The Impact of Digital Technology on Small Business Growth and Innovation

This document discusses the impact of digital technology on small business growth and innovation. It explores the benefits and challenges of implementing technology in small businesses and provides recommendations for success. The document also includes a project management plan and a work breakdown structure for a small business.

The impact of digital technology supporting small business growth and innovation
University
THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY SUPPORTING
SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH AND INNOVATION
Student’s name:
Professors’ name:

The impact of digital technology supporting small business growth and innovation
Table of Contents
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................3
P1 Project aims and objectives for impact of digital technology supporting small business growth
and innovation:................................................................................................................................3
P2 Project management plan that covers aspects of cost, scope, time, quality, communication,
risk, and resources...........................................................................................................................4
P3 Produce a work breakdown structure and a Gantt chart to provide timeframes and stages for
completion.......................................................................................................................................6
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................9
P4 Carry out small-scale research by applying qualitative and quantitative...................................9
Research methods appropriate for meeting project aims and objectives for the chosen scenario...9
Task 3.............................................................................................................................................11
P5 Analyze research and data using appropriate tools and techniques.........................................11
P6 Communicate appropriate recommendations because of research and data analysis to draw
valid and meaningful conclusions.................................................................................................14
P7 Reflect on the value of undertaking the research to meet stated objectives and down learning
and performance............................................................................................................................15
Reference list:................................................................................................................................17
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The impact of digital technology supporting small business growth and innovation
Task 1
P1 Project aims and objectives for impact of digital technology supporting
small business growth and innovation:
Small business and the economical impact of the same create that systematic foundation for the
entire business development. The small businesses by the help of the proper technology generate
their own assessment in market so that they can able to progress in business. The process of
creating the strategic business orientation is deal with the successive stage of the business
structure (Uyarra et al. 2016). The strong significant benefit that the organization can get from
the technological support and growth structure create that powerful state for the global business.
Innovative and creative factor in the business generate the essentiality that create the successful
orientation for the entire thing and lead the business for long-term future assessment. The private
sector output generate the financial aspect by the help of proper business suggestions and this
strategic path with better usage of technology drive the business to acquire additional profit. As
the small businesses have the capacity to make maximum profit by generating the appropriate
state for the business and formularize the structure so it is helpful for them to be in the sauciness.
The potential insight into the business and the strategic pathway for the essentiality of the
different circumstances for the business culminate with that sense. Digital technology in the
market thus creates a formative way for the entire business and progress for the other strategies
and growth in the national and international market (Brown et al. 2014). The potential economic
foundation and appropriate economical support from the country can create the proper way for
the business. The economic gains have a lot to do with the business success and it has the
capacity to generate a fruitful creation of things. Before go on discuss about the success phrase
of the small business, one need to focus that the country’s present state and the potentiality of the
business that how far it can take the effected terms in the development and growth of the
business.
The project aims to define the value of the technological support for the small business that is 49
Café based in London UK and doing their business by considering several states and
understanding about the each progression in the market. 49 Café has their own strategic form so
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The impact of digital technology supporting small business growth and innovation
that they can able to lead the business with proper insight and gain acknowledgement from the
customers (Fichman et al. 2014). Understanding the customers and the business in a proper way
can drive the company with a successive state and it will value the internal and external basis
with a strong formation of things. as the technological support within the business is increasing
so it is necessary to progress with the different important factors so that it can create and assess
for successful productivity and profitability with consideration to the customers.
P2 Project management plan that covers aspects of cost, scope, time, quality,
communication, risk, and resources
As the 49 Café is creating their own base in the market by taking the strong aspect of the digital
and technological support so they associate more with the customers. The project management
plan for the café can provide a brief idea about the entire thing and it can create the successful
foundation for the café. The project management plan for the company contains with several
procedures that includes planning and some of the subsidiary plans, generating the baselines for
the entire thing, change management process, selection and progression in the different projects.
Review all the processes and checking up the frequency of the projects and finally heading
towards the delivering and assessing more needs of the organization (Laforet, 2013). While
working with the subsidiary plans the organization needs to know about the requirements of the
business as the café is dealing with the different types of customers from various places in
England. Checking up the scope management, quality management, process involvements and
the service management are the significant way for the entire function and develop all these
factors within the business is an important process (Lyytinen et al. 2016). Technological support
within the small business plan can create the effective basis as the process will be swift and fast
and people can work cordially for the development of entire business and the people working
there will become tech-savvy.
Working with the baseline of the project need to take care about several things that incorporate
schedule baseline, cost baseline, project scope baseline and the final thing like project scope
statement, as it will focus to the final organization of things and how it needs to progress
inclusion of the project outcome. Also, generate the 49 café, in order to their further development
of things creating strong aspirations for the review procedure and the monitored factor with the
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The impact of digital technology supporting small business growth and innovation
factors of incorporated and controlled structure. Some of the important deliverables and the
defined requirements create that systematic way for the logical circumstances for the entire thing.
While organizing the requirements for the incorporation of the innovative and growth factor by
the assistance of the digital technology generate the appropriate way for the business.
Start up expenses Amount
Operating capital $40,090
Salaries and wages $8,234
Insurance and premiums $1,000
Beginning inventory $2,097
Legal and accounting fees $1,230
Digital technology formation $8,093
Equipments $3,980
Promotional activities $2,564
Better machinery $3,908
Fixtures and furniture $1,000
Dealing with online criteria $2,909
Improvements in website $2,876
Total costing $77,981
The costing of the entire café needs to adjacent with the profitability and after that they can able
to pay the employees properly and they can able to diversify their business. It is necessary for the
business that they deal properly with the market where they can associate with the innovative
and the growth procedure and create something extraordinary for the café. The innovative
creation within the business that deals with the other significant factors in the market can
associate with the risk factors (Hirtm and Willmott, 2014). As the café is utilizing several things
in their management including the digital technological prospect, so it is important for them to
drive things systematically and deal with things properly.
As the technological support, for the company prove to be a significant change for the entire
thing so it will culminate with some of the risk factors that 49 Café needs to take care and create
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The impact of digital technology supporting small business growth and innovation
their management channel considering those factors. Analyzing the risk factors is an important
process in this state and it will focus to the establishment of the context, identifying some of the
potential risks in the market, evaluation of those risks factors and treat the risks so that it can
demolish and progress for the further engagement of things. In the risk assessment plan it is
significant to have the understanding regarding the operational plan and the better plan for the
promotional activity, deal with the webpage, website content, provide updates to the customers
related to the various happenings in the café and inclusion of the unique and new things to the
café menu (Autio et al. 2014). The risk factors for the business can include uncertainty-based
risk, opportunity based risk and the hazard based risk. Uncertainty-based risk managed with the
emergency planning of things and the business continuity planning, the hazard based risk
managed by the safety management tools, methods and techniques. Opportunity based risk
within the business managed and deal properly by assessing the up and down side of the risk
factors (Oldham and Da Silva, 2015).
The communication factor for the business is an essential thing, the 49 Café in order to bring one
programmed and logical way for the business, needs to incorporate things in such a way so that
they can able to maintain the effective and efficient business communication to the employees as
well as to the customers for the better business growth. Communication within the business state
include the utilizing the proper business tools and the association of the cooperative factor of the
management. With the communication panel that will develop an internal association, generate
the effective management, employee scheduling, inventory management plan and the operation
technique. The communication plan for the customers will further incorporate the customer
analysis, interact with the customers by the help of social media channel, taking reviews from the
customers, checking up different responsibilities and work timelines most importantly mixing up
the process of communication by online and offline channels.
P3 Produce a work breakdown structure and a Gantt chart to provide
timeframes and stages for completion
The work structure for the business is the strategic way to drive the business with a systematic
way and this progression will focus for the further development of things and create the strong
aspect for the entire procedure.
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Café project
Planning Facilities Marketing Operations
Resource
allocation
Resource
presentation
Budget
preparation
Resource
scheduling
Resource
scheduling
Facility design
& aesthetics
Interior set
up
Electric
installation
Systems
Verificatio
n Systems
Billing
Systems
Emergenc
y Systems
Ordering y
Systems
Marketing
plan
Need
specificatio
ns
Marketing
plan
Resturanto
pening
Operation
plan
Logistics
Restaurant
registratio
n
Breakdown structure for 49 Café
The impact of digital technology supporting small business growth and innovation
The working prospect of the small business creates a strong foundation for the entire business
and they are dealing with the systematic formation of the same in order to bring the diverse
opportunity for their business. From the operation technique to the systematic progression for the
financial management, everything needs to be proper and appropriate so that it can able to assist
for the better things in market. The connection with the customers and knowing their preferences
is the first and foremost process that the organization can assist for generating their formative
way for the actual thing. The coffee shop project assign with various things that include staffing,
design things in a proper way, marinating procedures, outside controlling process and maintain
the planning process with promotional activities and the implementation plan for the best things
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The impact of digital technology supporting small business growth and innovation
in the market. In the staffing process, the business will follow finding people, hiring and
training, as the design part is a significant part so it includes branding, designing the color
scheme and give a pleasant environment for the customers. Some of the logical policies and
procedures including the employee handbook need to provide to the customers so that they can
able to understand the entire thing in a proper way. Dealing with the suppliers, consumption
possibility and the setting up contract for better relationship maintenance can generate the
proper efficiency of things.
Process from
the 49 Café
1st week 2nd week 3rd week 4th week 5th week
Entire
planning
process
Café auditing
Identify and
solicit
additional
public café
Update the
planning
process
within the
internal
process
Website
updating
Service
efficiency
Create up
better
promotional
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The impact of digital technology supporting small business growth and innovation
plan
Employee
training
Connecting
with the
customers in
a better way
by social
media
Task 2
P4 Carry out small-scale research by applying qualitative and quantitative
Research methods appropriate for meeting project aims and objectives for the
chosen scenario
For the small business it is essential to have the proper understanding of things so that it can able
to effectively progress for the entire thing and generate the perfect consideration for further
growth and development prospect. In this process, qualitative and quantitative research process
help for the entire thing.
Qualitative research:
Qualitative research form focus to the choices of the customers that what actually they feel and
how they want to conclude things by providing their preferences in a logical way. 49 Café has
conducted the qualitative research process so that they can get to know different information
from the customers and try to apply those things in their business and further make it perfect for
the people. The research has conducted to the people by taking one to one interview and taking
information from the focus groups.
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The impact of digital technology supporting small business growth and innovation
This qualitative research has taken the important information from the people that will help the
business to progress in long term and engaging more profitability to the business. in the focus
group process the management ask questions regarding the café atmosphere, food and the other
significant aspect of the café and any suggestion from their side so that the café can able to
enlarge their position in the market. The targeted customers that include 8 people and will
answer about the café with a unbiased consideration of things and their preferences will adjoin
with the entire thing. The one-to-one interview process conduct with the formation where the
accurate information will collect from people about the café and work on unique development
criteria of the business by asking them different questions .
Quantitative research:
In the quantitative research process, it is necessary to have the understanding about the
customers’ delineation about the entire thing and the informative progression for the entire thing
with the logical assessment of things by taking help of the questioner process. The in depth
assessment and explore more things by asking the questions to the customers engage more
benefits to the café.
i) Why do you use café?
Time pass
Hanging with friends
Having foods, drinks and beverages
Spending time with family
ii) What type of cold drinks you want to have?
Iced coffee
Fruit juice
Fizzy drinks
Frappicuno blended drinks
Ice tea
iii) How many times in a month you visit the café?
2 times
3 times
1 time
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The impact of digital technology supporting small business growth and innovation
4 times
More than that
iv) How much do you usually spend on a visit to a café?
€11.10
€8.90
€22.00
€30.00
€10.23
v) How much do you expect a cold drink to cost?
€1.50
€2.20
€3.00
€4.90
vi) What are the age group of people who visit the café?
15-20
21-30
31-40
40-50 and more
Task 3
P5 Analyze research and data using appropriate tools and techniques
Proper research technique and the data gathering procedure deal with the formation for the
systematic way for the small business and the café will get the information that how they need to
progress in the market for the further development of things and create a formative way for the
entire thing (Rayna and Striukova, 2016). The quantitative and qualitative analysis procedure
help to assess for the information and the collected information will help the business to increase
their growth and development in the market. The collected data from the qualitative analysis has
shown the customers mostly like to have cold coffee and the like to spend time in the café 3
times a month. The customers like to visit the café with their friends mostly and some they are
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The impact of digital technology supporting small business growth and innovation
equally connected with the café, as they like to spend time with the family. The cold drinks and
the cappuccinos are the favorite drink of the people. The consideration of money in café food
and beverages has shown that the medium basis and many of the customers are quite choosy
about the drinks and foods serving by the café.
Research process has shown that the customers who prefer to have the cold coffee are quite
attached with this drink and they do not change their preferences. Mostly in the age group of 15-
30 visits the café and they are the targeted customers of the café. The café is making foods and
beverages with the consideration of that fact that what kinds of customers are visiting their café
and what are their mostly preferential foods and drinks.
Percentage of customers who thinks café culture is important.
Responses Females Males Response
percentage
(Males)
Response
percentage
(Females)
Total No of
Respondents
(50 Males
and 50
Females)
Yes 26 36 70% 54% 100
No 12 13 24% 26% 100
Maybe 3 2 4% 12% 100
Did Not
Answer
6 2 2% 14% 100
1 2 3 4 5
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Series1
Series2
Series3
Series4
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The impact of digital technology supporting small business growth and innovation
Chart 1: Percentage of customers who thinks café culture is important.
Percentage of people who thinks advertisement is important for the promotion of foods and
drinks in cafe
Responses Females Males Response
percentage
(Males)
Response
percentage
(Females)
Total No of
Respondents
(50 Males
and 50
Females)
Excited to
watch the
advertisements
10 35 70% 20% 100
Became
depressed after
watching the
advertisements
30 10 20% 60% 100
Did not display
any reaction
7 5 10% 14% 100
Did Not
Answer
3 0 0% 6% 100
1 2 3 4 5
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Series1
Series2
Series3
Series4
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The impact of digital technology supporting small business growth and innovation
Chart 2: Percentage of people who thinks advertisement is important for the promotion of foods
and drinks in cafe
P6 Communicate appropriate recommendations because of research and data
analysis to draw valid and meaningful conclusions
The communication procedure from the café is essential so that they get to know what the
references of the customers are and how they can include these things in their planning process
including the service technicality. While the customers are giving their best feedbacks about the
entire process, with that fact the café can able to generate a positive fact in the market. The café
get the information from the research that mostly people from 15-30 like to spend their time in
this age group people from different background like students, college goers and the corporate
people are there. Cold coffee is their preferable drink and they spend money for the same and
beverages are also a hot selling food item for the café.
As the café culture is in the state and people like to spend their time by engaging themselves in
the interaction procedure including the fair pricing helps a considerable way for the assessment
of entire thing. Research process and by collecting data has stated the fact that a good ambiance
and the quality of food encash the attention of the people and it can attract the customers to the
café. By promoting the café in the market, it is possible that people can find it possible to visit
the café and spend their money and time. Promotional value for the café is an important
procedure so that they can reach out to the desirability of the customers need and provide them
with the same. Promotional strategies can generate the effective progression for the entire thing
and the customers will get to know what new happening in the café is and what new menu
introduced to the customers. Person to person communication process during the physical visit
of the people along with the social media connection can create the proper environment for the
entire thing.
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The impact of digital technology supporting small business growth and innovation
P7 Reflect on the value of undertaking the research to meet stated objectives
and down learning and performance
As the technological progress creates a new understanding and acknowledgement to the entire
progression so it is clear that the businesses need to incorporate things as per their capability in
terms of flourishing creativity and innovation. Both the marketing and the communicating
perspective work for the café and they need to consider the preferences of the customers.
Planning process for the market enhancement need proper introduction to the customers and it
will able to connect the café to the customers. The critical marketing assessment will further
increase the awareness of the market competition and their specific value creation in the market
so that one different value proposition can able to generate. Maintaining the customers’ loyalty
and their marketing strategies for the communicative perspectives by taking help from the social
media channel can effectively put things in a positive way (Barrett et al. 2016). As the digital
technology get to face an advanced progression, so it is necessary that the communication by the
assistance of the social media get maintained.
One of the most important and essential factor that need to create in this state is the tracing
process that the café can take from the customers because for them it is important to know about
the market and progress with that information in mind that how they can initiate these things in
market (McGuirk et al. 2015) . The comparable period needs to track in a possible way and it
will enhance the capability of the café and bring the effectiveness for the progression in the
market. Consumer proper perception about the drinks and beverages help to sell products in a
proper way and the café take the information about the relative market share of existing coffee
shop. The café needs to work particularly with the market so that they get to know about the
different information about the customers’ consumption pattern of the coffee and other beverages
(Mohammadyari and Singh, 2015). Other than that, the opportunity matrix and the ordering
pattern of the competitive brands need to know. The café in order to bring progression to the
market and generate more people as their customers, needs to take time-to-time feedback and
recommendations for positioning of the new brand.
Improvement to the supply chain management and the better usage of the management level
create the formative way for the entire brand and connecting with the customers is another
essential fact for the cafe. Technological support and the marketing knowledge for the
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The impact of digital technology supporting small business growth and innovation
marketplace create the expertise in the market; support the exiting and the upcoming projects and
the innovative and creative standard maintained by the company created the entire formative
environment for the small business.
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The impact of digital technology supporting small business growth and innovation
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