Three elements of IT for small business

Many small business owners that I talk to are frustrated with information technology. They don't understand it, aren't happy with what they are getting and aren't interested in becoming more "technology knowledgeable". The response from most technology people is that they need to be to run a business. They don't need to become technicians, but they do need to understand how to manage technology because their business depends on it. They need to manage it the same way that they manage all other aspects of their business. They need to make it work for them.

In many cases, technology is seen as a jumble, with no difference between the various aspects. If you don't understand it, can't fix it yourself, you lose.

There are three elements and how a small business owner deals with it and the skills that are required are very different. The three elements are:

1. Base infrastructure: the roads, the bridges and the technology that the software runs on.
2. Business software: the component that helps you run your business.
3. Information: What you need to manage your business.

Over the next fews days, I'll be describing each of these elements, their importance and the skills necessary for a business owner to get results from It, without becoming a technical expert.