Soloists, Small Firms Cite Tech Challenges

Johnston, Garrett, Tankersley
Johnston, Garrett, Tankersley

Cost, keeping up with new software among reasons some balk at investing in better tools.

By Randolph P. Johnston, Leslie Garrett, and Brian F. Tankersley
The Accounting Firm Operations and Technology Survey

The planning and execution of the firm’s technology strategy is one of the areas where solo practitioners and small firms struggle the most. Thirty-two percent of solos and 24 percent of small firms were very concerned about “understanding the technology options and selecting the right ones for the practice.” Additionally, 26 percent of solo practitioners and 16 percent of small firms reported “staying informed about current technology” was a major concern of theirs.

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Unfortunately, most firms are not using basic management tools like preparing a budget so that resources can be conserved to replace the hardware and applications when necessary. While practitioners like to complain about the cost of their technology tools, compared to not having the tools, the return on investment in technology is significantly better than that of hiring additional employees.