To succeed and progress in the business world, companies must adapt and grow. These
businesses do vast amounts of networking and this can relate to all sizes of business. One way
that has helped with this is technology. Not only does it help with networking, technology can
help with better business; help filing your documents and having programs to show you what
may or may not happen. It is a growing market and it is growing on the daily. Internet and
technology can make or break a business due to exposure to so many people by the click of a
button. So much can happen, which brings a few questions to mind.
1. How can technology help a business?
2. How some of the latest advancements can hurt a business?
3. What technology has done for business today?
The technology aspect of business is not going anywhere fast and is here to stay. If
businesses want to thrive and keep a good name for themselves, then they will have to adapt
to the latest advances, whether it is for productivity of your business or being a trusted a
company throughout the community. Technology will be a major key to success.
1. How can technology help a business?
Technology can help a business in a multitude of ways. Chuck Cohns of forbes explains
that Social media, stronger security, predictive analysis, and 24/7 access to information about
your business are some ways to really boost productivity (Cohns, Forbes. 2014). Predictive
analysis for example is a presentation of spending money in place of your business to
increase a profit in another portion of your business. They now make programs for this to
make it much easier. But remember this is a predictive analysis, it’s not always going to be
correct, but it is good to have an idea of what could happen. On demand access and
information to your business is very simple. Put information out there for people to access at
all times. For example: Open and close times, what your business has to offer such as a menu
if you own a restaurant. Having this info open for people to access at all times is very
beneficial to bringing in customers. They know what time you open and already have an idea
what they might order or buy if they are to visit your place of business. Having an advanced
system in security for your business is very important. Not only for you and your employees,
but your customers as well. Advanced security includes: Strong passwords, making sure their
tablets or phones are password protected, also making layers of pages over customer
information (credit card, address, full name) to protect it from hackers. Your security is very
important but they security of your customers is just as important if not more. With mobile
devices, such as cell phones and tablets communication has never been easier. There is no
longer a need for written memo’s or even a fax machine. Also with cell phones or anything
with a camera in person conferences are a thing of the past. You can have a meeting with a
potential client hundreds of miles away. Cloud computing is also an integral part of business
today. It gives the business so much more options to save information instead loading it onto
a flash drive or save it on the hard drive of a computer. The article also touches up on social
media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. This makes a business easily accessible to anybody
on the internet for immediate knowledge of what the business is about or what they do.
Giving customers options to interact and to keep the business relevant in the customer’s
mind. “Technology has opened a new way of communication, allowing businesses to
communicate and collaborate beyond borders.” (Ozgur Ertem, 2015).
2. How some of the latest advancements can hurt a business?
Technology is evolving and making access to the public more convenient and immediate.
“People have an expectation that organizations must be accountable for all of their business
practices that may impact others.” (Heather Peavitt, 2012) A great example of this is the BP
oil spill and the outrage that followed after being exposed by social media that the major was
trying to cover up how detrimental the spill actually was to the environment. GM let the
contestants on the show use video clips and soundbites from prior GM commercials in an
attempt to create their own for the apprentice (Peavitt, 2012). Soon after people from home
gathered these clips and made their own commercials for GM vehicles that said they resulted
in death and were bad for the environment. This negative exposure to the public can be
detrimental to a business and leave the wrong impression. Even if it is there is not fact behind
it. Not everybody researches what they see, it’s surprising the information people read and
believe without checking their sources or even multiple sources. Don’t believe everything
you read, especially on the internet.
3. What technology has done for business today?
Technology has done a lot for business over the years and fundamentally changed the
business world. “The exponential rate at which technology is developing, mutating, and
adapting is so fast that you can’t help but be swept away in a tidal wave of progress.” (Scott
Olson, 2015) connectivity to the internet itself has made a major impact on business and how
effectively things can be done, making it possible for a video conference, mass emails, social
media, mass emails, etc. As stated before we now have programs to help us analyze and
predict the direction a business is headed and if it is making progress and financial gain. On
demand access and information is very simple and the most necessary. If the community
doesn’t know who you are how do you expect to advance and grow? Having an advanced
system in security for your business is very important. Not only for you and your employees,
but your customers as well. Advanced security includes: Strong passwords, making sure their
tablets or phones are password protected, also making layers of pages over customer
information (credit card, address, full name) to protect it from hackers. Your security is very
important but they security of your customers is just as important if not more. Social media is
huge, it makes a business easily accessible to anybody on the internet for immediate
knowledge of what the business is about or what they do. Giving customers options to
interact and to keep the business relevant in the customer’s mind. The impact technology has
had on the business world is tremendous and is making it easier for business to succeed better
than ever before, that is if used correctly.
Today in the cut throat world of business technology is a major key to success. It can help
in so many ways: Helping relay information to possible consumers, spreading the word to
consumers through social media, programs to help boost productivity and predict what will
happen. If businesses don’t conduct “good business” then it is much easier for word to spread
and now more than ever can sabotage a business by getting attention to misleading or false
advertising. Overall technology has helped businesses more than it has hurt and if it did
affect a business negatively then it is most likely due to false advertising or exposure to
dishonesty from the business. If you want to run a successful business then it is pivotal that
owners adapt to the latest advances, whether it be trying new programs to help grow or
cleaning up their act to have a better view from the public eye.
References
1. Cohn, C. (Nov, 26 2014). http://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckcohn/2014/11/26/3technological-advances-your-business-needs-to-incorporate/2/#60701e26c3ea
2. Olson, S. (December, 5 2015). http://appdataroom.com/eight-ways-technologychanging-business/
3. Ertem, O. (Apr. 4, 2015). https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/effects-technologicalchanges-business-environment-ozgur-ertem
4. Peavitt, H (July 1st, 2012)
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