The Internet’s Impact on Running an International Business
Then and Now
I arrived at the airport 3 hours in advance of departure per the instructions of the airline. As was my practice, I had called the airline prior to leaving, waited on hold for over 30 minutes, and confirmed the departure time. Once at the airport, I stood on line to check my bags and received my boarding pass.
The objective of the trip was to get a contract signed that was negotiated over the course of the past 6 months after a number of trips back and forth on the part of all parties. Time was of the essence. I booked a round trip ticket on the Concord to Paris, planned on meeting at the airport, and returning the same day.
The date was sometime in the early 80’s. I had been selected to head the International Division of the company in late 1979. Prior to launching our business abroad, as part of the due diligence process, I spent a year visiting key markets. During this time, I retained a former head of the International Division of a major consumer products company to assist in evaluating our potential overseas and to develop a business plan.
Once the business was underway, my traveling schedule consisted of going to Europe every 6-8 weeks and to the Far East every 3-4 months. Representatives from our various business entities came to our home office usually twice a year. Communications were limited to expensive phone calls and faxes.
Life as an international businessman has changed radically in the past 40+ years. Technology has played a major role in changing how business is conducted, particularly on a global scale.
Communications
As indicated above, the only means of corresponding 40+ years ago was by phone or fax, both impersonal and costly. I started and managed the company’s global business long before the Internet was available. At that time, frequent traveling was the only means of maintaining contact and controlling the local markets. Phone calls were only handled in the office. Due to the time differences, I was in the office earlier than anyone else and was able to leave prior to the evening rush hour, since it was already nighttime abroad.
In today’s world, business is conducted 24/7. All communication vehicles (telephone, video conferencing, emails) are free. Mobile technology allows us to stay in touch wherever we are, in the office, at home, or on the beach.
Managing a global business
“Google is to the Internet what the card file is to the library.” The accumulation of information is a much simpler process now than it was when I was going through the due diligence process many years ago. While onsite visits are still an essential part of building a business plan, market research of all types is at one’s fingertips.
There is no doubt that if the Internet was available during my tenure. my life would have been quite different. To name a few, Email, Texting, Whats App, Video Conferencing, Cloud computing, and Docusign, and others have substantially reduced the need to be on the road as much. Reliance on local partners to provide performance analysis has been replaced by the ability to receive data directly from sales outlets.
In today’s world, the trip described in the opening paragraph would probably not have been necessary. However let’s look at the differences in traveling then and now.
- Then: Booking the flight involved calling the airline, waiting on hold, and a discussion about the various travel options available.
- Now: Through my mobile phone, I book all flights along with seat selections online.
- Then: Once at the airport, there were long lines to check my bags, get a boarding pass, and go through security.
- Now: Again, with your mobile phone, you can check in the night before and receive flight status updates, check bags at an airport kiosk, and breeze through Security using TSA.
- Then: On the return to the US, confirming flight status abroad was often challenging. Once home, processing through Security and baggage check could take hours.
- Now: From nearly anywhere in the world, it is possible to book, revise travel plans, check in and get boarding passes online. Upon arriving home, with Global Pass, it’s possible to avoid the long lines. It’s easy to book a car service before even leaving the plane.
Although I did enjoy flying on the Concord back then. all negotiations now are handled through cloud based services such as video conferencing, and email. Contracts for the most part are finalized using a program like Docusign.
I left corporate life just as the Internet started to enter both our professional and personal lives. Although I don’t miss it, I do wonder, from time to time, what my life would have been like with the tools of today.
Do You Need Tech Help?
The phone rang indicating an unknown number. As is my practice, I ignored the call. If it was important, the caller would most likely leave a voicemail message. Indeed, there was a message.
Upon listening to the message, I realized it was yet another similar request starting with, “I got your name from ________ , who indicated that you could help me with my computer, mobile phone, Internet, etc.”
My Program
Before taking on a new client, it is important to determine in advance whether or not I can help them. The following is the process I follow:
– Return the phone call and discuss the client’s needs. If I could not help them, I didn’t want to waste their time or money.
– If we jointly determine to move forward, before setting up a meeting, I discuss my fees and ask them to compose a list of topics they are interested in addressing.
– At our first meeting, we discuss their needs and set priorities.
– I evaluate if their existing equipment supports their needs. Perhaps simple upgrades/maintenance is necessary. If not, I recommend and assist in ordering and installing a new computer, mobile phone, etc.
Once we are ready to tackle the prioritized list of projects, we discuss my rules:
– Initially, each meeting lasts only one hour. I have found my clients tend to feel overloaded after an hour.
– Only one topic will be discussed per session.
– The client should have a separate notebook and take their own notes.
– Once I have demonstrated a task, its up to the the client to take over and practice with my supervision.
– If follow-up meetings are scheduled, we first review the work of the previous meeting to make sure that there are no questions before proceeding with a new task.
– I indicate that I am available via phone or e-mail to answer questions between meetings at no charge.
I do not prepare notes or work with a standard list of recommended equipment. I often meet many people in the course of a day and personalize their hardware and software to fit their needs.
From The Desk to My Hand
It was the middle of 1982, and as my business partner and I were making our way through The Netherlands Schiphol Airport, we decided to stop by the local Duty Free Shop. One of the busiest stores in the terminal, they carried some of the most recognizable brands and designer items. As we made our way through their many aisles, we stopped at a new department featuring some of their latest products.
Our eyes were immediately drawn to a new electronic device which was getting a great deal of attention. And there it was, the Commodore 64 computer, the first of its kind. Up until that time, my partner and I had never utilized any technology for our business or personal lives. So, without hesitation, we both lined up and each purchased our first computer. We both struggled to learn how to use it and had no idea how this simple computer would start a revolution that would change our lives and how businesses would operate in the future.
For the past few years, I had been hopping around the world with only telephones and faxes (very expensive!) as a means to communicate with business partners. All meetings were conducted face to face. I was making monthly trips to Europe and at least 4 trips a year to the Far East. There were several instances when I would fly to a country, meet with associates in the airport to sign agreements, and hop on the next plane home.
As the ‘80s moved forward, Microsoft introduced their first Windows computer, while Apple launched its initial Macintosh unit. Companies started to provide their staffs with desktop computers for word processing. Computers started to pop up in homes. The Age of Technology was in full swing, and in the mid nineties, AOL started offering Internet access through telephone lines. However, it would take time before any work could be done away from your desk.
Moving through the ‘90’s, technology gradually crept into our lives. Computers became more powerful, and laptops became a necessary accessory. Toward the end of the decade, handheld devices started to enter the market. The blackberry became a staple as a pager, email provider, and a rudimentary means of access to the Internet. Starting in 2001, Apple entered the handheld market with its first iPod, offering music and other features, such as the ability to listen to books through Audible. The introduction of the iPhone in 2007 was a game changer. Google’s Android followed shortly thereafter, in 2008. Starting in 2010, tablets were introduced by both Apple and Google.
All of a sudden, we became a mobile society. No longer were we tethered to our desks. We were able to communicate and access information on the road. As we moved through the decade, it was possible to leave our computers at the office and home. Phones and tablets became mainstream, as handheld devices outsold computers. It is estimated that in 2021, the number of mobile devices operating worldwide stood at almost 15 billion, up from just over 14 billion in the previous year.
I have been writing this document on a number of different devices from several locations. In the past, this could only have been accomplished by saving the file on a “flash drive” and transferring it from device to device. Now, with the advent of “cloud storage,” it can be accessed on any computer I use, as well as a phone or tablet.
Growing up, television was still in its infancy. Listening to the radio was mainstream. We now have “Smart TVs” with Internet access. Why go to movies with the advent of “streaming?” Isn’t it ironic that radio has returned in the form of podcasts which lets us enjoy programs similar to how we relied on radios 70 – 80 years ago?
I often look at my life through a prism of “pre and post technology’s infancy.” I have written about my overall discomfort with corporate life, particularly the travel that was involved, prior to the Internet becoming mainstream. Having made the decision in the early 90’s to change careers, what would have happened if I hadn’t recognized the potential of the Internet and decided to be a computer tutor and technology consultant? At 52, where would I have turned. I had a successful corporate career, but needed another challenge. Looking back to nearly 30 years ago, the world of technology offered me the opportunity to pursue a second career, which has been rewarding and exciting.
As I complete this article from my handheld device in the park, thank you Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Steve Case, and the many others who have made this ride so enjoyable.
Why you should consider the Cloud based version of Microsoft Office
Want to use Microsoft Office on the Road?
Are you spending more time out of your home or office? Would you like to be able to work on your documents from your mobile devices?
BY EDWARD MENDELSON. “The title above says Microsoft Office 365 Home Premium$94.99 at SoftwareSpeedy, which is Microsoft’s name for one of its many varieties of Office 2013—the subscription-based variety that you download from the cloud and use on your disk in exactly the same way youve used earlier versions of Office. The difference is that the new Office is designed to make it as easy to store documents in the cloud as it is on your disk, and Microsoft is pushing the idea that with Office 365, you can now edit Office documents anywhere—on any Windows-based desktop or tablet, on a Windows phone, in a Web browser, and even on your Mac, because your Office 365 subscription lets you have Office installed on five devices at any one time. This means you get Office 2013 on your Windows machines and Office 2011 for the Mac on your OS X machines. Office 2013 is an impressive upgrade to the worlds most powerful office application suite, with new features so smoothly built in that it requires almost no new learning or training. Office 365 is the best argument Ive seen for moving documents into the cloud without any compromise in features and flexibility compared to desktop-only applications”.
via Microsoft Office 365 Home Premium Review & Rating | PCMag.com.
Best Idea to Save on Mobile Data Plans
Shouldn’t content prividers have to pay to increase their viewership instead of penalizing consumers who run the risk of exceeding their data limits by streaming their content?
ESPN eyes subsidizing wireless plans. ESPN, the cable sports channel majority-owned by Walt Disney Co., has had discussions with at least one major U.S. carrier to subsidize wireless connectivity on behalf of its users, reports the WSJ. Under one scenario, the company would pay a carrier to guarantee that people viewing ESPN mobile content wouldn’t have that usage counted toward their monthly data caps. The talks come as Americans are watching more video delivered via mobile phone than ever before. Users in the fourth quarter were averaging five hours and 23 minutes of usage per person per month, according to Nielsen.
Courtesy of the Wall Street Journal.
How about it YouTube, Netflix, etc?
Is It Time For You to Get a Tablet?
Apple introduced the mini iPad yesterday as the tablet wars heat up. Sales of tablets worldwide, with displays in the 7-inch range, are expected to double this year to 34 million units, and to double again in 2013, to 67 million units, according to IHS as reported in the Wall Street Journal.
So much to choose from: Amazon’s Kindles, Barnes and Noble Nooks, Google’s Nexus 7, etc. and more to come in the weeks and months ahead.
Which one is right for you and what are the differences? As I have indicated many times in the past, it depends on your needs, preferences, comfort level with the device, and budget.
The Wall Street Journal offers a price and feature comparison of the most popular tablets.
According to a recent report in CNNMoney, PC sales will decline in 2012 for the first time since 2011. This is in part to the explosive growth of the tablet market as detailed above.
Many of my clients who have never used a computer have embraced tablets for simple web browsing, e-mail, reading, shopping and viewing videos and pictures, to name a view.
IBM reports that by 2013, there will be more mobile devices than people in the world. Isn’t it time you entered the Mobile World?
If you have any questions about tablets, or any other technology issues, please do not hesitate to contact me at 917 921-4518 of by e-mail at jblue@bluetutor.com. You can also access my BlogTalkRadioShow by clicking on the link below.
Are You Using a Secure Wireless Network?
What is a secure wireless network?
What You Need to Know
CHILD OFF TO COLLEGE THIS FALL? WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
As a parent, do you have the basic computer skills to maintain contact with your college student? Does your technology support your efforts, and do you have the most cost efficient systems in place?
The following are some points that you should be thinking about before the move-in date:
– Will you need to upgrade either your equipment or services?
– How do you determine your child’s equipment needs while in college?
– Does the cell phone provider that you use at home (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, etc.) have a strong network at your child’s school?
– What can you do to keep your communication costs down?
– What are the most cost efficient ways to stay in communication with your child in college?
– How do you keep in contact with your child who is studying abroad without incurring large telephone charges?
– Has your child’s school granted you online access to key school resources?
– Does your child know how to reach you 24/7?
The chances are that your child may be more up-to-date on the latest technology than you. It is important that you discuss a strategy to communicate in a cost efficient manner. If your child is studying thousands of miles away, or perhaps in any country, you do not want to incur telephone charges that approach the cost of tuition!
Most universities no longer provide phones in their dorms. The use of cell phones and other mobile technology tools has significantly enhanced our ability to maintain our relationships with our children in college. Are you prepared?
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WANT TO EXTEND THE BATTERY LIFE OF YOUR iPHONE?
Did you get a new iPhone for the holidays? So many features to learn!! Not only can you listen to your music, but how about the videos that you can watch with either your wi-fi connection or from your cell phone carrier (Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint)?
Most likely, you are finding that the battery life of your new smartphone is much shorter than on a standard cell phone. The reason for this is with a smartphone (iPhone, Android, blackberry), the amount of data (e-mail, Internet access, media) consumes significantly more energy than a conventional cell phone that only is used for telephone purposes.
Streaming music or videos from the Internet are the major source of decreased battery life. Applications of any type that are running in the background such as Facebook, news and weather updates, etc, also impact the life of your battery.
Below is a link that has some useful tips about extending the life of your smartphone battery:
If you or someone you know needs to brush up on basic computer skills, requires help choosing the right computer or any other technology issues, do not hesitate to contact me at 917 921-4518 or by e-mail at jblue@bluetutor.com. Feel free to click here to receive my free white paper on Technology Tips on setting up a home office and becoming a true road warrior.
HOW GOOD ARE YOUR TECHNOLOGY SKILLS?
Looking to start a new business? Are you in the job market?
Chances are that if you previously worked for a company and had an assistant, many tasks were delegated and support was just a phone call away. Whether you are starting a new venture or looking for employment, your success will depend on your basic computer skills and having a technology plan that supports your efforts.
The majority of Baby Boomers did not start their professional careers in the digital world. The way we communicate and acquire information has changed dramatically. Social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are now part of our personal and business lives. Cell phones have made us more mobile and reachable everywhere. Everyone uses Google to find people, places and things.
Set some time aside and take an inventory of your basic technology skills. Are you able to retrieve and save e-mail attachments, search through past e-mails? Are you able to type and format documents? Are you able to locate your documents? Are you able to make educated decisions about your equipment? Do you know how to use a smartphone? The list is endless.
Individuals and companies that have not embraced technology will find it very difficult to compete in today’s global and wired world.
If you feel you need to brush up on your basic computer skills or want to understand more about the world of technology, do not hesitate to contact me at 917 921-4518 or by e-mail at jblue@bluetutor.com. If you are in career transition, feel free to click here to receive my free white paper on Technology Tips on setting up a home office and becoming a true road warrior.