Blog on Big Data for the SMB

1. Big Box for Big Data
I have been a member of Costco for twenty years. Well, originally my membership was
with Price Club, but they were swallowed up by their Seattle-based, separated at birth,
sister.
I am sitting at a table having my hot dog and soda ($1.50) watching a range of small
business owners push flatbed carts loaded with racks and cases of chips, eggs, bread
and deserts; as well as assorted miscellaneous large volume items sufficient to feed a
small orphanage.
Well, sometimes you really need a three gallon jar of pickled Indonesian peppers. No?
In any event, it strikes me that Big Data will do very well in the Big Box once a business
analytics solution has been introduced that automates strategic marketing for the SOHO
and independent retail business.
Historically, the ability to glean massive amounts of data from a wide range of sources,
sort the valued information and use this to formulate marketing decisions, has been the
luxury of the well-healed corporation.
Data was always structured in columns and rows.
Certainly Betty Chu rarely had such need for harvesting such data at her Stop‘N Shop.
There was little need for Excel when the back of a cigarette carton and a pencil would
allow her to tally inventory totals of Twinkies and Marlboro Lights.
Perhaps, the tab to manage the volume, variety, velocity and value of the data was
prohibitive. However, I expect there was not that much data to crunch about food to
munch.
So Betty Chu did marketing the old fashioned way, simply tear off a piece of paper and
write “Special” and put it in front of the candy bar display.
But today, Betty, her family, friends and customers spend thousands of hours on their
phones exchanging texts, photos, tunes, RFID tags and playing games.
Moods, tastes, desires and needs are unleashed in a tsunami of unstructured data.
Betty wants to organize this frenzy of information not only to make sure she remembers
everyone’s birthday but also to ensure she is stocking the right amount of red vines and
Bud Light and to let interested parties know when she starts stocking blueberry flavored
iced coffee with green tea extract.
The fact is that the once rarefied air of Big Data, Business Intelligence and the resulting
strategic opportunities it provides will soon be sold by a by a Big Box store near you.

2. Big Solution for Small Business
What features would Betty want from her Small Business, Business Intelligence
marketing solution? Here are some that come to mind:
1. Structured & Unstructured Data Extraction
Not only would actual cash receipts and inventory be reconciled, but this would also be
compared to product on order, available shelf and storage space and compared to cash
flow, margins as well as update the sales forecast and budget.
2. Social and Business Site Integration
All social and business sites (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) would automatically
update according to the user parameters. Contact lists would be shared and groups
(e.g. friends, family, associates, vendors, etc.) would be automatically classified.
3. Vendor Promotions
Vendor promotions and available CO-OP would be automatically be updated and
automatically check various business-related matters (e.g. inventory levels, date alerts,
etc.).
4. Demographic Research
Demographic research would be readily available matching community demographics
and miscellaneous (e.g. weather and economic patterns, etc.) and providing data on top
selling products and services of similarly situated businesses.
4. Promotional Mass eMail & Text Templates
The small business owner would be prompted to send out a variety of promotional
messages to their contact lists (based on contact interest & buying patterns as well as
inventory and orders, etc.). Various seasonal templates would be offered as well as the
ability to increase the contact list instantly (e.g. “add 10,000 household with two or more
children contacts within five miles of your location, etc.).
5. Loyalty Membership
Automatically be signed up with community as well as national loyalty programs and
select from a variety of business specific loyalty programs that are initiated once
parameters have been selected. Incremental business would be charted by a wide
range of factors.
6. Visualization
All data will be provided with accompanying color graphs, bars and other charts to
clearly communicate the information.

3. 7. Media
Local area media options will be available based on budget parameters indicated during
set up. Advertisement placements would be coordinated with inventory levels, staffing,
etc.
7. Operations & Administration
Operational issues such as employee benefits, property leases and insurance, loans,
utilities, corporate filings and other operational and administrative issues would be
managed for optimum savings.
In short, the small local business operating in the strip mall will have access to the
resources that leading corporations have had for years. A low cost, SaaS version of the
Boston Consulting Group or McKinzie & Company.
I think I will have a slice of combo pizza and I wonder what aisle I can find the Angel
Funds.
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