Small businesses are the heart and soul of American industry. The clear majority of businesses in the U.S. (89.6%) are in fact small businesses with 20 employees or less[1]. However, small businesses face significant and unique challenges when compared to larger businesses.
Small Business’s Technology Problem
One significant problem is the relative lack of resources, manpower and skill pool that small businesses have, through the mere fact that they are smaller, and have fewer employees. When it comes to information technology and infrastructure, small businesses don’t have an entire division devoted to managing the digital and technological side of the business. Small businesses are focused mainly on prioritizing their unique product or service, what truly defines them as a business.
In today’s increasingly digital and online world, no business can afford to be left behind. But small businesses may not have the capital, expertise or experience they need to stay up to date with the latest technology to help their operations. Small business owners are often so busy and stretched thin, they don’t have the time to step back and look at how they could run their business more effectively. The opportunity to take a thorough look at the business and see how technology could benefit and streamline operations is often beyond the reach of the average small business owner.
Not only is technology underused in small business settings, when it is taken up, small businesses may not have the resources to keep it running smoothly. Issues do occur, and without a dedicated IT department, these minor technical issues can turn into major losses for the business. While we depend on technology, all too often it can let us down.
Overall small businesses are under-resourced when it comes to technology and this can mean loss of opportunity, productivity and potential.
What’s the Solution?
Finding the right technology solution for each small business is no easy task. Having a dedicated IT professional as part of the team can be highly beneficial in ensuring a targeted approach with continuity.
If employing a dedicated IT professional to be on staff is out of your reach, a local computer consultant is the ideal connection to have. Outsourcing your IT innovations and technology maintenance to an external professional allows you to both work closely to achieve your goals, while allowing you the time to focus on your business. Hiring an external consultant gives you an objective perspective on your business operations, while reducing costs compared to hiring a full-time employee.
Either an external IT consultant or a full-time IT professional can work with specific focus on your unique issues and challenges. This allows you to keep your team focused on what your business does best, while reducing IT costs and improving your technology and performance.
Technology under-resourcing and failure are major challenges faced by small businesses across the country. However, hiring a dedicated IT professional or enlisting the assistance of an IT consultant allows small businesses to achieve the productivity and performance of major businesses with the quality and precision of the small business focus.
[1] http://sbecouncil.org/about-us/facts-and-data/
