Most small businesses don’t fail at tech—they fail at strategy.
By Elston Garrison · May 2025
“Tech shouldn’t be a collection of fixes. It should be a system that works.”
In this article, I break down why SMBs continue to struggle with tech—and how we fix it with a strategic approach that prioritizes integration, automation, and business alignment.
Why SMB Tech Still Fails
Over 35 years of working with SMBs, I’ve noticed a troubling pattern: tech decisions are made in isolation. A subscription here, a new software there—each added to fix a specific issue, with no regard for how it fits into the bigger system.
This piecemeal approach leads to fragmented tools, confused teams, wasted money, and missed opportunities.
Step One: Observe the Operation
- Day-to-day business workflows
- Staff roles and responsibilities
- Customer interaction points
- Overall work environment (orderly or chaotic)
Technology must fit the way people work, not force them into awkward patterns.
The Patchwork Reality
Here’s what I usually find:
- Accounting software siloed from other departments
- Sales CRMs underutilized or unconfigured
- Microsoft 365 used only for email and Office apps—while tools like SharePoint, Power Automate, and Power BI go untouched
- Subscription waste (e.g., Adobe licenses inaccessible)
- Vendor sprawl—domain, DNS, and hosting are scattered
The Shocking Stats
- 💸 37% of software licenses go unused in most companies
- 🗑️ $30 billion in wasted IT spend annually in the U.S.
- 📈 SMB IT spending will grow from $243B in 2024 to $361B by 2033
Sources: CIO.com, 1E, Business Research Insights
My Approach: Design with Strategy
Rather than chase shiny tools, we engineer a system:
- That is unified and cross-functional
- That emphasizes automation where possible
- That supports real business processes end-to-end
How It Rolls Out
True transformation takes time—around 3 years. We implement change in phases:
- Stabilize and fix what’s critical
- Introduce system integrations and process improvements
- Deploy automation and business intelligence
- Train teams and build adoption
Final Word
SMBs that treat technology as strategy, not just tools, grow stronger and more efficient over time.
“You can’t build a system by chasing tools. You build a system by understanding people, processes, and outcomes.”
📩 Want help seeing your business’s big picture?
Let’s talk. This is what I do.
Tags: #SMBStrategy #DigitalTransformation #Microsoft365 #ProcessDesign