“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
