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Front Lines is a guest viewpoint section offering perspectives on current issues and events from people working on the front lines of Canada's technology industry. James Moutsos is president of Dynamix Solutions, a managed service provider (MSP) assisting small and medium-size businesses with IT services. (www.dynamixsolutions.com)

Buying into technology is similar to buying a car. People know how to drive the vehicle and reap the benefits, but not the maintenance and repair aspects that keep it running.

Business operators are the same with technology. They understand the need for some technologies as well as their benefits, but the maintenance and troubleshooting can be a turnoff. This is especially true for many small businesses with no full-time IT staff. By default, the small business operator is often the techie in addition to running the business.

This is why good tech support from suppliers is crucial. I emphasize "good" because while many suppliers offer support, not all of it is fitting for small business operators, especially in mixed-vendor environments

I would like to share some insight I have gained from working with small and medium-sized businesses over the years. You may find some of this enlightening if you develop technology solutions or sell to the small business market. If you are a small business, perhaps you can identify.

When you work closely with small business operators on technology, you eventually hear the qualms of small businesses. Why can't techies use plain language that we can understand? Why can't they make things easier? Some small business operators are technologically savvy. Others are not. But most are somewhere in between the two extremes.

A small business operator may have bought into a technology such as a new server appliance, but this does not necessarily mean they understand the technical aspects of installation and maintenance. There is an assumption from some technology vendors that when a business owner has bought a technology or service, the customer did the research and learned to take care of the technology. But in reality, like the car buyer example, they don't want to become mechanics - they just want it to work.

In fact, the business operator was likely sold on the benefits, not the maintenance, upkeep and installation aspects of the technology. If the small business has an in-house IT expert, no problem. But in many cases, this is not so and this is why I keep hearing that good tech support is prized by small businesses, especially when vendors and suppliers go the extra mile.

For a small business to buy into a technology solution, it also means they have bought into the IT support. Good IT support is an extra piece of insurance that keeps the business running with less downtime.

A frequent complaint from small business operators is that computer experts are highly technical and do not always speak at a level easily understood by the end users. This is not necessarily the expert's fault. Some IT specialists and tech support people are used to dealing with an IT specialist like a network admin on the customer side, people who speak the same techie language. But when dealing with a small business, chances are there is no network admin to act as a translator. Technology can be like a foreign language to small business operators who are more concerned with running the business than maintaining technology.

The more you can do for the small business and the more technical responsibilities you can take off its plate, the more appreciative the small business is. If that means sending a computer technician to the client's office to fix a problem, then that's what it takes.

Many software and hardware products come with support through a 1-800 number or on-line help. When a business encounters a problem, they call up the software customer support line. Here's where the fun begins. Technology companies are good at technology. They are good at talking about technology. They have strong technical understanding of the software and hardware they sell. Now the challenge — conveying that much needed expertise in a logical manner to a small business operator. This is always easier said than done. Again, sometimes it's just simpler to send someone out and fix it for them. You'll have a more appreciative customer.

But be proactive on the support. This does not mean simply letting the client know you are there when they need technical expertise, but offering solutions and what you can do for them when one feels the client is in need of IT support. This might mean offering to visit the client's office with a software update when you are in the area, as opposed to letting the client come to you when there is a problem.

It all comes down to the fact that to deal properly with smaller businesses, suppliers and service providers need to learn how those clients differ from larger companies and adapt to meet those needs. Small business customers may require more attention because they do not have in-house IT help or working knowledge. They can also be extremely loyal customers that stick with you. They are not about to solicit new suppliers when what they currently have is a good and valuable thing.

That extra attention given often goes a long way - small business operators tend to talk to each other, attend a lot of luncheons and go to business events, so there is no telling where your name will be spread.