” A December forum in Washington, D.C., entitled “Creating Jobs and Unleashing the Potential of Small Businesses Through Technology and Innovation” addressed many of the issues that impact the ability of American entrepreneurs to bring their ideas to life at home and abroad, including the growing importance technologies like cloud computing and mobile connectivity hold for startups and small businesses.
Steve Felice of Dell, one of the panelists, framed the discussion as one about “access”—access to capital, access to global markets and access to modern technology. According to Felice, focusing on these three elements will help small businesses thrive in a way that will reinvigorate the United States economy as a whole. “This is something we have to keep evangelizing so everyone understands. We tend to focus on the large companies, but it’s the small businesses that create jobs,” said Felice.
In addressing technology, the panel highlighted the fact that cloud computing and mobile technologies have lowered the cost of entry for smaller firms, allowing them to invest more in their innovative ideas.
Access to technology has also helped level the playing field for established small businesses. Felice said he was struck by the way smaller firms are able to compete with large companies. “Traditionally, large companies had a big advantage in the supply chain, and they’ve also had much better access to customers through marketing. But with technology like cloud applications, even the smallest business can get off the ground,” he said.
Fascinating article but how does this apply to the local business that provides goods and services and has anywhere from 1-15 employees? Let me use a law firm to demonstrate how the Cloud has impacted their bottom line.
