What if I told you that a company’s capabilities are no longer defined by its size, rather its ability to strategically and effectively utilize resources that are readily available? Today, small and medium sized businesses can leverage technology to compete against larger companies. Previously the best IT solutions were exclusive to larger enterprises because the barrier to entry was so high. Now there are many available and affordable options that when utilized properly can become a secret weapon.

Technology is now both accessible and affordable to smaller companies. A startup can utilize the same exact tools as a Fortune 500. Unlike a larger enterprise, SMBs are more nimble when it comes to adopting new technology. There are no large upfront investments, they can be up and running quickly and they can adapt quickly to market changes. From this perspective, technology is not only an equalizer, but a differentiator.

Microsoft conducted a study with Edge Strategies and wrote an article about the cloud as a differentiator for small and medium sized businesses. We found the study interesting because it reiterates what we’ve been trying to communicate to our customers.

“Although many SMBs are interested in the benefits that the cloud can deliver, many are unable to identify which services would be most valuable for them to implement and select a service provider. More than 60 percent of SMBs indicate they do not have the resources necessary to implement new technologies and services, and 52 percent do not have the resources to get their employees trained. For the large ecosystem of cloud service providers, this represents significant opportunity to bridge the knowledge and implementation gap and gain new customers — 56 percent of SMBs report a preference toward buying IT and cloud services from a single source.”

While SMBs are experienced and knowledgeable in their own industries, they don’t have the expertise, resources or time to keep up with all things IT. But they know they need it to survive. Our goal is to bridge the gap between the SMBs and this high level technology by giving them the tools they need to compete.

SMBs can leverage cloud technology to compete with larger entities. The cloud caters to smaller businesses by delivering cheaper, faster operations to virtually any device. So I can’t reiterate enough that just because you’re small doesn’t mean you’re limited to your size. This is the chance to get ahead of the bigger guys while they are still thinking about making the move to the cloud.