The Internet of Things and your small business

Last week, I wrote a post about the need for you, as a small business owner, to frequently scan the horizon for developments that could affect the future of your businesses. One such trend that should be on your radar by this point is the Internet of Things (IoT), sometimes also referred to as the Internet of Everything.

With the IoT, objects of almost any type can be imbedded with electronics, software, sensors, and connectivity to link them to the Internet, thereby allowing monitoring and controlling of these objects. The potential applications are endless and are applicable to the operations, products and services of small businesses every bit as much as they are to the Fortune 500 companies.

The IoT has many, many positive implications for your ability to innovate and make your operation more efficient. It also has danger zones, such as the potential for security breaches. To help you get up to speed on this major trend, here are introductory articles that will give you a good start on your exploration of this important topic.

First, two articles from American Express:

“How the ‘Internet of Things’ Will Revolutionize Small Business” – Good overview with many helpful links to take you deeper into the topic.

“A Small Business Guide to the Internet of Things” – Covers seven critical points you need to know about IoT and how it could affect your small business.

“How Small Business Can Cash in on The internet of Things.” – This article from The Guardian looks at how IoT will affect different industries.

“The Internet of Things Will Thrive by 2015” – A comprehensive Pew Research study about the rise of embedded and wearable computing. Lots of examples here to help you understand how the IoT has potential for absolutely every industry, including yours. Also note their time frame; the IoT is coming over the next decade; you need to know about it now.

 

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