Why now is the best time ever for a small business

We would like to kick off this week with some encouragment for you if you are thinking of starting a small business, or you are already running one.

USA Today in its ask the expert section recently published an article outlining all the reasons why now is the “greatest time ever — and I mean ever in the entire course of human history — to start, own, run and grow a small business.”

Although the article, written by small business expert, Steve Strauss, is aimed at the US reader, he makes it clear that it is relevant to all of  those of us who are operating small businesses anywhere in the world.

Five different seminal events/factors/changes have combined to transform the landscape into one where small business grows ever more dominant, both here at home and abroad.

Steve outlines these changes as follows:

1. New markets

Facilitated by growth in the internet.

Never before in history have small businesses had the ability to work and sell globally, and so inexpensively. And the online, virtual marketplace is limitless.

2. Attitudes

The idea of owning your own business has become much more acceptable, indeed, desirable. Small business is on the march because, among other reasons, people now get that supporting small business is good business.

3. Technology

This may be the most important reason and change. The ways in which technology has fueled the small business revolution are almost too numerous to mention, but a short list would include:

• Software to run your business
• Email and texting for new, instant, global communication
• Websites which allow us to look big and be global
• E-commerce
• Social media
• Smartphones that allow us to work anywhere, anytime

And when you add that all of this technology has, in many cases, dramatically lowered the cost of entry, starting a business today can be incredibly affordable.

4. Help

There once was a time when small business people were on their own. No longer. Today, there is an abundance of help available and among the resources Steve mentions are websites (like ours) which teach small business skills

5. Tide of history

All of the above combined means that the wave of the future and tide of the present are all headed in one direction: Toward the ascendance and dominance of entrepreneurship and small business in the global marketplace.

Can we help you?

Would you like to talk to us about how we can help you leverage your business and participate in the growing area of social networking through business blogging?

Contact us for a free consultation.