We just came back from Connecticut, celebrating Easter with the family. It was our first Easter with our new Grandson (first Easter with him walking around) so it was pretty special. During the end of the Easter Egg Hunt someone said "It's time to plate the meal" and I had to Google it - I never heard that phrase before.
A plated meal refers to a sit-down, individually served meal where each guest receives their pre-portioned dish directly at their table, often in a formal or structured dining setting. It contrasts with buffet or family-style service where guests can select their own portions from a common area.
OK, live and learn. And then it made me think about 'plating' or platforming the business.
Just as there are many (MANY) platforms for meetings and collaboration (Zoom, GoTo, Cisco Webex, Adobe, Microsoft Teams, et.al.) there are many (MANY) platforms to running an online business.
Depending on the type of business, there is a good, better, best 'fit' for an online store, or a virtual business. It usually depends on whether you have a product or a service or a book or a course. It also depends on whether you have ONE THING or many things.
The (now) GlobalDLA.org hosts an online store powered by BigCommerce. It allows us to load the entire line cards {plural} of TD SYNNEX and Ingram Micro and D&H and Jenne and TeleDynamics and many (many) other distributors. Well over $1B in telecom and technology products and services. Since BigCommerce is a B2B (Business to Business) platform rather than a B2C (Business to Consumer) platform, it is the right fit for us. Via the DLA community we service 174K+ *schools, 16K+ municipalities and 6K+ hospitals (and the 80K+ employees of those hospitals) for all of their telecom and technology needs. [*and the alumni of those schools.]
Because the New York Metro Distance Learning Association (NYDLA.org) has been operating since 1983, the DLA has been around long before the Internet even existed. I guess the DLA teams were putting VHS tapes (courses) in envelopes and mailing them out to the world. In the 80s just having an 800# was considered to be high-tech. One thing has become certain in 2025: you will have a platform. I don't think it will be possible for a business, a school, an organization (of any size) to function in today's online cloud world without some form of B2B or B2C platform.
To best service our (now) Global DLA community, we have made the decision to 'plate the meal' with platforms {plural} that best fit the moment. Just as we have Zoom AND GoTo AND WebEx AND Microsoft Teams... we have all the major B2B and B2C platforms. We have them all, we offer them all, we service them all. DLA staff are certified in all the major B2B and B2C platforms, as a value-added member benefit of our global clooud community. Sometimes you will need just one, sometimes you will need more than one, sometimes you will need... (checks notes)
ALL OF THEM.