Small builders depend on reliable advice when they go shopping for IT. But do they get it? To find out, Building took a small contractor on an expedition to his local high street.
Steve Litt owns Abingdon Building Services, a small contractor with a turnover of £100 000-150 000 a year that deals mainly in domestic jobs. Three years ago he bought an accounts program from a salesperson at a conference. Litt already had a computer system and thought it might make his life easier if he had a package for all his accounting procedures. The salesperson convinced him he was getting a bargain at £1800. "It's only at this price for a few days," he told him. "Buy next week and it will cost you £3000." Litt bought it.

But when he tried to set up the software, it crashed eight times. He called the company that sold it and was told he needed to do a training course that would cost another £3000. Instead, he sent the software back and went to college to learn manual book-keeping. He has done the books on paper ever since.

A good start

Lack of knowledge about computer hardware and software leads many small builders to make expensive mistakes when they buy computers. Frequently, they do not understand the terminology, how much they should spend and what machine is right for them. And once they find a PC, they are faced with choosing the right software.

Litt agreed to act as a guinea pig for a Building experiment to see what advice a small businessperson with little experience of IT can expect from high-street computer retailers.

He wanted advice on replacing his three-year-old system for writing letters to clients and for estimating jobs. He was also keen to find out about an accounts package.

Our first stop was the Oxford branch of Time, a computer manufacturer that rents space in Office World.

"I am looking to buy a computer for my business but I don't know what would be best for me," Litt told the sales assistant, who smiled and started his pitch. "I'm a builder," Litt added. The assistant's smile did not waver as he led Litt to one of the computers on display.

I just heard that sales assistant tell a customer: ‘You don’t want to look at anything on the bottom shelf because it’s all crap’

Steve Litt, Abingdon Building Services

"What are megabytes?" asked Litt.

"One megabyte is equivalent to 80 sheets of A4 paper," explained the assistant. He then spoke more slowly and explained any technical jargon. He told Litt that the software programs were all year 2000- and euro-compliant, and offered free quotes on three systems, with no obligation to buy. While the assistant was drawing up the quotes, Litt played with the systems on display.

The assistant handed over the quotes, along with a selection of brochures, a training video on how to choose the right personal computer and a brochure detailing all the products available. Litt was impressed. "He knows what he's doing," he said. He added that the only drawback was the lack of information on accounts programs.

PC World was next. The Oxford superstore trumpets the fact that it has a business centre geared towards professional users. This is a corner of the warehouse decked out to look like a section of an open-plan office. There are plush armchairs, newspapers in a rack and a receptionist. Litt approached her to ask for a sales adviser. The business adviser was busy with a customer but would be free in a few minutes, she said. It all seemed very professional.

Confused accounts

Unfortunately, we were approached by another adviser who seemed a little at sea. Litt detailed his requirements, mentioning that he was a builder. The assistant's first question was: "Have you got an account with us?" When Litt said no, we were swept off to the hub of the business centre where the assistant produced the paperwork for opening an account. A bemused Litt protested that he did not need an account – he was just looking. "Are you VAT-registered?" The assistant continued. "And how long have you been trading?"

Litt asked him to recommend a PC and the assistant indicated the manager's special offer, an IBM Aptiva for £1499 including VAT.

“What’s the difference between this one and the other one?” Litt asked. “It’s cheaper,” the assistant replied

Litt asked if it was possible to connect it to the Internet for e-mail. The assistant did not know. He slipped off and came back with two colleagues who quickly located the modem and demonstrated where the telephone line would go. While he was away, Litt noticed that the price-tag stated quite clearly that the computer had a modem. Litt then asked about the software that came with the computer. The assistant knew that it was called Lotus Notes Suite Millennium but nothing more, and he had never heard of Quicken 98, another personal accounts package, detailed on the accompanying information card. We moved on to look at another machine. "What's the difference between this one and the other one?" Litt asked. "It's cheaper," the assistant replied, before inquiring again if Litt would like to open an account. As we left, Litt realised he was clutching the paperwork to open an account.

The builder's verdict on his experience of the sales adviser at PC World: "Crap. I didn't get any advice. He didn't know what the computers did. He gave us no brochures and that business about opening an account put me off straight away."

Litt's opinion of PC World is based on one adviser in one store. In response, a spokesperson for PC World said: "We are sorry the customer was disappointed because we work hard to make sure our sales advisers are trained. We will have a word with the branch to see if there is a problem, and if the customer would like any more advice we would be happy to do our best to help him."

The last shop was Tempo. Although the range is limited, the sales assistant was efficient. Litt explained his requirements and the assistant led us to a computer with the relevant software – a Hewlett-Packard that included Quicken 98. The assistant explained that Litt would need a more sophisticated program for business accounts, and recommended a package called Sage.

When Litt asked about a more expensive model, the assistant told him it was not worth it. "You don't want to spend too much on the computer alone. They depreciate in value so quickly," he explained. "Now, there's unbiased advice," whispered Litt as we left the shop. "I just heard that sales assistant tell a customer: 'You don't want to look at anything on the bottom shelf because it's all crap.'"

Litt felt that the Tempo assistant listened to his requirements and did not try to pressure him. He was also impressed by his advice on software.

Litt concluded that high street computer stores might not be the best place to buy business software, but, for a PC, the overall winner was Time. "It was the only one that went into detail with quotes and specifications for different models and price ranges, then left it up to you to make a decision," he said.

Bluffer’s guide to basic IT

Byte A unit of memory. As a rule of thumb, a million bytes, or megabyte, contains enough information to fill 80 pages of A4 paper DVD Digital versatile disks are CD-ROMs you can write on. They are largely used for games and films E-mail Electronic mail is a means of sending letters and information from one computer to another, usually down a telephone line Hard drive The computer’s main memory store, where all the information entered into the computer is kept Internet A global network of linked computers Modem This is a device that encodes and decodes information so that it can be sent down a telephone line, usually to another computer. You need one to connect to the Internet Processor The computer’s brain. This is where all the processing of information is carried out RAM Memory that the computer can find quickly. The more RAM, the faster your computer works. It is measured in megabytes. Software Programs installed to perform specific tasks, such as word processing or accounting. A PC will come with some already installed Voice recognition systems Software that allows you to talk to your computer. In an early stage of development

Who can help?

Construction Industry Computing Association DVD, CD-ROM, RAM, modems, e-mail, Internet – the array of devices that make up a computer system can be mind boggling. If you are looking to computerise your business, where can you go for help to find out what you really need? Ian Hamilton, managing director of the Construction Industry Computing Association, suggests that you start by talking to friends and colleagues in small building firms who have already taken the plunge. Find out what computer they use and what software they have installed. It is important to understand what software you need before you buy a computer so that you buy a machine with enough memory to run the software. You will probably need a suite of programs, such as Microsoft Office, for writing letters and setting up a database and spreadsheet. But Hamilton adds that you should think carefully about whether you need e-mail. Find out first how many of your suppliers and regular clients are on-line. Hamilton says you should expect to pay £1500 and £2000 if you throw in a printer and extra software. He also suggests approaching your local Business Link (see below). Most of the branches across the country have a department that advises small and medium-sized enterprises on computerising their businesses. The CICA can be contacted on 01223 236336. Business Link Business Link is nationwide network of advice shops funded by the Department of Trade and Industry that was set up to offer advice to small and medium-sized businesses. Business Link City Partners covers the London boroughs of Hackney and Islington, as well as the City. Its information and communications technology adviser, Larry Treadgold, says it offers comprehensive advice on how to computerise a firm or upgrade its IT. “One of the things we do here is an IT preview. This looks at the company’s needs, and we use it to recommend the hardware and software a business should have. We have no relationship with the manufacturers,” he says. The firm must first think through what it wants from a computer. Treadgold will then spend a morning with the company and compile a specification of the software needed and the hardware to run it. He can also give a ballpark figure for the cost and explain any jargon. Some Business Links, including the City Partners branch, even offer grants that subsidise the cost of consulting Business Link on IT issues. These depend on funds available, which varies from region to region. Expect to pay about £200-300 without the subsidy. You can find your local Business Link in the Yellow Pages.