Using "The Machine"

So maybe you know Intuit, they are the guys who make QuickBooks the financial/accounting software that millions of small business owners use to run their businesses.  Intuit has released a series of research reports focused on the "Future of Small Business", now they don't tell you how to do much in these reports but they do tell you what is changing and why it is important to understand the changes.

"The Connected World of Entrepreneurs" is the second report of the series and covers a broad range of topics related to the technologies and strategies that businesses will need to understand and leverage in the "connected world".  I referenced the main topics from the paper below and provided some brief comments. I do recommend downloading and reading the report, especially if you are on the fence as to whether or not you should invest more time or money into leveraging the Internet.  If you are focused on the Internet as I am with this blog, then the report is great as it only validates that "Using of The Machine" is critical to business success and becoming more so each day.

Intuit Future of Small Business Report: The Connected World of Entrepreneurs

The Connected World: Small Business Management On My Time, On My Terms.

- Small businesses will use intelligent devices to gain customer insight and improve delivery of goods and services.

- Mobile devices will become central to small business management.

- A new wave of analytical tools will increase small business productivity and ease management burdens.

I totally agree, as per the devices it is primarily their connectivity to the Internet that makes them intelligent.

Beyond Web 2.0: Technology Fuels Small Business Formation, Operations, and Innovation.

- High-tech will no longer be a high hurdle as costs and complexity fall.

- Small business relationships will become increasingly virtual as online social networks expand.

- Virtual worlds will be widely adopted venues for reaching customers and experimenting with new product ideas and business models.

Absolutely and fundamentally agree with the first point around high-tech (specifically Information Technology) being no longer expensive or complex.  This is probably one of the most important things to understand as many businesses still equate technology with high costs and complexity. How Information Technology and the Internet can be used cost effectively will be one of the primary themes of this blog.

I am not sold on Virtual Worlds as of yet, so although I agree there will be some aspect of businesses using virtual worlds I would argue it is the least important compared to the others in the report.

Small Business Marketing: The Mindset Shifts from Push to Pull.

- A small business’s online presence will be the most important factor in customer acquisition.

- Small businesses will increasingly market themselves through the connected
world of cars and cell phones.

Totally agree with both of these points.  This is why it is important to do these things now as opposed to when it is obvious.