IT Issues

1. 1

   The owner or manager is the technical expert on information technology (IT) in a plurality (44%) of small businesses. This is particularly true in the smallest. An employee assumes that mantle in 32 percent of cases with an outside IT services provider in 17 percent of them.

2. 2

   Twenty-one (21) percent of small employers feel very comfortable with IT issues, problems, opportunities, etc., and another 45 feel comfortable with them. But 34 percent do not. Comfort is strongly associated with personal age of the small employer, the younger being the more comfortable.

3. 3

   In about two-thirds of small businesses, the owner or an employee of the firm is the person most likely to train new employees or existing employees in the firm’s software and/or upgrades.

4. 4

   Seventeen (17) percent of small businesses have at least one employee who spends at least half-time working on IT-related matters, such as installing and/or fixing hardware and software, handling network problems, etc. Of that number, 63 percent have only one such person and 14 percent two such people.

5. 5

   IT service providers are important to a large share of the small-business population. One-third (32%) have a contract with a services provider or a consulting firm to handle their IT maintenance. However, another 30 percent have an on-going non-contractual relationship with an IT provider or consulting firm to provide such services.

6. 6

   When IT problems arise, they are somewhat more likely to be software problems than hardware problems, though 48 percent of small employers think IT problems occur equally among hardware and software. Similarly, maintenance and operation are somewhat more problematic than installation and/or employee training on new purchases, even though 46 percent assess them alike.

7. 7

   The most common very serious or serious problems small employers encounter with their IT equipment are: filtering spam from e-mail (44%), hardware crashes (40%), back-up and/or data loss (37%), getting timely or prompt service when a problem arises (36%), and updating computer security (35%).

8. 8

   Forty-six (46) percent of small employers do not think that their businesses would achieve any long-term benefit by increasing their use of IT. However, 7 percent think they would benefit very greatly by increasing its use and another18 percent would benefit greatly from it.

9. 9

   The most important constraint on those who think they would benefit from increased use of IT is budget or financial considerations. Twelve (12) percent who see a benefit or 5 percent of all small businesses cite a financial issue. Almost the same proportion cite the lack of time to explore new IT products and their use as a severe constraint.

Volume 7, Issue 5, 2007
ISSN 1534-8326

Ayman El Tarabishy
The George Washington University

• 1AA stand-alone computer(s) or a computer connected to a network system
• 1A1Is that stand-alone, a network system or both?
• 1A2Are those computers laptops, desktops or a combination of the two?
• 1A3Do you have access to a computer at home that you use for business purposes?
• 1BOne or more e-mail addressess
• 1CA high-speed connection
• 1C1Do you have a dial-up Internet connection?
• 1DInternet telephone, VOIP or Voice Over
• 1EMobile broadband, such as WiFi
• 1FA business Web site
• 1F1Is your Web site capable of conducting e-commerce, that is, accepting orders over the Internet and letting customers pay with a credit card through a secure Web connection?
• 1F2Do you use a Web hosting company OR do you host your Web site on your own server?
• 1F3Did someone in your business develop your Web site or did you hire someone on the outside to develop it for you?
• 2Do you have one or more employees on your staff who spend at least half of his or her time on Information Technology or IT-related matters, such as installing and fixing computer hardware and software, fixing network problems, managing a Website, teaching and training employees how to use the equipm...
• 2aHow many employees spend at least half of their time on IT related matters?
• 3Who has the most expertise on your firm's computer, computers or computer system?
• 4How comfortable personally are you with IT issues, problems, opportunities, etc.?
• 5A(IT problem) E-mail downtime
• 5B(IT problem) Internet connection too slow
• 5C(IT problem) Nowhere to ask basic IT questions
• 5D(IT problem) Filtering spam from e-mail
• 5E(IT problem) Updating security on your computer
• 5F(IT problem) Back-up and/or data loss
• 5G(IT problem) Teaching employees to use the software you use
• 5H(IT problem) Installing and testing new computer hardware and software
• 5I(IT problem) Getting timely or prompt service when you have a problem
• 5J(IT problem) Online audio or video streaming ties up your system
• 5K(IT problem) Keeping up with the speed of technological advances in IT
• 5L(IT problem) Computer hardware crashes
• 6Are most of your IT problems primarily associated with hardware, software, or both equally? Would that be a lot more or a few more?
• 7Are your most serious IT problems primarily associated with new purchases, their installation and employee training in their use; with maintenance and operation of existing purchases; or with both equally? Would that be a lot more or a few more?
• 8Do you have a contract with a service provider or consulting firm to handle your IT maintenance and any network, hardware, or software problems your businss may encounter?
• 8aHow did you find that services provider?
• 8bAbout how long have you had this contract, including contract extensions?
• 9Do you have a non-contractual on-going relationship with an IT service provider or consulting firm to handle your IT maintenance and any network, hardware, or software problems your business may encounter?
• 9aHow did you find that services provider or consulting firm?
• 10Who teaches or trains new employees on the IT equipment and software you have?
• 11Who teaches or trains existing employees on any new equipment or software you purchase?
• 12Would your business realize much greater, greater, modestly greater or no greater long-term benefit by increasing its use of IT (information technology)?
• 13A(constraints for greater use of IT) Budget or finance considerations
• 13B(constraints for greater use of IT) Management discomfort with IT
• 13C(constraints for greater use of IT) Employee discomfort with IT
• 13D(constraints for greater use of IT) No time to explore new IT products and their use
• 13E(constraints for greater use of IT) Lack of trusted, knowledgeable IT advisor