April 2009
Most people who start a small business have no guarantee that it will be the right business for them or for the economic climate of the time. But becoming a reseller of Softline Pastel accounting software does look like the right choice right now.
Softline Pastel managing director, Steven Cohen, says that, as the economy tightens, business people simply don’t have the time to try and work out for themselves how best to install and exploit their accounting or business software. “They certainly don’t have the time or money to waste on working with several different supplier organisations simply to get their hardware, software, networking, and business process management requirements streamlined and functioning seamlessly together.
“So, there’s a huge demand for one-stop-shop vendors who can give them advice on what kind of systems they need and then help them implement and maintain those systems.”
Softline Pastel has therefore begun a recruitment drive for value added resellers (VARs) who have some insight into both accounting and business best practice - as well as being familiar with the latest technologies.
But is there space for more resellers when Softline Pastel already has a reseller base of about 3 000 resellers, some 300 of whom have been with the company for more than 10 years?
“It’s not just a case of needing more resellers - although, with our existing customer base of 180 000 customers, there’s a substantial, very lucrative market for new VARs to exploit,” Cohen says. “It’s a question of offering customers a new type of all-round service.”
That doesn’t mean, Cohen says, that in order to be recruited as a VAR you have to be an established accountant or a business consultant. “It would do you no harm if you were, but we provide six weeks of training in all aspects of our products, the basics of bookkeeping and accounting, and the technical aspects of the software itself. So, anyone with the interest and, say, school bookkeeping, will emerge from the course fully equipped to offer the new service we want to give our customers.”
There’s plenty of support, too, for a start-up business.
“For one thing, we’re a leading local brand with a 20-year track record of helping SMEs manage their finances,” Cohen says. “So, simply saying that you’re a Pastel reseller opens a lot of doors for you.
“And, of course, our VARs are able to capitalise on our very extensive marketing and advertising campaigns.
“Then there’s the fact that there’s a dire shortage of accounting skills in the market. Specifically, there’s a shortage of people familiar with computerised accounting packages.
“So, being a Pastel VAR is probably one of the best ways of making money you could try - even though times are tough.
Cohen points out that information technology trends such as social networking and mobility are directly affecting the way technology is both installed and used within a business. “Everything is moving to an online platform and software as a service (in which users pay only for the functionality they access online) will soon be as popular as in-house software. For most people, though, web-based business is new territory and they need the advice of Internet natives – young people who have grown up using the Internet and who instinctively understand Web 2.0 technologies.
“For that reason, we are pro-actively looking among younger people for our new-generation VARs.”
For more information, please got to channel@pastel.com or phone.