Thanks
to all of you who commented on last week's article
'10 Elements of a Successful Web-Site'
I am specially grateful to our
friends in Iran who wrote ' In our company every
employee waits for your e-mail to read new things'
(Mr. Taheri, AHTM Co)
Many of you have requested to discuss
more fundamental issues - home site, e-mail communication,
accepting credit card payment, how to find information
from Internet etc. There are a few who have asked
more fundamental question like 'is Internet all
hype ?'
We shall do our best to answer
all your questions in future issues of this newsletter.
Our aim is to discuss issues that a manufacturer
or exporter faces while using Internet for business
purpose, in a jargon free, simple language.
However, in this issue let's discuss
the more fundamental question - Is Internet useful
for your business ? Should you spend time and
money on it which may prove to be a hype in near
future ? After all, there was no Internet even
5 years back and everyone happily did business.
Then why such a fuss now ?
Let's put it this way - what happens
if you do not care about Internet ?
None - if you feel technology is
not going to touch your life in any way, like
a monk in a remote Himalayan cave.
You ignore it at your own peril.
For, what happens if you do not use telephone,
fax, photocopier ....? Well, you still do things
as your competitors do though in a vastly inefficient,
inferior way. Others in your field will be able
to do much more in far less time than you do,
leading to significantly more productivity (and
profit !) than you.
To put things in proper perspective
- it is not the sheer number of computers that
are connected through Internet or technology involved.
It is the power of millions of people who are
behind these computers that are creating not ripples
but tidal waves
For, never before in the history
of human civilization so many people from so vastly
different places and societies freely interacted
with each other. What we are witnessing today
is a massive transformation in our society and
outlook. Thats the power of technology that touches
our everyday life no matter how much we may agree/disagree
or like/dislike it.
Such a fantastic societal force
is bound to influence many more areas of our life
than we care to think about - entertainment, media,
jobs, trade, commerce are few of the areas that
are set to change irrevocably with advent of Internet
and its associated technologies.
It is not just desirable but essential
that you understand the power of this latest societal
force and make necessary changes in whatever you
do.
For, your refusal or reluctance
to spend time, money and resources in understanding
and using this powerful force may help your competitor
leave you behind. Someone rightly commented 'Business
is like riding a bicycle, you have to continuously
move ahead - for stopping on the way means falling
on the road'.
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