Entrepreneurs are uniquely driven when it comes to information technology purchases. They are primarily motivated by cost savings vs. top-line benefits. This can also translate to “Let’s do more with less and more with what we already have,” which is really about being efficient.

Many small businesses are also getting outside pressure to develop their IT capabilities. Recent regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act are forcing many small businesses to look at their technology infrastructures, while other businesses are getting pressure from larger customers or business partners to shore up their network security.

Small businesses need to be able to respond quickly to customers' and partners' demands for accurate, complete and secure real-time transactions. Small businesses can achieve this by limiting the number of vendors to manage, the number of point solutions to integrate and maintain, and the number of solutions providers on which they must rely.