my-IT.info : IT help and essential information : Outlook help, Microsoft Word, Sage help, doing business on eBay, internet for small business, Yorkshire Forward, Yorkshire and the Humber

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Questionnaire summary results

This is a summary of the results so far. 55 Questionnaires have been completed.

My-IT feedback results:

You & your business

What sort of computer user are you? (Choose one)
Experienced	20
Competent	17
Survivor	2
Defeated
Beginner
No response	16

Your business internet connection (Choose one)
None	1
Dial up (slow)	7
512k Broadband	7
1Mb Broadband	9
2 Mb Broadband	7
Got one but don’t know what	7
No response	17

The Problem we are addressing – do you agree? (Tick all you agree with)	Y	N
Users need clear step-by-step help with ICT issues	41	14
The help needs to be on-line	18	37
It should focus on real business issues and tasks	43	12
It is essential to have small units of information	36	19
Do you see other problems blocking successful use of ICT in business?	10	45

Your approach - how do you cope with this in your business? (Tick all that apply)	Y	N
Not at all	1	54
Ask a friend	23	32
Go to professional advisors (such as accountants)	21	34
Check out websites	30	25
Buy a book	7	48
Get training	24	31

The My-IT.info web site

As a whole, how do you find the level of this material? (Choose one)
Too simple	6
Sometimes too simple	11
Just about right	29
Sometimes too complex	3
Too complex	2
No response	4

As a whole, what do you think of the style of this material? (Choose all that apply)	Y	N
Does it matter that there are different styles?	15	40
Does video help?	20	35
Is the ‘on-top helper’ a good approach?	31	24
Is the ‘search’ facility useful?	17	38

Topics covered (Please comment)

Would you really use any of these topics?

""
"Absoultely"
"E Bay and Word"
"Ebay"
"Email & word"
"I will encourage my clients to visit the site & decide for themselves"
"I would use some of the topics mentioned."
"learned a couple of useful email things - how to block spam"
"no"
"Personally no, but less experienced users with the company will."
"Personally, probably not. But some of my less experienced staff would. "
"Rarely"
"Sage Accounting"
"Sage Line 50"
"The email topic is not very useful. It needs a sound card, which most office pc's do not have and a fairly fast internet connection"
"The 'Word' section and the section about getting yourself noticed on-line"
"VAT - very good to help my assistant is my absense"
"WHAT IS 'ICT'? I THOUGHT THAT THE WEBSITE WAS ABOUT 'IT'!"
"word info, ebay"
"Yes"
"Yes especially the Internet and ebay section"
"yes i use email & ebay"
"Yes SAGE ! "
"Yes so will my staff"
"Yes the Sage Accounting and Word mail merge are useful business tools. "
"Yes, but he information needs expanding across all platforms and all levels"
"Yes, I would use most of them. Internet I just about know, email useful but I would like mozilla thnuderbird included and in more detail like tabbed browsing, signatures etc. I like having the videos in email and the monkey in ebay. Nice to have little chunks of info. Sage would be good but not VAT. Word - yes, there is heaps I don't know and need to. I think the spam video was really useful. Its about time someone came up with this sort of info. Well done."
"Yes,Considering I only looked at the VAT Module I would love to see more.Also do you plan to produce these modules in other languages? There are approx 50 Bedding Companies in this area and Gujurati and Urdu speakers are evident."
"Yes. If well researched /developed this is a fantastic initiative to support small businesses."

What other topics would you like to see covered?

""
"additional software support and advice advice on software packages and applications to address business issues"
"advanced mail merge, e marketing"
"coputer programming, web designing, desktop publishing. "
"Cross platform issues,ie non-intel/Microsoft (Apple/Linux). Anti-virus/spyware advise. Issues that a lot of home/SoHo/small business miss but can heavily affect them."
"Design it as an Corporate Intranet where Training is one element. Don't limit to training alone, include other useful info, possibly linking to other sites such as Yell.Com, MultiMap ..."
"Entering data on sales invoices, opening new customer accounts"
"excel and access"
"How to optimise memory / disc space on pc to optimise it's performance"
"I think the topic is very online driven and when accounting is mentioned it focusses on a legal minumum application (VAT). These sections are ok but ICT can offer more proactive outputs from say Sage Line 50, which are directly related to each individual business. I think a section on the utilisation of ICT to output MIS related KPIs which are common to businesses would be of benefit, I still meet clients who do not use their accounting system to undertake quote/order entry or any MIS output. EG. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are key measures that gauge the success of the organisation in a particular area, usually impacting the bottom line. All KPIs are: Quantifiable Measureable today and over time Assessed regularly against preset corporate targets tracked by decision makers throughout the organisation tracked across key dimensions and/or variable (eg. time, products, product line, department, geographic location, sales representatives.) The development of Key Performance Indicators should be relevant to the company's commercial objective. KPIs should be transparent, visible and relate to the company's inputs, processes and output. Typical KPIs include: Aged creditors/debtors order intake invoice value due date compliance employee absence Credit notes cash at bank response times customer service profitability "
"I would like screen shots and little videos of accounting packages as I don't have one yet. I would like other word tasks covered eg printing labels and envelopes. I can waste a lot of time learning a simple task. It took me hours to find the correct software to print business cards ie Publisher. Often I don't know which is the right software package to use ie Word or Publisher or Photoshop. So i think you could have a list of options eg How to make a business card, How to print envelope lables, How to print on an envelope, How to print invoices. I would like web design using front page - just little snippets like publishing a site. I would like a comparison between different software packages not just Windows. I would like an intro to drawing on the pc ie a vector program. I would like a guide to anti virus and firewalls, routers, wireless broadband, spybot, - you name it, I need it!!"
"Internal HR regulations"
"Internet Security would probably be a big help. "
"lots, I would love to see one local site that answers many of my clients issues eg - marketing, HR and helth & safety. "
"Maybe some information on database management."
"Microsoft Excel"
"More IT skills (end user) topics and greneric business skills "
"N/A"
"next level of advice for planning web-based trading eg how much does say PayPal charge? What does 'shipping and payment dealt with in 43 and 44' mean?"
"No others I can think of"
"online banking, search engines"
"Option to get more indepth information, more job specific. More mentioned about FREE promotion opertunities online. Details of the things that are and are not needed on a website depending on business size. Its very easy to spend lots of money and still not have a system that works well for your business"
"producing tables in word,"
"Security of business IT systems"

What is your biggest area of concern with ICT?

""
"DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS!!"
"Keeping everyone of all ages and knowledge up-to-date in order for people to do their jobs efficiently"
"keeping up with it all and keeping the computer updated. Also having enough time in the day to learn more about it all."
"Learning enough about all the different aspects with very little cost outlay. As a one man band I have to watch my costs and can't afford IT help. I have to be my own it consualtant, not only in webdesign (my trade) but in business management eg accouting, emailing etc. Please carry on the good work, its an excellent idea. I would love a helpline. At the moment Norton anti-virus is playing up and I need an alternative, s thats another 2 hours spent researching and purchasing and installing. Computers ALWAYS catch you out. My experieince over the last 2 years is that things are ALWAYS going wrong. Router packs up. Email wont' collect mail. Monitor goes on the blink. and so on and so on."
"management and pruchasing the best upgradable equipment. "
"n/a"
"Often need to be able to ask an expert to solve what is often a very simple glitch but can't risk it turning out to be a big problrm which will cost me a fortune to rectify"
"programinng"
"security"
"Security mainly."
"security of information, idea of costs based on usage/trffic"
"Spam"
"The lack of knowledge in the 30+ year old age bracket and the lack of willing to learn."
"viruses"
"XP"

Which was the most useful topic? (Choose one)
Internet for small business	14
Email	9
Sage Accounting	12
Word and mailmerge	7
eBay	8
No response	5

Which topic offered the clearest information? (Choose one)
Internet for small business	11
Email	8
Sage Accounting	10
Word and mailmerge	5
eBay	13
No response	8

Which topic was the most attractive to use? (Choose one)
Internet for small business	12
Email	9
Sage Accounting	11
Word and mailmerge	3
eBay	9
No response	11

Your ideas

Would you welcome a help line that you could call offering this type of ICT advice? (If NO, please tell us why)
Yes: 44 No: 7 Blank: 4	"" "As long as it was a freephone number!" "If free/local rate." "if the service was free" "It always good to have a human on the end of a line " "My Answer to this question is yes but I am also using this space to say that this questionnire should have a section for other things and points I noted whilst using the site ie, The first paragraph was a little americanised ie Recon & Folks. It would have been useful to make the buttons linkable. I thought the sight was well laid out, crisp and clear. The MS Outlook logo whilst important was a little on the large side. Being on the lazy side I very much liked the Monkey talking me through the first steps and would have liked the monkey to take me through all the steps to save me reading even if it was an abbeiviated summary." "On service yes, helpline no. If I could submit a question and get an answer or a call back that would work well" "only with a fast response" "Simpler for me to go on line and search for the answer, especially as I get quite busy during the day running my business and only find time after hours." "Sometimes it is more helpful to speak to somebody. Cannot always find what you want to know on line but you should get an answer over the phone"

Would you like training courses in this style (e.g. in the evening at the local college or learning centre) (If ‘NO’, please tell us why)
Yes: 27 No: 23 Blank: 5	"" "As a full time video and multimedia producer, I am pretty efficient with computers and the internet, ok I don't know everything, but I can usually find the nitty gritty of what you offer on-line." "because I already know a lot so the majority of a course wouldn't be worth my time" "But with more depth to the information provided." "Have attended college and learnig centres not impressed" "I think it would certainly help for the older people (30+) within our business who just don't have a clue and spend at least 10% of their time asking me what to do. It gets tedious telling them the same thing over and over because they just don't want to learn." "not enought time - but maybe a member of staff might - it would be a good part for enhansing career opportunities " "Not in an evening" "prefer to learn as I go" "Prefer to learn when necessary rather than attend a course." "Things like this can help as a support mechanism but training should be undertaken by a person explaining the subject matter face-to-face" "What about linking this with the European Computer Driving License?" "would go to a college to interact with another person/sdvisor, not sit at a machine in a room of other people sat at machines. can so that remotley etc"

Would on-line discussion groups where you could pose questions be helpful - assuming there would be a moderator to ensure responsiveness? (If ‘NO’, please tell us why)
Yes: 31 No: 6 Blank: 18	"" "Never use them." "no - who has time for a gossip corner " "Not into that type of thing - maybe ok for others" "Of course a forum would help." "This would be wonderful as then businesses can share their experiences and help each other." "Would like to know that my enquiry is being dealt with in confidence rather than open forum." "yes see top box" "you haven't got a general comments box on here - I found the video confusing because my PC doesn't have speakers and it wasn't clear the commentary matched the list on the right"

Finally - Can we help?

Tick anything you would like us to contact you about	Yes	No
Using ICT in your business?	3	52
Solving an ICT business problem?	5	50
ICT Training for you or your business?	6

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