I am speaking at the QNF Queensland Newsagent’s State Conference on Tuesday next week. I have chosen to speak on: Life with Google: How Google impacts on newsagencies already and how we can embrace the opportunities of a Google world.
While I don’t have the answers, I do hope to open a conversation among newsagents about their future and opportunities of change presented to us.
Google itself is not the challenge, more the catalyst for much needed change in how we structure and operate our businesses. But rather than speak of challenges, I’ll explore opportunities. There are newsagents with flourishing businesses – each one of these started with identifying an opportunity.
There are so many aspects of a successful company like Google that can be used as inspiration across any industry. There are two things that come to mind.
The first is simplicity. Everything that Google does, has an underlying theme of simplicity. From the layout of their home page to the design of their logo.
The second is expansion. Google are the frontrunner in nearly all technological advancements. If Google think of it first, then they create it and continually improve it (Google Earth, Google Street View). If Google see a missed opportunity then they acquire it or create their own version and focus on continuous improvement to grow and become the best (Youtube and the Android O/S to battle the i-Phone).
It’s the desire to be the best that places Google so far ahead of the competition. Now we all just have to think of how these principles can benefit our businesses.