Switchfast Blog: The Future of IT
Visa Upgrades Network to Help Small Business Owners
Monday, August 16, 2010 by Bryan Anderson
The resources for small businesses and entrepreneurs are
plentiful as more and more corporate brands move into small
business investment, ramping up efforts to provide the necessary
funds for small business growth potential.
Previously, we have seen Apple initialize a small business strategy in order to manage
local business accounts. We've also discussed Sam's Club attempt at
igniting small business spending during a conservative
economic time by offering a loan program. Big brands like Office
Depot and Staples also offered their own sales and adjustments to
provide cost-effective resources to entrepreneurs far and wide.
Now it's Visa's turn. Visa has a standing relationship with
small businesses via their Visa
Business Network, a program that allows "small businesses to
move forward together," providing tools, resources, knowledge, and
networking opportunities to small businesses. Last week, Visa made
some upgrades to their online community. According to an article from Technorati, small business owners
now can "easily interact with peers in a collaborative way allowing
them to get personalized help".
Social media has long been a "next step" for small business collaboration. The lack of
information and experience forced both large and small companies to
tread carefully before investing in an unproven platform. However,
the last few years of social explosion has prompted these bigger
brands to invest in providing social networks and arenas for
like-minded entrepreneurs to share, ask, and learn, all within the
realm of the respective brand host (in this vase, Visa).
A study from the Center for Excellence in Service at the
University of Maryland determined that "social media adoption by
small businesses has doubled from 12% to 24% over the last year,"
according to the Technorati article. In order to maximize their
services, Visa is now providing these upgrades to their already
beneficial lineup for small business owners:
Setting Business Goals. Visa now offers
"how-to" guides on setting and achieving business goals, identified
by most small business owners as the most relevant challenge in
growing their business. These how-to's include setting up
newsletters or promoting their brand through sites like Facebook
and Twitter.
Mentor Program. Sharing small business success
and shortcomings with others who have experienced frustration and
success can be very beneficial to owners. Get tips from other
professionals in the same industry, in the same situation, or in a
position your business would like to achieve.
Forum for Q&A. Any small business venture
wants to be educated before making a potential growth defining
decision. Allowing owners to receive personalized responses and
feedback can help a small business network and interact with other
resourceful industry professionals. These interactions can be
beneficial both in the short and long term.
Ranking Most Useful Content. Got a website,
list, or article that just answered all your questions? Share it
with others who can benefit from the advice by posting it in the
Content Ranking section. Utilize this area for reliable access to
useful information.
These are the four new additions to the Visa Business Network.
What does it tell us about the demand for small business
utilities?
1. Small businesses need more resources to help plan for growth
- slow or fast. Sometimes, quick success can lead to a company's
downfall - preparation is key.
2. Social media can help grow your business and build your
knowledge. Know your industry - learn from others who are
accomplishing, failing, and everywhere in between.
3. Sharing beneficial content has never been easier, which means
creating quality content can be very lucrative. Map your entire
small business experience - the future may value your small
business case study.
Until next time -
Matthew Hymel
Switchfast Technologies
Chicago IT Support &
Consulting
Rochester
IT Support & Consulting
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