• A new survey from the National Small Business Association (NSBA) states that 43% of business owners spend more than two hours a week on technology problems.
• About one-quarter of small-business owners handle tech support for the entire company themselves.
• Consider seeking professional help

http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/2010-10-04-technology04_ST_N.htm

My 2 cents…

As a small business owner you need to know the basics of the technology that powers your business but who wants to spend a lot of time in the tech details?  I hope TechShortcut.com can help you find a new tech resource in your town to become your trusted tech partner.  The trick is finding the right resource for the job.

More information at: http://www.smallbiztechtour.com/

I attended the Small Business Technology Tour in Mountain View, CA last week.  It was an idea packed day filled with speakers from technology companies AT&T, Elance, Intuit, Marchex, Mindflash, Hware, Fanminder, Google Apps, Zoho & Brightcove.  Also presenting were Rachael King of Bloomberg Business Week, Patrick Schwerdtfeger – author of “Webify Your Business” and Jennifer Shaheen of The Technology Therapy Group.  There was also a discussion with business owner Raj Prasad of WDFA Marketing about his firms use and view of technology to drive his business.

Ramon Ray (Editor/Evangelist) and Laura Leites (Managing Editor) of Smallbiztechnology.com know how to put on a fun and well run event.

Here are the upcoming dates for Small Business Technology Tour 2010.  For more information http://www.smallbiztechtour.com/

Oct. 14 – Salt Lake City, UT

Oct. 25 – Boston, MA

Nov. 5 – Washington DC

Nov. 9 – Atlanta, GA

The prior stimulus bill focused on trying to make it easier for small businesses to secure credit and added a few tax breaks. Business owners I talked to were not in a position to consider more funding for two reasons.

1. They were wary about adding debt to expand given the current economy.
2. They were already in such a tough position that they would not be able to qualify for more funding.

The President is now talking about a new stimulus plan with an increased focus on small businesses which is welcome news. The new stimulus would focus on jobs and has been called a “jobs bill”. A “jobs bill” could help if it has the right duration and implementation but is it too little too late?

Maybe the government will finally see that small business investment represents the most bang for the stimulus buck because of the following:

1. Geography – small businesses are everywhere and can help strengthen communities everywhere.
2. Industries – small businesses are in every industry so our investment in ourselves is diversified.

Too much focus has been placed on larger businesses and bailing out state governments.  The returns have been questionable.  Small businesses play a crucial role in our country’s success and deserve our attention.

More Reading

• Recovery.gov – Track the Money
• SBA.gov — Stimulus Package Includes Incentives For Small Business

What are the benefits for small business and technology?  Here are some links that should help clarify the legislation’s intentions. The jury is still out on how many small businesses will benefit.

What it means for small business

In general, benefits serve to improve access to credit and provide debt relief.

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

• Recovery Act Overview
• SBA Applauds Stimulus Bill, Planning Underway For Broadest, Quickest Small Business Impact
• 2009 Recovery Act

Source: CNNMoney.com

• Where’s my stimulus?

What it means for technology

Source: PCMAG.COM

• Tech Gets a Cash Boot-Up

What it means for healthcare providers

If you are a healthcare provider that participates in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, there are benefits for adopting an electronic health record (EHR) system. There are also penalties down the road if you fail to add an EHR system.

Source: Health Information Technology

• HealthIT.hhs.gov Information Related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009