Book Talk: The New Small
How Emerging Technologies are Helping Smart Companies Thrive
Win a free, signed copy of this book!
What happens when companies leverage emerging technologies to better understand their customers, help their employees collaborate more effectively, crowdsource, or otherwise improve their core business functions? They become companies with a competitive edge— and part of what author Phil Simon calls The New Small:
“All else being equal, it’s better to be small… Compared to big companies, many small businesses are adopting new technologies at both greater speed and lower costs. The represent two sources of a new competitive advantage for these nimble, agile companies. At the New Small, new technologies are enabling a completely different mindset and definition of work. This tech-friendly ethos is allowing employees to work on their own terms… In this vein, the New Small is using technology strategically to win the war for talent.”
Phil Simon posits that five emerging tech trends are making it possible for smaller companies to compete—and beat—large, established corporations. The book not only explores these trends (cloud computing, software as a service, free and open-source software, mobility, and social media/social networking), but it also offers 11 case studies of companies who are walking the walk. They range from a law firm that switched to cloud computing to save money and speed up operations to a restaurateur who is using social media and mobile technologies to stay connected to his customers.
But don’t be fooled: this book isn’t really about technology. It’s about business, and the workplace trends that smart companies are adopting to be competitive in today’s global environment. Simon points out that it is not enough to deploy technology; smart entrepreneurs have to hire, partner with, and contract with the right people, while putting in place management structures that are open, innovative, and give people room to thrive.
Want to Win a Free, Signed Copy of The New Small?
Phil Simon has graciously provided me with a signed copy of The New Small to give away to one lucky reader. To enter to win, leave a comment about what your company is doing to leverage one or more of the five emerging tech trends identified above and/or one specific step you’ve taken to use these technologies to improve your business. The best answer (as judged by me) wins a copy of The New Small.
*Disclosure: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for agreeing to review it, but without any restrictions on what I might say.
Reviewed by Daria Steigman, founder of Steigman Communications, LLC and author of the Independent Thinking Blog.
Looking forward to reading this! It sounds like Simon is right on with the changing business environment and the ever-growing struggle large companies are having competing against the smaller guys.
I’ve worked at both small entrepreneurial companies and global behemoths. There are definite advantages to both, but in today’s environment of ever-shrinking budgets, the smaller, more nimble companies are well-positioned to move ahead. The younger generations in the workforce not only want to, but expect to work on their own terms. When hiring starts to pick back up, I think we’ll watch them flee their “secure” jobs at large companies/organizations in droves.
Hi April,
I really agree that “nimble” is the key. While big companies can make big splashes, they can’t do anything fast. So while they’re planning away, more nimble entrepreneurs are putting in place smart tech solutions and snatching up valuable market share.
Hi April,
I personally belong to mid level IT firm as employee. I agree with you, small companies are more flexible to adopt new changes as per challenges. Now a days, many entrepreneurs come with small idea, use full boundary of technology, provider better services, since they know, how to capture market.
April — I agree with you. More and more people want the flexibility to workshift, and the companies that get this will have a competitive edge in hiring the best workers.
Pooja–Your comment about entrepreneurs starting with small ideas is a great one. Big companies often think they have to make a big splash. And then they’re limited by the time to market. All the while more nimble entrepreneurs are just testing and improving, and –as you so correctly put it — capturing market share.
Hi April,
I personally belong to mid level IT firm as employee. I agree with you, small companies are more flexible to adopt new changes as per challenges. Now a days, many entrepreneurs come with small idea, use full boundary of technology, provider better services, since they know, how to capture market.
I use software (Internet database technology), previously unaffordable to small business owners to efficiently collect and analyze information from clients. In addition, my clients use cloud technology to conveniently give me feedback from their mobile devices. This allows me to even more highly personalize the service I provide them. I think that large and small business directors that use technology to actually listen to their employees and customers will continually identify untapped or under-served markets to penetrate or better serve.
Hi Lee,
You’ve made a great point that the value isn’t the technology itself, but deploying it wisely to listen to our employees and customers so that we can both serve their needs better and identify new business opportunities.