The Boston Consulting Group's (BCG) study Lessons on Technology and Growth From Small Business Leaders shows that tech-savvy - and especially cloud savvy - small businesses outperform their peers in terms of sales and job growth.
The chart below, from the study (free registration required), nicely summarizes their findings.
BCG found there is a growing digital divide between small businesses that lead in technology deployment and use relative to those that don't.
This means small businesses that don't keep up technologically are likely going to find themselves at a competitive disadvantage.
Key quote from the study press release:
The BCG report argues that the latest wave of technological advancement—which encompasses cloud-based software, services, and solutions—brings the potential for the most far-reaching innovation and business growth ever. The cloud gives companies of any size access to the kind capabilities and services that to date have only been available to the largest of enterprises—at a fraction of their historical cost. Moreover, for those who make the right moves, this new wave can leverage an already-connected community of consumers and businesses, which is of unprecedented size.
We agree.