SMBs don't work that way
"By this, I must deduce that designing, printing and distributing a leaflet to every customer around the country takes less time, effort and expense than rewriting two lines of text on a website."
This is the problem when looking at technology in the real world. The printed stuff was originally drafted out by someone senior in the business, (s)he then passed it up to the MD. The MD took it home where it was looked at and scribbled on by the MD's partner. If you are lucky, someone in the family could type, so it was then redrafted at least 4 times on screen, printed out a few more times, and then corrected again, and then finally taken back to work, where suitable artwork/colouring and layout was done by somebody who was probably a contractor. The "finished" work then went back via the MD to their partner who suggested that the fonts should be changed; and they did not really like the neutral corporate pale background, so please change it to a nice pink colour 'like their poodle's dog collar". The artwork and dog collar then go back to the contractor, who thought about the invoice that they would generate, gritted their teeth, and then made the changes, hopefully making the shade of pink a bit less virulent. A final proof was then agreed, which went as a .docx file and a printed copy to the local printing franchise run by the MD's partner's cousin; who tried to do their slightly incompetent best, particularly as the MD's partner said when they dropped it off, "Oh could you make the pink a bit brighter it seems to have faded". The SMB now has 5 reams of leaflets most of which are on boxes on the floor by the receptionists feet.
Now comes the good bit, someone believes that "To show that they are a modern company", this information needs to be up on the website. The website was originally designed by a partner of the same contractor who did the flyer, but he has not been allowed near it since, as the invoice that they sent was too high. "It's only computer stuff" thinks the MD - "My daughter's boyfriend is always doing computer stuff, he can do it for us" - The said boyfriend's experience was gained mostly as many hours spent playing WoW on Windows. He cobbles together a scanned copy of the flyer and gives it the same name as the original on the website, and somehow manages to copy it up to the "correct" place to replace the original flyer.
It did not have to be like this. About 2 years ago, the MD met a consultant on the golf course who told him that they gave advice on modern business practices. He came in and produced an expensive report that suggested that everything should go up on a local copy of the company website first, and then when everyone was happy, any changes should go up on the real website. If they needed printed copies they should use the website documents directly. The existing staff were horrified, and the senior staff member who produces the first drafts told the MD "We don't have anyone here with those skills, and if we did they would be very expensive - What we have works well, so let's not change it".
I have been there many times, and have even mentally designed the T shirt while waiting the "recent" back up to restore the receptionist's data, which contained stuff that she thought was too important to go onto a server in someone else's office. The receptionist (if she is not the pretty young woman "who does the typing and answers the phone") is invariably a really pleasant 48 year old woman who is actually the only person who knows how the company actually works...
Biting the hand that feeds IT
