Bubbles & Bling - a new beginning.

It seems that shopping has taken on a whole new meaning.  Now we can stay at home and not have to worry about the traffic, the weather or what to wear.  We don't even need to check out the papers to see if there's a Sale on because with just a click on the mouse and the whole world of On-Line shopping opens up and many of these sites are offering constant sales and promotions.  So whether we are just surfing internet sites or searching for that special treat for someone special - On-Line shopping has become an important part of the shopping experience.

Obviously, this is great news for everyone - right?  Well maybe, let's think about it.

If you live in a small country town or regional centre you suddenly have access to all the shopping sites and big stores just like your big-city counterparts, so that must be great - right? If you are time poor you can still find your loved ones that special gift, probably even have it delivered gift wrapped for no extra charge, so that has to be great - right?

Well, one of the important things to remember with On-Line shopping is that we miss out on the social side of shopping.  For the last thirteen years, I've run a business in the bricks and mortar retail world and during this time we have worked really, really hard to improve the way we do things, always trying to make sure that our customers have the very best service experience. We are lucky, we deliver both a product and the on-going support and maintenance for that product so we will probably go on trading on real estate rather than a cloud environment for a long time.  The challenge for me and for many other business people is to decide whether we can incorporate more of the On-Line experience into our real-world businesses and if we can do it right then maybe we will be able to attract new customers!  Maybe our experience in the bricks and mortar retail world will mean that we will be great at ensuring that the customer is still considered central to any marketing plan.

The world of On-Line Shopping can be seen as a threat or as a wonderful opportunity for business people.  If we are able to investigate the possibilities that the  Internet offers and see whether or not there are new opportunities just waiting for us...well me actually we will be able to continue our businesses and make use of this new marketing and retailing media but for some businesses, the Internet is probably more than just a threat it probably means the end of a way of doing business.  For me, I want to ensure that I will always have plenty of Bubbles and Bling in my life and perhaps even a better work/life balance so I have challenged myself with the question - If not now - then when? Let the journey begin - it is time to take what I know and see if there are new opportunities out there.