New Technology
By Peter Switzer

I’d like to share a personal story to show how procrastination, when it comes to new technology, can leave you and your business at a costly disadvantage.

In the past, I had been reluctant to push myself out of my comfort zone to embrace new technology. Quite often it was lack of time to focus on things that could end up saving me time. The lesson was taught so many times from the fax machine to the mobile phone to the personal computer and laptop and eventually the Internet and, of course, email.

I’m away from my business a lot and my staff need me to have all the mobile mod cons. Now as I tool myself up with data cards and blackberries, I do it knowing that the lesson has been learnt. So what’s the lesson? It’s simple — great businesses are run by leaders who are quick adopters of new technology.

In my book, 350 Ways To Grow Your Business — excuse the self-promotion but it is relevant – I looked at over 50 case studies of businesses that I put the spotlight on in The Australian newspaper over five or six years.

First adopters’ advantage
A stand out feature that came through time and again was that these businesses were early adopters of new technology.

Some years ago when mobile phone companies added email functionality to a new phone, I argued that the mobile phone has been one of the biggest boosters of productivity in the history of business. These days mobile phones with built-in digital cameras, hand-held devices boasting e-mail access and slimmer, more powerful wireless laptop computers no longer chain us to a desk.

Mobile businesses are now relatively easy to contact. Administrative staff are freed up to do other things. Those who need to be out on the road are able to better service customers and prevent a calamity because they were contactable.

When I started in the media, my articles to newspapers were read out over the phone. It could take 30 minutes to read aloud each article and mistakes could happen between reader and copytaker.

Page 1 | 2