5G Is Big Business for These NJ Small Businesses
5G is still a very burgeoning technology for most of us. However, there’s a few small businesses, thanks to Verizon, who are dipping their toe in the water of 5G success!
Verizon and TechUnited are teaming up with small businesses to find ways that 5G technology can help solve some of their operational pain points brought on by the pandemic.
Ramon had conversation with some of these business owners to discuss their challenges, needs and outlook for the future.
Some of the participants in the Verizon campaign include:
- Elysian Café: As the oldest continually operated bar/restaurant in Hoboken, the restaurant offers a French Bistro style menu. With limited indoor dining, maintaining a connection for mobile point of sale (POS) operations for outdoor dining can be a challenge.
- SOHO Flower & Garden: A brother, sister owned business specializing in gardening and flower arrangements, the shop is looking for new ways to connect with customers and boost sales.
- Joey No Nuts: The coffee shop, which offers nut-free drinks and food, opened in October 2019 by a husband and wife team. The cafe now performs all of its sales at a takeout window and is looking to attract customers to sit and enjoy coffee and baked goods outside.
- Corporate Realty: A family-owned and operated real estate business established in 1989, the company has been forced to adapt to virtual solutions and forego traditional operations.
According to Verizon’s Small Business Recovery survey, more than half of small businesses have concerns about staying afloat financially with social distancing regulations that limit business capacity.
“In times like these, the world leans on technology to help us stay connected,” said TJ Fox, President of Business Markets at Verizon. “This is especially true for our local communities and retail shops, which is why Verizon has joined in this effort to show small businesses how 5G connectivity can open the door to new and immersive solutions as a way to interact with customers.”
One of the ways the 5G will rapidly evolve is via tech startups that can develop new, customized 5G experiences that can help these businesses overcome their challenges and better engage customers.
“Imagine holding a bouquet of flowers in your hands using augmented reality before you order it or walking by a real estate store window and virtually stepping into the home right there on your phone,” said Nicki Palmer, chief product officer at Verizon. “5G’s massive bandwidth, super-fast speeds and low latency are providing these businesses with greater connectivity and 5G guest WiFi TODAY. We’re so excited to help them bounce back by using the power of 5G to create new transformational experiences that can increase customer engagement while allowing them to stay safe and practice social distancing.”