I have a theory. I like to refer to it as The Beatles Effect. Allow me to explain. As a lot of you know, I talk, write and consult about Ecommerce as it relates to accounting systems, mostly QuickBooks. I have been troubled lately with all of the many different packages out there; it makes it nearly impossible for a new business to startup an ecommerce business without talking to multiple vendors for each different facet of the business. Accounting software, shopping carts, shipping, sales tax, merchant accounts, B2B communication to name a few. This is enough for the average startup to become overwhelmed and is a recipe for disaster if not properly managed.
OK, so you are asking yourself, how does that relate to the Beatles? Well, I am getting to that. Most of us are familiar with the term Synergy, which is defined as the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc. The Beatles are a perfect example of that.
You have John, the strong, defiant one
Then Paul, the intelligent one
Of course George, the quiet one
And Ringo (I couldn’t think of anything for Ringo)
Individually, they most likely would never have made it in the music business, but put them together and you have the biggest musical force the world has ever seen (or ever will see, in my humble opinion).
That same theory is very prevalent in business, where teams perform at a level that the individual members could never attain. Equally true, specifically to ecommerce. There is nothing out there for the small/medium size business that puts together all the pieces of ecommerce. If there was, I believe it would be much like the Beatles and would outperform anything the individual members could ever accomplish on their own.
What if there was one place you could go to that would incorporate all of these components into one place so an ecommerce business had one point of contact? For now, it’s a working theory.
If you are planning on coming to Scaling New Heights In June, we will assemble a panel of Ecommerce and EDI experts in two panel discussions to discuss this theory and see how you can help your business (or your clients business) capitalize on some of the great tools that are available. Until then, throw on the White Album, sit back and enjoy the ride.
