How ICT Can Benefit Small Businesses In Nigeria

The Benefits of ICT To Small And Medium Businesses 

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services can provide numerous benefits to small and medium businesses and more to Big Organizations. These technologies encompass a wide range of tools and services, including hardware, software, and digital communication, all of which can help small businesses streamline operations, improve productivity, and enhance their overall competitiveness.

Here are several ways ICT services can benefit small and medium businesses:

  1. Efficient Communication:

ICT services enable small businesses to communicate effectively with customers, suppliers, and employees. Email, instant messaging, and video conferencing make it easier to connect with stakeholders regardless of their location. This can lead to quicker decision-making and problem-solving.

  1. Enhanced Productivity:

Automation tools, project management software, and cloud-based applications help small businesses streamline their processes. This leads to increased productivity as employees can perform tasks more efficiently and collaborate effectively on projects.

  1. Cost Savings:

ICT services can reduce operational costs. Cloud computing, for example, eliminates the need for on-site servers and reduces IT maintenance costs. Additionally, businesses can save on travel expenses by utilizing video conferencing for meetings. 

  1. Data Management:

Small businesses can efficiently collect, store, and analyze data using ICT services. This data can provide valuable insights into customer behavior, market trends, and business performance, helping companies make informed decisions. 

  1. Online Presence:

Establishing an online presence through websites and social media platforms is crucial for small businesses to reach a broader audience and attract new customers. ICT services can help create and maintain these digital channels effectively. 

  1. E-commerce:

Small businesses can expand their customer base by selling products or services online. E-commerce platforms and payment gateways facilitate online transactions, allowing businesses to reach a global market. 

  1. Customer Relationship Management (CRM):

CRM software helps small businesses manage and nurture customer relationships. It tracks customer interactions, manages sales leads, and provides insights for better customer engagement and retention.

  1. Security:

ICT services also play a critical role in protecting small businesses from cyber threats. Antivirus software, firewalls, and data encryption tools help safeguard sensitive information and maintain customer trust.

  1. Scalability:

Many ICT services can scale up or down to meet the evolving needs of small businesses. This scalability ensures that businesses can adapt to changes in demand and growth without significant disruptions.

  1. Market Research:

ICT services provide access to online research tools, competitor analysis software, and data analytics platforms. Small businesses can leverage these tools to gain insights into market trends and consumer preferences, helping them make strategic decisions. 

  1. Remote Work:

In the wake of global events like the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work has become increasingly important. ICT services facilitate remote work setups, allowing employees to work from home or other locations while maintaining productivity. 

  1. Competitive Advantage:

Adopting the latest ICT services can give small businesses a competitive edge. Being tech-savvy and agile allows them to respond quickly to changing market conditions and customer demands.

Scimitar Global Services Limited (SGSL) as an ICT services company offer a wide range of solutions and services that are of huge benefit for small businesses like yours, from improving communication and productivity to reducing costs and enhancing competitiveness. Embracing these technologies can be a valuable investment for your business as we partner together looking to thrive and grow in today’s digital age for more market share.    You can sign up for our Customer Connect 360  our All-In-One ICT services designed for Small and Medium Scale Businesses.

Contact Us Here   

Benefits of ICT In Our Education Industry

Unlock the Future of Education with ICT Solution and Services

The education industry has evolved rapidly and has bridged the huge divide in access to education in the last 10 years due to the adoption and embrace of technology as the key to staying ahead.

 

Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) in education has made learning more accessible, exciting, and enjoyable. The development of technological advancements in education has led to enhanced knowledge and skills of both teachers, lecturers, and students as it has now transformed the way we learn and has opened new possibilities for all; From increased flexibility and personalized learning to the ability to collaborate and access a wide range of resources,

Technology in education especially in the advent of Artificial intelligence (AI) it is now particularly important because it helps today’s teachers to adopt and integrate modern technologies and tools into their classroom. Teachers can upgrade and improve the ways they engage their students in unique, innovative, and equitable ways.

Here’s how some of our ICT offerings can transform your educational ecosystem:

1. Call Center Solutions: For Improved communication

– Enhance communication between students, parents, and staff.
– Streamline inquiries, admissions, and support services.
– Improve response times and provide a seamless experience.

2. CRM/ERP Software Solution and Services:

– Centralize data management for efficient administration.
– Gain insights into student performance and engagement.
– Automate processes for enhanced productivity.

3. Video Engagement for Higher Education:

– Facilitate remote learning with interactive video solutions.
– Host virtual lectures, workshops, and collaborative sessions.
– Foster engagement and enhance the learning experience.

4. Telemedicine platform:

– Extend healthcare learning and services to students and staff.
– Enable remote consultations and medical support.
– Ensure the well-being of your educational community.

5. Online Learning:

– Transition seamlessly to digital learning platforms.
– Deliver flexible, accessible, and engaging courses.
– Expand your reach and offer diverse learning opportunities.

6. Queue Management:

– Optimize campus operations with efficient queue systems.
– Reduce wait times and enhance service delivery.
– Ensure a smooth and organized environment.

Scimitar Global Services Limited (SGSL) as an ICT Solutions and BPO Services Company in Lagos, Nigeria, we understand the unique challenges faced by educational institutions, and we’re here to partner with you in designing your ICT roadmap and roll out plans to empower your journey with innovative ICT solutions.

SGSL is committed to elevating the education industry through technology in partnership with our OEM partners by offering tailored solutions and services designed to meet the unique needs of educational institutions, ensuring a brighter future for students, educators, and administrators.

Ready to transform your institution? Contact us today for a consultation and discover how our ICT Solutions and services can revolutionize your educational services to your customers.

#EducationTechnology #EdTech #ITServices #TransformingEducation #ScimitarGlobalServicesLimited #ICTsolutionsforbusiness #softwareforbusiness #ictsolutionforedusction

How To Generate Quality Leads, Increase Business Revenue At Reduce Cost A Growing Business! !

In today’s competitive business landscape, organizations like yours are constantly seeking innovative ways to enhance their revenue generation while also delivering exceptional customer experiences. This involves huge investment in both technology, Process and Employees and most times one is abandoned for the other due to the cost involved. So Scimitar Global Services Limited (SGSL) is offering you a game-changer in achieving both goals with Customer Connect 360.

Customer Connect 365 is our all-in-one Business Development, Marketing and Call Center Outsourcing Service designed to help Entrepreneurs, Managing Directors, and CEOs of small and medium businesses to concentrate on closing more deals and making money while signed up to our technology for Business & Digital Marketing Services that helps them in Lead Generation and Customer Service and Support operations. 

As you explore the business needs of your organization from setting up an office space with employees, training them; designing a website, setting up an official mailing system, Sourcing for a Call center technology and CRM as well as setting up your social media pages; do remember that the key lies in choosing options that aligns with your business goals and empowers you to deliver exceptional results at reduced cost.  There may be no need to incur and invest huge cost in owning a space, the whole technology and even employees in the early days or depending on your processes keeping too many staff when you can outsource all your business processes and get desired result with a smaller number of employees.

With the Sales, Marketing and technology Mix of SGSL Customer 360, Small and medium businesses like yours can seamlessly optimize their sales, customer services, and even loan collections processes, leading to increased profitability and higher levels of customer satisfaction at extremely low operational cost compared to you running all the people, technology and processes yourself in one location.

Our comprehensive suite of technology sales and customer services is tailored to accelerate your company’s growth and success with the following key services and benefits we offer to take your business to new heights:

KEY SERVICES AND CAMPAIGN GOALS: 

  1. Help You Generate Quality Leads: Our primary objective is to connect your business with high-quality, targeted leads, ensuring maximum conversion rates and increased revenue streams.
  2. Boost Business Development: Through our expert business development services, we aim to enhance your company’s market presence, foster strategic partnerships, and explore new growth opportunities.
  3. Drive Revenue Growth: By optimizing lead generation and business development, we strive to drive sustainable revenue growth and long-term success for your business.
  4. Offer Quality Customer Service and Support:  New and existing customers will be supported effectively to ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty which will also guarantee revenue from return businesses
  5. Expert Guidance and Consultancy: Benefit from the expertise of our seasoned professionals who bring years of experience in various industries to your doorstep.
  6. Focus on Core Competencies: With SGSL handling your lead generation, business development and Customer Support, you and your team can concentrate on core business activities and innovation.
  7. Increased ROI: Our data-driven approach ensures that your resources are invested in the right places, delivering a higher return on investment. This is our money backed guarantee within our terms and conditions.

Investing in the right technology services like Customer Connect 360 that is tailored to your business needs can yield significant returns in terms of increased revenue, improved customer retention, and enhanced brand reputation all while you concentrate on close deals and making more money.

So embrace the opportunity to transform your business with SGSL Connect 360 Services. Let us be your strategic partner in lead generation, business development and Customer Service, empowering you to thrive in today’s competitive business landscape efficiently and effectively.

Sign up now and unlock a world of growth potential for your business.

Together, we’ll achieve greatness!

Digital Marketing With Chinedum

Welcome to my Page : Digital Solutions With Chinedum. 

Hi, my name is Chinedum Amachi , I am the MD/CEO of Scimitar Global Services Limited (SGSL).  I am an ICT Solutions and Digital Marketing Consultant with over 15 years Business Development and Tech experience across Telecoms, ICT, BPO and Engineering fields. I have worked with and led teams in accomplishing milestones in demanding environments

So Why are we here? Simply put, “To share value adding contents of our Sales and Digital Marketing  Strategies to you”. So this is one of my 4 “P” mixes of Marketing; a channel to connect you to share value adding contents on how to leverage Digital Marketing to take your business online, generate leads for your business and  convert them to customers for revenue generations; all with insights from robust reports for proper decision making.

So I will be sharing best fit and value adding contents about leveraging technology for your business at very low budget and for fast turn around times to avoid re-inventing the wheel or breaking the bank.

I am hopeful that you will see some value solutions that matches your pain points  and that you will contact me for a Digital Marketing Consultancy session with you and your team to scope and advise on the best fit strategy based on your budget and technology road map from inception, implementation to go live and  support as it were.

I am available for training services for your  sales,  marketing and customer service teams both at management and shop floor levels.

Our Areas of are :

  • Lead generation Online
  • Client relationship Management in Sales and  marketing,
  • Strategy development and Management
  • Corporate Sales Strategy
  • Key account Management
  • Customer relations and retention management
  • Problem solving strategy

Here are our value adding solutions to your business:

 

Here are some testimonials from our attendees

 

 

 

 

For More Testimonials click here is the list to all the  feedback from our customers and please don’t forget to follow our Youtube Channel :

 

How Your Call Center Agents Can Work from home with HoduCC

How To Effectively Setup, Launch And Manage A Remote Call Center Solution For Your Business

How to effectively setup, launch and manage your remote call center for your Business 

With the advent of corona virus pandemic newbie aka COVID-19, a lot of businesses were forced to shut down their operations as directed by World Health Organization (WHO) and Governments in order to flatten the curve of infection and reduce the spread of the virus.   While some businesses may not really be affected as they fall within the allowed number of staff and can still practice social distancing in their offices; Some businesses with large number of employee siting in one space like Call centers were forced to shut down.  So many jobs were lost and the lucky ones were asked to work from home. The Former could be seen as those businesses who do not already have remote work policy  in place and now cut unawares; unlike the latter, who already have in time past embraced work from home policy.

So we can say that many contact center employees lost their jobs as the allowed number of agents had to be reduced to maintain social distancing while some who have embraced remote work technology were able to ensure their business continued by making them work from home.  The reality right now is that perhaps even after this pandemic, remote work may become a standard for many of these businesses, having survived and stabilizing, given the circumstances.

So here is how you can effectively setup, launch and manage your remote call center

1) Getting the right Call center Technology.

You need to check if your existing call center or contact center technology supports Remote work.  Does it support Omnichannels remotely? If Yes, then you can set up the remote work service and launch. But if you do not have that, then you have to either consider buying a new Virtual Call center Solution  that support remote or Virtual call center Agents or renting or leasing a Contact Center as a Service  a cloud platform as a services from SGSL) You also need to embrace Vide conferencing for face-to-face meetings with your agents, this goes a long way on communication.

Once you have recognized the need for a Call Center as a service or a new Solution, you need to find a suitable vendor like SGSL who meets your requirements. We understand that there are so many Call center Solution Software and providers in Nigeria but here are some pointers that can help you to shortlist the right vendor for you.

You need a web browser-based Call center application with automatic inbound and outbound Call features as well as Automatic call distribution. This will get your agents up and running more quickly and help improve quality without having to install any software on their system. SGSL offers options based on your budget book a demo

 

2) Ensure Secure Network connectivity between agents systems and your Systems.

Your IT and Network team must ensure agents can work over a secured network.  They need to have work-approved personal firewalls on their computers to protect home-based internet connections so that no one else, including neighbors, can get on the network.   Except the business is providing them with laptops and computers to work from Home. Agents should authenticate to the network so that, even if log-in information is saved, they face an extra step that authenticates the agent is personally accessing the service and that someone else is not using their computer to gain access to confidential files.

3) Training the agents on remote work with the new technology.

If you are getting a new Cloud Call Center technology which supports remote work and maintains all channels your agents are used to.  Then Train each team member on all available channels on the new or existing solution that you’ll be using, so that they are fully aware of the functionality and tools available even remotely. No Assumptions!

4) Ensure that you Have a central Monitoring system for management of your Agents

Remote monitoring solutions come as part of features of Robust Call center solutions and this helps Businesses to monitor networks and endpoints from a remote location. By using a monitoring tools, Call center managers and IT teams can in real-time get notifications and remotely take action to solve problems. These solutions are invaluable for enterprises who need to keep on-premise systems functional while employees work from home. Cloud Contact centers on the other hand are always on 24/7.

5) Launch!

6) Set up a Collaborative channel of communication and ensure to communicate your expectations.

This is to create a sense of purpose which should be supported with putting systems in place to collect real-time data on individual and group performance. Embrace conferencing like Vidyo, Team, Skype and Zoom, have scheduled meetings with the team to ensure everyone is on page.

7) Set Up a Quality Assurance System to promote accountability from both supervisors and agents;

Working from home or remotely has its challenges, so it is very important that you ensure your quality of service does not drop  by setting up QA systems to ensure accountability, even with your employees working from there homes. This will enable remote managers to have a deep level of observation and metrics about the KPIs that matter most to the business. Because through this data that you can give good feedback and coaching, which opens up the door for autonomy and getting work done.

8) Ensure accountability by communicating your Key Performance Indicators to your teams

You must regularly communicate the organization’s KPIs and  also monitor performance with systems and processes to ensure that all responsibilities and commitments are clearly understood.

 

In conclusion, setting up, launching and effectively manage  a Virtual Contact center requires that you get it right first time in order to set your team members up for success.  From choosing the right technology, to providing clear expectations, training your agents on the tools and resources they can use, and then providing a framework for accomplishing their goals; including guidance and parameters for measuring performance. With this done, Launch and encourage your center agents get to work.  All you need do, is to regularly monitor remotely through your technology with scheduled check-ins and regular communications of their performance which you can see in real-time.

 

Scimitar Global Services Limited  (SGSL) Is Call Center Software Provider In Lagos Nigeria That Provides You With Technology Driven Solutions And Services For Your Business.  We Specialize In The Fusion Of Business Processes And Modern Technology As Our Strategy To Help Optimize Your Sales, Marketing And Customer Service Activities For Increase Sales Revenue And To Achieve Significant Cost Reduction For Your Business.

Here are details of our Contact Center as a Service offering.

 

Learn More about our Omnichannel Contact center Solutions here so that you can book a demo for free.

 

BloomExtender

How to Drive Customers to Your Business

How to Drive Customers to Your Business

Dear fellow Entrepreneurs, warm greetings and I bring good tidings even with the huge impact of #coronavirus aka Covid_19 to both our economy and businesses. Am sure a lot of us have taken off for the year already and some like me may still be strategizing while selling. Having gone far into our financial year, it is expedient to have a strategy session even if it is by yourself as an Entrepreneur, or with your team. The way to survive in our new normal requires new sets of rules and strategies. Go over last years sales, income, expenses, profits, losses and marketing strategies. You have to check what worked or failed as well as what you can do better and with whom and what?

That’s said, you need to evaluate your Sales and Marketing activities  and begin to pen down ideas to improve performance for the remaining. I am did mine and also researching so let me share a couple with you on how you and I can increase customer traffic and sales to our business this year as Entrepreneurs.

1. So the first nugget is to research and outlines ideas I can apply to my business to ensure a unique sensory experience to my both potential and existing customers.

Do you know that succeeding in Business requires you act like you are in the entertainment industry? You have to be like Davido, Burnaboy, Tiwa , Wizkid and CWay. You have to constantly churn out new and recycled contents, music albums, contents that customers will jump at. It is Go big or Go Home! Everybody dey rich for instagram! E ma kpariwo ejo!

2. Reach out and thank your Existing customers! So this January, i will advise you that while you are mapping out strategies for the year, also consider focusing on existing customers, call and thank them for last year, offer to be there for them this year and ask for referrals. Call even those who only asked questions.

3. Identify, understand and target the right type of customers for your business. Not everyone will buy from you, not even neighbours!

4. Partner with other Entrepreneurs you can trust, especially when you don’t have all the competence. Collaborations is the secret of success as an Entrepreneur. Find a complimentary partner and share the load and profit. Better a 50%-90% than 0%.
When in doubt, have a firm MOU.

5. If you have a physical location, evaluate existing foot traffic and the periods to know when to run campaigns.

6. You have to consider changing the look and feel of your store from whether physical or online. Create eye-catching displays in your stores , websites and social media channels! Increase curb and store appeal and add catchy outdoor signs and displays at your store locations!

7. Ensure to Speed up the Sales and shopping experience. Real Customers don’t like to waste time. Even the pricy and irate ones. But a happy customer will always come back.

8. Design and strategically offer complementary products to ensure customers have more things to buy. Don’t just do one product or service. Do something complementary and Male more sales. Yes it adds to your cost at first but likewise your profit.

Like if you are in the Fashion business how about adding shoes, hats , belts, brooches and bags to the clothes. If you sell Gates, add Quality keys and padlocks…you get my drift?

9. If you have space, create comfy lounging space for customers to come in. Ensure to put a “Do not sleep” sign

10. You can offer free wifi………….. leave this to the biggies. There is no free lunch in freetown

11. Have you heard of referral strategy?E.g: Whisper to existing customers to bring their friends and get a discount on their next purchase.

12. Identify influencers and connectors. If you have a family friend or acquaintance that can post your product or service to their millions of followers. They will be good too.

13. Leverage social media….I can’t stop saying this! Use google my business for local search, listing and advertising. I can say this enough. It is free of charge! Entrepreneurs are making money just by listing online and having a home office.

14. Have a Digital Marketing road map for the year. Build an email, SMS and Phone list….reach out and ensure to personalize your marketing campaigns

15. Delegate : You can’t do it all alone hire and train interns and employees as runners. Engage employees and friends in your marketing, spread the word

16. Allow customers to buy online and pickup in store. People like to see what the buy now. If they want you to delivery…great!

17. Get a Website that is optimized for mobile, local and also international consumption. But please optimize for mobile and local first as charity begins at home.

Remember I am a call and chat away. Should you require us to help you design your Digital Marketing road map, we offer very affordable consulting services to help you with your Digital Marketing activities within our terms and conditions.

Also sign up for free for our forthcoming:
Entrepreneurs Round-table: A Sales and Digital Marketing Masterclass

 

Details of the logistics will be shared by email to all who sign up. It is a free class but you have to get the training materials.

Also see highlights of our customer testimonial of Digital marketing Masterclass 2019. Do click on the “subscribe” button for more Marketing content.

 

About The Author

Chinedum Amachi is the MD/CEO of Scimitar Global Services Limited (SGSL). An ICT Solutions and Business Process Outsourcing Company in Lagos, Nigeria.

As an #ICT and Management consultant. I help Businesses improve their Customer Relationship Management processes through automation; leveraging #Technology #ModernBusinessSolutions for improved Customer Acquisition Strategies (Sales & Marketing) to increase revenue for their businesses as well as Customer Retention Processes (Complaints Management, Queue Management ) to ensure Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty.

I am also a Digital Marketing Consultant and an SME Advocate. I coach and support Small business owners #Entrepreneurs like me on how to leverage #Technology they have ; to market their businesses through Digital Marketing activities ( Social Media Marketing, Email Marketing) at the lowest cost possible.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Follow Scimitar Global Services Limited ( SGSL) on LinkedIn:

The Entreprenuer and his Business

The entrepreneur and ICT

Ignite your business with our Smart Business Solutions. Register now for our Smart MSME Business round table for June and July. Let us brainstorm together and strategize  with you on how to leverage Smart Business tools to automate and market your business for more customers and more revenue. Find out more here: http://eepurl.com/cSaEHj #MSME #SME #smartmessage #smallbusiness #communicationiskey #Solutions #ModernBusinessSolutions

Office business

Basic Tools And Services An Entrepreneur Needs for His/Her Business!

Office business

As an Entrepreneur, it is expedient that you set your business on the path that guarantees productivity by leveraging technology that ensues trust, supports collaboration with continuous improvement; As you must have to stay connected with both your employees and clients whether you’re working remotely or onsite.

So are you:

  • a Start up business in Nigeria with no online presence and registered business name?
  • An existing Small & Medium and Enterprise Business (Professional services etc.) still using free email service and cracked office applications?
  • a Mid-market Business (Micro-finance Banks, Insurance, Pensions, retail, Securities, travels, fashion, big shops, etc.)?

You need a budget friendly bundled business  strategy and applications that includes some or all the following :

  1. A business name registration with CAC (sole proprietorship, Limited liability company) within 4 weeks
  2. Your Website ( domain registration and email hosting: www.yourcompany.com )
  3. Business class email : yourname@yourcompany.com
  4. Original Microsoft office application (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, One note, etc)Smart business on devices.jpg
  5. Collaboration and file sharing from anywhere, any device anytime
  6. One Terabyte of 99.9% money backed secure Cloud Storage for all your documents, pictures etc.
  7. Social Media Engagement
  8. Calendar Management
  9. Contact center For Small Business (Optional)
  10. Customer Relationship Management (optional)
  11. IT Management (Required but also optional)

 

We understand that small, medium and even mid-market businesses don’t always have the luxury of a massive budget focused solely on technology like  the  bigger Enterprises. They are  focused on the perceived more important technologies for their core business and processes and manually trying to run the business profitably and meeting all the numerous tidbits that require attention.

The truth is that manually managing businesses is actually more expensive and cumbersome because your business is lacking in some key areas somehow, if you don’t have any of the above listed tools. That is why we are encouraging you to sign up for our affordable modern business solution for small business.

These are smart business tools that are tailored to meet the demands of small and medium businesses, giving them the leverage to use same technology big enterprises are using with same results but at very low cost compared to the latter.

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Using modern business applications from Scimitar Global Services Limited (SGSL) tells potential customers that you’re serious about business. For example, you can impress your prospects by inviting them to a collaborative online meeting where you can review your latest proposal with them instead of incurring cost of going to their office. With our state-of-the-art but easy-to-use collaboration, mail, and messaging services, you can set yourself apart from organizations that use free or ad-supported services. A custom domain name further enhances your branding, and includes design tools to easily create a professional, public-facing website in minutes.

With Office 365, you get pay-as-you-go pricing options that give you predictability and flexibility for your business. Office 365 also offers great flexibility by allowing you to easily provide users with only the services they need, cost-effectively adding value to your business.

How about improving the way your business runs with Microsoft 365 . You will have access to reliable Office apps with advanced security option with the ability to communicate with both your employees and your customers through Chat, call; You can host online meetings, and collaborate in real time, whether you’re working remotely or onsite. You will be able to secure your documents in your OneDrive cloud storage, all at a price that’s right for your business.

Click here and authorize us to set up your  Microsoft 365 Free 30 Days Trial

Connect with us immediately for your affordable technology for small businesses so that we can provide you with information and options of comfortable technology solutions within you budget that meets your business needs.

 

Scimitar Global Services Limited (SGSL) is a Microsoft Partner for Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 in Nigeria.

 

Digital Marketing Masterclass 14

Leveraging Technology for your MSME Business by Scimitar Global Services Limited

Register for our Smart Business Tour for SMEs. I am working in partnership with Nigeria Association of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (NASME Lagos) in an MSME Smart Business Tour organized by #NASME Leadership in one of its many empowerment programs planned for its members in 2017. Scimitar Global Services and Microsoft will be hosting the members of NASME Lagos.is the post excerpt.