Nine out of ten accountants still recommend Softline Pastel, according to the latest research conducted by Pastel Accounting to ensure that its famous payoff line remains true.
The official score showed that 92% of professional accountants refer their small business clients to Pastel's business and accounting programs. The closest competitor only had a 6% recommendation rate.
“What makes this project so relevant is that it surveyed professional accountants countrywide who specifically serve the SME sector and are completely in tune to the needs of small businesses,” says Joanne van der Walt, Pastel's marketing manager.
Respondents - all of whom were professional accountants - identified 11 brands of accounting software suitable for smaller businesses, and in addition to naming Pastel's programs as their number one recommendation, they also reported that SME clients perceive it to be the best choice for them.
The most important factors for accountants when considering a software supplier for their clients are the availability of technical support (88%), product functionality (26%), user information (21%) and price (11%).
“While product functionality is essential, a readily available and hands-on technical team is key to building a strong reputation,” says Van der Walt.
Pastel Accounting has a 150-seat inbound call centre that provides detailed technical support. It takes over one million calls per annum and 60 000 e-mail and other contacts per month. Pastel is committed to constantly upgrading and improving its services to ensure efficient back-up and support for existing and potential customers, and recently won nine awards at the Contact Centre World Awards, in London.
The survey was conducted by independent research house, Objectivity. Respondents were selected at random and interviewed telephonically with no prior information as to who had commissioned the project.
Survey results also pointed to an interesting trend: only 53% of accountants recommend online accounting programs for their SME clients, despite the tried and tested nature of cloud solutions like Pastel's My Business Online. The report indicates that the slow uptake could be due to concerns over security and slow Internet accessibility.
Steven Cohen, Softline Pastel MD, says: “This finding is an accurate reflection of the market. Many businesses, regardless of size, are wary of placing their business functions online and operating in the cloud is still gaining momentum in South Africa.”
However, broadband availability is ever improving in the country and on the continent. This, accompanied by lower connectivity rates, will boost demand for online business packages in the future, and Pastel has recently experienced a surge in the number of customers subscribing to its online business solutions. Pastel My Business Online and VIP Payroll Liquid, also an online solution, have partnered to offer a holistic Internet-based accounting and payroll solution, perfect for the smaller business owner.
Cohen adds: “Security shouldn't deter business owners from using online solutions; cloud service providers have incredible expertise and often provide better security than regular IT vendors.”
He recommends that small business owners who are hesitant to place their business functions on the cloud adopt a hybrid approach. This way, users can locate business functions such as their customer relationship management (CRM) in the cloud, but retain client databases on their regular IT infrastructure. “A hybrid approach gives users the speed, accessibility and mobility of the cloud without the worry of storing vital business information online.”
For more information:
Steven Cohen, managing director, Pastel Accounting on 011 304 3101 or steven.cohen@pastel.com
Media enquiries:
Jennifer Kann, Lingo Communications 083 455 3289 or jennifer@lingocom.co.za
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