Computers are indeed weird inventions - apart from a lot of plastic, some metal and the occasional carbon/silicon giant polymer, most of our interactions with computers are dealing with untouchable, ‘virtual’ things. From the intangible bits of information on our hard drives, the fleeting images on our screens, and to the vibrant hues reflected in our CDs and DVDs, this virtual world has a whole new set of rules and customs as compared to the physical world.
In business circles, people have long since perfected the art of coping with physical information: inboxes, outboxes, photocopiers, filing cabinets, shredders - all the paraphernalia of a typical paper based office.
But in the virtual world, we’re not so proficient in managing our information as robustly - in many many cases, I see people who are experts in paper-based systems treat their equivalent electronic systems without any of the same proficiency nor zeal.
The ‘digital divide’ is said to delineate ‘Generation X’ from ‘Generation Y’ - those who grew up with personal computers vs those who grew up before them. While the definitions of the range of ages of these two generations differs depending on who you talk to, I would suggest that it’s not so much age-based, but confidence-based.
That said, let me pose a few typical computer filing situations, and show you how to ‘file with style’ in the virtual world, and feel more confident with your own digital information.
At the beginning of this year, reports began to circulate in the media that the economy would be ‘off the boil’, or ‘heading for a rocky patch’. Whichever euphemism you choose, the story was clear: originating from the joys of the sub-prime mortgage markets, and arriving firmly on the doorsteps of our business, the economic outlook would be looking decidedly shaky for a season.
Talk of interest rate rises, combined with a general sense of unease about how long the downturn might last, meant that a lot of consumers decided to ‘keep their money in their pockets’ - and *that*, in turn has led to the a general blowout in payments amongst businesses, resulting in a fairly widespread cashflow crunch across the country.
So what really is cashflow? Why is it so important? And how the heck is my business going to survive this trend? Important questions - and if you don’t already know the answers, then it’s vital for your business that you read on…
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, a business plan is one of the cornerstones of any new or expanding business - it’s simply the distilling and compiling of your knowledge into one source, either for your own reference, or for the reference of your staff or stakeholders.
Again, those immortal words: Don’t Panic.
A business plan should never be an anchor or a dead weight dragging your business down - and it should never be an onerous task to put one together.
The good news is that there are 3 wildly different types of business plans - each one focussing on a different business purpose - and one of these types of plans should suit your needs perfectly, without undue effort.
Don’t believe me? Read on…
OK, so why am I giving you a run-down of how to start a new business or launch a new product or service - when the economy is all over the place, and business and consumer confidence is falling like a lead balloon…?
The answer is actually simple: the next wave of new businesses and new product and services are usually born during periods of economic slowdown, since it is *during* these times that all the half-thought-through ideas fall by the wayside, leaving only the truly remarkable remaining.
So… don’t despair - in fact, get your thinking cap on, and see what new product or service or solutions to everyday problems lies waiting dormant within your brain!
You know that I love to talk about marketing, especially for small businesses and solo business people - and, in general, how important it is, but in a ‘big cloud’ kind of way. That’s because marketing is vital for any business - it’s simply the act of getting your name out there in a controlled and positive way.
Nine times out of ten, though, marketing is almost impossible to measure: apart from focus groups, surveys and TV ratings, any effort you spend on marketing tends to pay off as a rather long term positive ‘aura’ surrounding your business. It’s all a bit ‘woofy’, but it does add up eventually.
Enter web site statistics: whether you have a tiny one-page ‘contact me’ web site, or a small brochure online, or a larger ecommerce or content-based web site, every person that visits your web site leaves their own individual, indelible mark.
Don’t panic - any one person can’t be identified exactly, but an awful lot can be inferred from the patterns of even just a few site visitors over time, and an awful lot more can be inferred from the patterns of many hundreds or thousands of visitors to your site, giving you - and this is important - absolute knowledge of the effectiveness of your web site, and absolute knowledge of the location, size and trends of your market.
Interested in learning more then? I thought so - you don’t hear the words ‘absolute’ and ‘marketing’ together very often!
OK - bear with me here - before I tell you how to have a more successful 2008, I’m going to talk about the *brand* of your business for a few paragraphs - but don’t go all glassy-eyed on me, OK?
In simple terms, the brand of your business is the total message your business communicates to your customers. It’s the sum of your logo, your shop fitout, your customer service, and your business ethos - everything that adds up to ‘the real you’ in business terms.
In pure marketing terms, ‘branding’ and ‘brand management’ are complex concepts that are often vague and immeasurable - so much so that small business owners don’t often invest too much time in ‘their brand’ - well, not knowingly, at least.
The great news is that the smaller a business you are, the more your own personal ethos infiltrates your business, to the point where your business reflects the person *you* are, and vice-versa - in effect, your own values and beliefs shape your business, and hence how your customers perceive your business
- your brand.
In short, for a small business, the big picture of your brand takes care of itself - all you have to do is keep on making small, smart improvements to your business marketing each year.
With that in mind, here’s some top tips for reviewing and re-invigorating your business in 2008.
