Easy summer business for teens: helping seniors with their cell phones.

Looking for the perfect instant summer business idea for young entrepreneurs? Try phone clinics.

I saw this idea pop-up in a meeting that involved a cross section of the town of Cathlamet, Washington. People of all ages were there: students from the high school, county commissioners, chamber of commerce members. One of the adults was lamenting that they didn’t know how to fix a certain annoying problem with their phone.

“That’s easy,” one of the students said. “I’ll help you after this is over.”

Immediately other adults spoke up. They had phone issues, too! Could they get help?

That’s a business idea! With just a sign and a couple of chairs, any tech savvy person could set up a booth at an event. Set a price by the job or by time.

There’s plenty of demand from older adults who are online and need some tech support. Maybe not a full time class, just a quick solution.

Especially in small towns, there aren’t a lot of established alternatives, so there’s not too much competition.

More help with Youth Engagement

Deb Brown and I are sharing what we’ve learned from working with students and youth in small towns. Learn more about our Connecting with Kids video here.

Photo (CC) by Stefan, on Flickr

If you have been reading my Wednesday contributions to Small Business Survival, you know to expect some tip for your business operation or some new idea seen elsewhere.

This week you will find something different. I need your thoughts. I have an opinion but am I realistic?

Here is the situation. Over the weekend, I stopped into a local café. It’s the type of place where you place your order before you grab a table.

As I was placing my order, I noted that they took “Android Pay” (not an endorsement – it’s just a popular payment option, one of several).  I had the app loaded on my smartphone but had never used it. Also it was quiet in the restaurant so I had the time to fumble around.

So my wife and I place our order. I then indicated I wanted to try the app. I brought it up on my phone assuming that something more would appear on the app that I would press and then be on my way.

Wrong!!. Nothing happened. I tried a couple more things but couldn’t find a menu or list of instructions. Of course, now I am feeling somewhat embarrassed. So I asked the clerk for help.

She responded, “I don’t know what to do.”

After fumbling around for a couple of minutes, I just dug out my plastic and paid.

So my question. Is it fair to expect people in a food business (or any other business) to be able to answer your tech questions? She had been helpful on our food questions that morning.

POST YOUR RESPONSE IN THE COMMENT BOX!! Perhaps you might respond differently as a small-business owner and as a customer. If so, indicate that. (This question is a great way to learn from each other. After you respond, share the question with your friends.)

So, what are my thoughts??

I am flip-flopping between she should be able to help or that’s beyond her job description as my smartphone is not part of their business. In terms of the latter, she deals with food. Tech may not be her thing. How far does customer service go? It’s a new world with new tech coming out all the time. Or (now my bias comes out), maybe a millennial could help but can I expect a boomer (of which I am one) to do so? But doing this represent a whole new category of employee training (and it would be constant training as fast as technology changes).

Yet on the flip side, not being able to help might cost them business. Plus what do customers think when you can’t help. How does it affect not only sales but your brand?

Is there a middle ground?  Just saying we can’t help you, doesn’t help your business. Would having the instructions on your website be an answer?

HELP!!!

For me, it’s a challenge. I am going back as I know have checked out the instructions. Here is a YouTube video showing someone using the app as well as instructions from Google.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyEWsB128Dc

How to pay – https://support.google.com/androidpay/answer/6224824?hl=en 

You don’t have to open the Android Pay app to make a purchase with your NFC phone. Just follow these steps:

1. Wake up and unlock your phone.
2. Hold the back of your phone against the contactless payment terminal.
3. If prompted, choose “Credit” regardless of your type of card.
4. For debit card transactions, you may have to enter a PIN. Use the PIN you set up with your bank.

Photo (CC) by Scott Schoplreray, on Flickr

As a reader of the Small Biz Survival blog, you probably noticed the diversity of topics covered. There are lots of areas where the business owner needs to have an understanding and consider when aiming for success.

One topic not mentioned lately is technology. One of the last mentions was an article Becky did on using an iPad as a point-of-sale system. And in some articles on marketing, I have mentioned social media and email as marketing tools you need.

But as I was scanning new material recently, I came across this story: The dishwasher orders the detergent when needed.

The article just got me thinking about opportunities and threats that this new technology world is bringing.

I hear a lot about the “Internet of Things (IoT).” Friends have thermostats in their home that allows them to monitor and operate it and calls them if the home gets too cold. Recently, there was a video security system at my in-laws. I could watch it from my smartphone and more sophisticated systems do even more. Plus smartphones can be your television remote, turn on lights and the coffee maker, and monitor your pet’s (and your own) activity.

So change is coming.  So what?

The “what” that my mind focused on was the opportunities and threats this change could mean.

Having dishwasher detergent ordered and delivered to a client’s home may have just taken away your sale. It may have meant one less person coming into your store. I may buy more now online since the detergent has to be delivered anyway. My loyalty begins to change as convenience wins me over.

At the same time, however, opportunities are opening for your business. People still like to work directly with others. We still like knowing who we are dealing with especially if there is a problem. Also, the technology available to you is increasingly sophisticated. While many of these systems were once only seen on the “Jetson’s” (a 1960’s television cartoon), today those things are now real. Those thermostats that call you before your house and water pipes might freeze? There are local service firms taking those calls today. And why can’t your business be the one called when detergent is needed (or milk when the refrigerator calls)?

The rapid advancement of technology is not stopping. As a small-business owner, you can change and adapt to it or you can let it take your customers away. Make it an opportunity.