What advice would the CEO of Sage give to an SME looking to grow?
Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2024 3:44 am
Stephen Kelly , who is about to complete two years as Sage's CEO worldwide, has been in Spain and has given some recipes to boost the healthy growth of small local companies, which generate 70% of the GDP and already represent more than half of exports. Here we offer you the most interesting parts of the conversation with Kelly, who was supported by Luis Pardo, CEO of the Iberian subsidiary of Sage .
Stephen Kelly has been CEO of Sage for almost two years. Kelly, who also carries a business card in his pocket that presents him as a technology ambassador for the British Government , has been in Spain to learn first-hand about the demands of partners who resell the company's software and, above all, of SMEs that manage their invoices, stock, payroll, tax payments or treasury with programs ranging from the well-known Sage ContaPlus and Sage FacturaPlus, to platforms such as Sage X3, designed for companies with an international dimension, as well as Sage 200cloud or Sage 50cloud .
"Our mission is to be the champions of SMEs," Kelly insurance email list said. This is no small matter, given that Spain is a highly segmented business country (there are up to 3 million companies of all sizes ) and where two thirds of jobs and 70% of GDP are generated by small businesses , which in turn are responsible for 52% of exports, a fact that is unparalleled in the developed world, according to the CEO of Sage.
At that meeting, we asked Kelly what the recipes are for Spanish SMEs, which suffer from low productivity, lack of size and capacity to go abroad and also excessive dependence on bank financing, to be able to compete head-to-head with any foreign company in an increasingly globalized world.
Kelly acknowledged that there is still a long way to go for Spanish SMEs , but also recalled that there is good news to celebrate. Thus, he said that the 52% of exports that come from local SMEs is an "incredible" milestone and one of the highest percentages that can be found in any developed country.
That said, Kelly advised business owners to focus on day-to-day operations and run the business as efficiently as possible. “That means, for example, getting paid as quickly as possible because cash flow is the fuel that makes everything else possible ,” she stressed. Of course, technology can help streamline, but it is also important, in her opinion, for accountants to apply good practices to speed up the collection of cash, which is essential especially when we are talking about small businesses.
Stephen Kelly has been CEO of Sage for almost two years. Kelly, who also carries a business card in his pocket that presents him as a technology ambassador for the British Government , has been in Spain to learn first-hand about the demands of partners who resell the company's software and, above all, of SMEs that manage their invoices, stock, payroll, tax payments or treasury with programs ranging from the well-known Sage ContaPlus and Sage FacturaPlus, to platforms such as Sage X3, designed for companies with an international dimension, as well as Sage 200cloud or Sage 50cloud .
"Our mission is to be the champions of SMEs," Kelly insurance email list said. This is no small matter, given that Spain is a highly segmented business country (there are up to 3 million companies of all sizes ) and where two thirds of jobs and 70% of GDP are generated by small businesses , which in turn are responsible for 52% of exports, a fact that is unparalleled in the developed world, according to the CEO of Sage.
At that meeting, we asked Kelly what the recipes are for Spanish SMEs, which suffer from low productivity, lack of size and capacity to go abroad and also excessive dependence on bank financing, to be able to compete head-to-head with any foreign company in an increasingly globalized world.
Kelly acknowledged that there is still a long way to go for Spanish SMEs , but also recalled that there is good news to celebrate. Thus, he said that the 52% of exports that come from local SMEs is an "incredible" milestone and one of the highest percentages that can be found in any developed country.
That said, Kelly advised business owners to focus on day-to-day operations and run the business as efficiently as possible. “That means, for example, getting paid as quickly as possible because cash flow is the fuel that makes everything else possible ,” she stressed. Of course, technology can help streamline, but it is also important, in her opinion, for accountants to apply good practices to speed up the collection of cash, which is essential especially when we are talking about small businesses.