Is Your Small Business Ready To Catch The Google Wave?

January 10, 2010

Google Wave is a tsunami that is going to impact how we all communicate and more importantly how we all virtually collaborate in the future.  Google Wave is an online communication and collaboration tool that will make real-time interactions with clients, prospects, family and friends more seamless.  It will become your Communication Hub to interact, communicate and collaborate with everyone, using richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and much more.

What is a “Wave”

Google has defined a “Wave” as a conversation with multiple participants — participants are people added to a wave to discuss and collaborate on its content. Participants can reply any time and anywhere within a wave, and they can edit content and add more participants as a wave develops. It’s also possible to rewind waves with the playback functionality, to see what happened, and when.

Waves are often shared among a group of friends, associates or a business team with a common goal: perhaps planning a marketing strategy, reviewing sales results or recording meeting notes.  Once a Wave is created it becomes a virtual mini-hub that members can add, edit and comment upon at any time.

Small Business Project Wave

Where I see tremendous potential is in the combining of so many resources into a single online hub.  Extensions are being developed weekly for Google Wave to expand the capabilities of Wave.   If I am working with a business and we are developing an updated marketing strategy and plan, a Wave can be a tremendous tool to share ideas, manage meetings and develop a plan without having to try to find so many other files, folders, links and materials.

How about for a mortgage company or lender being able to create a Wave on a loan file that would take the loan process from origination through the closing.  Enabling the origination, management, processing, underwriting and finally closing and compliance all to have full, limited or temporary access to the Loan Wave as it made it through the process.  The ideas and opportunities are endless as this technology matures.

How Do I Get “Google Wave”

As of the release of this post Google Wave is still in preview mode and not out for general release as an application.  You can let Google know that you are interested in signing up as they continue to roll out this new product.  Just go to https://services.google.com/fb/forms/wavesignup/ to register to receive an invitation to hop on the Google Wave.

Wax Up the Board and Get Your Balance

If you do not already have access to Google Wave then get invited by someone who has it or sign up at the link above, so you can receive an invitation and get your feet wet.  They are beginning to build a tutorial training library and a fast growing list of extensions that you can install onto Google Wave to expand its capabilities.

Let me know if you are using Google Wave and some of the projects and features you like best.


Bill Sifflard -  With over thirty years experience as an entrepreneur, an executive, an author and as a business consultant, Bill Sifflard has a long history of experience bringing innovation, efficiency and success to large and small businesses adapting to evolving markets. As a premiere Sales and Marketing Innovator, Bill is changing how business integrates traditional marketing strategy with the power and potential of the internet utilizing his "Velocity for Success" matrix. To learn more about Bill and Bssential Small Business Solutions you can visit http://www.bssentials.com and register for his Free eNewsletter or follow all of his blog posts by clicking on the RSS feed button above.


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