(Time to read this Blog is about 3.5 minutes)

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!  May your day, your year and your life be filled with love and joy!

Before we get to the main topic, here are a few things to get you thinking or smiling:

1. My Biz Quote of the week:
   “What do your customers ‘love’ you for?  How often do they use the word ‘love’ when describing how you make a difference in their lives?  What can you do to up the love factor?”
   …Donald Cooper.
    
2. Quick Biz Tip:
   Hire and manage more effectively:  
    
   The biggest challenge for most of my clients around the world is attracting, screening,  engaging, retaining and managing top performers.  Does that sound like your business?
    
   One of my Biz Coaching clients has been using a service called ‘Predictive Success’ to screen and hire more effectively and to manage his Team more effectively.  He has saved tens of thousands of dollars by weeding out candidates who would be a bad fit for his culture, values and customer commitments.  He has reduced staff turnover and improved engagement, retention and productivity…and increased sales. 
    
   So, I decided to take 10 minutes to complete the ‘Profile Questionnaire’ myself.  WOW, it  was incredibly accurate…and incredibly useful.  I was impressed.  I rarely recommend anything, but this ‘Predictive Success’ tool is the ‘real deal’, regardless of what type of business you’re in.
    
   So, I’ve negotiated a special deal with ‘Predictive Success’ for you  Blog readers.  If you email Jason Taylor, co-founder of The Predictive Success Corporation, at jtaylor@predictivesuccess.com and mention that ‘Cooper referred me’, Jason will send you the 10-minute Profile Questionnaire and follow up with a complimentary analysis, written Report and insightful phone call  to detail and discuss your leadership strengths and style in a way that will help you become a more self-aware and effective leader. 
    
   If you believe that ‘Predictive Success’ will be helpful in your business and you want to become a client, Jason will then also include a virtual Team Engagement Session to help your Team become more aware, productive and engaged and to create a Culture that will grow your bottom line.  This is addition to all the other ongoing coaching you get on how to use ‘Predictive Success’ effectively in your business.  I look forward to hearing your success stories.
    
3. The politics of Beer and the ‘Beer Lobby’! Canadians love their beer. Not me personally, but most Canadians.  When the Ontario Provincial Government announced a 4.6% increase in the Beer Tax, both the industry and consumers launched a passionate ‘Anti Beer Tax Lobby’ and the currently unpopular Provincial Government put the increase ‘on hold’ for 2 years.  You might say they kicked the beer can down the road.
    
   But, now our also unpopular Federal Liberal Government in Ottawa is about to increase the federal beer tax by 4.7%.  It will be interesting to see if they also succumb to the ‘Great Canadian Beer Lobby’ and back off .
    
4. Another example of global warming. For the first time ever, the annual World Pond Hockey Championship in Plaster Rock, New Brunswick has been cancelled due to dangerously thin ice. 
    
5. The future of all-electric cars. The Chairman of Toyota has predicted that purely electric vehicles will top out at 30% of the global market, with the rest of the market shared by hybrid, hydrogen and gasoline powered vehicles.

Now, to this week’s important topic:

Cooper’s 9 ways that technology can help your business this year:

The businesses that will succeed in their over-served and hyper-competitive marketplace are those who embrace the most effective technologies.  What are the most important new technologies and systems that you need to bring into your business in 2024?  As you look to technology to give you the operating efficiency and competitive advantage you need, it will be useful not to lump ‘technology’ into one big confusing mess, but rather to examine how  technology can help you in each specific area and function of your business.

You’ll also want to seek expert help.  Every business needs to have two or more trusted technology ‘heroes’ to keep them ahead of the pack.  Depending on the size of your business, these technology ‘heroes’ may be full-time employees, or outside experts that you ‘rent’ as needed.  A few years ago, I worked with a brilliant ‘fine cabinetry manufacturer’ in Kansas who, every two years, brought the world’s two sharpest production consultants in their industry, all the way from Germany to their small town in Kansas for two weeks, to advise on how to do it even better.   

Below is my 9-point checklist of where technology might help you.  Make a list of each one that can work for you.  Then, investigate the possibilities, make commitments and take action.     Note:  Some of the ‘possibilities’ listed below may not apply to your particular business…but most will.

1. Technologies and systems that will help us design and create new and better products, services and experiences.
2. Technologies and systems that will help us create world-class operating efficiency and higher and more consistent quality.
3. The technologies and systems of logistics that will help us more quickly, efficiently and accurately deliver our products or services to existing customers…and perhaps to a wider customer base.
4. Technologies and systems that will help us improve the speed, quality, depth, breadth, individuality and consistency of the customer service and experiences that we deliver.
5. Technologies and systems that allow us to listen to, understand, engage with and respond to our customers as a group, and as individuals.
6. Technologies and systems that help us more efficiently communicate our compelling value message to and build strong relationships with our customers and prospects as a group, and as individuals.
7. The equipment, systems and process technologies that allow us to operate, control and manage every aspect of our business more effectively.
8. Technologies that help us operate in a more environmentally responsible, less wasteful and more sustainable way.
9. The technologies and processes to research industry ‘best practices’ and emerging new business models.  One of the easiest ways to do this is Google searches through which we can study competitive websites and articles, discover who in our industry, worldwide, is doing innovative new things…and what disruptive new business models could become our new worst enemy.

So, there are my nine ways that technology and systems can help you create a competitive advantage in every part of your business.  What will you do with this information…and when?   Do you have technology ‘heroes’ who constantly coach and challenge you to get ahead …and stay ahead in both operational technology and systems and marketing and social media technology?

That’s it for this week…

Stay safe…live brilliantly!       

Donald Cooper 

Donald Cooper speaks and coaches internationally on management, marketing, and profitability.  He can be reached by email at donald@donaldcooper.com in Toronto, Canada.