Dispelling Business-Related Urban Legends

In the internet age, information spreads faster than ever. The good news is that it’s relatively easy to find details about any topic in minutes. Need a recipe for corned beef hash or a hack for fixing a leaky pipe? The answers are just a click or two away. The negative side of that phenomenon is that the digital age has given birth to a demon known as the urban legend.

Whether they’ve been vetted or not, the rapid spread of data and facts means that misinformation and falsehoods travel at the speed of light. In the business world, like all other fields, the urban legend has wrought great havoc and confusion. While hundreds of such fables are floating around, all trying to pass themselves off as fact, several tend to get more attention than all the others. Grist for the myth mill includes topics about the usefulness of spreadsheets, the effectiveness of boycotts, whether small companies are dying out, and the importance of website design. 

Consider the following details and discover the truth about a few of the most repeated urban legends in the modern business world.

Spreadsheets are Low-Tech Tools

There have been significant advancements in the field. One of the most significant advances in recent years is related to GPU-enabled spreadsheets, which outpace and outwork standard CPU versions of times past. When modern graphical spreadsheets use a computer’s graphics processing unit and parallel processing to display their data, they deliver a larger scale of computational power and better speed. 

Not long ago, spreadsheets were relatively low-tech, graphical ways of presenting and displaying complex numerical data. While some reports appeared to result from advanced components and applications, they were extremely limited by their computer’s central processing unit. With the advent of GPU-powered apps, no one can truthfully call today’s spreadsheets low-tech data renderings.

The Trend is Toward Larger Companies

The fastest commercial and entrepreneurial growth area is in small and micro companies. This falsehood is making the rounds of financial media, but it’s off-base for many reasons. First, the primary stream of growth, what there is of it, in the commercial sector in the 2020s is connected to small and medium-sized enterprises. Additionally, there’s no trend toward larger corporations, as many of the world’s biggest entities are breaking up into functional units due to governmental pressure in developed nations.

Boycotts Don’t Work

Never underestimate the power of activist consumers. Every time an interest group initiates a boycott of a product or company, choruses in the media recite the myth about the actions being ineffective. On the contrary, well-organized, grassroots boycotts have been and still are pretty powerful tactics for coercing businesses to change policies and procedures.

Excellent Website Design is a Luxury

Most customers judge businesses by their websites. In the digital age, website design is the most powerful marketing tool a company has at its disposal. In the past decade, site designers have discovered that corporations and small businesses are willing to spend significant amounts to make their commercial websites user-friendly, attractive, and professional.

Excellent website design is no longer a luxury; it’s necessary for any successful business.

Whether they’re made up or based on fact, urban legends can have severe effects on businesses. Awareness of these stories, and the truth behind them, is an essential tool for any modern businessperson. Knowing what to believe and what not to believe can save you time, money, and frustration.

The truth lies in research, data analysis, and personal experience — don’t let urban legends lead you astray. With the correct information at your fingertips, you’ll be able to make better-informed decisions to help your business grow and thrive.

Never forget: when it comes to urban legends, always do your due diligence before believing anything! That way, you’ll never be a victim of careless conjecture or misguided assumptions again.