You Need To Get On Board The Technology Bus
More frequently than you would imagine, I come across small business owners, older and younger, who are avoiding technology like it is a disease. They do not use email, do not have a website, do not surf the Internet for information or even know what their competition is doing online. They do not read or write blogs, produce videos or participate in social networking. In short, they do nothing associated with a computer.
What is even worse, they are proud of it, exclaiming, “I don’t use those damn things, never did, don’t have to, don’t want to, not gonna.”
Well, my technologically-challenged friends, the dinosaurs, the last holdouts on the planet… enough is enough. It doesn’t work anymore. To succeed in this down economy, the Internet is a critical tool, a requirement. You cannot do it without, and trying to is no longer an option. If you are attempting such lunacy you are simply limiting your success, inviting failure, and most certainly holding back growth and development. Realistically, I believe that, maybe with the exception of small, local, neighborhood micro-businesses (though they would also benefit hugely from Internet access and exposure) technology is a fundamental business tool required for successful implementation of any business plan.
It does not require a huge investment, in fact, it can be accomplished at a very low cost. However, money is usually not the issue. The real issue is the fear that has prevented you from mastering these skills and this is what must be overcome. My suggestion is simple: Ask for and get help. An hour of instruction and you will be able to receive and send an email and search the Internet. That is all you need to start.
Simultaneously, interview and hire a web developer to help you develop an Internet presence. Hold off on the blog and video until you have your site established and then move to the next rung on the ladder with the help of your webmaster. Or, one easy alternative is to buy an Apple computer and then take full advantage of their weekly one-on-one instruction program available for a small fee.
There are no good excuses left for not becoming more technologically savvy, Give it up, it’s getting old. Besides, you really have no choice. To succeed in today’s economy, computer skills, an Internet presence and even some level of social network presence are mandatory, not optional. How far you take it depends on how badly you want to win.
