It’s no secret that I’m sort of a tech geek.  Without the plethora of free online tools today, I would never have created a MLM law practice. But now with tools like google ads, facebook, scribd, viddler, etc, any individual can brand themselves, put themselves in front of their target audience, and win them over.  The rules of business have changed, big time!

And the rules are still changing.  I enjoy following tech trends because those trends are empowering movements where small beats big.  If you fail to understand the significance of marketing on the web, you WILL get swallowed by the changing tide.  It’s not a matter of “if,” it’s only a matter of “when.”  Like a herd of cats, empowered entrepreneurs are slowly picking off the elephants.

Google’s decision to launch an operating system is VERY substantial.  People are debating about whether or not this spells the end for Microsoft. First, it doesn’t. Second, who cares? Third, it probably poses a threat to YOUR business.

If you’re not familiar with what an operating system is, it’s a program on your computer that allows you to interface with your files and programs i.e. Microsoft Windows.  When Windows came out in the 80s, it enabled average people with the ability to manipulate PCs and make things happen.  It completely changed business.  When you buy a PC today, there’s a 95% chance it has Windows pre-loaded.  You boot it up, double click the programs and get to work. Simple, right?

Before I dive into how the Google OS will threaten your business, I want to acknowledge that it’s not a novel idea to run a PC on a free operating system. Linux has been around for years. Linux sucks and Linux isn’t Google. So let’s proceed.

When you buy a Dell or HP computer, a large part of the price is attributed to MS Windows. The cost of a PC is not really a barrier for most Americans…PCs are everywhere. But in other parts of the world, computer access is not as ubiquitous due to the costs. My virtual assistant in India has to travel to work to jack into the net. He lacks a computer at home. Why? “Too much money.”

Google makes its money via search ads. It makes a TON of money! It completely opened the doors for companies like mine to service niche markets. In order to get the search dollars, they need people searching. To get people searching, people need computers. As Jeff Jarvis pointed out in “What Would Google Do?“, Google’s only limitations are computer and internet access across the world. The more people on computers, the more search revenue they make. It’s that simple. What’s the best way to get people on the net all across the globe? Offer a free operating system and let people buy computers for $50. All of a sudden, when companies like HP and Dell make dirt cheap computers with the Google OS, the barriers are gone for people in those obscure places in the world. And with Google’s OS, it’ll no doubt lead to new innovations with online applications, making business online easier, cheaper, and more efficient. Business apps are moving to the cloud. Even Microsoft understands this. Google just accelerated the space race to the cloud.

But it’s not you that will benefit by these innovations. After all, you’ve already got Windows or Apple’s Leopard. You’re already tethered to an office that’s hooked to a server. What happens when everybody on the planet has access to an infinite supply of information. Competition breeds innovation, and innovation requires constant evolution from workers to stay ahead of the curve. Auto workers in Flint are slowly figuring this out. In America, we have this mindset that we can build walls around the country and offer our citizens guarantees. We want minimum wages, employment benefits, labor unions, public education. Meanwhile, there’s the rest of the world that’s just waking up to these new, infinite opportunities…and they want it all. And guess what, they’re willing to work at a fraction of the cost it takes to sustain your lifestyle. If 1,000,000 people were granted an opportunity that once never existed, and one person from that million was special, could that one person put you out of business?

Competition is fierce. It’s more fierce today than it’s ever been because now, it’s not just mega corporations competing on a global scale, individuals are. Information wants to be free. Globalization is a tide and tides never stop. In the blink of an eye, the world population will have access to anything they’d ever want to learn. You might think, “Americans have access to better education.” Education? They’ll get exactly the same education from accredited schools…online. What happens when your classmate is from the Philippines, learning the same skills as you, and he only needs $5 a day to live large? Focus on what you can do today to stay ahead of the curve. Be an expert. Serve a niche. Brand yourself, build relationships, be somebody worth trusting. Trust is an asset and impossible to replace. Until you leverage the free tools available to lead a movement and be heard, you’re begging to be picked off by some starving genius in India, Africa, China, or by your neighbor punk teenager living off fruit roll-ups and ramon noodles.