Being Brave in a Brave New World
In the first three posts in this series I've outlined a number of reasons why the American economy is unlikely to grow in the next few years. All of my reasons are factual. The numbers don't lie, and these numbers can't be fixed by looser monetary policy, or stimulus bills, or consumer confidence. They will only be cured with time. One client accused me of trying to "scare" him out of expanding. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is an old trader's axiom: "When there is blood in the...more
The Catch 22 of IT management
Are you big enough for an "in-house" IT professional? With the rising cost of service by outside firms, many smaller businesses are trying to hire someone to take care of their technology needs. Of course, many small businesses are still trying to ignore their technology needs. I am surprised at how many times I get a belated answer from someone that starts "Sorry, but our email has been down for a week." Those companies are simply playing roulette with their business. I'm talking about the ones...more
"Intuitive" Doesn't Work for Organization
Apple Computer has become the most valuable company on the planet by making products that are "intuitive." Most Apple fans brag that you don't even need a user's manual to get started on their products. Intuitive is a relative term. With Ipods and Macs, it means that you can figure out commands without guidance. It presumes, however, that you know what the commands are before you start. Turn on. Look through the files. Start. Stop. Reverse. Copy. Save. Organization isn't intuitive. How a group...more
Here Comes Subscription IT...Like it or Not!
It was one of those conversations that changes my perception of my business and an industry in minutes. A client who owns an IT company was discussing his strategic model. "I can't continue to serve the SMB market like we have for much longer. Qualified, certified technicians require compensation packages that cost me six-figures. Small businesses won't be able to afford what it costs to send them out to an office just to fix common PC and server problems." Computers- Can't live with 'em... The...more
Big Brother is So 2000, but...
Big Brother is Old News This could easily be a post about technology invading our lives. How we are watched and examined and manipulated through out electronic connectedness. But why? If you aren't aware of the erosion of your privacy and risk to your financial security by now, this blog isn't going to help you. I wanted to mention some really cool, or really worrisome (depending on your viewpoint) uses of tracking technology that I've discovered recently. I may be on the trailing edge when figuring...more
The Black Donut Hole
Recently, there has been renewed attention to the work of Corrado Gini. An Italian Facist, he published in 1012 the Gini coefficient, a measurement of income equality among a nation's citizens. As happens in the media, one publication picked up on this measurement of a shrinking middle class in America, and others are happily piling on the bandwagon.One problem. They've got it wrong, or at least they only have it partly right. The standard media story angle is that this recession has decimated the...more
Instant, perfectly targeted marketing.
I'm finalizing my speaker panel for our Fall seminar series. This season we are concentrating on marketing and sales. The recession is over, but no one can feel the "recovery." If you are waiting for things to be busy again, you will be waiting a long time. It's time to get out and make something happen.Yesterday I attended a presentation sponsored by the San Antonio Business Journal on marketing with social media. The speaker was Thom Singer, who has authored 9 books on business networking...more
If You are a Victim; You are Guilty.
Let's say you own a small Italian Restaurant. Fifteen tables. Pasta, Pizza, beer and wine. Not really a white tablecloth place. More like plastic red and white check tablecloths with Chianti bottles and drippy candles. On a good Saturday night you might take in $2,500. You average about $400,000 a year in sales. You are closed Mondays, because everyone in the family needs a day off.One Tuesday morning you come in early to start food prep for the week. The mail is piled on the floor where the mailman...more
Penny wise
A client who provides Information Technology services to small and midi-sized clients was expressing frustration the other day. His company has a relationship with a business to support their employees' technology needs. They were constantly delayed, however, by the network administrator's buying process for new hardware. After all, how tough can it be? The company gets the specifications from the technology vendor; so much RAM, or this many ports, and the in-house IT guy goes online...more
Technology- Investment or Expense?
I regularly hear one of my small business owner clients saying something like this. "Dammit! I have to buy another computer. I just spent (fill in) on this one just (fill in) years ago."Why are we so offended at the need to regularly buy new technology? Big corporations rotate hardware on a scheduled basis, but most small business owners see corporate America as terribly wasteful anyway. The need to buy or upgrade our computers has been with us for at least 25 years. We change cell phones every...more
Happy (tweet) Fathers' Day (from your child via FaceBook)
My wife was working on the vacuum cleaner today. Despite my intention to be a lazy slob all day, I decided to pitch in. A short diagnosis let me do a temporary repair, and sent me to the Internet to order parts from Bissell.My order included the (gasp!) "opportunity" to join Bissel's FaceBook group, or to have myself Tweeted by Bissell.Why? What possible reason could a vacuum cleaner manufacturer have to imagine that users of their products would be so enamored of vacuum cleaning as to want to chat...more
