Tag: business

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Old Tech

Bye Bye BlackBerry

Who remembers the BlackBerry phone?

My earliest memory of it was, when I newly into a role… and the manager (GM) had a blackberry. We were on the shop floor (manufacturing company) and he asked me if I’d seen a particular note from another senior person. I said, no. He instantly, pulled his blackberry out – and said, it’s in your inbox, have a look and walked off.

Wow. The power in his hands at that moment!

I rushed up a flight of stairs, to the office, and put the laptop on and had a look for the email – and rightly so, it was there! Read the email and replied and knew what was happening.

It was rather ground-breaking.

Having the power to do your emails on the go. Not having to get to the laptop. Not having to run up a flight of stairs. Nope… none of that. In the palm of your hands – you could be quicker, simpler and empowered (to a certain extent) to make decisions and get work done!

What was your first memory of the BlackBerry phone? (if you’re old enough to remember them!)

But… we know what happened to the trusted BlackBerry device. Don’t we?

What Happened to BlackBerry | Toptal

You’ll have heard, it’s the End of the Road for them.

Sales have been plummeting for a while. Every since Apple and other devices didn’t use physical buttons, every since other devices had better integrations with other applications and then the whole eco-system between devices (laptops, phones, tablets, etc…)

BlackBerry stuck with their unique selling point – the physical buttons. And to be honest, there were some die-hard fans that loved them. But the problem was, technology moved on so much… that honestly, there were other features that were more important than having the physical buttons. And on top of that, we all got used to the simplicity.

Simplicity of the screen.

Unfortunately, BlackBerry didn’t advance. They didn’t innovate. They stayed as they are.

And the other strand to this is… people aren’t sending as many emails as they used to previously.

We have more chat functionality. (Yes you had that on blackberry – but it was limited).

We have MS Teams. We have Slack. We have Whatsapp. We have all the social media platforms – Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, etc…

Let’s be honest, who has the time today to read long emails. It’s quicker and easier to send a quick message.

I think this only proves one point. It’s not the strongest of the species that survive…

Blackberry/RIM’s revenue from fiscal year 2004 to 2021 (in million U.S. dollars)

… it’s those, who are most adaptable to change.

Unfortunately, BlackBerry, like Blockbuster, like Kodak… just didn’t adapt to the change. Didn’t innovate. We know companies like Apple have that innovative spirit built within…

iPhone sales by year | Statista

Look at the two graphs from 2011 to 2013. Blackberry’s huge decline and Apple’s huge increase in sales.

I’m sure there’ll be many who are emotional about BlackBerry being no more… and I’m sure they’ll tweet/share their sorrows via their Apple or Android device. Basically, their non-BlackBerry device.

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Bal's Friday Thought

Bal’s Friday Thought…

What change would you like to see?

Change doesn’t come easy.

You have to work hard for it. Push for it.

It’s all about wanting a better, a different tomorrow.

Categories
Shopping

Physical to Digital… Part 1

So, Bal…. what value do you offer?

Well…. the experience and knowledge I’ve built over the years, by implementing new digital related products, understanding and piloting innovative technologies…. makes me, well placed… to advice and help businesses to move from physical to digital.

What does that actually mean, Bal?

Well… a lot of businesses are not leveraging technology that is available to help increase sales! That’s what it comes down to. Sales. Building the connection with the customer – getting to know them so well, that you should be on first name terms all the time! (And, yes – it doesn’t matter how many customers you have!)

For example – recently I’ve been talking to a local business, and asked him – how he communicates to his customers… and it was all around…. using paper (newsletter or leaflets), or when he meets them.

I then introduced him to Whatsapp for Business. Simple, yet sooooooo effective! For starters – you can have automated messages!

Next up…. quick replies…

There’s so much more… but my favourite, categories for your customers….

And the best bit…. it’s free.

This is what I mean by moving from physical (paper, old methods…) to digital.

This is just one example. There’s soooooo many more ways you can move to digital. For example, I’ve introduced digital signatures! (And they are legally binding).

Want help move to a Digital World? – Get in touch.

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Podcast - Bal’s Tech Talk

Podcast – EP7!

Hello Folks! – PODCAST ALERT!!! New Podcast is out- that’s right, Episode 7 is out! – Kat and I talk about the latest tech such as the Surface Duo…. we also play the yes no game and we have a brilliant new business venture idea!

Also – if you’d like to sponsor our podcast… get in touch! We’ll mention your name/company etc.. and give you a few plugs!

How can you hear us… you should know this by now… we’re on Spotify… (search for ‘think lean get digital’) and we’re on apple podcasts!

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Uncategorized

178yrs… and that’s it!

You must have heard it in the news this morning – Thomas Cook has collapsed.

Mr Thomas Cook founded the business in Leicestershire in 1841 it was for more local excursions…. with this as the first poster for the first excursion!

It’s been a roller coaster of a ride for the company which had such humble beginnings.

I’m not going to take you through the history – but the biggest problem has been, the management not waking up and reacting too late to the Digital World.

As on expert on this morning’s radio put it…

It’s an Analogue Company competing in a Digital World.

Why is it so analogue? they’ve got a website haven’t they?

Firstly, they were late to the game. When they saw everyone else with websites and apps – they were late. Then on top, they were still (until recently!) relying on their shops.

They have 500+ shops around the country. Each one of those needs to pay rent. The problem was, the money they were generating was not enough to pay the rent. So the money was coming from elsewhere. Which means, they had a business model which was not working.

The worse thing is – the management a few years ago decided to expand their shop network… this was during a time, when more and more people were going on-line to book their holidays!

Then you have the low-cost airlines. They’ve come on board and offering package deals – which are very good. And the packages being offered… Thomas Cook was still offering the ‘Fly and Flop’, where you fly and then just sit/rest by a beach or resort. People’s habits have changed – people want to explore, walk around, do tours/visits, etc…

It’s sad to see that the company couldn’t embrace the Digital World. They should’ve expanded their online and digital presence.

With this in mind – I’m helping organisations to Get Digital! – To ensure they’re embracing the Digital World… and don’t end up like Thomas Cook! If you’d like more information – get in touch… you can email me, you can reply to this blog, you can find me on Twitter… there’s various ways you can get hold of me.

It’s a real shame… and a very sad story, to see this great company (which it once was)… start with such a great idea… for it to ignore the Digital World.

So, from the first poster… to the last hand out from Thomas Cook…

Categories
Bal's Friday Thought

Bal’s Friday Thought…

I often find – people asking me, Bal – how much money do I need to start a business, Bal – what tools do I need to purchase to make it happen…

More often than not – I explain to people, chances are high you have the tools to get started! – Use what you have – and try the idea out. If the idea gains momentum and you’re on to something big… then you know, you’ve got the grounds to invest.

Categories
Bal's Friday Thought

Bal’s Friday Thought…

Just start… so much time is spent talking… discussing… and in organisations, getting through red tape.

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Uncategorized

Thanks for the Like and Share…

You may have noticed… I’ve been writing this blog for a while. In fact, it’s nearly a year and a half! Crazy… right?! 

Numbers (of visitors and readers) has gone up… and some months, it came down… especially over Christmas – maybe your pigs in blankets were more important…

Replies and comments were a many on some posts… nothing for several weeks.

But what I did notice… is who has supported me. 

That’s right. I’ve seen those who ‘like’ my posts. There’s those who share. There’s some who even retweet! 

And for that – I’d like to say a huge Thank You! – You’re awesome!

But all of this got me thinking… and I recently saw, a post about how friends and family should support each other. And I agree…

We see a lot from Celebs. Let’s be honest – a nice photo on Insta can get several thousands of likes… but do you like your friends post… someone who maybe starting a business or who may have an idea they want to pursue! 

A good friend…. who works for a rival drinks company to the one I work for, recently shared one of my blog posts on LinkedIn. He also tagged me in a post of his… and I commented and liked. 

Friends do that. 

Support each other. 

Not just friends. Family. Colleagues. Well-wishers. Anyone… can support those just starting off…. because remember…. 

With social media being so big… use the means you can. Help each other grow. Buy your friends products. 

If they’re no good – provide them feedback. Let them know your thoughts. So they can improve. If you think you could help them… help them! It could be design… it could be making… it could be marketing…. it could be logistics…. 

It’s all about support. And collaboration. 

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Uncategorized

One does enjoy a ‘Proper Whiskey’…

We’ve seen Celebs collaborate and introduce new products to the market place.

We had Dr Dre… with the Beats Headphones. Which were a phenomenal success.

Now you have Mr Conor McGregor… introducing you to some ‘Proper Whiskey’.

My nephew text me and told me about it! – He said ‘Check this out… you going to try some?’

You know you have to, right? – similar to the Beats… if Dre… a master of his art, knows a thing or two about sound… must have done a good job on the headphones…. McGregor must have teamed up with some of the best in the world… and I’m sure Conor likes a drink or two… must have have produced a half decent Whiskey!

It’s not always about endorsements. I feel, you got to go one step ahead.

Collaborate with experts and bring out a new product, for the World to enjoy.

Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine – came together to produce and introduced the world to Beats Headphones.

And you can’t argue how successful they have been. Good or not… that’s a personal opinion… but they sure have made a buck or two for the founders.

So Connor… has done the same.

Along with Bushmill’s former distillery manager, David Elder… they have produced the Proper No. 12 Whiskey.

And straight away… you know it’s going to be big! You know it’s going to be popular… and it’ll sell lots. If you like blended whiskey or not… you’ll be intrigued.

And the marketing has started…. and what timing. You may (or may not know) Mr McGregor has a big fight coming up soon also…. so timing is perfect.

Not only that… his social media following is huge. And what a better way to promote your product..

So there you go…. the future isn’t about Endorsements.

It’s about Collaboration.

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Uncategorized

Review of Apple’s Event… and the New iPhones

Yesterday… Apple had their Event. Their main conference.

Some brilliant new items were announced, along with the new operating system… iOS12. Did you follow it? – Have you watched it all? – if not… don’t worry, I’ll summarise it here for you.

1. New iWatch

That’s right – there’s a new iWatch.

Packed with many new features – like it detects when you fall over, and has much more going on the watch face – but the one feature that really stands out is that it’s got the ability to carry out an ECG! Detecting low and high heart rates, shows Apple is leading the way with wrist worn health care technology.

2. New iPhone XS

Let’s be honest, the iPhone X has been a major success. It’s features (face recognition and much more) has been well recieved by customers. And now… well, there’s been an upgrade! You can now have the iPhone XS.

In fact, you can have an XS or an XS Max! The Max has a bigger screen… bigger screen than what you’d look at on an iPhone 8 Plus!

We were expecting it… and oh boy, doesn’t it look impressive!!

And it’s packed with some brilliant features…

One of the main features which i’m personally looking forward to is the Dual Sim!- that’s right… the iPhones will be able to accommodate 2 sims!!

3. …and one more thing.

The iPhone XR!

That’s right… a ‘lesser version’ of the X. It’ll be available in several colours… and therefore, here’s the full iPhone line up…

iOS12 will also have some great features…grouping messages and notifications on the home screen…. and much more. So much, I’ll have to test it out, and share it with you in an up and coming blog post.

One thing I did like about the Apple Event, was that they announced it on Twitter… and if you ‘liked’ it… then they notified you when it started. Ensuring no-one missed it. Brilliant marketing. But then… wouldn’t expect anything less. It’s all about having the ability to Think Differently.