Being a recent convert to APPLE and MAC, plus being a fan of Steve Job’s as a professional presenter, the article on “Top 10 Dumb Reasons Apple Beat Microsoft” caught my attention. As I was reading the list, it got me thinking how valuable the Microsoft blunders were and that as SMEs we need to think about them with our own businesses, albeit it at a smaller scale. So here goes with the 10 … and if any tweak your fancy, check out the ONE page per blunder for more details!
10. Backwards compatibility - sticking to an operating system that was decades old. (how’s your biz model doing?)
9. Alienating key partners – ouch! For an SME that could be deadly, especially in smaller communities!
8. Monopolistic bullying - now you may not be taking on the US government, but what is your reputation/behaviour in your town? your sector?
7. Imitating not innovating - this is my favorite … wow, this speaks for itself!
6. Stealing code – now tourism businesses don’t have ‘computer codes’ but for sure we look at other successful businesses, products, packages, etc and see how we can adapt and like Canadian/American Idol ‘make it our own’. Why not thank and acknowledge the company that triggered your thinking – give credit where credit is due, then modify and reinvent. Besides we all know stealing is wrong – what does that say about the ethics of your company!
5. Windows as a religion - believing ‘one flavor fits all’ when in fact customization and flexibility to meet consumers needs for ‘what they want, when they want it, and how they want it’ is driving decision making. Being forced into an operating system is akin to being forced on a tour with elements you don’t want and can’t opt out of or modify. There is a market for that, but there is a bigger market when you add choice and flexibility (and you can still charge!)
4. Bureaucratic bloat – are your structures getting in the way of getting the job done? Simplicity even with SMEs is vital to being nimble and responsive.
3. Feature bloat - adding useless stuff that isn’t of value to most people in order to justify a new launch or price increase. RELEVANCE! From a customer experience perspective you can inadvertently take an advocate who loves your product and tells everyone, to a person who is frustrated and annoyed at having to purchase a bunch of stuff they don’t want and will likely never use.
2. Bailing out Apple – if you have to help out your competition to avoid being sued, well that’s just not good business. Yes you want majority market share, but remember, no company can service everyone. Know your customer, know your competition and be the best with as many as possible, but it naive to think you should have/retain 100% market share.
1. This guy (Steve Ballmer is not Steve Jobs) – the public face of your company is vital. It doesn’t have to be the owner, but it has to be someone with personality, communication skills and a passion for being out in front and effectively communicating what your company offers while simultaneously always listening to ‘what customers’ want to feed the innovation machine.
Happy thinking about your business!
