Following the dot com bust we all know that very few businesses have made a fortune from the web. However increasing numbers of businesses are finding there is a real benefit to doing business using web technology whether it is selling or just delivering better customer service than that of your competitors.

If you are trading with the public sector you are going to have to embrace much of this technology just to be able to do business - the Government is requiring Local authorities to require their suppliers to trade with them electronically by May 2005 - see our section on E-procurement.

So with E-business you are open for business 24 hours a day 7 days a week

Improve Your Customer Service

• Provide help, support or just valuable information cheaply and effectively on line
• Give the customer access to their transaction history and order staus whnever they want it - not just when the office is open
• Interact with their procurement systems saviing them money as well as you
• Reduce despatch time

Reduce Costs

• No more telephone orders or faxes
• No re-keying of orders in accounts
• Instant update of accounts and despatch
• Enhanced credit control
• Low value enquiries can be dealt with automatically by your web site
• Eliminate the middle man
• Orders are always correct unless the customer has keyed it incorrectly!
• Huge time and labour saving device
• Create a "Self Service" channel
• Save on post print and administration
• Gain incremental sales
• Widen your selling geography