Learn Something

By now, there’s no need to point out how much data is generated daily by just about every business there is. But despite this obvious reality, most businesses don’t really use that data beyond its immediate initial purpose. By that, I mean your email is only useful ‘in the instant’. Once you’ve completed the task, it’s forgotten. Today’s sales figures might be rolled into a weekly or monthly report, but after that, it’s history (except maybe again at year-end). The logs and reports generated by monitoring equipment often do nothing unless they throw up an anomaly. 

Isn’t it about time you did …something… with all that data? After all, ‘data is the new oil’, and contained in it could be the seeds of innovation or, dare I say it, revolution. 

But how? 

If you have been following us for a while (or even 5 minutes), you will know getting the upper hand with leverage is our thing. 

We have all heard the well-versed notion, “technology increasing productivity”, however, what most don’t realise is that this is only half the opportunity.

Businesses (and individuals) are increasingly realising the potential technology has to enable creativity.

When you think about it, it makes sense. The accumulation of all the technological advances over the last century has lead us to a place where we have documentation of human knowledge, creations and discoveries just a few mouse clicks away, at any time.  

Distances have been reduced (despite barriers of time and space). Sharing knowledge is easier. Making connections is at the tip of our fingers. All of these factors combined facilitate creativity. 

We have officially launched into 2018! With a fresh chapter comes fresh motivation and opportunity to pursue goals. 

To start the year off, our first article unpacks key areas for focus in the next 11 months. Rather than quoting books (with the exception of one!) or big industry names, the areas we mention in this article are the ones we believe in, those that we are focusing on to be able to innovate, create new products, and stay ahead of the the competition.

For this post, I have broken the combination of tactics we are adopting into 4 key themes. 

This is by no means the end of the list. Growing in 2018 will demand a combination of strengths. It is never going to be one thing, it has to be the integration of many things that, together will make you stand against the crowd. At Lancom, we summarise these key themes to: the talent you hire, the investment you make to manage the business behind your business, how well you are servicing your customers, and the attention you are paying to your brand.

We live in an unprecedented age for businesses, the barriers to change have never been so low. Your customers can read reviews, compare and contrast your business with your competitors, without you ever knowing. Not only that, but your competitors can easily keep tabs on you. They work their hardest to target your customers and demonstrate how they can do the job better, as well as how changing to them is pain-free. Gaining competitive advantage is getting harder... but the battle isn't lost! There are still ways to wow your customers and ensure they stick around. 

One of the answers implies reviewing the experiences you are providing to your customers.

If you are reading this post and work for an SME (like most of us in New Zealand),  you sure would be challenging the idea at this point and probably thinking "where is the time to do all that?". So, we thought we would show you, the simple, yet effective tactics that we are applying in our IT business. 

With a new year around the corner, it is worth considering the common strategies and tactics that the world’s best companies have adopted to maintain their positions at the top of the pile. Whether Apple, Google or Wal-Mart, or Air New Zealand, Fonterra or Trade Me, these organisations have several similarities in their approaches to success. Check them out – and ask yourself if your business is doing the same.

Don’t get too used to your office space, technology is turning it on its head! The evolution of new technologies that enable remote working is already here. Attitudes towards flexible working are rapidly shifting, along with the creation of new tools and techniques to boost remote team efficiency. Technology is creating a dynamic yet hyper-productive workplace. Hello future!

But, there are still some fundamental problems in the way businesses are leveraging technology.

Relationships in all facets of our lives require work, including professional ones. However, recognising and breaking off professional relationships, such as those with your IT support, is not as easy. 

Experience tells us that, often, companies will only realise that their IT relationship should have ended long after it is beyond repair, leading to unproductive downtime, additional costs, and overall staff unhappiness. 

Our advice? Don't grin and bear it for 3-5 years until you can raise the idea and find a new IT provider, as the cost will only amplify.  

The reality is: it is hard to break up with an IT provider, but it is ok to admit that the relationship isn't working for your business. The good news? It has never been easier to find and IT provider that can take your business to the next level! 

So, if you are finding yourself on the fence, this post is likely to be the wakeup call you have been waiting for. We have compiled the top 6 signs that show that it is time to say good bye, and these are:

After the industrial revolution, the business world stayed consistent for just over a century. However, with the dawn of the internet it is safe to say that will never happen again! The accelerating rate of technological development in the last 40 years has changed society – and it has also had a rippling effect in the business world, creating new business challenges for owners.

We’ve outlined what we see as the 4 biggest challenges for the modern business owner and provided insights on how to overcome them.

You have decided your business needs to modernize its operations and innovate. You have done all the hard work to come up with an app idea, and you are ready to start your project.

But, how do get your staff buy in?

Over the years, we have worked with many businesses who had a tough time when introducing a new tool to their team. What follows is a guide on the simple tactics you can apply when launching an internal tool.

“54% of customers will consider ending their relationship with a provider if they are not given tailor-made, relevant content and offers” (Microsoft 2016).

I am guessing that, in 2017, the above quote from Microsoft isn’t any news to you. But what may still be a struggle is:

How, as a small business owner or manager, can you keep up with your existing clients, and understand how to grow your business online?

Well, you are in for a treat! That is exactly what I hope to answer over the next paragraphs.