Small Business, Meet Big Data. Big Data, Meet Small Business
Big Data has become a hot topic inside many IT circles these days, but for many small businesses—and the VARs that support them—the subject seems either too complex or too … well, big. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
Big Data has become a hot topic inside many IT circles these days, but for many small businesses—and the VARs that support them—the subject seems either too complex or too … well, big. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
While it’s true that Big Data initially was designed for and implemented at Fortune 500 companies and other enterprises that needed to capture, store, analyze and report massive data sets, it’s also true that small businesses can benefit from the concept of Big Data to spot trends, better serve customers, reduce costs and ultimately make more money.
Partners have a tremendous opportunity to show how small businesses can run their business better through their ability to store, access, analyze and harness a tremendous wealth of information. The problem is that many small businesses may not comprehend the concept of Big Data, or they think it’s too complex for someone of their size to derive any benefits from. But many of them still use spreadsheets and try to glean any data analysis by manually poring over pages and pages of numbers. There has to be a better way. And there is.
The Opportunity is Now
Today’s application vendors have developed Big Data solutions for customers of all sizes.
Do you have a small retailer for a customer that wants to learn more about buying patterns to better plan inventory? How about a service business that needs more help scheduling staff based on an analysis of peak times? The opportunity to help small businesses to make better use of data seems almost limitless.
And it’s practically a green field: Bringing Big Data solutions to small businesses is a new concept. Even a year ago, it’s fair to say the market wasn’t quite ready for prime time.
But the right solutions are available now. It’s important to find the right vendor with a solution that can be adopted quickly, with a low barrier to entry and is truly tailored for small business. Don’t try to force an enterprise solution on a customer that can’t afford it or understand it. No one wins there.
The right solution will give you a choice to use only what you need and on how to deliver it, on-premise, through the cloud or via a hybrid model.
While big business often gets the headlines, it’s the SMB, or what I like to think of as the “emerging enterprise” market, that drives most economies around the globe. These businesses are more flexible, more nimble and often more willing to invest in innovation.
Now is the time to introduce those customers to the benefits of Big Data. Show them how the right analytics tools can shed new insight into what their customers think and what their business can do to better service them. Show them how these solutions can fit right into their business with no interruption, low cost and the backing of trusted IT partner to guide them through it. They’ll be glad you did.
About SAP
A few years ago, less than 10 percent of SAP’s revenue came from the channel. Today it’s nearing 40 percent. With 15 quarters of double-digit growth, SAP is no longer just for large companies. In fact, more than 80 percent of its customers are small and midsize businesses. SAP offers partners a complete portfolio of solutions across five market categories, including: analytics, cloud, mobile, applications such as ERP and database and technology. All powered by SAP HANA, their powerful real-time computing solution. SAP solutions are made to address the challenges of these customers across 25 industries. Learn more about partnership opportunities here.
Ira Simon is vice president, Partner Marketing at SAP. Monthly guest blogs such as this one are part of The VAR Guy’s annual sponsorship.
