My digital divide alert sounds went off today once again.  Half the country does not know what a blog is, most don’t know how to use one when they do come across one, yet business giant IBM has announced it is developing its own blogging tool.

What’s a small business owner to do?

1. Keep focused on your business and what IS working for you. That is always good advice.
2. Give yourself a gold start – you are reading the Bare Feet Blog!
3. Remember that the internet is not going anywhere. You don’t have to be the first adopter. But if you are, there is some good press to be had and some possible “first mover” advantages.
4. Set aside an hour or two a week to read up on technology. You can find information in the mainstream press, and you can start googling things like “blog home repair” – if you are intersted in home repair for example – and go from there.
5. Attend meetings and seminars (many of which are free) to learn more about blogging, podcasting, and how to use the internet for your business.
6. Hire someone to give in-house seminars to you and your staff on technology and how to use it more efficiently.
7. Make sure you have a technology partner who doesn’t go blank when you ask questions about the latest business tools for technology.

And yes, that’s where we come in. We provide knowledge, support, and training – and blogs of course too.

Links

IBM and Blogging
Business Tips for the Third Millennium
Study Shows Confusion with Blogging

What’s your biggest technology challenge? Leave us a comment – and we’ll address it here in our blog. You’ll also be able to get over any reluctance to using the tool, and you’ll be adding a link back to your web site — which will help your search engine rankings. That’s what we call peership in action, or what used to be called a “win-win.”

Aloha,