One-in-five-small businesses crippled by technology issues

Research by Melbourne-based digital agency WebOracle has found one-in-five Australian small businesses are losing up to five working weeks to technology woes.

The research discovered IT issues are having a huge impact on Aussie businesses. More than half of those surveyed reported poor support from their IT solutions providers with delayed response time (54.5 per cent), lack of technical skill (27.3 per cent) and lack of prioritisation for customers (21.8 per cent) as the most common pain points.

Further to this, business owners also appear to be frustrated by off-shore call centres and an inability to understand their IT team. Despite frustrations with support services, the majority of small business owners claim to be happy with their current tech, suggesting they have little understanding of the cost of IT issues to their business.

Michael Trkolta, Founder and Managing Director of WebOracle, said it is imperative for businesses of all sizes to have a reliable IT service, but even more so for small businesses who are just starting out.

“What’s more concerning is that many of them are not aware of the dollar value they lose from the time they waste. While 10-15 minutes spent here and there troubleshooting with an IT solutions provider might seem trivial at the time, it adds up over the course of a year. It’s a significant loss in revenue.

“As a small business owner myself, I’m passionate about helping other local, small business owners to get on their feet and run their companies efficiently. It’s important to educate small business owners on how one proficient IT provider with a proactive support team can be a huge asset to their company, preventing them from flushing money down the toilet.”