Images_Digital_Edition_April_2020

www.images-magazine.com APRIL 2020 images 27 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT carefully with a developer to ensure you are using clean coding that is secure. ■ Consider the cost: Off-the-shelf, pre-packaged, ready-to- go APIs are relatively inexpensive (eg Stripe, Facebook, Google Maps and Amazon). But if you are after a bespoke API, get quotes from accredited developers and analyse costings to see if it is of value. Using an API can add real value to your garment decoration business by providing complete autonomy, increased productivity and efficiency. Just remember to do your research and consider the costings and functionality your business needs and will benefit from the most. A pplication programming interface, otherwise known as an API, is a software intermediary that connects two pieces of software. An API integration is when two or more APIs connect to each other to perform a joint task, such as synchronising data. For garment decorators, the core ones you use will be concerned with linking stock feeds from suppliers, accounts packages, workflows or any other systems that you can use alongside your business. For example, wholesalers such as PenCarrie and Ralawise have a stock feed XML file, which web designers can link to. By using an API, you can link an inventory management add-on or widget on your Shopify, Wordpress or bespoke-built website directly to the files PenCarrie and Ralawise display. There are thousands of readily available integrations out there to use alongside your website, but pick carefully: ■ Consider the purpose of the API: What do you actually want it to do? How can it add value to your business? Ensure whatever API you pick is fit for purpose. ■ Save time: With the options for some purposes being endless, ensure you pick an API which actually streamlines whatever activity you are looking to sync. ■ Ensure it’s secure: With thousands of APIs available, work An overviewof APIs Andrew Langridge is from ETrader, one of the industry’s leading suppliers of websites to garment decorators across the UK. www.etraderwebsites.co.uk O nly a tiny minority of small businesses appoint outside directors – ie those who are not employed by your business, have no day-to-day operational role in it, and have no ownership in it – but pinning down a number is difficult. The closest I came to finding a reliable number is the 5% suggested by a 2014 Forbes article entitled ‘Outside board members bring needed experience and perspective to your company’. The article speculates that small business owners don’t appoint outside directors because they think they’re smart enough, they think it’s too expensive or they think it would constrain their decision-making abilities. I can buy those reasons, but I’d add that many business owners probably haven’t given the matter much thought. Two words in the Forbes article hint at the key contributions a business might expect from an outside director: experience and perspective. In other words, two elements often lacking in small businesses – the first due to the owner’s inexperience, especially in the case of new entrepreneurs, and the second due to the owner’s immersion in day-to-day operations at the cost of neglecting the bigger picture. Small businesses need someone keeping an eye on the bigger picture and choosing an appropriate direction for the business. This is where an outside director’s experience and perspective can make a major contribution. As for what this outside director looks like, it all depends on the mix of expertise and experience your business needs, but beneficial attributes include demonstrated success and experience in business and the willingness to use contacts to assist company profitability. The outsider: what a director can add to your business As for what a director will cost, those in small businesses are compensated much more modestly than their counterparts in big corporations. There’s not a lot of literature on the subject, but anecdotal information and the odd business article allude to modest compensation packets, such as travel and accommodation expenses for attending meetings and limited cash stipends – these can be dependent on company performance. Remember that directors also assume legal obligations when taking on the role; you might want to consider offering them liability insurance as part of the overall compensation packet. Michael Best is a print industry veteran, accountant and author of Characters Who Can Make Or Break Your Small Business . Through 39 characters, Michael covers all aspects most small business owners can expect to encounter in the life of a business from inception to disposition. It is available from Amazon and www.smallbusinesscharacters.com .