Today’s small companies have a new dimension to consider as they seek to grow and prosper. While a sound business model, a healthy target market, and adequate financing remain fundamental pillars of success, the technology investment decisions a small business makes now rank among its most critical. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, small businesses (headcount under 100) employ one third of the U.S. workforce but comprise 98% of all employer firms. Essentially, irrespective of deployment size, the majority of technology decisions are made by business leaders and entrepreneurs, as opposed to technology experts.
BEHIND THE SCENES: Managing Director Mike Lock Provides a Glimpse into Aberdeen’s Small Business Technology Research
Background & Research Context
In March of 2022, Aberdeen conducted a study of 304 business leaders at small companies. That study revealed that over 50% of small businesses are still in the early awareness, consideration, and evaluation phases of IT modernization, and rising costs and lack of expertise seem to be the most commonly-cited challenges. With this research, Aberdeen seeks to dig deeper into the technology experiences of small businesses and understand how these tools help address critical challenges, and ultimately promote greater business efficiency and enhanced results.
Technology Areas Explored
- Business Operations (e.g., ERP, financial planning, supply chain / inventory)
- Customer Experience Management (e.g., sales, e-commerce, customer service)
- People & Organizational Effectiveness (e.g. performance mgmt., payroll, benefits)
- IT & Data Infrastructure (e.g., networking, cloud, collaboration)
- Information Security (e.g., data protection, identity & access management)
