Using Spreadsheets in Business

Posted On: 2005-12-06
Length: 60:00

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Welcome to the show! I'm Anita Campbell and I am so glad you could join us today. This radio program is a companion to the Small Business Trends Website where we explore the trends that drive small business. You can find us on the web at smallbiztrends.com. I'm pleased to say we've got a special treat today. Not only do we have our regular features, including Today's Trend, and the Six Disciplines tip of the day, but we also have our featured guest, Mike Siefert to talk about web-based business applications. He is going to be explaining how you can move away from having your business application be a cost strain, to bring them online. Not only does this drive down cost and makes the business more efficient, but in some cases the web site can become a profit center. And we all like profit, right? And as another special treat, I've brought on a special co-host for today, Steve Rucinski. You'll be meeting them both in just a few minutes, and hearing from them throughout the show today. But first, let's do Today's Small Business Trend.

Today's Trend is "technology levels the playing field." Technology is making small businesses competitive in markets once thought to be the exclusive territory of larger corporations. The Internet lets small businesses quickly get at information and conduct transactions for a fraction of what it would have cost just a few years ago. Low cost, common software platforms have given small businesses access to the same spreadsheet, word processing, e-mail and other sophisticated software as Fortune 500 companies. Computers now cost less than the chairs some of their users sit in. Today's home-based businesses, in particular, have better communication capabilities than the largest corporation had less than a generation ago. Fax, email, voice mail, cell phones, conference calling, multiple land lines, and even voice over IP are readily available to the smallest business. Most mainstream small businesses are not on the cutting edge when it comes to a new technology. But they are often quick to recognize its value once the bugs have been worked out and costs drop. Small size gives them the agility to rapidly adopt any technology that delivers a competitive edge. Look for small...