Transcript Technology for Bottom Line (California Small Business Roundtable)

Technology for Bottom Line
Dr. Ralph D. Westfall
California Small Business Roundtable
September 25, 2005
Initial Constraints
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next slide has list of business problems
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or opportunities
problems need to be solved
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inexpensively
with very limited technical skill
requirements
Some Business Problems
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communicate with people scattered
over a wide area
communicate better with local people
use additional sales channels
create a unique product or experience
for customers
get spouse a Valentine's day gift
Generalize from Examples
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the following examples came from my
experiences as an educator
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with non-profits and/or students
specific aspects should still fit many
business situations
Communicate Over a Wide Area
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a previous student has adrenal cancer
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problems
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very rare so research funding is limited
raise more money for research
provide emotional support for others
solutions
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web site entry, petition (limited traffic)
Google AdWords campaign; guestbook
Communicate Better with Locals
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thrift shop in Bellflower, CA
problems
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reach more people
help them find the store
solutions
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Google: Local results, map
improved search engine ranking
Additional Sales Channel
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thrift shop in Long Beach, CA
problems
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merchandise arriving faster than selling
selling some items for lot less than worth
solution: eBay already has technology
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sales outlet
source of pricing information
Unique Customer Experience
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my senior level classes at Cal Poly
problems
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content needs to be up-to-date/relevant
different skills need to work together
solution: entrepreneurial projects
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E-Business and CIS classes work together
attempt to sell projects at end
Conclusions
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can do a lot with a little on Internet
don't need much technical skill because
a (relatively) user-friendly infrastructure
already exists
use your imagination to figure out ways
to use existing Internet capabilities for
the benefit of your business
Epilogue
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thrift shop in Long Beach didn't have a
good eBay person to keep it going
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maintenance
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Bellflower thrift shop already had a
specialist
web sites need to be kept up after
students leave
is there anything else?
Valentine's Present
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Mrs. Westfall's web page
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top search engine ranking
additional advantage: can keep
updating over time
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animation added two years later
downside: animation requires more
technical skills than traditional web site
development