In today’s digital world, adaptability is a key factor in scaling your business to ensure longevity. Adaptability is especially important for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) who want to leverage existing tech and tools to efficiently streamline operations for seamless integration across all aspects of their business. With this in mind, VMblog spoke to AG Zheng, Lenovo Intelligent Devices Group’s Executive Director of the SMB Segment, to discuss the importance of collaboration tools and the solutions that empower small businesses today.
VMblog: Lenovo’s cloud-agnostic platforms are highly adaptable. Why is this important for small businesses and how does this adaptability create customized experiences for teams?
AG Zheng: For small business employees, who are often short on time and resources, it is important they find ways to simplify tasks to meet professional goals. As remote and hybrid work choices continue to evolve, small business owners may need to spend more on resources that allow employees to work independently. However, having highly adaptable platforms allow employees to customize their experiences to fit their work needs, which allows them to increase productivity and complete their goals efficiently.
Lenovo Device as a Service (DaaS) helps customers manage their entire device lifecycle so their employees can stay focused on what matters most. To provide the most benefit for SMBs in the current landscape, SaaS and DaaS solutions can allow them to outsource hardware, software and support management tasks to DaaS providers. It can also offer the capability to invest in new, emerging tech (IoT, AR/VR) that could make their business more agile, efficient and open to more opportunities. SMBs should feel secure switching to this customizable subscription-based model because it aligns with their needs, provides IT budget optimization, and strives to maximize company and employee efficiency.
VMblog: How does this technology help entrepreneurs and small business owners adapt to meet customer needs and how does it impact the way small businesses can achieve and expand productivity among employees?
Zheng: Through its customizable features, enabling employees to work independently, this technology further promotes hypertasking. Hypertasking is the concept that we can use technology to simplify tasks while working smarter. Allowing workers to work from anywhere while using technology to multi-task results in a more engaged, connected, and productive work environment for all employees.
Furthermore, in order to help SMBs grow and flourish, the company recently created the Lenovo Evolve Small initiative to provide financial aid, mentorship resources and community support to minority and woman-owned small businesses. One of the recent winners, Bottoms Up Bagels, accredit their new Lenovo ThinkBook 14 laptop to help expand productivity among their employees stating, “We want our team members to have the information they need to excel in their roles – whether that’s watching training videos on forming bagels, or pulling an SOP for making our customer-favorite smoked jalapeño cream cheese. These light and portable devices will prevent bottlenecks while providing support in a way that’s familiar and fun to use.”
VMblog: What are the best ways to use a suite of solutions including software, services and hardware to scale your company?
Zheng: No matter the size of your business it’s important to manage resources strategically. The number one pain point for SMBs is securing funding to invest in the technology needed to scale their business. The keys to avoiding the price trap of the SMB world are to look for transparency and simplicity in the pricing model. The best practice is to work with IT vendors and their partners who provide simple, transparent pricing, flexible as-a-service solutions without hidden fees and customizable services so you only pay for exactly what you need.
Affordable subscription models that provide access to state-of-the-art hardware, software and services allow organizations to focus on their best and most creative work. A complete ecosystem of solutions from the Lenovo Think brand, for example, can impact efficiency at every stage of collaboration.
VMblog: What are the three most important features entrepreneurs should consider when looking for a laptop to support their business needs?
Zheng: Entrepreneurs should consider adaptability, multifunctionality and smarter, advanced features such as artificial intelligence (AI) when looking for a laptop. As workers continue to demand work-from-home flexibility, it is important for laptops to be accessible, transportable, and easy to use to support business continuity. Employee productivity and satisfaction are essential, and providing workers with devices that are easy to work with and flexible with their working location and hours allows businesses to cultivate a more productive work environment.
Lastly, by leveraging new AI tools, small businesses can increase efficiency much faster. This includes using AI to complete routine tasks as well as becoming a source for creativity. Also by using AI-powered devices, such as the Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen 4 AMD, demanding workflows can be tackled with ease. Business owners can use this laptop’s processor to its fullest potential with its AI-enabled Intelligent Cooling feature, so you don’t have to worry about the device overheating and taking up precious time waiting for it to cool down. By using AI, it saves time where efforts to grow a business can be placed elsewhere.
VMblog: How should technology providers be catering to the next generation of SMB owners? How is the approach different from the way we have appealed to past generations?
Zheng: According to a recent Lenovo study, 60 percent of small to medium sized business employees prefer working from home some of the time and 70 percent say work flexibility makes them more satisfied with their job. Supporting remote and hybrid workers is important for SMB success. The Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 4 laptop with optional Lenovo Magic Bay accessories, for example, delivers on the productivity and versatility that today’s SMB workers need – whether crunching numbers, videoconferencing, or giving a sales presentation on camera.
VMblog: How does technology help bridge the gap for entrepreneurs and small business owners?
Zheng: Technology can bridge the gap for entrepreneurs and small business owners by allowing all employees, regardless of their work preference, to have the option to establish productive digital workspaces. Research has shown that 60 percent of employees want to work from home at least half the time, so it is extremely important that employees are equipped with the appropriate technology that helps make their job more flexible. By providing the best technology to employees, small business owners and entrepreneurs are able to heighten productivity, flexibility and employee satisfaction.
VMblog: How can small businesses best serve their customers through emerging technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence?
Zheng: AI can benefit small businesses by offering greater IT optimization through efficiency and accessibility. Some workplaces have incorporated AI chatbots to provide employees and customers with resources 24/7, adding convenience for those seeking answers to common questions online. In turn, by allowing AI to answer questions without human intervention, chatbots offer employees more time to address more complex customer concerns. In order to elevate your team and company, businesses must strategically implement AI tools, proper infrastructure and cloud automation. As technology rapidly evolves, businesses need the ability to integrate new technologies and workloads efficiently and seamlessly. The best way to ensure your business is suited for growth is to regularly evaluate your structure and ensure adaptability.
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