Using I.T. in Rural Business
The wealth of technology at our disposal is an ever growing one, and the use of I.T. forms a very important part of most businesses around the country both big and small. The rapid growth in internet use has provided an increasing range of marketing and operational opportunities to businesses in a variety of industries. I.T. now occupies a central role in the successful running of a business in modern Britain. This reliance on technology such as the internet is not something that is exclusive to large city-based corporations; it is a resource that can be taken advantage of by those running smaller businesses in rural areas of the country.
Rural Business
Many people in rural areas are self employed or own their own business, and they are supporting the economy of their local communities in ever growing numbers because if the decline of agriculture and traditional industries in Britain. Rural businesses are much more tied into the local community than those found within larger urban areas, so using technology can allow those smaller rural businesses to grow in an economy that is using technology extensively. For example business owners can buy supplies online to cut costs, or they could use technology to help come up with more efficient sales strategies and recruit suitable people to work for them.
Advertising
The internet is an excellent tool in terms of allowing people access to new markets, however big or small they are. Because of this it is possible for entrepreneurs to take advantage of the low operating costs and market their businesses to people successfully. It is possible for smaller rural businesses to use the internet in such a way, allowing potentially profitable businesses to make the most of what they have. Farms can advertise themselves over the internet to a wide range of potential customers, using simple websites to provide information on the services they may provide, such as holiday accommodation or petting farms. This is a good way of advertising a rural business because it allows you to reach a wider range of people than other forms of advertising, such as through local newspapers. Using the internet can bring great benefits for the local tourist industry which is becoming heavily reliant on the internet as a way of researching and organising holidays.
Double-edged sword
For people in rural areas technology has often been double-edged sword in terms of its effect on their communities. Technological advances have made farming practices more efficient whilst simultaneously rendering many jobs obsolete. Agriculture and traditional industry represent a small part of the economy compared to the finance and the service industries, both of which which rely heavily on I.T. These changes have left rural Britain behind in terms of investment as business and skilled local people relocate to the cities. By using I.T. rural businesses can counter these changes and become more successful themselves.