Small businesses increase sales and make better connections with new technology solutions

[Guest Elana Pidgeon]

Since the global financial crisis of 2008, many countries have struggled to return to strong economic growth. Nonetheless, small and midsize businesses (SMB) continue to be an engine for economic growth. According to the International Organization for Standardization, SMBs are responsible for 50% of worldwide economic output.

 

Business owners are all over the map when it comes to their needs and level of understanding, so Microsoft’s vision is to create technology that allows you, the small business owner, to do more. We have worked with partners like Toshiba to create devices that run all the required apps, like Office and QuickBooks, so you can focus on running your business.

 

Like so many small-business owners, chiropractor David Kirdahy’s most precious commodity is time. For more than 30 years, Kirdahy has provided chiropractic medicine through his Seattle practice, Pinehurst Chiropractic Clinic.

 

David Kirdahy at Pinehurst Chiropractic Clinic.

 

 

“I’ve worked on people who eventually become grandmothers, then I end up working with their children — and even their children’s children,” says Kirdahy.

 

Building that doctor-patient relationship is among Kirdahy’s top priorities, which is one of the reasons he uses the Toshiba Portégé Z20t 2-in-1 detachable PC with Windows 10 Pro.

 

It’s imperative that the technology he uses is dependable and unobtrusive, so he can spend more of his time and attention on his patients. While meeting with patients, Kirdahy records information exclusively on his Portégé Z20t with Windows 10 Pro.

 

Having the ability to take notes with Windows Ink and the touchscreen Wacom digitizer offers the “best of both worlds.” It is a solution that helps the clinic stay compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, without being overly intrusive to doctor-patient interactions.

 

Time is also of the essence for AroKandela, a Japanese manufacturer of candles and other aroma products. Wanting to expand beyond brick-and-mortar retail, AroKandela began selling its products at local trade shows, but found that setting up cash registers was cumbersome and time-consuming.

 

AroKandela, a Japanese manufacturer of candles and other aroma products

 

 

Now with Windows 10 on the Toshiba Portégé Z20t, setup is intuitive and takes a fraction of the time. Everything the sales staff needs is on one device, and the flexibility of the hardware and software make it easy to detach the tablet’s touchscreen to show customers the company’s entire inventory on the AroKandela website.

 

For Paul Clark, owner of WalkThrough Media, the ability to capture and produce multimedia content on the go is one of the biggest assets of Windows 10 Pro and his Portégé Z20t. Clark travels throughout Washington’s Puget Sound area, producing video tours and photography services to real estate agents. With the Wacom digitizer, he can easily retouch photos and edit video footage of properties, and with Skype and Windows Ink, he can interact with agents in real time and respond to their feedback while still onsite.

 

Paul Clark, owner of WalkThrough Media

 

 

In describing the experience of Windows 10 and the Portégé Z20T, Clark says, “It’s not just a replacement for a desktop. It’s a platform for expansion.”

 

Breakthroughs like cloud computing have opened the door to new opportunities for how small business owners can get things done. Our goal at Microsoft is to bring you features that take advantage of those breakthroughs so you can devote more energy to your business and your customers, instead of your technology.

 

Thanks to features such as Windows Ink and Touch, there are already more than 400 million Windows 10 devices active monthly, making this version of Windows the fastest growing ever. With more innovations in the pipeline, you can expect a PC experience that’s more personal and productive.

 

Much like the Portégé Z20T, Toshiba’s Portégé Z30t offers a highly portable platform for Windows 10 Pro, making it the device of choice for Magnus Mårtensson, founder and CEO of Loftysoft AB, an IT consulting firm based in Malmo, Sweden.

 

Magnus Mårtensson, founder and CEO of Loftysoft AB

 

 

Mårtensson travels the world, helping companies build IT solutions based on the Microsoft Azure Cloud Platform. As such, it’s important that his computer be highly portable, so he can stay productive while traveling by train or airplane. Even more critical is the need for enterprise-grade security features that offer comprehensive protection of client data.

 

With the Portégé Z30t and Windows 10 Pro, Mårtensson can take advantage of the biometric authentication features in Windows Hello, along with Windows Bitlocker Drive Encryption. Combined, they offer a safer and more secure platform for getting things done on the go.

 

Seamus Conlan is also a fan of Windows 10 security features available on his Portégé Z30t. As the CEO of his own IT consultancy, the Boru Group, Conlan shares many of Mårtensson’s challenges and concerns about protecting data and remaining productive on the road. He also needs enough power to handle heavy duty applications such as Microsoft Dynamics, SQL Server and Power BI, which are central to the Boru Group’s specialty in building infrastructure and project management solutions.

 

Along with Windows Hello and Bitlocker, single sign-on and Windows Update for Business ensure that Conlan’s computer is loaded with the most recent security updates and features, providing Boru Group and its clients with greater piece of mind.

 

For more information on the benefits of Windows 10 for small businesses, please visit https://business.microsoft.com. For more information on Toshiba visit us.toshiba.com.

 

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