Research from Carbonite* shows that many small business owners' responsibilities stretch well beyond oversight of their business. In fact, when it comes to the evaluation of new software or technology purchases, more than 60 percent of owners make these decisions. Furthermore, 52 percent are responsible for backing up their business' data. Most notably, 40 percent of business owners are spending at least 52 hours per year on backing up business data, which is equivalent to more than a full week of work. "Small Business owners juggle multiple priorities every day," said David Friend, Chairman and CEO of Carbonite. "While technology is certainly an integral component of any small business' success, computer backup has historically been a time consuming and expensive task that detracts focus from the owner's most important job - growing their business.
Small business success is often dictated by an owner's ability to stay focused on the big picture, rather than becoming bogged down in details." Friend, a serial entrepreneur who has launched six companies, offers the following tips for aspiring entrepreneurs based on his experiences:
1. Be able to communicate your value proposition succinctly and quickly: Entrepreneurs with a new idea should start by writing the advertisement. As time passes and the business evolves, you should still be able to write your key customer benefits into a succinct message that can be easily be understood, even if simply placed on a billboard.
2. Simplify your financial view: Instead of creating a complicated long-term financial forecast that is likely pie-in-the sky, focus first on simpler - and more crucial - unit economics such as the cost to obtain a customer, how much revenue the customer will generate and average customer lifetime.
3. Keep small things from controlling you: In any business there are a myriad of details that can distract you from your core objectives. Focus your time and attention on what matters, and delegate the details to your trusted team and vendor base.
4. Let technology ease your everyday workload: There are many solutions available to save you time and money. Specifically, cloud-based options offer dual benefits of reduced expense, and ease of use, and they do not require specific hardware or staff to manage the service on a daily basis.
Technology solutions such as Carbonite Business online backup are reliable, affordable options that allow small businesses to focus their attention on what matters most - running the business. Carbonite Business backs up an unlimited number of computers for a predictable, flat fee with 250GB of storage included. Carbonite Business Premier backs up an unlimited number of computers and servers with 500GB of storage included. Entrepreneurs can easily add supplemental storage packs should their storage needs surpass the GBs provided with their selected service. In conjunction with Global Entrepreneurship Week and Small Business Saturday being held on November 26,
Carbonite is offering three free bonus months on new Carbonite Business plan subscriptions in appreciation of small businesses and all that they do for the U.S. economy. To trial Carbonite Business and receive the offer, registrants should use the code SHOPSMB; for existing trials or those ready to subscribe, the code BUYSMB should be entered at the point of purchase. This offer is available from November 16 through November 30. Small businesses can call 1-877-334-7621 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for additional details. *Carbonite Small Business Data Backup Usage Study, July 2011.
