TECHNOLOGY AND
HOW IT CAN
ENABLE BETTER
BUSINESS
Technology has the ability to level the playing field between small and big business.
Dyean Moodley of DEVTHA Consulting tells us how we can adapt to new and
changing technology.
W
e live in a time of
unprecedented
change. Daily we
are seeing new
innovations in technology
emerging, business models
being disrupted, with new
entrants coming into existing
markets and new global markets
becoming accessible. There are
four major technological forces
listed below that are fuelling
these changes and contributing
to the digital trends that we see.
How one adapts to these forces
can mean either an opportunity
or a threat for your business.
CLOUD
Adoption of ‘the cloud’ can best
be explained through the use of
the internet, and being able to
access goods and services via
a browser or through a remote
connection. Cloud based services
allow business owners to work
anytime online. Imagine having
access to your business results
at your fingertips in real time.
This allows for better and faster
decision making. For both the
business owner and staff, the
cloud introduces remote working
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Women’s Network Magazine
and flexibility at a low cost.
The introduction of software as a
service has opened up an entire
eco-system of functionality to
small business owners that once
was only the domain of large
enterprises. These days many
repetitive work processes can be
automated by the business very
affordably, thus creating great
efficiency and ability to scale.
Mundane administrative tasks
can be automated leaving time
for the things that matter.
Small businesses underestimate
the importance of being online.
62% of customers will stop
considering a business if they
cannot find information about
it online. Businesses that are
embracing cloud technology
have the ability to grow faster,
export more and employ more
people. Taking a product or
service to a world audience no
longer requires extra resources
or overseas offices; the cloud is
levelling the playing field and
enabling businesses to make
inroads into lucrative new
markets.
SOCIAL
Social media has contributed
to our thinking on the
environment. 92% of customers
rely on influence rather than
brands. Customers are more
likely to continue engaging with
brands that are active on social
media and so herein lies the
opportunity for small business
to have a voice and engage in
the conversation. Customers
will routinely research a product
or business before they make
a decision – often before they
first contact individual business.
Customers expect you to have an
up-to-date online footprint.
Young staff who are digital
natives have grown up within a
socially connected environment.
The future of work is becoming
collaborative and flat structured
rather than hierarchical. Social
engagement creates a sense of
belonging and community.
MOBILE
The mobile is the new desktop
of customers. The average