There’s no question that the effective use of emergent technologies is increasingly important for businesses of all sizes. Yet technology is just a single part of the puzzle for SMBs. Investing in skilled people who have the know-how to make the most out of these tools is vital.

The hallmark of many successful SMBs is their ability to take bold moves to embrace new skills and use their agility to outmaneuver less proactive firms. By ensuring staff possess the right mix of digital skills, even micro-businesses can succeed and thrive in a competitive digital ecosystem. 

Identifying the specialist talents staff need in order to make the most of exciting technological advances is essential. In this 4-minute read, you’ll learn the skill-sets forward-thinking SMBs won’t want to be without.

For businesses that operate outside of the tech space it can be difficult to see exactly where artificial intelligence technologies can fit into their enterprise. But if an effort is made to hire staff that understand exactly how AI can bring practical bottom-line business benefits, the value of AI will become clear.

“Artificial Intelligence tools aren’t just for large-scale organisations who have thousands upon thousands of staff and many of these solutions are extremely cost-effective. We’ve been able to make the most out of AI and use it in the most relevant areas where we know it’s going to have a genuine impact,” explains Jacqueline McLoughlin, director of Accounting for Growth (A4G), a marketing agency for accountants and professional service firms. 

AI-enabled customer relationship management (CRM) software allowed A4G to significantly reduce the amount of time-consuming administrative work. Joining the developing AI revolution allows skilled employees to focus on more high-value tasks that bring real benefits to their clients and future-proof their businesses.

AI-powered customer service platforms like Netomi and real-time market analysis tools like Crayon are quickly proving that powerful AI tools can be implemented into the operations of virtually any SMB.

Effectively managing digital change is perhaps the single most important digital skill for SMBs on their journey to digital transformation. Even major enterprises can see their implementation of new technological platforms fail if strong change leadership is not in place.

“Creating a comprehensive change management framework that outlines the exact tools and processes is of course important but without finding the right person to guide the project forward, it can fall flat,” says McLoughlin. 

Instead of hiring high-priced digital change consultants, SMBs should assign a single person or team to own the change process. In practice, they must possess the ability to genuinely take on board the concerns of staff and ensure momentum in the process remains strong.

Going it alone without external consultants can seem like a risky option on the surface. But a credible and emotionally intelligent person focusing on change leadership gives a considerable boost to the chances of successfully managing digital change."

The impact of a successful cyber-attack can be devastating for any enterprise, with cyber criminals constantly searching for new ways to gain access to sensitive business data. More than two-thirds of small businesses fell victim to cyber attacks last year. The need to protect against these threats and, most importantly, to proactively determine the central cyber risks is paramount.

“Many SMBs may not have massive budgets to put towards cyber education and training, so using the free resources of the National Cyber Security Centre and workshops from educational organisations like General Assembly can keep staff members up to date with the latest threats,” says Sonya Barlow, founder of Like Minded Females (LMF), a social enterprise to empower women and drive cultural change.

As human error represents the single largest cause of cyber breaches, it’s not enough for just a single employee to be charged with maintaining cyber security. All staff members need to have the necessary training and knowledge required to defend against resurgent cyber challenges."

Cloud-based solutions have rapidly become one of the most used services by SMBs, thanks to their flexibility, low-cost and easy implementation. Close to 88% of businesses in the UK use some form of cloud service. As the popularity of these solutions has grown, so has the number of platforms available to SMBs, further complicating the selection process.

Deciding on a cloud platform requires an in-depth knowledge of both your business and the options available in the market, with any missteps reducing the efficiency benefits  of adopting cloud services.

Barlow of Like Minded Females (LMF) has seen the benefits of embracing cloud in her business to be substantial. “About six months ago, we were not on the cloud. All of our data was stored on email threads, WhatsApp messages or other locations. Once we started using the cloud we had a central point where we could collate all documents in a single place - all our work is more efficient now,” explains Barlow.

Embracing the latest technological innovations are a must in such a competitive business ecosystem where even a small advantage can make the difference between leading the market and falling behind.

While there is clearly no one-size-fits-all solution for SMBs when it comes to what constitutes the right digital talent mix, the four skills in this list can give you a competitive edge over rivals and compliment your current tech stack.