Small and medium businesses are faced with a built-in tension that you don’t have in larger businesses.  That is, how to do ‘everything’ with limited resources and how to level the playing field and compete with larger, more sophisticated businesses.  What is a small business person to do?

Business owners are faced with a choice.  Do I focus my efforts and resources on what I do best – taking care of my customer – or do I try to do everything?  How the businessperson answers this question will, at some level, determine future success.  Allowing your organization to become distracted in the evaluation, implementation, support, upgrade, migration, and recovery of technology takes away from achieving the next breakthrough in growth, customer service/care, and revenue and profit.

Instead, think about how you can identify a ‘technology partner’ that can take on these critical aspects of your business – allowing you to get back to running your business – and, getting access to the very best in technology with a minimum of capital expenditure.  Make sure your business is always up and running and never held back by the technology.  It’s easier than you think.

Technology outsourcing is not a new concept.  To the small and medium business, the advantages are many:

1.  Improved Cost Management:  Technology costs become more visible and accountable; technology services are utilized as needed, eliminating overbuying; the business can reallocate, reduce, or eliminate technology-focused resources.

2.  Improved Technology Service Quality:  You can get reports on overall performance and availability of the technology; there are extended support hours – ensuring your business has the support it needs, when it needs it; you benefit through proactive technology planning aligned with your business needs or goals; and, you can establish measurable ‘services level agreements’ to ensure your business technology is always available.

3. Best Equipment, Software, and Tools:  Your business is kept on the latest versions, the fastest platforms and network connections without you having to evaluate, test, implement, or support the technology.  Your business benefits from increased cost savings, better process automation, and higher productivity, keeping you ahead of the competition.

4.  Flexibility/Scalability:  As your business grows or changes, you’re never under-or over-invested in technology. 

5.  Accountability:  Like every other asset in your business, you will know the contribution it makes to the business.  No fuzzy thinking or assumptions of contribution.  The technology becomes accountable to you.

By NextCorp, Ltd., Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner for Texas