• April 15, 2013

Cloud Case Study: Savage and Associates Consulting

Trapp Technology

Cloud Case Study: Savage and Associates Consulting

Cloud Case Study: Savage and Associates Consulting 1080 454 Trapp Technology

Trapp Technology Solves QuickBooks Integration Issues, Facilitates 20% Growth for Savage and Associates

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“Trapp Technology lets me grow my integration business using custom software in a hosted environment without the usual problems. Long term, it makes my life easier—right now I am struggling to keep up with new clients.”

— Jim Savage, President, Savage and Associates Consulting

Customer: Savage and Associates Consulting

Web Site: www.thequickbooksguy.com

Country or Region: Southern California

Industry: Software Integration

Partner:  Trapp Online

Website: www.trapptechnology.com

Customer Profile

Savage and Associates Consulting, a Southern California QuickBooks Advisor and e-commerce consultant, also known as the QuickBooks Guy, integrates QuickBooks with SQL and other third party applications to create customized solutions for clients. From their Lake Elsinore, California office Jim Savage handles mostly retail customers that range in size from startups to Fortune 500 companies.

Savage and Associates is doing well
in a profitable niche with all new business coming from referrals. Experiencing 20% growth without advertising, Savage is “overwhelmed” with new business.

The Cloud hosting platform from Trapp Technology helps Savage and Associates Consulting (SAC) grow 20% faster by providing a secure, dedicated environment for clients. Easy setup and attractive pricing saves SAC and their customers 50% of setup time at half of the cost of other cloud providers. Trapp Online’s Licensing Program provides hosting services at wholesale rates.

Business Needs

Cloud Integration Problems

Savage and Associates Consulting (SAC) built a thriving business by focusing on EDI and e-commerce integration. As customers moved to the Cloud, problems arose with cloud providers. SAC needed a hosting provider to accommodate solid QuickBooks and custom software integration.

Setup Problems

Setting up a new customer on a large commercial cloud platform with shared servers was a problem for SAC. Implementations could take up to one month. “Setting up a customer on a commercial host becomes problematic technically,” said Savage. “SQL Server, or any kind of third party software, requires a vetting process.” SAC needed a hosted QuickBooks provider that would facilitate an easier setup process.

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Security Problems

With clients on shared servers, sensitive customer data was not entirely secure. Customers could gain access to other client’s files. “I could see some files that were not my own,” said Savage. “I just stumbled on it. If I could do it then others could as well.”

High Cost

Pricing was an issue. “The large commercial providers are cost prohibitive for many of my clients,” said Savage. “One that we use is pretty expensive; another is less but you can’t get support.” SAC needed hosting at a price that worked for SMB companies.

Lack of Support

SAC often needed technical support from hosting providers but found it lacking. “Customer support was not as good as I’d like,” said Savage. “In fact I couldn’t even get support from one large provider.”

Solution

In 2012, SAC began looking for a better hosting solution. Savage investigated four providers including Trapp Online. “I was looking for a service that was easy to set up, secure, affordable, and that had a reseller program,” said Savage.

Solid QuickBooks Integration

Trapp Technology is cloud hosting designed by accountants for QuickBooks professionals and their clients. Savage was impressed that they offered dedicated servers for clients. “I didn’t have to worry about testing third party software in the shared environment,” said Savage. “The custom integration works so much better when each client has their own server.

Affordable

Savage also liked the price. “Compared to large commercial providers, Trapp Online is a great value,” said Savage. With an attractive price, easy setup, solid integration and a reseller program, SAC went with Trapp Online.

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Next Day Setup

In the first six months SAC added 12 new clients to Trapp Online. Setting up new clients is easy and fast. “I email them a form with the customer information and the next morning I get an email back with the server configuration,” said Savage. “It’s pretty straightforward.”

Responsive Support

Trapp Technology provides responsive U.S.-based telephone, chat and email support. “My clients and I really like the customer support we get from Trapp Online,” said Savage. “It’s much better than other providers—if I even get support. The Trapp Technology team is extremely responsive.”

One Bill for Clients

Savage gets one bill from Trapp Technology detailing discounted hosting service for all of his clients. He bundles hosting with other services and passes along the 10% discount to customers. “I like my clients to get one bill per month and to have one point of contact,” said Savage. “And, being on the licensing program means I don’t have to maintain my own server.”

Single Access Point

Trapp Technology provides a single access point for all of SAC’s clients on the Cloud, a customized portal with one password. There is no local software install for customers; it’s all on Trapp Online. Even if clients are each on different accounting software, Savage can access them all through the portal page, which Trapp Technology set up and manages for him.

Anywhere Access

Being on Trapp Technology gives SAC’s clients access to their files from anywhere, even from their mobile devices. Likewise, Savage is able to access clients’ files from the office, at home or wherever he has an internet connection. “We’ve had no connectivity issues with Trapp Technology,” said Savage.

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Benefits

Costs 50% Less

SAC pays Trapp Technology 50% less for hosting than other providers. Savage passes along the savings to his customers. “It’s much easier for my clients to get on the cloud,” said Savage. “And, that allows me to continue to sell QuickBooks.” Savage also passes along the 10% he saves with the Trapp Technology Licensing program.

Saves Half of Setup Time

Setting up new users is much easier than before. “I save at least half of my time setting up a new customer,” said Savage. “That’s about two hours per setup. I’ve tried other hosting providers but I keep coming back to Trapp Technology.”

Increased Productivity

Having his clients in one place with one logon saves time each day. Clients’ productivity is also improved through greatly expanded access and improved response times.

Higher Customer Satisfaction

“My customers are happier because they get good support and a system that’s easy to access,” said Savage. “And, I can do more to help them grow their e-commerce businesses on the Cloud with my customized, integrated solutions.”

More Sales

Having an affordable hosting option with Trapp Technology has helped SAC close sales. “It has made a difference in at least a half dozen sales situations,” said Savage. “It’s an attractive option for prospects.”

20% Integration Business Growth

SAC has seen considerable revenue growth in the past year. “Trapp Technology has helped me grow by at least 20%,” said Savage. “With Trapp Technology I can continue to grow my integration business at that rate and be competitive.”

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If your company could benefit from cloud hosting in a similar way to Savage and Associates, feel free to contact us

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