Want to be competitive? Become technology self-reliant

Nearly all of us, at some stage or another, have thought something like this:

The answer (he says, without pausing to find out what the business idea actually is) is yes! I don't need to know what the business idea is, because in the vast, vast majority of cases whatever it is you need can be done fairly easily. That's pretty reassuring. Hopefully, it won't be too much of a shock when I tell you, that you can do it yourself too.

I know, I've heard it all before. You don't know anything about computers or the Internet; all you want is to be able to run your business or blog without having to bother about how it all works. To some extent I agree. It's important for you as the business owner to drive your business and not spend time faffing around with computers. But there have been such strides in recent years that being able to create and operate a professional website is now something that is within the grasp of anyone (technical or not) who is prepared to put in a few hours a day for a few weeks.

The intellectual barriers that once forced business owners to spend many, many pesos in the hope that some spotty nerd in a basement somewhere would create a technological masterpiece to convert their business into an economic marvel are now gone. Instead there are now a bewildering range of options that are designed to make development and management of websites easier. It's still a jungle out there! It still requires work; but intellectual control is being handed back to business owners bit by bit as technology gets easier to use.

The problem is there is still a psychological lag. The average person still believes that only spotty nerds in basements can create awesome websites, and that they are completely out of their depth when it comes to all things technical. This is simply not true anymore. Open source projects now provide world class website software, completely free of charge, and best of all they inevitably come with massive online support communities.

If you have a business idea and you want an online presence then here's what you do:

If you follow the steps given above, I guarantee you will be able to get a pretty darn great website up and running all by yourself. And like many things that require a bit of effort - once it's done, you'll look back and wonder what all the fuss was about.

Being self-reliant when it comes to technology is a fierce competitive advantage. It's something you can do. It's something you must do. And, it's something that will reward you in independence, savings, control and satisfaction.