In Phil Simon’s third book, “The New Small: How a New Breed of Small Businesses Is Harnessing the Power of Emerging Technologies,” he talks to us. That’s right; he talks directly to you and me — small business owners — who are working to understand all of the new tech buzzwords and use them to our advantage.
Phil isn’t a stranger to small business or technology. This is his third book on the subject; he consults companies on how to optimize their use of technology; he has many published articles; and he frequently speaks about emerging trends and technologies. He knows his stuff.
In the book, Phil refers to a new “breed” of small business owners who have found creative ways to use technology to reduce costs, communicate more effectively and reach new customers.
The book includes several case studies of real small businesses who have successfully used technology to change their businesses for the better, including:
- A small seafood restaurant who attracts new customers with virtually no marketing budget.
- An iPad case manufacturer that generates more than $1M in revenue in four months with only four employees.
- A voice-over company that is able to connect thousands of artists with opportunities, all without expensive hardware and software.
- A law firm that increases access to key information while dramatically reducing technology-related costs and risks.
Phil attributes the successes above to what he calls the “Five Enablers” — technology that gives small businesses the power to operate like their big business counterparts. The Five Enablers are:
- Cloud computing
- Software as a service (SaaS)
- Free and open source software (FOSS)
- Mobility
- Social technologies
You are probably already using some of these technologies in your business to do more, but I guarantee this book will open your eyes to what is possible when you fully embrace technology in your business. It’s a great read for small business owners who are ready to ramp up their use of technology, and get more out of what’s already at their fingertips.
For more information:
- Read an excerpt of “The New Small”.
- Visit the website for the book.
- Buy the book on Amazon. (aff link)
Bonfire Rating:
Phil’s the New Small is a real eye opener for me. I ran a very successful small business for 15 years. I was clueless about how much technology had changed in the 10 years since the sale of PVS. Thank you Phil for enlightening me + saving me a ton of time + $$$!
Alyssa,
Ahhh Uhhhh, here you are. I’ve missed reading your posts on Sitepoint. This looks like an interesting site to follow and explore.
Hi Chaz – Glad you found me, and I hope you enjoy the posts on the Small Business Bonfire!