Joshua Feinberg founded Smallbiztechtalk.com because he sensed a profound change in the economic climate faced by small businesses.
As Feinberg explains, "While the U.S. and global financial markets treaded into uncharted turbulence, small businesses worldwide still need, now more than ever, the massive productivity improvements brought about through effective use of office automation, the Internet, and e-mail."
However, some myopic small business owners have suggested bringing back the electric typewriters of the 1980s and pulling the plug, so to speak, on the technology expenditures and capital investments of the 1990s.
While Feinberg sees these types of comments as absurdly impractical, he does see a major area where small businesses can curtail their technology spending immediately -- "in-sourcing" many of their computer support projects that were formerly handled by outside consultants.
Feinberg's Smallbiztechtalk.com helps small businesses leverage their existing employees to successfully bring computer support back "in house" -- essentially what your highly paid computer consultant doesn't want you to know!
An entrepreneur at heart, Feinberg has launched five small businesses including a computer consulting firm, a retail computer store, a software training company, a technical writing and marketing communications business, and now Smallbiztechtalk.com, an online small business computer support electronic magazine (e-zine).
He began his career in the PC industry in 1989 and has been online ever since.
Feinberg is the author of Building Profitable Solutions with Microsoft BackOffice Small Business Server 4.5 (Microsoft Press) as well as the creator and two-year veteran writer of the Microsoft Direct Access "VAPVoice: Notes From the Field" column.
He has published over 110 small business computer support and technology articles in both traditional print and online formats including cover stories, features, news analysis, editorials, product reviews, and industry trends pieces.
With his unique ability to explain small business computer support and technology in an entertaining and readily accessible format to both small business managers and technology providers, Feinberg is in demand for his highly customized keynotes, panels, workshops, seminars, and management strategy sessions.
He has been quoted in several technology trade magazines including Purple Squirrel Magazine, Windows 2000 Magazine, and a recent July 16th cover story in CRN (formerly Computer Reseller News).
Feinberg understands the importance of keeping a streamlined budget, particularly in this economy. But he also understands that tightening the belt does not mean cutting corners. Keeping your Internet and computer support in-house can go a long way to that end.
Through Smallbiztechtalk.com, he offers small business owners money-saving technology solutions in plain English-You won't need to be an IT specialist to understand and implement these ideas.
By presenting both money saving methods for small businesses and "how to" articles to help you evaluate your office technology, Feinberg's articles expose readers to many of the techniques used by highly paid contractors.
Knowledge is power- and it can also help keep your company in the black!
This short story provides food for thought from two different perspectives.
We can look at Josh’s enterprise as a privately held company or family business or we can look at it as a supplier to family businesses.
When we do, we see the evidence of his thinking. He has clearly identified a value proposition based on his ability to be a thought partner to his customers.
He has worked diligently to understand the ways in which he can better enable his customers to fulfill their brand promises in the context of a supplier/ customer partnership that they can afford.
He charges for his products – that’s his portion of the value proposition. He delivers much more value than what the customer pays – that is a part of his brand promise.
His point is that if you’ve been using outsourcing/computer consultants, you can bring it in-house and do it more cheaply yourself, if you use the info he provides He’s enabling his customers to be do it yourselfers.
His customers are still using an outside person for help, but in a smarter, more cost effective way. He’s connecting with those people who believe in their company’s ability to think---to play to win--- not just do what they assume they have to because they’re not smart enough to do it themselves.
This story also demonstrates an example of what we refer to as thought partnerships. By collaborating to solve problems or to imagine innovative alternatives he has built a business around his ability to create enduring relationships with his customers (sticky relationships ) that endure because there are realized impacts that sustain them.
Finally, he shows how knowledge can be a product in and of itself. If it is marketed to the potential audience in ways that indicate its value when effectively applied; if it is presented in the context of the customer’s business idea; and if there is the platform for continuing value creation, then what you know can become a product that you sell or an additional element imbedded in your other offerings.
His profile was recently updated and can be found on www.FamilyBusinessStrategies.com among other Success Profiles.
