Tech Strategies for Small-Business Owners in 2022: A Conversation With Bryan Kramer

In the latest episode of GetApp’s Small Business Strategy Series, Brian Moran discusses tech strategies and investments for small-business owners in 2022 with Bryan Kramer, a renowned business strategist, global keynote speaker, executive trainer, and coach. They talk about the advantages of having a business supported by technology, the importance of still having human touch points within a company, and the relevance of scalable technologies, among other things.

Below is an excerpt from the video interview.

Brian Moran: How much of a silver lining was technology for business owners during the pandemic?

Bryan Kramer: As you know, my approach to business focuses on human to human (I even wrote a book on it).  Today, business is all about human to technology to human. Without technology, millions of companies wouldn't have survived the pandemic. Humans are learning to work WITH technology, not have it replace them. 

Moran: What surprised you the most about the accelerated digital transformation over the last two years?

Kramer: What surprised me the most was employers giving up some control to let their employees work full time outside the office. They really didn’t have a choice during 2020 and 2021, but now that we are in a place where people can go back into the office full time, employers realize that they will lose people if they try to make changes now. Technology accelerated “cocooning” which is something Faith Popcorn first wrote about in her 1982 book titled “The Popcorn Report.” She wrote that we will all be working from home and in need of nothing. Forty years later, here we are. Amazon and every big box retailer deliver whatever we need to our house, technology allows us to work remotely, and employees like that. 

Moran: Is every small business a technology company today?

Kramer: Yes and no. I don't think we should expect them to be. Technology should support them to run their business in the way that they need to. Employees will use tech tools to automate parts of their job, but it will also free them up to create more personal customer experiences with human-to-human contact.

Moran: What's one piece of advice you would give to small-business owners when it comes to tech in 2022?

Kramer: Take on one thing at a time, and learn it really well. If you bought new software for your team, what's the impact you want from it? Ask yourself that question before you start using it. Then, don’t stop learning until you achieve the impact you wanted from the software. Take the same approach with every piece of technology in your business. Learn all the features and benefits that your existing technology can provide to your company before buying additional technology. You might have everything you need to achieve your goals with what you have right now.

Moran: That is excellent advice, Bryan. Thanks for taking time today to share your insights with our viewers. As fellow business owners, we all appreciate it very much.