Newport Board Group, a CEO Advisory Firm to the Middle Market, Issues 5 Emerging Technology Predictions for 2013
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) November 18, 2013 -- Small and medium-sized businesses across the United States are increasingly relying on new technology solutions to strengthen product development, marketing, and customer engagement activities. Technology adoption is often the best way to drive relative advantage over competitors, even among small businesses. This is especially true with regard to computer and Internet technologies. A business might be basically “technology enabled” but may be missing out on new, fast-evolving technologies that could supercharge the growth of the business, regardless of its size.
Strategy 1: Use the Internet to Finance the Business
With the passage of the JOBS Act in 2012 and the development of crowdfunding, selling small amounts of equity to many investors over the Internet has become a real option. The JOBS Act legislation allows for a wider pool of small investors with fewer restrictions than under previous security laws. While the JOBS Act awaits implementation, hybrid models, such as Mosaic Inc., are working within existing securities laws to enable the public to invest directly in clean energy projects. Recently, a high-end blended scotch company (SIA) was financed through Kickstarter.com.
Once regulations are issued, crowdfunding will evolve from a fad to an accepted method of funding companies, ventures, and product development. Companies that can inspire small investors with a vision of how their products or services are authentic game changers for consumers or society as a whole will be able to take advantage of this trend.
Strategy 2: Embrace Social Media and Expand Sales
Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are the most obvious social media vehicles for business. Adopting an effective social media strategy can rapidly enhance a company’s branding and visibility, allowing the business to interact real-time with the target market audience around a direct message or offer, and drive traffic to the company's website — as long as its content and design make it worth driving traffic to!
Companies need a social media strategy and focus, not just to supplement current sales efforts but as the primary vehicle for all sales activity. Print advertising is losing ground to the Internet and social media is an effective method of marketing over the Internet at a very low cost.
The first step is to identify the online platforms and communities where potential customers spend time. The next step is to create a strategy to engage with their interests and offer useful, compelling content and interaction that can't be found elsewhere.
Strategy 3: Adopt New Technologies to Streamline the Business
By now, most private businesses have adopted technology — including financial systems from QuickBooks to Oracle and user-friendly websites, online catalogs, and call centers, and many businesses have used technology to streamline inventory management. But there are other evolving uses of technology that large businesses are adopting and which are adaptable to small businesses including:
- Real-time, on-demand video (especially on tablets) for marketing and product promotion.
- Online customer relationship management (CRM) and customer care to “re-personalize” their customers’ experience.
- Tablet-based systems for employees to provide instant, one-to-one responses to customers needs.
- Subscription-based software as a service (SaaS), which provides all kinds of services on a “pay by the drink” basis, which minimizes up-front investment.
Strategy 4: Take the Business to the "Cloud"
The “cloud” — delivering hardware and software services via a network — represents the most significant technology paradigm shift for private companies. The cloud offers incredibly cheap storage and a range of shrink-wrapped solutions that can reduce a small business’s capital investment in technology.
Small business is already seeing the benefits, with tablet computers being used to take and fulfill orders, manage automated systems, and so forth.
Strategy 5: Spend the Money to Create a Mobile App
It is not an overstatement to say that the world is going mobile. Mobile applications on smartphones do more than download music or provide maps and directions. Customers are using cell phones to do business all the time. Well-designed apps can get the name and image of the company in front of the customer every time a customer uses a cell phone.
A lot of apps are really just low-value “junior websites” that might get used once a year and are poorly suited to the limited real estate of a phone screen. High-value apps are the ones people will use every day. For example, an app that links them to coupons, sales, or help with services, or provides real-time information valuable to how they run their business. Think special offers for products and services or just offer news that the customer can use.
By folding these five key technology-based strategies into the company business system and the company's conversations with the market, small businesses will be able to generate increased sales and reduce costs. Competitors may well be moving ahead in these areas right now. Can you afford to wait?
Michael Evans is the Managing Director of the Northern California practice of the Newport Board Group. [email protected].
Michael Evans, Newport Board Group, LLC, http://Newportboardgroup.com, +1 (415) 990-1844, [email protected]
Share this article