By Rieva Lesonsky

The economy is starting to roll again. Are small businesses that have been holding back from spending getting ready to invest in new technology? Well, yes…and no.

A new study by Zoomerang Online Surveys and Polls, Cloud Computing and the Role of IT Professionals in Small- to Mid-Sized Businesses, shows that while a sizable minority of small and midsized business decision-makers are planning to upgrade business technology this year, nearly half (44 percent) have no plans to upgrade in the next 12 months.

In contrast, 14 percent say they plan to upgrade within three months and percent will upgrade within four to 12 months. Eleven percent want to upgrade but plan to wait more than a year to do so, while 14 percent are uncertain when they will upgrade.

When SMBs do spring for technology upgrades, what’s tops on their wish list? Computers and hardware are by far the biggest area of investment, cited by 57 percent of respondents as the first items they’ll invest in. Next most popular were peripherals such as phones and mobile devices (16 percent), followed by software (15 percent). Hardware other than computers was cited by 5 percent of respondents.

While Zoomerang didn’t ask why respondents were or weren’t planning to upgrade, one reason SMBs are holding back isn’t budgetary. The majority of respondents (58 percent) said their technology was in “good” condition—running smoothly, although not cutting edge—while 32 percent described it as “intermediate”—having both good and bad moments. Only 4 percent said their business technology causes so many problems that it’s inhibiting their company growth.

Image Courtesy: Karen Axelton