By Clemente Nicado, Negocios Now’s Publisher
We published the first edition of Negocios Now almost 16 years ago, asking ourselves this very question, fully aware that the survival of countless small businesses was based on the use of this “wild bull” called technology.
Today it’s impossible to talk about growth without taking into account a group of technological tools that simplify operations, save time and make our work more effective in practically all areas of company administration.
Over the years, the Excel table to manage customers and staff has been replaced by sophisticated software, while the information that was stored on a “hard drive” can now live in a cloud, allowing companies to store and access data and applications online.
Not to mention the advancement of digital marketing, which allows businesses to reach a broader audience through online channels like social media, search engines, and email.
Today we do interviews on Zoom, we automate marketing with Hubspot; we analyze the data with Google Analytics and ask the smartphone connected to our car to take us to an address or make a call.
But if there is one aspect that deserves more attention now, it is the dizzying development of artificial intelligence with platforms that, two decades ago, were only science fiction.
The launch of ChatGPT last November, the topic on our cover, is perhaps an example of the future that artificial intelligence holds for us, and the impact it can have on business and our lives.
This program, developed by “OpenAI”, is impressive due to its capacity to answer questions, hold conversations and provide information on a wide variety of topics.
Although artificial intelligence raises the hopes of business owners that the tool can help their companies grow faster, it still does not replace human judgment when decisions must be made at critical moments. Software is not a substitute for discipline and the spirit of sacrifice that goes into seeing the business grow and making their dreams come true.
