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 In today’s competitive market,
small businesses need every advantage they can get. Many
are looking for new ways to improve the bottom line, as
well as protect their existing business.
One area you
might not have looked at is the experiences of larger
businesses. With their greater resources, it’s easy for
them to “test drive” new ideas and strategies – which
you can then borrow and apply as needed. Take a look at
these four best practices borrowed from successful
enterprises and try to put them to work in your business
today.
Get
plugged in to social media
According to a new
study by marketing agency OgilvyOne Asia Pacific, over
456 million users in Asia – almost a third of the
world’s population – are using social media. Japan, for example, has
the highest blog readership in the world.
Never in the
history of advertising and marketing has there been the
ability to reach so many people so directly and
personally at so little cost – which is great news for
small businesses with limited marketing budgets. Maybe
it’s time for your company to start a blog?
Small
businesses can use cloud computing, too
The cloud model offers a much cheaper
way for businesses to acquire and use IT. And in the
current economic downturn, the appeal of that cost
advantage is greater than ever. According to industry
analyst IDC, “This advantage is especially important for
small and medium businesses, a sector that will be a key
target in any plan for recovery.”
Cloud
computing enables businesses to do more with limited IT
staff and budgets. It allows them to access
enterprise-class technology with low up-front costs and
easy scalability. Find out more about the benefits of
cloud computing for smaller businesses.
Virtualize
for real benefits
Statistics show that many small
businesses know that virtualization can save time and
money, but aren’t implementing it out of a belief that
it’s better suited to larger corporations.
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Summer is here and it is going to be a hot
one! I can’t wait to head out to the lake and have some
fun in the sun. Playing in the water, spending time with
family and friends, waterskiing, and surfing the waves
behind the boat are some of my favorite summertime
activities. If you are a fan of the summer sun like me,
don’t forget your sunscreen. There’s no pain like a
sunburn—protect yourself!
