Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS)

Welcome to Technology Evaluation Centers' (TEC's) HRIS buyer's guide for SMBs. In this guide, we discuss some of the challenges that Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) face when recruiting, hiring, and managing staff. We will also feature information about the latest vendor offerings for the SMB market in the area of human resources information systems (HRIS) .

Traditionally, implementation time, user skill set requirements, data management complexity, and deployment costs have presented major barriers to business intelligence (BI) adoption in Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS). Now, several new BI solutions are targeted at SMBs—but are these offerings geared for customers with limited IT resources and inexperienced users? Find out what you need to know about BI deployment in SMBs.

For business everywhere, the growth in the Internet has resulted in an enormous challenge to effectively and affordably manage, store, and archive digital files. In Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS), solutions to store and manage digital files are often on a PC server or external hard drive—which can limit growth. SMBs should look for a storage and file management solution that allows for incremental growth. Find out why.

New Avenue Solutions is a consultant for Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) in network setup and installation, security, data backup, and more. As part of New Avenue's service offering, it rents rack space in a data warehouse to manage customers' network and backup solutions. As storage demands grew, transfer rates slowed, and maintenance became increasingly time consuming. Learn how New Avenue overcame the problems.

Many Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) do not have experience with software as a service (SaaS), but are looking to adopt SaaS solutions soon. According to studies, 2009 will be the tipping point, with a majority of companies aiming to adopt SaaS this year. But these companies must be cautious, as the old rules for on-premise software analysis and purchase don't apply. Discover the new rigorous criteria you should use.

The complexities and fluidities of sales tax nexus can be overwhelming and require the constant attention of a tax expert to navigate, but most Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) cannot afford that kind of resource internally. Meanwhile, the penalties for undercollecting, underreporting, and underpaying sales tax can be huge. Learn more about nexus issues and how they can impact your business—and your bottom line.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is more than a necessary infrastructure that forms the transactional system of record upon which a business is based. ERP is also the potential source of cost savings and operational improvements. It is also a serious undertaking. This Aberdeen report serves as a roadmap for Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) to realize the maximum return on investment (ROI) from ERP implementations.

Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) are focusing on growth strategies and customer service—sometimes balancing between the two, but often focusing on one or the other. As companies grow, and improve performance, they are more likely to have invested in an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. This Aberdeen report is a roadmap for SMBs seeking to grow and improved customer service through their ERP implementations.

Hosted voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) services are proliferating, and Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) now have a better range of choices for IP telephony. But making decisions around hosted services is different than for premise-based systems. This SMB Phone Systems Comparison Guide has been developed to help you survey the field and narrow down the best choices for the specific needs of your business.

The total cost of ownership for on-demand solutions is much lower than that of traditional on-premise solutions, even when evaluated over a three- to five–year period. In fact, on-premise solutions require significant investments in IT infrastructure and application deployment, support, and update resources—investments that most Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) are in no position to afford.

Malware has become part of the business environment that every organization must account for. Defending against malware attacks is particularly difficult for Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS), which may have needs as sophisticated as those of large enterprises, but rarely with the same IT resources. For malware defense software, SMBs thus place a premium on ease of integration and management.

A recent report by the European Commission noted that Europe is not investing in productivity-enhancing information technology and communications (ITC) as much as the US. The report also claimed that the situation is still worse for Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS). Comparing the data from two recent Quocirca studies underlines the problem, and shows the price European SMBs are paying.

Hosted private branch exchange (PBX) phone solutions are changing how Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) serve their customers, grow their business, and support their employees. Delivering the professional phone system capabilities large businesses use at a lower cost, hosted PBX is helping SMBs save money while putting their customer services on a par with much larger organizations.

Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) need technology to survive in a competitive business environment. However, regardless of the business type, size, or industry, incorporating technology into existing frameworks involves risk—to productivity, customer service, operations, and the bottom line! The key to reducing risk and increasing productivity is thus the selection of technologies that will accommodate change in your business.

Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) like yours are the lifeblood of the economy. However, you may feel you need an operational boost—one that transforms your enterprise into a customer-focused business with the ability for future growth. An integrated suite of applications can give your business processes the depth and flexibility to achieve what a collection of stand-alone applications cannot.

Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) face the same challenges as large businesses when it comes to IT management—they have increasingly complex systems they rely on to drive their businesses and gain a competitive advantage. Operating and maintaining a complex IT infrastructure requires specific skills, but getting the right staff at an affordable price can be a problem. Outsourcing IT management may help to ease the strain.

Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) often face the same challenges as large businesses—just on a smaller scale. One such challenge is finding a business solution that manages expansion and addresses complex reporting and compliance issues. Many SMBs are now adopting enterprise performance management (EPM) solutions—complete with tools to help them meet the current and future needs of their growing business.

By some estimates, there are over 8,000 sales taxing jurisdictions in the US—and they implement from 900 to more than 3,000 rate and tax-rule changes every year. Understandably, the accountants who try to guide Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) through the intricacies of tax compliance are having a hard time of it. However, solutions are emerging that are uniquely suited to SMB needs for sales tax compliance.

Market trends are reshaping financial management approaches for companies of all sizes, especially Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS). That's why many SMBs are exploring alternatives to Intuit's QuickBooks, which many young companies rely on in their initial stages. And although software as a service (SaaS) is emerging to address real-time financial management requirements, can SaaS really satisfy your needs?

Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) must adapt to technology innovations as well as the demand-driven consumer market. The need for small computer system interfaces (SCSIs) on each server host, along with enhanced security needs have driven SMB costs upwards. Is there a solution? Yes. Storage area networks (SANs) built on stackable switches help reduce costs, and are a viable approach for SMBs.

Implementing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system—even for Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS)—is a smart move. But depending on the type of business, there can be many different processes to integrate—making it difficult to know what type of system to choose. For growing project-based companies faced with the challenge of managing many complex projects, the ideal ERP system should be customizable yet scalable.

The threats faced by Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) are multidimensional and must be handled differently from big enterprises, given the smaller number of personnel dedicated to look after them. The ideal security software for SMBs looking to protect their information systems would be the combination of antivirus, antispam, and content security solutions, combined with a powerful network firewall. Find out why it works.

While virtually all hosted customer relationship management (CRM) applications support sales force automation, marketing campaign management, and customer service, providing front-to-back-office integration has become a clear differentiator for Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS). Read this white paper—which includes a handy table of evaluation criteria—to find out how to select the right hosted CRM software for you.

Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) can benefit from the expansive use of IT just as much as their larger counterparts. And in many cases they have to, because of their interactions not only with remote users, but with suppliers and customers as well. To this end, an SMB's IT infrastructure needs to be resilient and secure. To ensure end-to-end care of data assets, businesses need to adopt the right strategy. Find out how.

While many Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) manage their own data communication systems, most rely on the phone company to take care of their voice communications. But as the world of voice and data communications converge, it's even more important for SMB managers to understand the basics of communication networks and how they work. Read more about the basics of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and its benefits.

Most businesses recognize the strategic importance of customer relationship management (CRM), but some Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) continue to use basic contact managers or simple spreadsheets to track customers, manage leads, and collaborate on sales. Achieving great results requires more than just installing CRM software. Learn how assessing your business's CRM maturity level can help build your road map to success.

Rapid changes in the market and in customer needs mean Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) must work harder to stay competitive. Setting and achieving goals in this economic environment is increasingly difficult. Upgrading to a next-generation enterprise resource planning (ERP) can be a way to manage change—and even benefit from it. Learn more about how to customize an on-demand ERP solution that's right for you.

A hosted Internet protocol private branch exchange (IP PBX) system can provide an easy way for Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) to move to voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and get a new range of features and capabilities. While there are several IP PBX options, hosted applications are usually quicker and cheaper to install. Discover the critical features and services your SMB needs in a new hosted phone system.

For large organizations, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems promise big gains by helping grow revenue and increase productivity. But can ERP benefit Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) in the same way? With the increasing number of SMBs, tailored mid-market ERP solutions are now emerging. To reap the full benefit of ERP, however, SMBs must be ready to use it to its fullest capabilities. Find out how.

With the economy in India growing like never before, India's Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) are in a position to market their products globally. But to succeed, SMBs need the right information about the business solutions market and the benefits of ERP implementation. This guide explains how Indian SMBs can find the solutions that are adaptable to their requirements and that can enable maximum growth at the lowest cost.

For large organizations, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems promise big gains by helping grow revenue and increase productivity. But can ERP benefit Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) in the same way? This step-by-step guide includes important decision-making considerations, such as benefits and costs, across some of the top finance and accounting solution providers for small to midsize companies.

Most companies are facing a number of pressures, thanks to a stormy economic climate. To help control costs and resources, many Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) are looking at implementing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. But you also need to control the costs and the time frame of your ERP implementation. Discover how partnering with a value-added reseller (VAR) can help you with your ERP selection process.

Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS) that want to improve e-mail and collaboration efficiency need to assess the total cost of ownership (TCO) of potential e-mail solutions. This study identifies three key considerations for calculating the TCO of Microsoft Exchange, and then compares the TCO of Kerio MailServer to Exchange 2007, Windows Small Business Server (SBS) or Essential Business Server (EBS), and Hosted Exchange.

Research shows that back-office connectivity is not addressed by many customer relationship management (CRM) solutions—meaning, customer data cannot be shared effectively and companies are prone to errors, delays, and needless paperwork. In the long run, this negatively impacts overall customer satisfaction in Small to Medium Businesses (SMBS). Learn how front-to-back-office integration can help you address these issues.