So where are the opportunities for Boston businesses to compete for new markets, improved margins, develop new clientele for services and extraordinary value for new products? Greater Boston is a perfect market to study as we enjoy international students participating in our economy, and an attractive culture mixing brick and mortar business and competitive business services across all industries.

I look to the innovation centers developing communities serving small and large business globally. Our (local) innovation to solve the challenges you describe very well, may come next from fusions of high-tech here: aiding low-tech businesses around the world. Developing a culture of innovation is the key.

Creating social networks is a trend that allows business people globally to find, communicate and start work on projects in seconds. I remember the days before cell phones, the pager and email. Contacting businesses to sell products and start innovating took weeks. Now the same process can begin in minutes if not automatically in some cases. This trend provides Boston businesses with new competition as well as new opportunities. High and low-tech businesses must develop a culture to rapidly prototype fusions of elements, and automate as many costly information-handling steps as possible.

So that I don’t sound academic in my thoughts, there is one specific market I see in shape for massive improvements. The CEO/CMO of every sub 100 employee business in America is now looking at Web 3.0. Stated plainly, using social networks within a company domain rather than on LinkedIn, Facebook etc. Salespeople traditionally asked to parrot the standard-pitch in volume and stick to closing accounts, are now asked to publish, create micro messaging, think and innovate in harmony with the CEO/CMO’s vision. The receptionist more often is not only at the entry of a business, but alert companies feature him/her at the top of the Facebook page. There is quite suddenly no role not-important in delivering the vision and quality of a business.

The entrepreneur in a business has found new methods, reasons and support to publish their intelligence to micro-communities of customers or partners who know them, or have similar interests. This trend will make some small firms larger, and some large firms smaller. The CEO/CMO must go outbound now with creating the culture to allow innovative social-cultures to grow. The ultra-small business, should have stated new procedures to capture images, social connections on business cards, find success stories in the field and get these connectors/content into the corperate or social mesh.

Objectively stated as your findings I hope!

Nathan Watt