Editor's note

Innovation holds the key

Every business aims to grow bigger and be more profitable each year. To do that, different firms adopt different strategies. Some choose to compete on price, while others focus on service. These days, the key to sustainable long-term growth is ¡°innovation¡±¡ªeven for SMBs. SMBs today are giving higher priority to innovation in products, services and business processes, according to the panelists at the recent CNETAsia roundtable. PestBusters chief Thomas Fernandez and contact-lens manufacturer Lenspec Technology's head honcho, Aaron Loh, say they're relying heavily on IT to differentiate their offerings from the competition.

While few would argue that IT is a tool to help achieve competitive advantage, finding the right solution and the vendor with the right fit remains to be a challenge. Samuel Chia, managing director of caf?chain NYDC, recognizes the potential of IT but says he has yet to find a vendor whom he's comfortable with and has shown they understand his business challenges and requirements. Samuel isn't alone. This is an ongoing issue, especially for leaders of SMBs. They oversee all aspects of their business including IT, which is unchartered territory for many. For those lucky ones who've found a reliable vendor, other issues persist. These include hiring staff with IT operational experience; finding affordable software and hardware, as well as flexible financing schemes.

The theme of this month's special report, Growing the SMB, looks at the issues that affect an SMB's ability to capitalize on IT. "Growing pains" by senior journalist Aloysius Choong highlights the importance and lack of IT leadership, especially in today's business environment. We also spotlight Hard Rock Cafe Singapore, where table service has improved after implementing a new wireless ordering system, and highlight tips from Gartner on how to avoid over-purchasing business software licenses.

On that note, we hope you'll enjoy this issue. And if you would like to learn more about a particular technology or subscribe to the print edition of CNETAsia's SMB IT Essentials, please drop us an e-mail. We'd love to hear from you!

Isabelle Chan
Senior Editor