It helps him determine what he orders. The system also communicates with outside distribution companies so they'll receive daily orders and know what has to be shipped out that night. Changes related to e-commerce are important for traditional merchants to understand as they work to best the competition. An understanding of the back-office changes at the local store or mall is also helpful for consumers in their ongoing quest for better prices and better customer service. For the merchant, the traditional five-year business plan needs to be updated every three months to stay current, he said.
Every business needs an e-commerce plan.
If it's missing, it's just a matter of time before you're not in business any more. Managing the e-commerce changes is a core part of the SBA's programs. In addition to its hundreds of loan guarantees given in the state each year, the SBA provides counseling and training for as many as 15,000 people per year. Consumers benefit by knowing there are more questions they can ask when they go into a store, Murray said. If I know they can do that, it is going to improve how they can serve me.