Social Networking – Is creating a whole range of new ways that your business can market to clients and interact with them. Social Networking is about giving the power to the end user to choose, so in some respects the web is making it harder for businesses to market to consumers. While the cost per million (CPM) to advertise is certainly cheaper in the online environment, it can be a lot more complex as to where your consumer is on the web and how you find them.

Cloud Computing – While the trend is now about performing all of your organisations computing activities ‘out there in the Cloud’, there are many issues to consider. Certainly Cloud computing is allowing organisations to gain access to much more powerful computers and security systems, than if they were to build their own in house IT network. However, dealing with third party platform providers involves another level of supplier contractual negotiations and administration. There have been some recent horror stoires regarding the Cloud, so like everything in business you need to exercise caution and when in doubt, speak with the experts. The new features and applications that are emerging in the Cloud (really only a new term for offsite data management – which has been happening for a long time however it is now reaching the realms of SME’s) are often not well understood by many IT providers, so make sure you speak with some who actually has clients in the Cloud and had not done all of their research via google.

Portable Connection Devices – As more information resides on the web users will increasingly access this information from hand held devices such as iPads, HTC Phones and the like. These devices make it very easy to access information on the web however businesses need to find new ways to present their information because much of the information on the web is still being presented in a format that suits large desktop computer screens and not Iphones. Businesses that get it wrong just miss out on business in the web environment.

Virtual Collaboration – Via Skype and other online products will increasingly become the way business is done in the future. While we all enjoy the occasional trip away, it is expensive, inconvenient and often leads to a loss of organizational productivity either side of the trip. There is a significant trend towards virtual collaboration instead of actually travelling to places for meetings.

Web Speak – If you are not conversing in web speak then you are not connecting with your clients or potential customers. When was the last time you sent a Twitter message or the last time you engaged an SEO? Have you listed yourself and your organisation on LinkedIn? Do you have a BLOG and a list of followers? Who are you following on the web? If you are not in the web game you may find yourself losing touch with the new age business operator and consumer who knows their way around web land.

Desk Top Reporting – We now live in a world with information over load. The secret now is more about ‘what not to do’ rather than creating a ‘what to do list’. Business Owners must start focusing on ‘Exception Reporting’ and start developing Desk Top Reporting that summaries their organisations KPI’s.

Data mining – What do the numbers really tell you? Running a successful business today is about understanding and being able to control and manipulate both the financial and non-financial data. A profit and loss or balance sheet is just the start. With the power of computers and with the majority of business transactions being captured by computers the ability to mine both your organisations and your competitors data is a key competitive advantage in the age of the web.