The only thing that stays the same is that things are always changing
For many years, we were advised to avoid butter, salt, cholesterol, fats and sugar. Now, some of these products are ok to have in moderation.
Technology
There was a time when business had to be conducted in an office away from home. Now with computers, smart phones and the Internet, business can be conducted anywhere. Telecommuting and remote workforces are more common than ever before.
Work is 24/7
Because of the influence of technology and social media on many businesses, some workers are often expected to be available at all hours.
That Could Go Viral
Going viral is both good and bad. It can be good if a social media post of yours deals with something positive like doing a good deed or even offering a special deal to customers. Of course, it can be bad if the post in question is a video of a drunken rant from one of your employees or a customer complaining about a product or service that you offer.
While technology has made some things easier when it comes to work, it has also made things more difficult, namely the blurring between home and work, such as having to deal with a negative issue at 3:00 a.m. that was featured on social media. Where is the middle ground in all of this?
Getting back to the food example, in the 1970s the USDA issued eating guidelines that focused more on eating style than on the food itself. The agency guidelines stated, “Eat a variety of foods,” and “Maintain your ideal body weight.” It wasn’t until the late 1970s that there was a focus on nutrition. The shift took place as medical science developed a greater understanding of how diet affects overall health. While having more information about something is sign of progress, the downside is:
- It can be hard to figure out what to do with more information
- What is viewed as good or bad can change the more a subject is studied.
As one entrepreneur stated, “I’ve got years of customer interactions, gigabytes of scanned documents, analytics from Google, metrics from my marketing service, blogs about the economy… I’m not sure what to do with all this data, but I’m sure someone will figure it out for me someday.”
The take away from all of these changes it that no matter whether it is 1998, 2008 or 2018, we’re all just doing the best we can with what we have. Whether we are an entrepreneur or a corporate employee, we use the tools and resources currently available to us, do the best work we can and if the boss, customers or clients are pleased, we do it again. If the boss and customers aren’t pleased, we make the necessary adjustments – with technology, processes, people, etc. No matter what technological tools come into our lives, it is still a matter of people doing business with other people. It is people using the proper tools, technology and resources that can help meet the needs of customers. Once that is done, a business should find success. And one thing that never changes is that businesses want to succeed.
Sources:
https://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2018/market-view-food-should-not-be-medicine/