Book review: The New Small by Phil Simon
Not too long ago, small businesses were at a terrible drawback when they wanted to implement information technology. Huge companies had access to pricey software and other tools that the small guys just couldn’t reach.
Today, everything has changed. And in Phil Simon’s terrific book, The New Small, you can learn how small businesses can attain incredible success by by technology smartly.
What I like about Phil’s book is his apparent and fascinating way of writing, and his ability to avoid jargon and vagueness. Too many business books are wishy-washy when they share examples, but not Phil.
In the first section of The New Small, Phil outlines current technology trends and what he calls the five enablers: cloud computing, SaaS (software as a service), free and open source software, mobility, and social technologies (social media and social networking).
Then, in the meat of the book, he gives us meticulous examples of how diverse small businesses have used technology to increase their internal processes and their relationships with customers, while boosting the bottom line. The case studies are really fascinating, from Voices.com to Torrance Learning.
Of course we shouldn’t be surprised that Phil has produced such a useful book, because he makes a living by consulting with companies on how to optimize their use of technology, and speaking on this topic.
Phil is also the instigator of Why New Systems Fail and The Next Wave of Technologies, and he writes for a number of technology-oriented media outlets.
One more business: Mitch Joel has written a blurb for the cover of The New Small, and Chris Brogan has penned the forward. Phil’s in excellent company.
Check him out online:
- Main site: http://www.philsimonsystems.com/
- Book site: http://www.thenewsmall.com/
- Twitter: @thenewsmall and @philsimon