This can alleviate taking on a supplier who may be very risky and not capable of delivering on orders in time to meet customer orders (Hammermaster, 22). Supply chain management systems, once extensively used in larger businesses, has become pervasive in small businesses to the retailer level as they deliver major gains in profitability over time.
B2C Technologies as the Foundation of an e-Business Strategy
Any e-business strategy today needs to concentrate on creating very interactive, responsive conversations with customers. Social networks are forming the catalyst of an entirely new approach to connecting with prospects, transforming them into customers, and earning their loyalty and trust for the long-term. Any e-business strategy today needs to concentrate on social media, as it invites customers into the conversation (Bernoff, Li, 36). Using B2C-oriented technologies of a dedicated website in conjunction with a Facebook Fan page and Twitter account to announce specials, the pastry business could be very active with its customers and build a loyal following over time. The combining of websites with blogs, videos, and the use of Facebook top promote new pastries is a very effective multichannel strategy small businesses are using to create interest, trial and purchase of their products (Bernoff, Li, 36).
In conjunction with websites, blogs and the supporting social networking sites, small businesses are increasingly relying on e-mail campaigns that have analytics applications supporting them. This gives small businesses the ability to track who opens the e-mails they send as part of a campaign, how long they read them, and what their interests...
A pastry business could manage all the customers who visited the shop this way by sending them announcements of holiday specials and new pastries they are providing. They could also provide contests to see who would win a dozen free cookies by answering a quiz about the history of the pastry business as well.
Conclusion
For any small business the combining of B2B and B2C technologies is critical for attaining efficiency levels that lead to profitability and set the foundation for customer satisfaction over time. Both series of technologies and their applications are highly complementary as each contributes to greater levels of customer-driven innovation in a business as well. With these technologies, a small business can more effectively redefine their business quickly in response to changing market conditions as well. Taken together, all of these technologies give a small business a strong chance of growing and succeeding over time.
References
Bernoff, J., and C. Li. "Harnessing the Power of the Oh-So-Social Web. " MIT Sloan Management Review 49.3 (2008): 36.
Hammermaster, G.. "Payment Processing Tips for Small Businesses. " Journal of Accountancy 210.2 (2010): 22-22.
Katerina Pramatari. "Collaborative supply chain practices and evolving technological approaches. " Supply Chain Management 12.3 (2007): 210.
Russell-Bennett, R., J. McColl-Kennedy, and L. Coote. "Involvement, satisfaction, and brand loyalty in a small business services setting. " Journal of Business Research 60.12 (2007): 1253.
