Every business should have an app.
That’s common sense. How can you compete in our technological world without an app? My pizza place cannot compete with Domino’s if it doesn’t have an app! People love watching that tracker.
How can a mom and pop shop compete without an app?
I’d say they should compete at what they are good at, being human. Not trying to lean on the crutch of technology that the big guys have to.
I’d go so far as to say that it is negligent to sell a custom app to a small business. That business has no idea the costs of development, testing and maintaining software. That app immediately becomes a liability simply because code ages so quickly. But in addition, small shops can’t afford really good design and development in the first place so they will be saddled with both a stinking pile of code and a crappy app that actually undermines the shop’s image.
So these shops should just give up and not even try, right? While fading into oblivion because they are out of touch with modern technology?
I don’t think so. I think small businesses need to see two things:
- This is not a zero sum game. Every day new opportunity is created and your competitor winning does not mean that you have to lose.
- The little guys need to team up with each other and with technology shops that are little too. Shops that know what it is like to be the little guy and will care to give exactly what is needed.
This is what I want to do with my life. I want to help the little guys grapple with technology in an honest, down to earth and caring way.