While small- to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) may not generate as much revenue as large enterprises nor get as much attention, clearly they are a critical constituent of the national economy. Taken further, they are the driving force in the strength of “local” economies. Greater Cincinnati is no different. Yet SMBs face unique challenges in a technology-driven business world.
SMBs need the same technologies leveraged by large corporations in order to compete. In fact, one could argue that they need to be more nimble and agile and therefore are much more technology dependent. Therein lies the issue. In order to succeed they must have enterprise-level, workforce-enabling technologies that facilitate collaboration and productivity. Of course, these technologies come with a price and an “upkeep” operational expense. Most SMBs are not prepared to deal with today’s complex and rapidly evolving IT landscape. In addition, SMBs cannot afford to be distracted from their core business and often don’t have the resources to buildout a diverse IT department.
This environment has led most SMBs to outsource segments or all of their IT operations, and these efforts usually center around the concept of adding IT capabilities while maximizing the use of IP and cloud-based technologies. The premise is to free up internal resources to take on more strategic, customer-centric roles.
The SMB Behind the SMB
As a result, agile IT service firms are backfilling a core need in Greater Cincinnati for versatile, responsive technical expertise. Firms that can handle both the day-to-day break-fix issues and the big strategic picture (think IT roadmaps) are the cornerstone behind today’s SMB, and thus the economy. Other, more niched IT service firms are also delivering value supporting the SMB with core competencies in IT segments such as disaster recovery, business continuity and security.
Fortunately, Greater Cincinnati is home to a diverse and talented set of IT service firms. These companies add tremendous value to the tech ecosystem by supporting SMBs with their infrastructure needs, while helping clients adopt the appropriate technologies to drive business outcomes.
