Survival is comprised of resilience, innovation, and grit. Who knows these qualities better than a Canadian small business owner?
According to a recent study CDW conducted with Angus Reid, 35 percent of Canadian respondents indicated their business was forced to shut down or pause operations at some point during the pandemic. Most businesses that were impacted (77 percent) have now resumed operations.
Over half (52 percent) of small businesses experienced some form of IT challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the small businesses that invested in IT services and solutions, it helped play a crucial role in keeping their businesses running. The thought of hybrid work models challenged some businesses; with some who never created or considered a business continuity plan.
Why Collaboration is Needed to Work from Anywhere
Determining how to enable teams to WFH (work from home) or WFA (work from anywhere) helped small businesses engage and deliver their products and services even if their proverbial “doors” were closed. Almost 70 percent of small businesses invested in collaboration tools over the course of the pandemic. The results of the study also show that:
- 39 percent invested in collaboration platforms, such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams
- 33 percent invested in endpoint solutions, such as laptops and webcams
- 25 percent invested in employee-focused software, such as Office 365, compared to 17 percent who said the same in October 2020
The CDW survey found that 32 percent of Canadian respondents did not invest in IT during the pandemic and only 18 percent increased their cybersecurity solutions, which means many cyber incidents may have gone unnoticed. Having the capacity to address IT infrastructure challenges can be difficult, particularly for small businesses where internal resources are sometimes strained.
How CDW Can Help Meet Your Small Business IT Needs
The experts at CDW Canada have resources dedicated entirely to meeting the needs of small businesses. This group has been at the forefront of implementing innovative IT solutions and services, for a variety of budgets.CDW also partners with leading technology companies, such as Apple, Cisco, and Microsoft, to find the right solution for each customer.
Looking toward the future, the CDW Canadian study discovered an interest and propensity for small businesses to be more focused on optimizing existing cloud solutions than other existing or net-new IT solutions, as the next findings indicate:
- 18 percent will take cybersecurity more seriously, compared to only 12 percent of respondents who said the same in October 2020
- 36 percent indicated some form of reliance on IT teams
- 19 percent will continue to optimize cloud/hybrid cloud solutions
While the transition to hybrid work may not be seamless, an up-to-date IT infrastructure can smooth the journey. Therefore, it is important for any business, especially small businesses, to map out their unique IT needs to ensure business continuity.
You can learn more about the solutions and services CDW offers small businesses and connect with one of our experts at: cdw.ca/smallbusiness
