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?
Use this simple tip to enhance your business relationships
Do you use Google Alerts? 
Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, blogs) based on your choice of query – for example, keeping updated on your industry trends. It is an incredibly simple and extremely effective time-saving tool and best of all it’s FREE!
I have been using this service for the past few years to keep up to speed with what is happening in the market I chiefly operate in, but it is only recently that its potential to enhance business relationships occurred to me.
By signing up for updates on key clients or players in your industry, you will be alerted when anything is posted online to do with a happening or event in their business. For instance, they may have opened a new store, secured industry funding, or won an award. You can then email or call them with your congratulations. A simple and effective way to enhance your business relationships!
As a corollary to this, Google Alerts also allows you to keep ahead of the happenings which may adversely effect your business relationships – for example, downsizing, redundancies, etc., or indeed highlight opportunities you can capitalize on.
So if you haven’t already done so, sign up for Google Alerts today and start keeping tabs on your industry, enhance your business relationships and keep updated on emerging trends and potential business opportunities that await you!
Do you use Google Alerts in your business? Do you have any other tips for how to maximise this service?
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