It’s Not Just for Apple and Amazon: An Interview with Author Phil Simon on How Small Companies Can Adopt Platforms

by Daria Steigman on March 8, 2012

I had the pleasure of talking with author Phil Simon this morning. His latest book, The Age of the Platform, looks at four 21st-century powerhouse companies (Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google) which have managed to grow big while keeping their competitive edges and innovating at lightning speed. Simon says they’ve done this by building “platforms” which are redefining business.

So what is a platform? Simon describes it as “an extremely powerful and valuable ecosystem that quickly and easily scales, morphs, and incorporates new features, users, customers, vendors, and partners.”

This applies to smaller companies too.

In the video (click here if you aren’t seeing it), Simon and I talk about:

  • The top reasons why entrepreneurs and smaller companies need to understand platforms
  • Examples of smaller businesses adopting platforms
  • Advice for small businesses on how to get started

Plus, you’ll see that I’m really a PC person and learn what being good at darts has to do with business strategy.

Bonus Reading: Check out my review of The Age of the Platform, which includes a peek at the key components of a solid platform.

Disclosure: I donated to support the publication of this book via Kickstarter, which means I thought it was an intriguing concept—and that I actually paid more for my “free” copy than the book’s list price. None of this, however, impacts what I chose to write about the book.

Have you signed up to receive the Independent Thinking newsletter? Now’s the time! Once a month I’ll send you exclusive, subscriber-only content highlighting interesting articles I’ve found, as well as tips on marketing, social media, and how to grow your business. Sign up today!

Tagged as: , , , , , , , , , ,

{ 0 comments }

On Kevin Bacon, Connections, and Community

by Daria Steigman on March 6, 2012

 

It is a small world.

But maybe not in the random way that Lawrence Fox was thinking.

I met Fox via LinkedIn when he answered a business question I’d put out to my network. I thanked him (and quoted him in a column). He picked up the phone and called me. And we’ve stayed in touch ever since.

My network includes Harp Arora, whom I’d met at an IABC leadership conference. And Arora and Fox are connected, because they’ve both been involved with the Association of Independent Consultants. So because of that second degree connection, my question popped to the top of Fox’s LinkedIn Q&A results.

It used to be you met your friend’s friends and colleagues because they connected you or referred you. Social media facilitates those connections, but you still have to build the relationships.

And since we’re talking degrees of separation, did you know I’m three degrees of separation away from Kevin Bacon? Seriously.

Have you signed up to receive the Independent Thinking newsletter? Now’s the time! Once a month I’ll send you exclusive, subscriber-only content highlighting interesting articles I’ve found, as well as tips on marketing, social media, and how to grow your business. Sign up today!

Tagged as: , , , , , ,

{ 0 comments }

Why “The Price of a Trip to Paris” Is Not a Pricing Strategy

by Daria Steigman on March 5, 2012

The Tour Eiffel is great, but it has nothing to do with pricing your business.Pricing is one of the trickiest elements in consulting. Whenever I talk to newly minted independents and small business owners, the biggest challenge they face is understanding how much to charge for different services.

One colleague told me that the response she received when she asked another colleague for advice was, “If you can buy a trip to Paris, chances are the price is too high. If you can’t buy dinner, it’s too low.” Huh? (And, yes, I gave her some more practical guidance.)

One big reason no one wants to talk about it: It’s money. It’s awkward.

But it’s not a secret.

Kellye Crane has written a detailed guide to hourly base rates for communications professionals. It’s comprehensive, it’s detailed, and it provides very accurate ranges. The catch is that the e-book is available only to SoloPRPro Premium members.* So you have to join first. But if you’re looking for advice on setting rates, this is a very handy guide.

Disclosure: I am a beta site tester for SoloPRPro Premium. But no one has asked me to promote it. I just think it has some great resources and is a great way to tap into a community of smart colleagues. 

Photo by Francisco Antunes (Flickr).

Have you signed up to receive the Independent Thinking newsletter? Now’s the time! Once a month I’ll send you exclusive, subscriber-only content highlighting interesting articles I’ve found, as well as tips on marketing, social media, and how to grow your business. Sign up today!

Tagged as: , , , , ,

{ 0 comments }

Lip Service Is Not Customer Service

by Daria Steigman on March 2, 2012

LIke a fresh coat of paint, an alluring offer is just the facade.I wrote recently about the gap between empowered customers and many sales and customer service teams. That post dealt specifically with the disconnect between what a company is offering online and what they’re telling you when you call them.

And that doesn’t even factor in referrals, reviews, or word of mouth.

Internet service providers (the example in that post) have a captive audience. My options, like most people’s, are limited by geography. So my choice is less about where to shop as it is about which company is least problematic right now.

There is no Amazon ISP.

Your business, though, probably can’t get away with price gouging or being crappy. And a pretty Web site with alluring offers, like a fresh coat of paint, is only the facade.

Your prospects are doing their homework:

  • They’re asking around about you before they pick up the phone.
  • They’re Googling your name.
  • They’re reading reviews on Yelp, Angie’s List, and other sites.

If your store, restaurant, clinic, or kiosk doesn’t meet expectations, I don’t walk in the door. Or I don’t buy. Or I don’t come back. Or–worse–I tell everyone how disappointed I am.

My business can’t afford to have that happen. Can yours?

Photo by Scott Robinson (Flickr).

Have you signed up to receive the Independent Thinking newsletter? Now’s the time! Once a month I’ll send you exclusive, subscriber-only content highlighting interesting articles I’ve found, as well as tips on marketing, social media, and how to grow your business. Sign up today!

Tagged as: , , , , , , , ,

{ 7 comments }

Is Internet Access a Human Right?

by Daria Steigman on February 28, 2012

In Internet Access a Human Right Under Article 19?Is Internet access a human right?

A United Nations special report last June on “the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression” talks about the indispensable nature of the Internet:

“Given that the Internet has become an indispensable tool for realizing a range of human rights, combating inequality, and accelerating development and human progress, ensuring universal access… should be a priority for all states.”

The author, Frank LaRue, also writes:

“States have also taken measures to cut off access to the Internet entirely. The Special Rapporteur considers cutting off users from Internet access, regardless of the justification provided… to be disproportionate and thus a violation of Article 19, paragraph 3, of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

I agree that Internet access facilitates connectivity. It’s certainly good for business. I wrote a post two years ago about how data democratization and the democratization of access have transformed the way we do business. The Internet has also been a critical tool for political activism, perhaps no more starkly evident than in the groundswell of online-organized activities that followed the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi.  Most recently, it’s enabled Syrians in cut-off cities to show the world what’s happening inside their country.

The Internet levels the playing field. And it gives voice to the voiceless. But is access a right?

I’m not sure.

Vinton Cerf, a VP at Google who is considered one of the fathers of the Internet, says no. In an op-ed in the New York Times, Cerf writes:

“Technology is an enabler of rights, not a right itself. There is a high bar for something to be considered a human right. Loosely put, it must be among the things we as humans need in order to lead healthy, meaningful lives, like freedom from torture or freedom of conscience. It is a mistake to place any particular technology in this exalted category, since over time we will end up valuing the wrong things.”

I think he’s right. But what say you?

 Photo by Val Kerry (Flickr). 

Have you signed up to receive the Independent Thinking newsletter? Now’s the time! Once a month I’ll send you exclusive, subscriber-only content highlighting interesting articles I’ve found, as well as tips on marketing, social media, and how to grow your business. Sign up today!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Tagged as: , , , , , , , ,

{ 2 comments }

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →