Running a business from home as an Online Business Manager, my internet connection is my number one tool. Two years ago, after my husband was made redundant, we spent almost a year’s worth of weekends travelling around regional Victoria trying to decide where to settle. We chose Hopetoun, in the Mallee district, for two main reasons: the friendliness of the community, and the availability of the NBN.
Through my business EA for a Day, I provide online help to entrepreneurs, coaches, and other small business experts by providing an virtual assistant service. Fast, reliable internet is essential for helping me to grow my client base, increase my exposure globally, and provide my national and international clients a reliable business service.
Educating rural communities about harnessing technology and changing the culture of how they run is becoming increasingly essential for the longevity of their business. Visitors to regional towns already use social media to discover what’s there, Google searches and hashtags determine whether they stop or keep driving.
Although the use of technology isn’t new for some, the way we apply it to our everyday lives and businesses is. Once upon a time, family businesses only needed to cater for their local community; now, embracing technology is going to be one of the fundamental ways these businesses keep their doors open (literally or figuratively). Depending on your product, your customer or client might not need to visit your physical location. Technology allows businesses to move their customer base from their immediate vicinity to the whole world.
Today, it’s a given that successful businesses will also have an online presence. Smart business women all over Australia are using their online presence to build tribes of like-minded people in both their local and online communities, giving them the best of both worlds when it comes to networking and business support.
The online applications and technology available to regional business owners provide us with a never-ending classroom. Here, we can learn skills that will help us leave a legacy for our communities and regions, and to keep our businesses and towns thriving for generations to come.
Learn more about Jacqui’s business at:
