IT Experts Offer Free Tech Buying Advice to Small Businesses

Today, even the smallest of businesses can run on sophisticated software systems once only available to corporate behemoths, allowing them to do more -- and profit mightily -- with less. If they buy the right system, that is. Often they don’t. As it turns out, they make the wrong choice at least a third of time.

According to Patrick Houston, a founder of CloudBase3 the company is offering a way for small businesses to get the guidance they need to make better buying decisions -- by connecting them to verified experts who can offer individualized advice based on their unique requirements.

And it’s offering the service for free, as part of special offer from Small Business Magazine. It’s available for trial -- no strings attached -- right now by going to this page. [LINK HERE].

The need for one-to-one advice, especially among small to medium-size businesses (SMBs), is vast. This year, SMBs will spend an estimated $18 billion on highly sophisticated, subscription-based software systems that run their business functions, affording them unprecedented efficiencies.

SMBs can thank the cloud for the largesse. Applications operating in the cloud are accessible from a Web browser or any mobile app. They offer economies of scale that allow developers to share costs -- and functionally -- across their customer base. Result: Affordable monthly rates.

When it comes to cloud software, however, small companies, lacking in-house IT staffs, have to rely on their owners and managers to choose cloud services.  

It’s possible for them to research purchase options themselves. But there’s a major flaw in expert reviews, user reviews, and white papers: They don’t take into account the unique circumstances of any particular business.

That’s where CloudBase3’s Expert Network comes in.

When business buyers have questions about which cloud application to choose, they just have to type it into a widget, like the one available here.  When they do, it enters a system that uses natural language processing to literally understand a question. As it does, it instantaneously identifies the experts most relevantly qualified to answer the question -- an expert that can look at a business’ size, industry, and existing processes to offer a customized answer.

The system isn’t like a support forum or community site, where someone with a question has to check time and again for a response. Or they must hunt and peck through answers from unidentified know-it-alls. The CloudBase3 system sends the experts’ answers in email. From there, a one-on-one exchange can take place in email.

It’s very precise and efficient, and it offers even the smallest of businesses the opportunity to grow and execute like a big one.

Patrick Houston is the founder and editor of CloudBase3, devoted to helping business managers choose cloud services. He’s the former editor in chief of CNET.com tech review site. He launched Yahoo’s tech channel.