1. Emerging Technologies for Small Business Rafe Needleman, Editor, CNET.com

2. Small Business Technology Overview How we see small business Productivity enhancers Business enhancers Please use this space for Footnoting

3. They buy for themselves and their direct relationships (employees) They buy at retail outlets They are price (cashflow) sensitive more than ROI sensitive They rely on friends and the Internet for advice They are the targets of consumer advertising campaigns. Small business buyers are much like retail customers

4. When People Buy Tech “Which, if any, of the following events have prompted you to buy computer/electronics products in the past 12 months?”

5. Small Business Buyer Challenges No dedicated IT management Decision makers play multiple roles Extremely busy and inundated with tons of information daily Too many competing demands to sort through all of it Overwhelmed by the number of IT options/solutions and confusing tech jargon Extremely price and value sensitive— they can’t afford to make the wrong decision Source: 1) Gartner, 2002 70% of Small Businesses with less than 100 employees have no internal IT staff 1

6. The technology imperative Small business owners cannot afford to be conservative with technology Online communication is no longer just a form of business communication; it’s the form of business communication. Technology moves fast It is becoming cheap Customers are increasingly tech-savvy They want to shop in their own technology neighborhood

7. Productivity enhancers: Hardware and Software Laptops, not desktops Instant Messaging & videoconferencing Smartphones Multiple monitors Online backup Security: Anti-virus, Anti-spyware, firewalls, anti-spam, etc.

8. Cheap solutions Linux, StarOffice (but beware training costs) Digital cams for whiteboards 802.11b – not g (but not as secure) VOIP

9. The products I just mentioned will not improve your business.

10. There is no fundamental business problem that new hardware can solve.

11. However… Most small businesses could do a lot more in online markets.

12. Low Surprise: SEO: Search Engine Optimization It’s the yellow pages plus advertising. At About.com: “a blood sport.” For most small online businesses, business improvement starts with this.

13. Low Surprise: Online markets Sell products through multiple channels: eBay Yahoo stores Microsites Benefits are both more sales and more importantly, SEO

14. Medium Surprise: Blogs Read blogs to: Stay informed. Track your own exposure Write blogs for: Business meditation Connect with loyal customers

15. Medium Surprise: RSS A gimme with blogs Consider other RSS feeds: Prices, specials? RSS is not small potatoes: Yahoo and Google both support it.

16. Medium Surprise: VOIP Minor gain: cost savings Minor gain: universal inbox Minor gain: phones with “presence” Major gain: Faked-out area codes Major gain: Integrated solutions (CRM, call centers)

17. High Surprise: Community Get customers helping each other Free customer support! Give in to the potential for nastygrams

18. High Surprise: Mobile tech Almost all new cellphones are data-capable Don’t lock out mobile users

19. High Surprise: Video / animation Broadband in more than half of US homes. Words -> Pictures -> Videos

20. To review Technology is cheap Customers are getting more tech-savvy Change is life Hardware and Software -> Productivity gains New Online Services and content -> Business improvements.

21. www.cnetnetworks.com Copyright © 2005 CNET Networks, All Rights Reserved. Rafe Needleman rafe@cnet.com