THE PROS AND CONS OF BEING AN INTERNATIONAL RESELLER

We did a presentation for Sunderland Software City about the pros and cons of trading internationally and we thought we would share our thoughts.

As a reseller of several international products such as Scribe and Swiftpage, we have found working with suppliers abroad can provide a mutually beneficial relationship – as long as you get it right.

Firstly, you need to establish your reasons for reselling the product. Our decision was based on the fact that the products complemented our range of software and we knew they would provide added value to our customers. The products allow us to provide our customers with everything they need without having to use different suppliers.

We have two key international partners (IPs) - one based in the USA and one based in India. Due to time differences we generally communicate via email as this is the most convenient method. Email works best for both parties, making the process a lot smoother in all aspects.

One thing we have noticed is the significant differences in the ways which they do business. For example, our US supplier is very commercially driven and focussed on targets and sales. Our Indian partner however, is very customer service orientated and will have a query or problem turned around within 24 hours in most cases. The point we are trying to make is know the culture of the country you will be working to grasp how they work and if this works for your business. We found this really helped us to know what to expect from the relationship. Other important factors to consider are annual holidays, working patterns, time differences and most importantly support back-up from the vendor.

The legal issues surrounding contracts for the partnership can sometimes be tricky and it is worth getting a solicitor involved if you think there could be any issues with legislation. A few key areas we had to consider were: which country’s legislation would apply, who would own the software licences and also who would provide the support for the software we were selling.

The financial agreement may be different if doing business abroad. Most companies operate on 30-day payment terms which we found didn’t apply when dealing with international partners. We were often asked to provide payment upfront by methods such as a credit card or wire transfer. Obviously this may affect your own payment terms for your customers and you need to build that into the relationship with your customers.

In summary, we have found working with international partners a very worthwhile and mutually-beneficial experience although, as with everything in business, it is important to fully understand the up and downsides of working with suppliers abroad.

International partners can allow you to access market-leading products that your competitors may not have, provide an all-round better service for your customers and add value to their existing software implementation. However, remember you have to establish long-distance relationships with these IPs and legislation and finance can also be problematic.

We have done it and found it a benefit to our business, but make sure you know what you are getting yourself into.

BOND BACKS CHRIS IN THE ECHO’S PORTFOLIO AWARDS

We would like to wish our software support engineer Chris Bunyan good luck in the Sunderland Echo Portfolio Awards tomorrow evening.

Chris, who celebrates his sixth anniversary with Bond Solutions this month, is a finalist in the Employee of the Year category at the awards ceremony taking place at the Stadium of Light.

Chris works directly with our customers to resolve any queries they have with their software, as well as visiting them on-site to install new systems and ensure that they work correctly with their current operations.

As the initial point of contact for our technical team Chris was instrumental in our success in the Sage Circle of Excellence Award - an award based on independent research into how many of our customers would be prepared to recommend us to others.

Having won the award three times, we are currently ranked second in the UK out of over 2,000 Business Partners - something that would not have been possible without Chris’ expertise and first-class customer service skills.

Bond Solutions’ managing director Derek Curtis said: “When we saw the Employee of the Year category in the Sunderland Echo Portfolio Awards we knew we had to put an entry in for Chris as he has had a major impact on the success of Bond Solutions.

“We are delighted that he is a finalist in the category and the full team is behind him 100%. We are looking forward to cheering him on tomorrow night at the awards ceremony.”

WE DID IT...

The Byte Night board would like to say a huge thank you to those who made the first official North East Byte Night a success.

The wind and rain did not deter the 40 members of the business community who had agreed to give up their beds in aid of Action for Children and we hope everyone involved enjoyed the night.

We raised in excess of £10,000, which was down to the fantastic support we received from the business community - the final figure will be announced soon.

We are already busy planning Byte Night 2010 and hope you will spread the word and help us build on this year’s success – as well as joining us again next year!

Paul Keating of Redboat Photography kindly donated his time to Byte Night - please click here to view all of the photographs he took on the night.

Again, we would like to say a huge thank you to all of those involved in the event and we really hope you will support us next year.

If you would like to get involved in Byte Night 2010, please email bytenight@bond-solutions.com and we will send you details of the event as soon as a date is confirmed.

Twas on a regular Friday night

A great poem about Byte Night by Jayne Temple

Twas on a regular Friday night
The Team at Bond took on a delight
Sleeping Rough was their game
Action for Children was their aim

Thermals, Gloves, Wrap up Warm
Weather Warnings it's gonna storm
Might be an idea to grab a Curry
To make the night go in a Hurry

If it doesn't, all's not lost
Your collective brave efforts are the cost
For your doing this for a wonderful cause
But don't go for a dip or break any laws!!

We Really do wish you well
Hope the night has some stories to tell
Watch out Newcastle here you go
Bond Solutions in the charity flow

xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx

Dedicated to My Brother Nick & His Colleagues