Growing your business by stretching your mind

BY TERRY L. BROCK
Technology/marketing specialist

I see that Comcast is now proposing to offer 1GB speeds on the Net. WOW! That will be incredible when — not if — it happens. gigaom.com/broadband/comcast-shows-off-1-gbps-broadband
It reminds me of what Google is planning for Kansas City: They plan to offer speeds of 1GB for the city, just to experiment and see what happens. Some amazing developments are bound to happen when people have possibilities.

I love it! This is what happens when you create the right environment, prepare adequately and then let the genius of human interaction run wild. Giving speeds of 1GB bandwidth will open up lots of predictable ways to do business and connect.

Yes, we’ll have more social media interaction. Social Media for Business is changing the way businesses communicate B2B and B2C. Yes, we’ll have dazzling audio and video possibilities. We expect these because we are familiar with them, and we’re just “upping the game” a bit. We have video now. Let’s have video that is faster, clearer, etc., etc. Video with multiple people without the blurry images, latency of audio and video (you know, that lag that makes the video look like a really bad Chinese movie from the 1950s?) and more.

However, what gets me excited even more is the potential for what we don’t even know can happen. Think about it: 30 years ago, nobody was thinking about using desktop computers, let alone laptops or, heaven forbid, portable telephones we carry to send video. Today we have Skype, Fring, NimBuzz, Google voice and lots more all the time that give us the ability for audio and video communications from our smartphones. I talk about these and other concepts in speeches I give to professionals around the world.

When new technology emerges, normal people usually think of doing what they're already doing but doing it faster or cheaper. That’s fine. No problem. However, where the real innovation and breakthrough ideas come in is in considering doing something where there is a need or desire (key to success) but it isn't possible yet. How does Cloud Computing factor into that (Hint: It’s HUGE!). How does mobility relate to this (Hint: Ever present!). Wrap your brain around some of these concepts and think about what tools you can provide to solve customer problems and you’ll do very, very well.

So, fellow entrepreneurs and dreamers, what could you do to serve new markets with something that is only available with 1GB Internet access? Start with what we have today, mix in a heaping, healthy portion of what consumers would love and adore — and therefore be willing to pay for — and let your imagination run wild. Connection speeds at 1GB and higher are already on the horizon and soon to be reality. There is going to be a crying need for a lot more than faster email. Even video and audio transmission will be “So 2011.”

Think. Dream. Innovate. These three are what usually precede profit.

Are you ready? Let’s go for it!

Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who works with businesses to generate profitable results. He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com. Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: @TerryBrock. Join Terry’s Facebook Fan Page at www.facebook.com/SpeakerTerryBrock.