Even though I’m not in technology, I incorporated NFTs and the metaverse into my business plan – here’s how

<p>When I first started out as an entrepreneur in 2014, I realised that in order to grow and scale my business, I'd need to stay on top of emerging trends and technology. Because I don't own a company that provides professional-development workshops or consultants, I budget a few thousand dollars per year for conferences, workshops, and coaching.</p> <p>Last year, after attending a few online workshops and conferences and avidly listening to my favourite business podcasts, I realised there were several major trends that I wanted to incorporate into my 2022 strategy to stay current and gain a competitive advantage.</p> <p>After much thought and planning, I've decided to incorporate NFTs, cryptocurrency, and the metaverse into the structure of my business this year. This is how.</p> <p>Using NFTs to provide membership access</p> <p>I became interested in NFTs around the middle of last year. While many people in my life were purchasing NFTs that were nothing more than digital art, a few entrepreneurs I heard speak on a podcast explained how they were using NFTs for business.</p> <p>Entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, for example, has a collection of NFTs that grant holders access to VeeFriends, a private membership club with exclusive benefits. Official, a clothing company, has an NFT marketplace where people can get exclusive access to physical products.</p> <p>For my business, I'm working on developing a set of NFTs that will allow people to access my course library. I'll limit the number of NFTs in the collection, and customers who buy one can resell it whenever they want while retaining access to the course library.</p> <p>I'm utilising metaverse technology to improve my customer experience.</p> <p>One major technological upgrade I'd like to give my company this year is metaverse technology and augmented reality.</p> <p>Some businesses are utilising augmented reality to provide a one-of-a-kind customer experience. Home Depot and Wayfair, for example, use augmented reality to help customers visualise how furni