With the ever-changing SMB landscape, we asked a few members of our leadership team at Samsung Canada to reflect on emerging trends, innovative SMB solutions they’ve observed, and how businesses can best embrace this disruptive time.

WFH is HTS (here to stay)

According to Statistics Canada, more than 40% of Canadians found themselves working from home as a result of the pandemic — and 25% of businesses are expected to continue to offer the option well into 2021. For many small businesses this poses a challenge in how to effectively collaborate, lead and innovate with teams, from disparate, work environments.

“Working away from the office presents hurdles for many employees. Some grapple with the grey area between work and home and necessary boundaries around work hours. Coupled with the potential need for many working women to also manage childcare and potentially, multi-generational family responsibilities, efficiency is a word I hear a lot. To reach the sweet spot of productivity, new tools are needed but some are reluctant to introduce these given the potential learning curves for employees. This is why it’s important that we focus on helping deliver reliable, efficient and easy to use technology solutions that answer the call of the new realities of SMB’s.” — Jennifer Safruk, Vice President of Mobile Sales and Product Management

“Samsung has seen an elevated interest in monitors and home office tech as many SMBs outfit their homes to run their businesses. These products are critical to business success with consumers expecting the same level of service, no matter where the business is based. Having the right tools at home keeps employees engaged and productive to keep customers happy and business on track.”– Mary Peterson, Vice President of IT & Enterprise Solutions

Focus on the customers and the business will come

The pandemic has also seen many SMBs evolve their operations dramatically. With customers expecting immediate digital access to their favourite small business, industries including retail, food, professional and personal services have had to make a rapid shift. Some have embraced fully online digital models; others have adapted to a hybrid. With this in mind, it’s important to consider a mobile-first experience when considering how consumers interact with information about a business.

“Adopting a mobile-first strategy helps companies pave a path to success, and meet consumer expectations. Samsung devices empower small businesses to be more productive while keeping their data secure and safe. Our newer devices help future-proof SMBs as businesses increasingly shift online. Customers have high expectations, and they expect seamless digital transactions.” — Jennifer Safruk, Vice President of Mobile Sales and Product Management

Cool, calm and connected 

Samsung is a global leader in connected products for home and business, and the trend of a ‘connected home’ is more relevant than ever with digital appliances. While many may think of larger retailers when they think of appliances, SMBs are a valuable resource for consumers.

“Smaller suppliers are continuing to change and evolve to meet the needs of their customers. For example, in the appliance space, SMBs have developed expertise in selling Samsung-connected consumer electronics products as well as installing these products in consumers’ homes and businesses. Custom installations and services generate both incremental revenue and profits for SMBs.” — Warner Doell, Head of Consumer Electronics

“This space has changed and continues to change. I strongly believe that independent dealers are in a much better position to show Smart Home Appliances in a real home setting that can be more realistic and relevant than what we often see at major big box retailers.  They have the staff and expertise, and they can use this to their advantage as they become increasingly more relevant in this space than ever before.” — Anand Majithia, Vice President Sales & Product Management

“Many independent dealers in the home entertainment space are able to be nimble and innovate quickly to showcase the lifestyle use case of a new product. They can react faster to changing trends not only in design, but consumer attitudes and shopping behaviours.” — Pat Bugos, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Home Entertainment

Samsung is making it easier for SMBs

Samsung solutions are built for organizations of all sizes that want turnkey, secure solutions. Business TV, for example, is a new display solution allowing businesses to share information such as menus or important updates on a screen, without requiring IT or a designer.

“Our Business TV App allows a full customization of business messages in a professional-looking manner. And if the name of the game is quick and easy, this is the right tool. As business protocols and requirements change through this year and beyond, having the ability to communicate important messages quickly is critical.”– Mary Peterson, Vice President of IT & Enterprise Solutions

Samsung offers a complete suite of solutions for SMBs’ varied security and IT needs. Security is built in at the chip level to Samsung devices during the manufacturing process with Samsung Knox.

“IT needs differ greatly among SMBs, depending on the size of the business. Smaller businesses typically don’t have the resources for a dedicated in-house IT employee, and those that do have a vastly accelerated workload due to the pandemic: they are now managing multiple devices for employees remotely rather than helping out on site in the office, where it’s a bit easier to troubleshoot” – Jennifer Safruk, Vice President of Mobile Sales and Product Management  

Whether a small or medium sized business, Samsung solutions are built with productivity, manageability and security in mind. With reliable and adaptable technology and an ecosystem of products that work together to suit any needs, Samsung is the right partner for SMBs. 

Content created in partnership with Financial Post

In a tough year for the economy, small businesses have borne the brunt. For companies looking to become more productive, flexible and secure, having the right technology is essential. That can be a challenge. Small businesses don’t often have dedicated tech teams, and rely on what has worked in the past.

“In many cases they’re behind the curve in technology investments,” says Dan Kelly, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

He says that as part of their rebound, many small business owners are now keen to expand their tech toolbox. Trusted brands such as Samsung can provide the technology that will help them transform.

With employees working outside the office or in modified work environments, many businesses have needed to quickly equip workers with basics such as laptops and cellphones. Access to multi-functional technology can make a big difference in ensuring efficiency.

“Reliable business technology has become crucial for optimizing workflow, especially when workforces are decentralized and geographically scattered,” says Jennifer Safruk, Vice-President, Mobile Business for Samsung Electronics Canada.

Ms. Safruk cites the benefits of the ongoing partnership between Samsung and Microsoft, which includes access to Microsoft Office. That enables seamless productivity experiences across many Samsung devices, applications and services.

The Samsung DeX is well suited to the new work environment. It’s a feature that allows handheld devices to connect to a monitor, keyboard and mouse. Galaxy users to easily go from remote working to a desktop-like environment.

Samsung recently re-entered the laptop space with its Galaxy Book Series, featuring Galaxy Book Ion, Galaxy Book Flex and Galaxy Book S. The series offers small business owners a range of price points and devices to suit their needs.

Each device has its own business advantages. For instance, the Galaxy Book Flex can turn into a tablet, with a Bluetooth-enabled S Pen. The QLED display of the Galaxy Book Ion is ideal for crisp presentations and video conferencing.

Both devices feature Wireless PowerShare, so users can charge their Qi-compatible smartphone on the trackpad. The Galaxy Book Series laptops also include Microsoft Windows 10 Home, offering access to a wide range of business-related applications.

The S Pen that accompanies the Galaxy Note20 5G and Note20 Ultra 5G is another plus for staff. “From note taking to controlling presentations, it’s a powerful productivity companion,” says Ms. Safruk.

Software such as Samsung Notes auto-saves and syncs across a Galaxy mobile or tablet for easy access to important files. The Galaxy Note20 Series 5G also features the Your Phone application for easy syncing of messages, photos, notifications and calendar reminders to a Windows 10 PC. To help businesses stay on top of tasks, the device makes it easy to issue reminders across all platforms, including Outlook, To Do and Teams.

Remote technology has added convenience for businesses, but the increased reliance has also amplified security concerns. Companies need to be proactive in managing cybersecurity.

“This is a big challenge when you have people working outside the office, if you haven’t set up all the right protocols,” says Mr. Kelly.

Ms. Safruk says choosing secure devices from the start can help businesses to avoid many risks. The Samsung Knox Security suite, for example, is pre-installed on all Samsung smartphones and tablets, and most wearables. The suite offers end-to-end protection in hardware and software, to help keep data more secure in real time.

Another feature, Samsung Knox Manage, allows users to restrict devices to keep confidential company data secure, and to perform remote troubleshooting.

The Galaxy Book Series and Galaxy Note20 Series 5G reflect this same commitment to security, and feature Biometric Authentication that lets users unlock devices with their fingerprint.

“Keeping business assets and data secure remains a top priority,” says Ms. Safruk. “It’s crucial that business owners have added peace of mind knowing that their important assets and customer data are better protected.”