If you are attending the SME Technology Summit next week, you will receive a copy of the event Showguide when you register, showing full details of the event and all sessions.
In the meantime, or if you’d like to get a better feel for the event, please peruse or download the Showguide below.
“Did you know that less than 40,000 SMEs have used a SEM (Search Engine Marketing) campaign” said the voice of an optimistic and upbeat Tim Pethick, Founder of Nudie. “SMEs aren’t fishing where the fish are.. people these days are doing their research online before they buy which means their business could be going to a competitor. But that doesn’t mean that they can’t start now” he finished, as my lively conversation began with confirmed SME Technology Summit Keynote speaker Tim Pethick.
 Tim Pethick, Entrepreneur & Founder, Nudie |
The SME Technology Summit is proud to announce
its first confirmed Keynote speaker
Tim Pethick, Founder of Nudie
With controlled excitement, Tim told me the story of Nudie and how he made it one of Australia’s successful brands and how technology has played a major role in all of his businesses.
As many of you may know, Tim has a technology background, but that doesn’t mean that he didn’t or doesn’t try new things to market and connect with his customers. In his opening keynote at the SME Tech Summit, Tim will give an overview of the technology landscape outlining the areas SMEs can really leverage for their business in his session, “What is Technology and How Can I Leverage It?”
I asked Tim which technologies he’s using today and why? He explained how he didn’t just try or use everything that’s out there. He did a bit of research both inside and outside the business to see where technology would benefit him. Today, he’s using VoIP (Voice over IP) or voice over the internet, to keep his call center costs low. He’s also using social media tools for his new brand of potato chip, Sultry Sally, and implementing collaboration tools, such as Google, Yahoo! and Facebook, to help his employees become more efficient.
He explained, “you really have to look at technology as a business tool and not like a part from a sparky – it’s not going to ‘fix’ anything – it’s going to help enhance and build your business”. That makes sense.
Knowing that Nudie is a very successful company, I had to ask about the cost of implementing technology. Many SMEs just don’t have the budget to bring on partners or to buy new software. “There are two things you have to look at when getting ready to implement technology”, he explained, “first, what will this do for the business versus what is this going to cost? You have to look at what you’ll be saving or generating from the technology. Secondly, technology needs to be looked at as an investment and not as an expense.”
“So, once an SME decides what its goal is, then the technology is just one piece of the puzzle to reach that goal?” I asked.
“Yes – it’s not that complicated when you break it down” he finished. It made sense.
Hear more from Tim Pethick as he opens up the SME Technology Summit on 1 December 2009 at the Waterview Conference Center in Bicentennial Park, Sydney.
Register before 31 October and save 25% with the early bird rate!
I look forward to seeing you there!
Cheers,
Beth
As we gear up for the SME Technology Summit, the blog will be where you can find all the latest updates, insights and news on the SME Technology Summit.
What will you find here?
Speaker Interviews: Starting in September, we’ll be confirming speakers for the conference program. Here I’ll write about my speaker conversations so that you have a better idea of what you’ll be gaining at the event.
Partner Announcements: As the event comes together I’ll be letting you know about free offers, new products and services, and any other exciting news coming from our partners.
Event Updates: We’re working on bringing you dynamnic keynote presentations, so when they are finalised, you’ll be the first to know!
SME Nuggets: We’ll also post and stories, presentations, links, articles, or nuggets of information we find with some comments so you can see what we’re reading.
AND
Unique Insights from SME companies, just like you. We’ll be showcaseing individual companies who are taking advantage of technology successfully.
Your comments, thoughts and ideas are very much welcome, so join the conversation and let us know what you think.
Cheers,
Beth
We here at The Insight Exchange are very excited to announce the launch of this much needed technology event, taking place on 1 December 2009 at the WatervieW Conference Center in Bicentennial Park.
By offering a robust conference program, a flexible format, informative case study sessions, exciting networking opportunities and extended interactive workshops, SME executives, SMB executives and Solo Enterpreneurs will be able to custom design their education and event experience based on their own needs.
Check our the SUMMIT AGENDA to get an idea of what topics will be discussed. You’ll see that we’re keen to make the conference program as educational and valuable as possible.
Have a cruise around our website (www.smetechsummit.com) and let us know what you think. As you can see we’re still in the process of pulling the event together, so please feel free to contact us with your thoughts, insights, and ideas.
Finally, I’ll be updating the blog with speaker interviews, event updates, news, and exciting offers so make sure you check back often or subscribe to our RSS feed.
With our sponsors and partners involvement, it’s going to be a sensational event and we look forward to creating a worthwhile, educational, and more importantly a valuable experience for you.
Cheers,
Beth Etling
The Insight Exchange
