How can you take a small company from 20 employees to 100 employees in just a year?

Along with adequate funding, a realistic roadmap, and strong leadership, many small businesses realize that having advanced network technology is essential to successful growth, reports Steve Hansen, senior analyst for research firm In-Stat. A network with built-in security, intelligent routing and switching, and the ability to deliver data, voice, and video can be a springboard for growth.

Hansen notes that networks can help small businesses save money, accomplish more with less, and add new offices and employees more easily. "The more efficient you can be and the more money you can save, the more resources you have available for activities that help grow your business," he says.

Stay Connected Outside the Office

Virtual private networks (VPNs) are an excellent technology to support business growth. VPNs let your employees securely access the network tools they need from remote locations, such as branch offices, their homes, or anyplace they can get an Internet connection. In-Stat reports that about 25 percent of U.S. small businesses had deployed an Internet Protocol (IP) VPN as of February 2007, and 30 percent more plan to deploy the technology by July 2008.

InTouch Health is a small robotics telemedicine business that has experienced triple-digit growth over the last couple of years. It would not have been able to achieve this rapid growth without its network, according to Jennifer Neisse, InTouch spokesperson. The award-winning company relies on its VPN, broadband, and wireless network connections for communications, to guide its robots through hospitals, and to grow the company.

InTouch Health now has about 50 employees and operations on four continents. "Having a reliable, accessible data network helps us quickly add more people to our company," says Neisse.

More examples of network technologies that support fast company growth include the following:

• Unified communications. Bringing your voice and data communications together on a single network can give small businesses an amazing advantage, says James E. Gaskin, a small business network technology consultant and author. He explains that applications such as instant messaging, video conferencing, and the ability to check voicemail and e-mails from one mailbox can help companies grow. These network tools help employees be more productive and respond to customers more quickly. He also says that small businesses that connect their voice and data network with a customer relationship management (CRM) solution can "appear big" to the outside world. For example, when a customer calls, your employee can instantly see the customer's entire account history and order details. This complete view of the customer lets employees deliver the high level of service that customers tend to expect only from large companies.
• Online collaboration. Some small businesses avoid working together via e-mail because they are tired of sorting through long message threads and avoiding viruses and spam, Gaskin observes. They prefer collaboration software like Web-based video conferencing and internal wikis. These tools can help you work together online, in real time, and communicate more effectively with outside suppliers and channel partners, enabling rapid growth. And they can help your employees work more productively.
• Wireless and remote access. Fast-growing businesses often have mobile workforces. Reliable, secure wireless networking can help your employees stay connected while roaming about the office. "The easier you make it to access data, the better information you'll have at all times, and the better decisions you'll make," says Gaskin.

Dollars and Sense

What do you need to build a small business network? An expert partner, such as a value-added reseller, can design and deploy a basic IP network for a few thousand dollars. Cisco CapitalSM Commercial offers financing programs designed specifically for growing businesses.

Small businesses without a network management staff may want to use a managed service provider (MSP), an outside company that will design, deploy, and maintain your network and services for a monthly fee. The MSP may also offer a hosted solution, in which your network equipment is physically located at the MSP's site.

"Until your company is big enough to have an IT staff that can spend time actively learning and providing security protection, you're better off outsourcing to an expert," says Gaskin.

Next Steps

Learn about Cisco solutions for small and medium-sized businesses.

Find a Cisco value-added reseller in your area.