Lorenzo
Top Contributor
Interesting article from:
http://www.abc.net.au/technology/articles/2011/08/17/3295565.htm
There are lots of reasons people start a small business. For some it's about being your own boss or about fulfilling a dream, for others it's about seeing an opportunity and thinking you could do it better.
But the start of every small business is like the start of a journey. A path of actions and events, some near death experiences and some beautiful moments of reflection and pride. A journey where the milestones are often unknown at the outset. Even during the course of building the business, there are many changes and unforseen events that are both exciting and testing and sometimes lead into unknown territory.
And so it is today for a lot of businesses when trying to make sense of eCommerce. The subject is quoted so often in such widely different contexts that trying to find a stable definition is hard. Falling retail sales are partly blamed on eCommerce. Increased value of the Australian dollar leads to more eCommerce. The National Broadband Network will foster more eCommerce. With so much eCommerce apparently going, most small business owners would be wondering how they could get their share.
A recent study showed that 41 per cent of Australian businesses agree that they would sell more and get more work if they used the internet better for marketing.
So the awareness of eCommerce is there and there is a clear understanding of the nexus between the internet and selling more. So what is the challenge? Why are so many stuck in the departure gate of this next stage in their business journey?
The answer comes in several parts. Most small business owners are doing it tough right now. Surely a reason to extend out to try new avenues for revenue raising? And many small businesses don't know where to start down the eCommerce road. It seems like a road crowded with complicated and time consuming obstacles like social media, ad words, web sites, payment gateways and shopping carts.
That same study shows that 39 per cent of Aussie businesses have a web site. While this is an increase from 35 per cent in Nov last year, it still means a whopping 61 per cent do not. Nearly a third of those with a web site are selling products or services from their site.
A clear message from the report is that businesses with a website are more successful than businesses without a website. Businesses with a website have consistently higher revenue performance, more work in their sales pipeline and are more optimistic about future prospects.
So the message is clear. The eCommerce journey starts with a simple web site. Being found online is probably the greatest short term benefit to a small business and free web sites are readily available and quick to set up. Adding a shopping cart and a payment gateway are the next steps. And these steps can happen well before the business needs to deal with other online challenges like social media.
The eCommerce journey starts with baby steps and is an exciting new stage in the journey of being in business.
Tim Molloy is an Online Evangelist for MYOB. Prior to this, in 2007, Tim was owner and CEO of Exonet, a business software company.
http://www.abc.net.au/technology/articles/2011/08/17/3295565.htm
There are lots of reasons people start a small business. For some it's about being your own boss or about fulfilling a dream, for others it's about seeing an opportunity and thinking you could do it better.
But the start of every small business is like the start of a journey. A path of actions and events, some near death experiences and some beautiful moments of reflection and pride. A journey where the milestones are often unknown at the outset. Even during the course of building the business, there are many changes and unforseen events that are both exciting and testing and sometimes lead into unknown territory.
And so it is today for a lot of businesses when trying to make sense of eCommerce. The subject is quoted so often in such widely different contexts that trying to find a stable definition is hard. Falling retail sales are partly blamed on eCommerce. Increased value of the Australian dollar leads to more eCommerce. The National Broadband Network will foster more eCommerce. With so much eCommerce apparently going, most small business owners would be wondering how they could get their share.
A recent study showed that 41 per cent of Australian businesses agree that they would sell more and get more work if they used the internet better for marketing.
So the awareness of eCommerce is there and there is a clear understanding of the nexus between the internet and selling more. So what is the challenge? Why are so many stuck in the departure gate of this next stage in their business journey?
The answer comes in several parts. Most small business owners are doing it tough right now. Surely a reason to extend out to try new avenues for revenue raising? And many small businesses don't know where to start down the eCommerce road. It seems like a road crowded with complicated and time consuming obstacles like social media, ad words, web sites, payment gateways and shopping carts.
That same study shows that 39 per cent of Aussie businesses have a web site. While this is an increase from 35 per cent in Nov last year, it still means a whopping 61 per cent do not. Nearly a third of those with a web site are selling products or services from their site.
A clear message from the report is that businesses with a website are more successful than businesses without a website. Businesses with a website have consistently higher revenue performance, more work in their sales pipeline and are more optimistic about future prospects.
So the message is clear. The eCommerce journey starts with a simple web site. Being found online is probably the greatest short term benefit to a small business and free web sites are readily available and quick to set up. Adding a shopping cart and a payment gateway are the next steps. And these steps can happen well before the business needs to deal with other online challenges like social media.
The eCommerce journey starts with baby steps and is an exciting new stage in the journey of being in business.
Tim Molloy is an Online Evangelist for MYOB. Prior to this, in 2007, Tim was owner and CEO of Exonet, a business software company.
