Levelling the playing field with Technology.

On my 31st birthday that just went by,

I chanced upon a photo album bringing memories of the years that have gone by.

Happy moments of my life came back in a flash,

It was a pool inviting me to dive in and I took the the splash.

My birthdays back then meant a family outing,

Going to the local restaurant for dinner was our favourite thing.

The options available were few and far between ,

On my 10th birthday too, we took the black and yellow taxi to the nearby ‘Chinese Queen’.

My 11th birthday was a family vacation .

We traveled from Kolkata to Ooty at the Southern part of the nation.

After many quick conversations with the local folks, Dad picked a hotel,

Hotel Larica was small warm cozy memorable and comfortable.

My 12th birthday was a special one!

Granny gave me money to buy new clothes and it was fun.

Mummy took me to ‘Trendy’ - the local apparel store.

Colour fabric and pattern helped us decide from the choices galore .

When I was 12, the new millennium took the world by storm ,

The world was shrinking and businesses understood the power of .com.

For 13th birthday, we wanted to go back to the Chinese Queen 

To our surprise it was nowhere to be seen!

It was replaced by the well known brand Dominos,

This soon turned out to be the place in the locality where ‘ everyone goes’.

For my 15th we decided to go back to Ooty ; we had liked it so much 

Hotel Larica had closed, they said it lacked a global touch.

The resort in the vicinity was already overbooked!

We struggled and found a place to stay with a localite who also offered us home cooked food!

At 18 , I was coming of age to go to college 

Among other things my wardrobe too needed a change.

I went to the local mall that had replaced the apparel stores like Trendy and stood tall

Nike , Wrangler, Puma- you name it they had it all!

However I was still not pleased and I skeptically opined

Google introduced me to a few international brands I still couldn’t find 

To the floor manager I said- I don’t see Gant and where is Brooks Brothers? 

We don’t have those in Kolkata he said 'Why don’t you try some others'?

Grudgingly I picked from what they had

Fantastic clothes they were - and yet I wasn’t glad!

Soon the new millennium turned a decade old.

And some more changes in business started to unfold.

The taxis in Kolkata for instance, upgraded and changed from yellow and black to white.

Passengers shared trips, carbon emissions reduced- #Uber and #Ola definitely got it right .

Smart phones replaced the waving hands

You could call them to your door step and no longer needed to walk to the taxi stands!

On my 27th birthday as I was walking down the street,

My eyes were in for a nostalgic treat!

Chinese Queen had reopened with a smaller space though 

Supported by #Zomato and #Ubereats, their business was in full flow! 

Further down the street as I walked past the mall

My eyes caught sight of an advertising stall

‘Trendy’ - the apparel store, now has its presence online.

With customized fitting and unique local prints, their business was doing fine!

Last year when I went back to Ooty with a couple of friends,

There was a small board next to the shop where the Mall Road ends!

Hotel Larica had reopened and was listed on #Oyo and #Trivago

Their rooms too were running full - way to go!

I also met our hosts in Ooty when we had come last time

#Airbnb bolstered their business- their property location was prime! 

On my 31st birthday as I look back at my world with a smile

I understand how technology has fueled business to walk that extra mile.

Large international businesses now have reach while small local businesses have found a voice

Leverage technology and stay ahead of the curve to rise above the noise!

Skills and uniqueness will rule and not just brand power and reach

Carve your niche in your business is what experts across the world will teach!