streamlined. These might include:

• Routine, repetitive tasks where efficiency can be improved. For example, simple book-keeping or fully fledged management accounts (see 3).
• Communication. For example, using the Internet to speed up dialogue with customers and suppliers (see 4 and 5).
• Tasks where timely information will help you to make better business decisions. For example, targeting your marketing at a defined group of customers (see 7).

1.2 Look for new opportunities.

• For example, using the Internet to reach markets worldwide (see 4).

1.3 Find tasks that you could not undertake, or would have to outsource, that may be possible using your PC. For example, personalising mailshots (see 7).