ALKALiNE Design and Marketing

Marketing agency boosts productivity and reduces costs with Windows Vista and Office Accounting.

“Microsoft software really does the business... It’s essential to the success of my company.” Simon Washbrook, Founder, ALKALiNE Design & Marketing

Alkaline Design & Marketing (www.alkaline-elements.co.uk) is a design and marketing firm, based in Halesowen, near Birmingham. They work with small businesses throughout the Midlands, acting as an outsourced design and marketing department. ALKALiNE’s clients often assume that they use Apple Mac computers., not so, in fact, Simon Washbrook, the company’s founder, can do everything he wants using a PC and Microsoft Windows Vista and - more importantly - he prefers it because it makes him more productive.

Simon started the firm back in 2004 to provide no-nonsense design and marketing services to small businesses. “It’s all about practical solutions,” he says, “not fluffy marketing-speak.”

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PCs = compatibility

He takes a similarly direct approach with his company’s IT. “I’m far more comfortable with PCs,” he explains. “They give you more versatility and access to more industry-standard applications, and it’s really easy to share files with my clients.”

“Most of our clients use Windows so we don’t have to worry about compatibility issues,” says Simon. Moreover, like any small business, he needs to run a range of different software packages, which are not available on other platforms. The most notable examples are Microsoft Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager and Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2008. The design programs he needs, such as Adobe InDesign, run fine on his PC and work in the same way as their Mac-based cousins

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Safe and sound

The company recently upgraded to Windows Vista. They were worried about security and viruses and their IT partner recommended the upgrade as the new operating system is much more secure thanks to an enhanced firewall, integrated anti-spyware software and User Account Control. Since the upgrade, Simon reports that they haven’t had any security problems and that, in fact, the whole system is “a lot smoother.”

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Enhanced productivity

Simon also gives Windows Vista high marks for its look and feel. But under a shiny surface, it also helps him get more done. For example, he finds the photo galleries, file previews and document management very easy to use and very intuitive - just as well, as the company deals with thousands and thousands of images and files.

It’s the same story with Microsoft Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager (BCM). Simon uses it to manage his client relationships because it gives him complete visibility and control. He can see the whole sales pipeline from the initial contact through to the final invoice. “Business Contact Manager is like a little superhero flying towards us,” he says. It integrates with the rest of the 2007 Microsoft Office system and the Microsoft accounting software he uses. It also lets him set up and run cost effective direct marketing campaigns very easily. He says, “Everything is in one place with BCM.”

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Cost savings

Like any growing business, Alkaline has to avoid unnecessary expenses. Because Windows Vista and the 2007 Office system are so familiar and easy to use, Simon can train up new staff very easily. In the first instance, this will assist the colleague who helps him with the administration side of the business. “She’s completely familiar with Office so it’ll be really easy.” He also believes he’s cutting his accountant’s bill because the bookkeeping can be done in-house using Accounting Professional 2008, sharing contact information and so on with the rest of the Office 2007 system.

The combination of Windows Vista, the 2007 Office system and Accounting Professional 2008 lets Simon Washbrook spend more time working on his business, to promote it, raise invoices promptly and easily, cut accounting costs, share his workload with his colleagues without expensive training and - at the same time - run high-end design software and share the results with his clients. He concludes: “Microsoft software really does the business. It doesn’t get in the way. Instead, it helps me get on and do my job.”

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