Small business owners planning to incorporate in New York City, San Francisco, Austin or any other hub of entrepreneurial activity should look to the blossoming cloud computing industry as a source of inspiration.
Cloud-based services are sold to customers - usually small business owners or entrepreneurs - on a pay-as-you-go basis and permit access to technologies and software that would otherwise be too expensive to install or purchase directly, breeding a whole new generation of solo entrepreneurs.
With the economy stalled, unemployment hovering around 9.8 percent and bank lending policies still tight, many unemployed Americans are launching their own business ventures as a means of returning to work.
According to a November study by Microsoft, 50 percent of entrepreneurs cited the recession as a chief factor in motivating their decision to launch a new business.
Cloud computing has made this prospect much more realistic for these so-called "accidental entrepreneurs."
"Technology is critical to a business owner's success. It helps increase cost savings, supports innovation and, ultimately, contributes to growth," said Christoph Wilfert, general manager of SMB solutions for Microsoft.
But because cloud computing replaces jobs once held by IT or administrative professionals, it may also be impeding job creation. However, as entrepreneurship is linked so tightly to small business and overall economic conditions, it is generally seen as an important element in getting the country back on its feet.
Tags : ny, operations, small business management
Posted: Dec 7th, 2010