Do you know what are the most common prejudices that SMEs share regarding digital services? Your investment cost, technical support or security are some of them. Overcoming them will be the first step to growing your business.
The new services that digital disruption is bringing with it are a benefit for society, governments and, especially, companies. In a constantly changing world, they are the ones who take advantage of the potential that technology offers them and puts at their disposal to provide us with new and better opportunities.
Low an increasingly balanced competitive framework, it is striking the aversion that many small and medium-sized companies still have for joining the digital wave.
The opportunities are there, but the fear of facing the heavyweights of their respective sectors makes them take some distance. Prejudices that are preventing SMEs from fully benefiting from the incorporation into their businesses of new digital services.
Four major pervasive prejudices
With the goal of better understanding how these smes think and prepare for the adoption of new services (Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Cloud, security, mobile solutions and Internet of Things), and its plans for digital transformation, since the Phone is turned to different channels, which pass through the execution of hundreds of focus groups, interviews and online surveys among smes in six of the most important markets where it operates: Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Spain and the United Kingdom.
The research carried out by Telefónica, given the importance of this type of organization for the company as drivers of innovation in society, resulted in four widespread prejudices among SMEs about these new services:
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Digital services are expensive. Focused on the present, SMEs try to reduce both their expenses and their risks for the future without remembering that who does not risk does not win. The benefits that digital services can bring for the future, such as the advantage of working from home thanks to the cloud, are relegated to the same background as the substantial recovery of the initial investment. Advantages that today are free for many, and that make an SME more agile, becoming a more than enough reason to invest in these services.
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Digital services are for medium or large companies. Even if they do not have the same resources or capital, avoiding investment in digital services is not the solution for these companies. Digital transformation is a reality that can not be left for tomorrow, where costs will be higher in line with the competition. Establishing an appropriate basis for the adoption of new technologies will enable them to improve productivity and outperform their competitors.
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To embrace digitalization, SMBs must hire IT experts. For this fear there is a simple solution: choose the right service provider. Most of the cases are the same suppliers who include advice and technical support to ensure proper functioning and that problems are identified and addressed as soon as possible. Yes, SMBs need to collaborate with a partner to help them use digital services the right way, transform their operations and explore new business opportunities.
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Security is not crucial. Taking proactive measures to ensure network and data integrity has become a maxim in recent years, positioning itself for many companies as the key to staying competitive in a global environment.
A reality that SMEs should not be left behind because guaranteeing the security of their networks and devices will have an incalculable return on investments made by preventing service disruptions, while they have greater peace of mind when managing not only their operations but also the information about their customers.
What future awaits SMEs?
There is still much to come in this digital transformation and prejudices will do little. Just by understanding how companies are using digital services, we will know better their level of readiness for the adoption of the major technological changes that are coming.
A future where SMEs must overcome these preconceived ideas about digitalization and place it as an essential truth for their growth. SMEs, do not leave for tomorrow the transformation that positions you better today.
