From smartphones to souped-up servers, a plethora of technological tools can help small businesses as they expand. Yet with so many options — and so many business demands that need to be met — technology can be daunting for even the most experienced entrepreneurs.
“It’s this feeling that you’re falling behind constantly,” says Todd Thibodeaux, CEO of the Computing Technology Industry Association, the country’s largest IT trade association.
“There is so much change out there,” he says, and business owners often have much “fear and frustration” as they try to keep up.
There’s the cost: Growing businesses often have to shell out big bucks for equipment that could quickly become obsolete. There’s also the time factor: 43 percent of business owners spend more than two hours a week on technology problems, according to a National Small Business Association (NSBA) survey to be released this week.
In addition, many have the constant worry that pertinent information could accidentally be erased or fall into the wrong hands. Business owners must also be prepared to show that their data weren’t changed or corrupted if audited, says Andy Monshaw, an IBM general manager who specializes in servicing small and midsize businesses.
“The big issue in the industry is the ability to respond to audits,” he says. “Data protection and data security are very important.”
With the rising popularity of LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, staking out a place in the social-media world is also an increasingly important part of meeting technological needs, Thibodeaux says. Most small businesses — even dry cleaners and restaurants — should create some sort of plan to “engage” customers, he says.
About one-quarter of small-business owners handle tech support for the entire company themselves, according to the NSBA report. They’re taking on duties such as upgrading software, overseeing hacker- and virus-resistant e-mail systems and updating Facebook pages.
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