One of the things that I have seen as a big issue today for small businesses is technology.
It seems that every company in there early days does 1 of 3 things:
1) They buy whatever they had at their old job because they are used to it;
2) They buy whatever the IT consultant tells them they need;
3) or they get whatever is free out there. Inherently there are problems with all of these models.
In option 1 normally the new business is not as fiscally mature as the company they left and in turn can’t afford the same solutions that the previous employer had.
In option 2 the tech consultant ..... even though he is going to try and give you the best solution for your company .... they are also trying to make sure they stay in the job. In turn they will purchase and install software with the planned obsolescence model in mind so they can make money on repair and support calls.
In option 3 though it is as cheap as possible (I mean really who can beat free) ..... it really can cut into the productivity of your company to work with tons of solutions that don’t communicate or work with one another. Let’s be honest in a small business time is money.
As a small business, if you had a list of technology that is recommended for x,y, and z .... I think it will really help you with this process. For example, looking to Internet based software (Cloud computing) is one great way for you to receive help at a much lower cost. There is traditionally no technology investment, like servers and other stuff. You can use whatever machine you already have and work directly from the internet. This also by default gives you the ability to work anytime anywhere. Which is great for any company during the beginning.
If you haven't noticed .... Small Business Resources Cafe works hard to get information into your hands to cover that "x, y, and z". You need look no farther than the Recommended Resources listed in the menu on the left .... and the many articles posted sharing various tips, ideas, solutions, and services .... many technology based. So by all means peruse the Recommeneded Resources list AND browse through the archive of nearly 300 information packed articles. Afterall ... they're all for YOU.
To point you in the right direction I'll even provide a link to cool technologies that are low cost and easy to get started with. See for yourself ......
FreedomFire Communications