Running a small business is a juggling act, especially when it comes to managing and understanding new technology needs, and how they fit into a business owner’s daily operations and budget. Now more than ever, small businesses must keep up with technological advancements to keep their business running as smoothly and securely as possible, while remaining competitive. From product or platform integrations to security management, and from software installations to troubleshooting, each business has its own set of needs when it comes to tech support. Despite the many technological changes and concerns small businesses face, the number of small business owners handling their own technical support needs in-house is the highest it has been in nine years.¹

Here is a look at two weaknesses that small business owners report experiencing most frequently in regards to technology in their business: security and new tech adoption, and how seeking tech support from experienced providers and partners can help alleviate anxiety surrounding them and help small business owners manage their tech needs while saving time and money.¹

How’s Your Security?

A recent study revealed that the biggest challenge a small business faces regarding technology is security.¹ With new technology comes uncertainty, and when a business is managing many online platforms and channels without proper protections, there is the risk of security breaches and vulnerabilities that can have a big impact on both a business and its customers. In 2019, thirty-four percent of business owners maintain their own website, and as such are faced with protecting a website and other online channels such as eCommerce or logistics programs. In addition, there is a security risk associated with integrating new technologies into a business environment.¹ When adopting new cloud programs and connected devices without proper security precautions in place, small businesses are vulnerable to issues like data breaches and hacking.

The dangers of security breaches might not seem like critical concerns for your business, but they are more relevant than you might think. A survey revealed that 87 percent of small business owners do not feel they are at risk for a data breach, but 12 percent of those surveyed have already experienced a cyberattack at one point. And less than 50 percent of businesses can detect security breaches in their devices with their current setup, leaving half of companies in the dark about their risk.³ As these threats continue to grow as technology changes, it is important that small businesses are aware of these problems and are actively finding ways to manage them. It just takes one breach of customer data to create distrust and cause a trickle-down effect on a small business that is already short on resources and trying to compete against the big guys.

The Next Best Tech

Despite security obstacles, small business owners are being bombarded with new technologies, apps and programs offering new and improved ways to run their business — from new programs to make logistics a breeze, to state-of-the-art customer communication platforms. With an overwhelming number of new technology geared towards the SMB market becoming available every day, there is no surprise that almost a third of small business owners are unsure of what technology meets their business needs, and which technologies will have the best pay-off.⁴ Adopting new technologies is important for businesses to remain competitive; and this year, 74 percent of small business owners admitted they believed that technological advancement in their company is important to their company’s success.¹

Often, integrating or migrating to new internal or external communication platforms and cloud-sharing applications reveals a massive gap in a company’s capabilities and IT skills. A lot of time and resources are dedicated to helping both employees and customers understand new technology, even if it ultimately can help save time or streamline processes. A survey revealed that 50 percent of in-house IT and customer experience experts identified a lack of skills as the biggest barrier in adopting and upgrading cloud-based infrastructures, while 45 percent cited challenges with migrating from legacy architecture to new tech.⁵ Without having a partner to help assist in getting them set up and with continued tech support, a small business risks losing a competitive advantage over larger companies that have tech support resources in-house.

It is important for small business owners and management to determine which technologies will be most compatible and useful for their company, and to implement changes as they come along.

At Support.com, we offer expert tech support services for small businesses that cover issues that a SMB owner may need extra bandwidth for, like setup and troubleshooting for new devices or computers, connectivity or interoperability problems, virus remediation, data backup, and configuration of email clients. Learn more about how to get started with expert tech support for your small business here.