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Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship
ISSN: 0827-6331 (Print) 2169-2610 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rsbe20
Cloud computing technology: improving small
business performance using the Internet
Mohsen Attaran & Jeremy Woods
To cite this article: Mohsen Attaran & Jeremy Woods (2018): Cloud computing technology:
improving small business performance using the Internet, Journal of Small Business &
Entrepreneurship, DOI: 10.1080/08276331.2018.1466850
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/08276331.2018.1466850
Published online: 07 Jun 2018.
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Cloud computing technology: improving small business performance
using the Internet
Mohsen Attaran*and Jeremy Woods
School of Business and Public Administration, California State University, Bakersfield, 9001
Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA 93311-1099, USA
(Received 29 November 2017; accepted 9 April 2018)
Cloud computing technology (CCT) is a revolutionary new way of leveraging the
power of the Internet to provide software and infrastructure solutions to businesses
around the world. 2017 is predicted to be a major breakout year for this technology,
with many organizations small and large making a shift to this platform. Employing
this technology empowers communication between companies and has the potential to
generate significant financial and operational benefits for small businesses. The key
objective of this article is to propose a conceptual model for successful
implementation of CCT in small businesses. This article also examines some of the
potential benefits of CCT as applied to small businesses and explores implementation
challenges that can be expected. Furthermore, this study reviews key attributes of
successful CCT and illustrates some of the routes that might be taken to implement
this technology in small businesses. Finally, this article examines the specific
application of CCT to small businesses, highlights developing technologies and
trends, investigates the deployment of CCT in different types of small businesses, and
provides a case example of success.
Keywords: cloud computing technology (CCT); public clouds; private clouds; hybrid
clouds; community clouds; Software as a Service (SaaS); Platform as a Service
(PaaS); Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS); Storage as a Service (StaaS)
La technologie de l’informatique en nuage (TIN) est une nouvelle mani
ere
r
evolutionnaire de mettre
a profit le pouvoir d’Internet pour offrir, aux entreprises
a
travers le monde, des solutions en informatique et en infrastructures. On s’attend
ace
que 2017 soit une ann
ee remarquable pour cette technologie, avec le transfert de
nombreuses organisations, petites et grandes, vers cette plateforme. Le recours
a cette
technologie stimule la communication entre les entreprises et a le potentiel de g
en
erer
des avantages financiers et op
erationnels significatifs pour les petites entreprises.
L’objectif cl
e de cet article est de proposer un mod
ele conceptuel pour assurer le
succ
es de l’implantation de la TIN dans les petites entreprises. L’article examine aussi
certains des avantages potentiels de la TIN, d
es l’instant o
u elle est appliqu
ee aux
petites entreprises ; et il explore les difficult
es pouvant ^
etre rencontr
ees au cours de
l’implantation de la TIN. De plus, cette
etude r
eexamine les attributs-cl
es d’une TIN
couronn
ee de succ
es et illustre certaines des voies qui pourraient ^
etre emprunt
ees pour
l’implanter dans les petites entreprises. Enfin, l’article examine l’application
sp
ecifique de la TIN aux petites entreprises, met l’accent sur les technologies et les
tendances en d
eveloppement, et pr
esente un exemple de succ
es.
Mots-cl
es: Technologie de l’informatique en nuage (TIN); Nuages priv
es; Nuages
hybrides; Logiciel en tant que service
*Corresponding author. Email: mattaran@csub.edu
Ó2018 Journal of the Canadian Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship/Conseil de la PME et de l’entrepreneuriat
Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 2018
https://doi.org/10.1080/08276331.2018.1466850
Introduction
In a highly competitive small business landscape, cloud computing enables dynamic col-
laboration between workers. Using web-based software, organizations can facilitate com-
munication between suppliers, customers, and distributors and use this communication
platform to make judgments about the firm’s external environment (Attaran 2007). Cloud
computing technology (CCT) has emerged as an exciting new means for empowering this
type of communication (Xu 2012). Usually, CCT is delivered as a paid service in
exchange for third-party management of IT infrastructure (Marston et al. 2011).
CCT is different historically than other technologies in that it focuses on service deliv-
ery, rather than technology per se. In CCT, technology such as storage, CPU, and net-
working equipment is not the product per se, but rather the building blocks of the service.
Cloud computing is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services
over the Internet. The history of cloud computing is the history of business computing
and the Internet. The cloud computing concept was coined by John McCarthy in 1961.
While services such as webmail and YouTube have been in use by many types of organi-
zations for some time now, organizations did not really begin using the cloud structure to
serve their broader IT needs until 2009 (Lin and Chen 2012). In the past few years, many
companies have embraced CCT and are beginning to reap the rewards of having done so.
Many of these companies are now using CCT to improve internal efficiencies (Folinas,
Manijas, and Graham 2013; Shacklett 2010; Schramm, Nogueira, and Jones 2011;
Marston et al. 2011). Cloud-based technology can spur numerous benefits for organiza-
tions such as capital investment savings, simplified operations, scalability, improved
information visibility, sustainability, and faster deployment (Hackett 2016).
Cloud computing usage is expanding rapidly, finding adopters in a number of new
business domains. The November 2016 Forrester Report says that cloud computing will
accelerate faster in 2017 because businesses worldwide are finally starting to see the
cloud as an arena in which to realize their core IT functions. The value of the global cloud
computing market will top $146 billion in 2017, up from just $87 billion in 2015, and is
currently projected to grow at a rate of 22% annually. If organizations implement
CCT properly, it has the potential to enable accuracy and reliability, enhance service,
and reduce costs. Therefore, 2017 will be known as the ‘year for cloud-based services’
(Bertolotti and Dai 2016).
There are nearly 10 million small businesses in the USA, and many of them have
started to recognize the power of cloud computing. In 2014, a study conducted by Emer-
gent Research and Intuit revealed that only 37% of US small businesses have fully
adapted to CCT. The study predicted that percentage will more than double to 80% by
2020 (King, Hicks, and Reeves 2014). A recent study conducted by Microsoft Corpora-
tion revealed that 98% of small businesses which participated in the survey indicated that
technology is important to their success. More than 40% of respondents said that they had
no IT department (RightScale 2017). CCT is especially practical for smaller organizations
because it reduces IT resources and the time spent managing them. Instead of relying on
expensive hardware, software, and people to manage them, small businesses can take
advantage of CCT’s availability, reliability, security, scalability, flexibility, and more.
According to the survey, among those small businesses that were using CCT, getting new
software applications faster, reducing IT workload, and improving IT collaboration were
mentioned as important benefits of moving to CCT (RightScale 2017).
According to a 2016 Gartner report, CCT is perhaps the most promising and antici-
pated technology to come around in a number of years (Smith 2016). For some
2M. Attaran and J. Woods
businesses, making a heavy move toward a cloud structure is a way to significantly cut
hardware costs. For others, CCT streamlines operations and speeds up development
cycles. Properly planned and implemented, CCT has the potential to drastically improve
operational efficiency. Nevertheless, as with any new technology deployment, there are a
number of issues to consider and overcome. ‘Going to the cloud’ is not as easy or straight-
forward as many users may believe. Successful deployments require in-depth analysis of
users, including desired business outcomes (cost savings, speed to market, and increased
service levels) and services needed (Smith 2016).
This paper discusses three stages of CCT adoption for small businesses and reviews
key factors to consider when choosing a cloud platform. The ‘Cloud computing trends’
section discusses evolving technologies and trends. The ‘Advantages and disadvantages
of CCT for small businesses’ section discusses the advantages and disadvantages of
implementing CCT for small businesses. The ‘Obstacles to rapid adoption in small busi-
nesses’ section examines challenges which small businesses face when adopting cloud-
based solution. The ‘Cloud computing deployments in small businesses’ section discusses
key implementation stages necessary for development and deployment of CCT. The
‘Common uses of CCT in small businesses’ section reviews common uses of CCT in
small businesses and highlights time saving tools available from cloud-based services for
small businesses. The ‘Small business success in the cloud’ section lists cloud tools and
service viable to small businesses. The ‘Case example of success’ section reviews how a
small business successfully utilized CCT in its operations. Finally, the ‘Summary and
conclusion’ section provides a summary and conclusion.
Cloud computing trends
This section provides a general description of CCT, including a definition of cloud com-
puting, its basic characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of CCT over traditional IT
infrastructure choices, CCT service models, and CCT deployment models.
Cloud computing technology
In many different forms, cloud computing has become an integral part of the IT world.
The term ‘cloud’ is used to refer to different types of platforms for distributed computing –
a cluster of servers, network, software, interface, etc. which users require to execute par-
ticular tasks. ‘Computing’ refers to the delivery of this package as a service which users
can utilize as they wish (Mell and Grance 2011). The user no longer needs to put up a
large up-front investment to own the IT infrastructure. Rather, the user can utilize a simi-
lar infrastructure, owned by a third party, and pay only for the amount of computing they
actually use. This pay-per-use model allows for convenient, on-demand network access
to a shared pool of configurable computing resources such as servers, storage, applica-
tions, and services. Clients can connect to available physical or virtual environments
using different entry points. The user accesses information online in a 24/7 format from a
variety of devices – desktop, laptop, tablet, and smartphone (Bask 2015).
Wikipedia defines cloud computing as the concept of using the Internet to allow
access to technology-enabled services that can be rapidly provisioned and released with
minimal management effort and without control over the technology infrastructure which
supports them (Wikipedia 2017). As demonstrated in Figure 1, cloud infrastructure is an
umbrella which covers both the hardware and software necessary for 24/7 pay-as-you-go
service. Applications are delivered as services to users in a software-as-a-service (SaaS)
Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship 3
model via the web. The system hardware and software are used to run applications that
users access online.
Cloud characteristics
CCT is based on several IT innovations, including virtualization, the increasing capacity
of the Internet, and the growing sophistication of Internet-based technologies. The
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) describes five characteristics of a
cloud computing model. These are paraphrased in the following (Mell and Grance 2011):
(1) On-demand self-service. Server time, network storage, and other computing
resources are obtained as needed. No human interaction with the service provider
is required.
(2) Broad network access. Resources are available over a network and accessed
through standard devices (e.g. mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and workstations).
(3) Resource pooling. Resources are pooled to serve multiple users. Physical and vir-
tual resources are assigned and reassigned dynamically according to demand.
(4) Rapid elasticity. Resources scale rapidly up and down with demand, since they
are elastically provisioned and released.
(5) Measured service. Metering is used to automatically optimize resource use (e.g.
storage, processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts).
Cloud deployment models
There are four cloud computing deployment models described in NIST Special Publica-
tion 800-145 (Mell and Grance 2011), are shown in Figure 2 and described in the
following:
(1) Public clouds. Cloud infrastructure is made available to the general public or a
large industry group and is owned by a third-party organization. Public cloud
services are sold on demand, usually by the minute or hour. Customers pay only
for the CPU, storage, or bandwidth they consume. This is a cost effective way to
offer IT solutions, especially for small- and medium-sized businesses. Google
Figure 1. Cloud computing technology.
4M. Attaran and J. Woods
Apps is a good example of a public cloud used by many organizations large and
small. Some of the leading public cloud providers include Amazon Web Services
(AWS), Microsoft Azure, IBM SoftLayer, and Google Compute Engine.
(2) Private clouds. Private cloud infrastructure offers many of the same benefits as a
public cloud, but it is run exclusively for one organization. The cloud may be
managed either by the organization or by a third party, and the infrastructure may
exist either on-site or off-site. Private clouds provide greater control over the
cloud infrastructure and are often ideal for larger organizations.
(3) Hybrid clouds. This is a composite of a public and a private cloud, with
orchestration and automation between the two. A public cloud is utilized for
non-critical information and peak workloads that must scale on demand,
while sensitive information is kept on a private cloud controlled by the orga-
nization. A hybrid cloud structure allows users to tap into the flexibility of
the cloud while still taking advantage of the benefits of a traditional IT
infrastructure.
(4) Community clouds. This structure is a shared cloud computing environment
available to a limited set of organizations or employees (such as banks or the
heads of trading firms). Members of the community often share similar security,
privacy, performance, and compliance requirements.
Small business cloud service models
There are five main models for the delivery of cloud computing services: SaaS, Platform
as a Service (PaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Storage as a Service (StaaS), Desk-
top as a Service (DaaS). Summaries and examples of each of the models are outlined in
the following (Matsumoto 2012):
(1) Software as a Service (SaaS): Applications are offered over a network (internet),
accessible via browser or program interface. Since applications are delivered via
on-demand software, they can be deployed quickly. This leads to ease of use and
financial benefits. Examples of providers offering this type of platform are Goo-
gle Apps (email, calendar, and documents), Salesforce.com, and Intuit’s
QuickBooks.
Figure 2. Types of cloud deployment model.
Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship 5
Most small businesses only need to use SaaS tools. In case, they have more complex
IT requirements, the following categories of CCT might be used:
(2) Platform as a Service (PaaS): This service model provides an agile development
environment that enables quick development and instant adoption of applications.
The wait for suitable hardware and software for the application is eliminated.
Users can employ the platform to build applications using languages, libraries,
services, or tools supported by the platform service provider. Examples of this
type of service provider include the Google App Engine and Windows Azure.
(3) Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): This service model provides general purpose
infrastructure support services, including database, storage capacity, networking,
and other computing services. Users have control over operating systems and
deployed applications. Examples are AWS, CenturyLink, and Rackspace.
(4) Storage as a Service (StaaS): This service model provides users with a data stor-
age interface and charges them based on the amount of storage used. The storage
interface can be used by SaaS, PaaS, or IaaS platforms or can be accessed directly
by users. An example of direct storage is Amazon’s really simple storage
commercial.
(5) Desktop as a Service (DaaS): This service model allows for a desktop operating
system (usually Windows) and applications to be delivered securely via remote
infrastructure.
Cloud computing trends
In 2017, an annual survey of cloud computing trends was completed by RightScale. The
survey asked nearly 1000 professionals, where 50% of the respondents represented small-
and medium-sized businesses, about their adoption of CCT. The study found that 72% of
over 1000 IT professionals said they are using private clouds, with 89% using public
cloud services. The remainder planned to implement some form of cloud computing
within the next 12 months. Sixty-seven percent of respondents also said they were adopt-
ing a hybrid cloud model. Public cloud adoption remained the same, while private and
hybrid cloud adoptions fell from 2016 (Figure 3).
Small businesses run more than 80% of workloads in the cloud with 50% in public
cloud and 33% in private cloud (RightScale 2017). According to the same report, compa-
nies that provide cloud computing services are also growing rapidly. For example, AWS
Figure 3. Cloud adoption 2017 vs. 2016.
6M. Attaran and J. Woods
spurred the first wave of cloud computing services with some simple computing and stor-
age services in 2006. A decade later, AWS operates as an $11 billion run-rate. AWS holds
a significant lead in adoption at 57% of respondents. Adoption of Microsoft Web Services
(Azure) grew to 34% and Google Web Services grew to 15% to maintain third position
(RightScale 2017).
According to a 2017 report from Gartner, the worldwide public cloud services market
is projected to grow 17% in 2018 to total $287.8 billion, up from $246.8 billion in 2017.
The highest growth will come from IaaS, which is projected to grow 32% in 2018 to reach
$45.6 billion. SaaS is expected to grow 19% to reach $55.1 billion. Over the next few
years, the SaaS market is expected to experience a lower growth due to maturity of SaaS
offerings and the acceleration in the buying of popular products such as Customer Rela-
tionship Management (CRM) and financial applications (Gartner Report 2017).
Advantages and disadvantages of CCT for small businesses
Several studies have identified reasons for small businesses to migrate to cloud and
described the impact of cloud technology as it is progressively adapted by more smaller
businesses (Lavoie 2015; Bask 2015; King, Hicks, and Reeves 2014; Truong 2010; Smith
2009; Hayes 2008). The main finding is that CCT ‘Democratizes’ IT implications for
small businesses in the following ways:
Makes it cheaper and easier to start and scale a business
Lowers costs – variable instead of fixed costs
Enhances flexibility at workplace
Improves workplace collaboration
Improves data security
Provides scalable resources
Enhances customer acquisition service and support
Enables resources to be purchased with operational funds rather than as a capital
expenditure
Allows small businesses to shorten the delivery time and start the operations earlier
Provides resources that were once limited to major enterprises accessible and
affordable
Enables a company to shift its business to another company offering better cloud
service or lower price
The following sections discuss benefits of CCT for small businesses in more detail.
Benefits for small business
CCT is easy to adopt, with simple and up-to-date architecture. Cloud computing drasti-
cally lowers capital investment levels for hardware and software in small- and medium-
sized companies. These companies can acquire IT resources that were not possible in the
past. Cloud computing allows most software sectors less resource-intensive ways to get
the applications they need to run in their businesses. For small businesses, the cost of
deploying software applications such as customer relationship management (CRM),
enterprise resource planning (ERP), project management (PM), and other sales, market-
ing, and accounting applications on the premises is expensive. It is more cost effective if
you have these applications in the cloud. Another big advantage of using cloud for small
Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship 7
businesses is that they do not pay for the resources they have not used. Cloud vendors
allow the flexibility of payments based on usage of resources (Hosseinian-Far, Rama-
chandran, and Slack 2018; Bask 2015).
The replacement of on-site solutions with the cloud computing model has the poten-
tial to deliver immediate benefits to users, including no server to maintain, no IT infra-
structure to set up, no up-front licensing fees, and no software programs to buy, install,
and maintain (Lavoie 2015). Getting more IT storage space has traditionally required
more hardware and more expense. The cloud has more flexibility. CCT offers virtually
unlimited storage space for small businesses. One can store a massive amount of data
cheaply and acquire resources on demand. Companies can scale up or down depending
on demand, eliminating the need for massive investments in local IT infrastructure. Man-
aging resources is easier in the cloud. Computing resources can be deployed very quickly,
bringing ease of use and financial benefits. The technology gives users the ability to
choose IT resources in a way that can grow over time or change instantaneously, as needs
change. Moreover, utilizing cloud services allows small businesses to receive automatic
updates of software and applications. They are freed from the burden of managing soft-
ware and can focus on the core of their businesses.
Cloud computing also improves collaboration for small businesses that have employ-
ees in different geographic locations. It allows dispersed groups of people to meet virtu-
ally and share information, which enhances employee and organizational productivity.
Another big advantage of the cloud is that it allows for provision of reliable services,
delivered through data centers and built on servers. Often, the cloud appears as a single
point of access for all of a consumer’s computing needs. In addition, cloud computing
provides for better business continuity planning by protecting data and systems. Cloud
service providers have advanced strategies to ensure that mission-critical data is backed
up and protected in a secure and safe location. Cloud storage gives small businesses the
ability to conduct business in a way that minimizes down time and loss of productivity
(King, Hicks, and Reeves 2014).
Cloud computing is also environmental-friendly and economical. It has less environ-
mental impact (reduced carbon footprint) and saves a lot of energy and space. According
to several studies, cloud computing data centers, on average, produce 95% less carbon
compared to on-premise data centers (Pillai 2011).
Additionally, it is argued that CCT features and resources such as customizability,
alignment, and inter-connectivity will enhance competitive advantage through innovation
and collaboration for small businesses. Small business owners need to understand how to
use cloud computing wisely and how to exploit computing resources distinctively to
make themselves different from competitors and to create and sustain competitive advan-
tage (Truong 2010).
There are also other potential advantages to implementation of cloud technology for
small businesses, including built-in disaster recovery capabilities and expertise, predictive
cost modeling for a growing organization, easy customization, improved chance of com-
petition, and leverage of Big Data analytics. Figure 4 shows the benefits of cloud comput-
ing for small businesses (King, Hicks, and Reeves 2014).
Disadvantages for small business
Cloud computing helps organizations achieve major benefits in two main categories of
business and technology efficiency – accelerated time to market and increased business
agility. However, these evolving cloud technology approaches can create security gaps
8M. Attaran and J. Woods
and human errors. There are also other potential disadvantages to implementation of
cloud technology in small businesses, including platform inconsistency, network vulnera-
bility, data unreliability, and business discontinuity (RightScale 2017). Figure 5 summa-
rizes the findings.
Obstacles to rapid adoption in small businesses
There are numerous challenges in applying CCT for small businesses in a way that allows
for its significant and rapid growth. The 2017 state of the cloud survey conducted by
Rightscale identified lack of resources/expertise, lack of time, difficulty of managing
Figure 4. Compelling advantages of CCT for small businesses.
Figure 5. Disadvantages of CCT for small businesses.
Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship 9
costs, and security concerns as the most important cloud challenges facing small busi-
nesses (RightScale 2017). The following section summarizes these challenges:
(1) Lack of sufficient internal resources – lack of training/expertise is one of the big-
gest hurdles to rapid adoption of CCT in small businesses. Small business owners
tend to make decisions in isolation without the benefit of advice from competent
IT professionals (Feltham, Feltham, and Barnett 2005). Such firms often do not
have advanced IT support staff in-house, and it is rare that small business owners
deviate from insular decision-making to listen to the advice of outside IT profes-
sionals. It is also the case that small businesses typically do not have the financial
resources to hire advanced IT professionals in-house.
(2) Lack of time to implement new initiatives – lack of sufficient time is also a major
hurdle to rapid adoption of CCT in small businesses. Small businesses are often
understaffed and overextended (Mazzarol 2003), leaving very little slack time to
implement new initiatives. Even though cloud computing could bring small busi-
ness considerable benefits, implementation is often passed on due to lack of time
for the firm’s leaders to even consider the prospect.
(3) Managing costs – there are other hurdles to rapid adoption – in particular the costs
of maintaining the cloud and the speed of uploading files. Cloud costs can
increase rapidly, especially for customizations to meet business needs. Large files
can take a long time to upload, generating frustration and inconvenience for day-
to-day business operations. Other hurdles include governance and control, the
complexity of building a private cloud, and performance issues.
(4) Security concerns – another hurdle to rapid adoption of CCT in small businesses
is security/data control. The cloud is, by its nature, an open and shared resource.
It is a potential target of cyber attackers. Three of the top cloud security issues
facing small businesses are legal issues, compliance, and loss of control over data
(Gonzalez et al. 2012). Other studies have identified a number of other security
issues, including the following (Hemalatha and Manickachezian 2014; Winkler
2011a,2011b):
Trusting a vendor’s security model
Loss of physical control
Quality of service guarantees
Potential for massive outages
Malicious insiders and abuse of cloud services
Service traffic hijacking – phishing, buffer overflow attacks, and loss of passwords
Reliability of the cloud provider’s service
Governance – data control, security control, and lock-in
Network security – transfer security, firewalling, and security configuration
Data security – cryptography, redundancy, and disposal
Cloud computing deployments in small businesses
Today, global economy is going through a series of changes that are reshaping economic
landscape. In this environment, many small business owners are using the power of CCT
to create new innovative models that work for their needs (King, Hicks, and Reeves
2014). Implementing an effective cloud computing strategy requires time and effort.
Many parts of the company will be impacted, there are complex decisions to be made,
and various stakeholders need to be involved. Many companies have failed with the
10 M. Attaran and J. Woods
deployment of cloud computing because of the failure of developing a cloud strategy
rooted in the delivery of IT services which are linked to business process outcomes. Fur-
thermore, many businesses do not know how to initiate their cloud projects. Before
deploying cloud services in an organization, the place where cloud services will add busi-
ness value needs to be identified. Thereafter, a scalable deployment approach needs to be
planned.
Conceptual model for implementation
Gartner recently conducted a 12-month long survey of enterprises with cloud manage-
ment strategies and identified the three phases of cloud adoption strategy described in the
following and summarized in Figure 6 (Smith 2016).
In phase 1, companies learn about cloud technology and perform detailed analysis of
their applications and of the services they need. Cloud computing focuses mainly on serv-
ices, not on technology. Services can range from automated IT tasks, to IT services, to
automated business processes. Delivery of CCT services to users is based on what they
need. Consumers of the service place service requests, and they are billed for what they
use. The most impactful deployments start with users fully understanding their desired
business outcomes and then identifying the services that will be offered via a public and/
or private cloud. Questions such as what services users need, how much of each service
will be consumed, when each service will normally be consumed, which users will con-
sume each service, and what is a reasonable price for each service need to be answered.
In phase 2, users need to document and analyze the internal processes that will be
affected by the selected cloud services. During this analysis, users should study the inter-
nal processes involved with offering the relevant cloud services. This might bring to light
the need to flatten, reconfigure, realign, refine, or eliminate inefficient processes and tar-
get repetitive manual processes for automation. The types of security that will be applied
to the deployment must also be addressed.
Figure 6. Cloud computing deployment phases.
Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship 11
In phase 3, users should map applications and workloads to associated cloud services.
Each workload should be reviewed based on its applicability to cloud computing and its
location environment. Next, a detailed review of the overall architecture of the workloads
that make up an application is necessary. Finally, users need to determine the security
profile of each workload – for example, can it reside off-premises and does it need to be
encrypted? After users analyze the workload, decisions need to be made regarding what
cloud computing deployment model is best for the organization’s applications and work-
loads. Should the workload run in a public cloud, an on-premises private cloud, or both?
Figure 6 shows a summary of deployment phases.
Key factors to consider
Cloud computing deployments in small businesses must keep a number of factors in
mind. These include consultation with management, business process planning, and cost.
Consultation with management is crucial because small businesses are often highly
dependent on a single individual or small group of individuals who make all strategic
decisions (Feltham, Feltham, and Barnett 2005). Failure to consult with management
would run the risk of completely missing the business goals of the organization. Business
process planning is important because the organization likely has processes and informa-
tion resident in various parts of the firm.
Failure to do business process planning would run the risk of omitting key elements of
business operations from the new cloud infrastructure. Cost is important because many
small businesses are cash-strapped. Failure to consider the costs of a cloud computing
adoption could result in serious financial difficulties for the firm.
The following section further discusses key adaptation factors:
(1) Consultation with management – as mentioned above, consultation with manage-
ment is crucial for cloud deployment success in small businesses because of the
decision-making power which most small business owners have over their firms.
Such leaders have many key details about the operations of their companies
(including their cloud-relevant IT processes) in their heads, and it is crucial to get
these details out of their heads and into external documentation. They also exer-
cise key decision-making authority over any move toward a cloud configuration.
(2) Business process planning – in addition to consultation with management, busi-
ness process planning is critical for cloud implementation in a small business set-
ting. Perhaps even more so than larger firms, small businesses often have no
formal documentation of their business processes and how these processes impact
their IT practices. In order to properly identify business issues and their implica-
tions for a cloud implementation, small businesses need to complete a thorough
inventory of their business practices and processes. The tasks of individual work-
ers and the flows of information through the enterprise need to be properly
reflected in the new cloud infrastructure.
(3) Cost – finally, cost is an important factor to consider for cloud implementations in
a small business setting. Small businesses are often cash-strapped, so the potential
cost of a cloud implementation can be daunting for many of them. Careful consid-
eration of the cost of individual elements of the cloud implementation can prove
valuable for small businesses looking to implement cloud infrastructure as eco-
nomically as possible. Consideration of the scope of the project can help contain
overall costs so that they do not spiral out of control.
12 M. Attaran and J. Woods
Measuring the business impact of the cloud
IT spending on cloud technology is booming. According to International Data Corpora-
tion (IDC) forecasts, one out of every three dollars spent on IT infrastructure is spent on
cloud technology. The same survey predicts that spending on the public cloud will reach
160 billion in 2018 and top $277 billion by 2021 (IDC 2018). With ever increasing cloud
spending, organizational leaders will need more spending accountability. The biggest
cloud challenge for many small businesses may be ‘measuring return on investment
(ROI).’ It is easy for organizations to focus on technology implementation projects, but
much more difficult to understand operational benchmarks and track financial metrics.
What metrics can small businesses use to measure performance? Some companies are
using a methodology known as Value Engineering to produce value metrics. Other com-
panies are using financial metrics to measure cloud technology’s ROI.
In an article published in 2013, Chau recommends four performance metrics that com-
panies should consider when adopting a cloud strategy. The first two are considered
important metrics for showing ROI. These two metrics prove that the cloud can maintain
and improve performance benchmarks (Chau 2013).
Figure 7 summarizes these performance metrics and recommended measurements that
can help establish benchmarks after a transition to the cloud.
Common uses of CCT in small businesses
Common uses
CCT in small businesses has several common uses (Martinez 2018; Aland 2017; Bailey
2017). These include data storage, shared applications, and remote user cooperation.
Each of these uses has the potential for making a critical positive impact on small busi-
ness operations.
(1) Data storage – one common use of CCT in small businesses is data storage. Given
the challenges of sharing files across multiple individual machines, cloud usage
offers the advantage of providing access to files for all users regardless of
Figure 7. Performance metrics and recommended measurements.
Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship 13
location. It also provides secure, centralized backup and protection of all com-
pany files. Small businesses can engage in much more flexible, potentially more
secure operations when utilizing cloud technology.
(2) Shared applications – another common use of CCT in small businesses is shared
applications. Applications can be utilized to maximum efficiency by centralizing
them, rather than having them located piecemeal throughout the organization.
Expenses for applications can be considerably reduced by only utilizing apps
when needed, rather than paying for full ownership of the application. This is
important for small businesses, which are often under-financed and looking to
save money wherever possible.
(3) Remote user collaboration – a third common use of CCT in small businesses is
remote user cooperation. Part time or remotely-based workers can easily cooper-
ate with those in the main office without the need for costly remote infrastructure.
Workers within the same location can also easily cooperate without the need for
conference room space or for sending files back-and-forth. In general, CCT brings
together workers in a virtual work environment ideal for the achievement of team
goals.
Cloud-based tools used by small businesses
Cloud-based services have also made possible a wide array of time-saving tools and
applications for small businesses that make performing business tasks a lot easier for
them. For example, tasks such as sending invoices, managing sales tax payments, market-
ing, and sales are faster and more efficient using cloud services. Top business applications
currently offered in CCT use (Martinez 2018; Aland 2017; Bailey 2017)
Office tools/productivity
Collaboration and communication solutions
Web/E-Commerce, email
Marketing and CRM
Financial and accounting (record keeping)
Help desk and IT support and security
Sales automation software
Operations and HR services
Project and product management
Backup and recovery
Applications of CCT in small business
Cloud deployments can vary depending on the type of small business in question. Three
good examples of this are service firms, manufacturing firms, and retail firms. Each is
examined in turn in the following:
(1) Cloud deployments in small services firms – small service firms are particularly
impacted by the capacity of cloud technology to enable cooperation among work-
ers. Service firms offer as their main product the productive efforts of staff mem-
bers. Enabling these staff members to cooperate without regard to physical
location unlocks the potential of better service delivery to customers.
14 M. Attaran and J. Woods
(2) Cloud deployments in small manufacturing firms – small manufacturing firms are
particularly impacted by the capacity of cloud technology to share application
usage. The ability to share application usage can significantly streamline
manufacturing processes. This leads to superior product quality.
(3) Cloud deployments in small retail firms – small retail firms benefit in particular
from the data storage capacity of cloud technology. Retail operations maintain
relatively extensive records of inventory and customer information. The ability to
store all these records in a safe, central cloud location is a major benefit for these
firms.
Small business success in the cloud
Different cloud generations
A 2014 study conducted by the Intuit focused on how cloud computing is transforming
small businesses. The study argued that CCT, like any new technologies, tends to go
through three broad generations as shown in Figure 8. The first generation of cloud
occurred after a technology was first commercialized and brought efficiency gains for
early adopters. CCT democratized IT implications for early adopters by providing resour-
ces that were limited to major enterprises. The replacement of on-site solutions with the
cloud computing model delivered immediate benefits to users. Examples of a first genera-
tion cloud products are Microsoft, Google, and Amazon’s Web Services, which are still
heavily marketed as a way to reduce IT costs (no server to maintain, no IT infrastructure
to set up) and increase the speed and ease of deployment (Small Business Labs 2014).
The study argued that CCT is rapidly moving to an entirely new phase (second genera-
tion) since the technology is driving a comprehensive transformation of digital assets in
organizations. In this phase, the technology is destined to prove far more transformative
and disruptive than the initial phase of cloud deployment. IT decision-makers begin to
view the emerging cloud technology as a proxy for the transformation of IT itself. During
Figure 8. Three generations of CCT.
Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship 15
the second generation, people and businesses have adapted to the new technology, created
new ways of doing business as well as new business forms and structures. CCT has also
revolutionized the software paradigm where cloud resources and software are offered as a
service. Small businesses have increasingly adapted to the cloud by taking advantage of
software services that can be seamlessly integrated into back-office and front-office oper-
ations. In the next section, we have listed several cloud services for small businesses, cov-
ering software tools from communications, and finance to CRM and marketing.
Popular cloud tools and services available to small businesses
Building an IT platform can be complex and expensive for many small businesses. In
recent years, software companies have taken this into account and have developed tools
that are specifically designed for small business. There has been a huge growth in low
cost and free cloud based technology for social interaction, publishing, collaborating,
editing, content creation, computing, etc. These platforms are cloud-based, simple, and
could get small business started with minimum efforts.
Several companies are providing cloud services for small businesses including Micro-
soft (Microsoft Azure), Google (Google Cloud), and Amazon (Amazon Web Services).
Many small businesses are using Microsoft products including Office 365, office Web
Apps and Business productivity online suite for many more years. Similarly, many small
businesses are using Google Apps (email, calendar, and documents) for communication
and collaboration. Amazon cloud is being used for creation of flexible IT infrastructure in
these institutions.
The following section lists tools that provide reduced costs and increased efficiencies
for small businesses. They might not be the best in their respective classes, but they are
best suited for the small markets (Martinez 2018; Aland 2017; Bailey 2017; Wood 2017;
Schenker 2016; Evans 2015; Nazar 2013).
(1) Collaborations and communications – software services in this category make
teamwork easy, more fun, and inexpensive. They are easy to set up and provide
collaboration tools such as shared desktops, white boarding, and in-app private
chat. One can easily create chat rooms for employees, create email templates that
help send emails quickly, and run and manage robust and easily automated email
campaigns. Email marketing tools can be used for sending promotions, announce-
ments of new features or services, and discounted coupons to customers. Table 1
provides a list of some of the cloud services available for communications and
collaborations.
(2) Social media marketing and commerce tools –Google Analytics is one of the
most popular social media analytics tools available. It provides easy tracking and
report for website traffic. One can sift and sort website visitors with dozens of
dimensions. Sprout Social is another social media analytics tool that provides a
clean design-making sorting and discovering data easy. AdWords is Google’s
pay-per-click (PPC) advertising system and is one of the most measurable and
flexible of online advertising. It is transparent, providing tons of metrics that
allow any small business to see what online advertising works and what does not.
Shopify E-Commerce is an online shopping cart that can be used for web-based
storefront. The platform provides many templates and tools to make online busi-
ness easier to oversee. It is easy to use and requires little technical expertise to set
up. Finally, Microsoft Power BI is a free Business Intelligence tool that lets one
16 M. Attaran and J. Woods
drag, drop, customize, and analyze data, up to 1 GB. There is a monthly charge if
you decide to increase your data tenfold.
(3) Managing business projects – small businesses can use numerous cloud-based
applications and services available for managing business projects, such as
human resources, accounting, invoicing, and even document storage and sharing,
and online backups, at affordable cost. Table 2 highlights some of these SaaS-
based services for small businesses.
Case example of success
In this section, we discuss case example of a small business that has successfully migrated
to cloud-based infrastructure and have been using various cloud services throughout its
company for many years.
Interactive Educational Services, Inc. (IES) was founded in 1994, in Bakersfield Cali-
fornia, to provide expertise in developing and managing online educational activities, cer-
tificate programs, and professional designation programs (IES Web Site 2018).
In 2002, the company changed its direction and started offering a full range of web
development packages and e-Business solutions to private and nonprofit organizations all
around the USA. IES is developing new tools, teaming with Web specialists, and forming
new alliances that keep it at the forefront of the web technologies movement (IES Web
Site 2018). One of company’s platforms called ‘Cyberschool’ is being used by more than
1000 schools nationwide. It is a great platform for improving communications throughout
Table 1. Cloud services available for communications and collaborations.
Software tools Service providers Solutions
Teamwork Asana Make teamwork easy and fun-free version supports
up to 15 members.
Voice Over IP (VOIP) Citrix Grasshoper Provides access to basic phone systems such as call
routing, faxing, and voicemail.
Video conferencing/
online meeting
ClickMeeting
Microsoft Teams
Skype
Provides inexpensive collaboration tools such as
shared desktops, white boarding, and in-app
private chat.
Skype allows professionals to collaborate through
screen sharing, instant messages, video
conferencing, audio conferencing, and file
sharing.
Chat-based
communication
Slack Allows users create chat rooms, private chats with
small groups, and one-on-one private chats.
Email marketing MailChimp It provides a rich, free plan and many email
templates that help you send emails quickly.
Campaigner email
marketing
Campaigner Enables you to run robust and easily automated email
campaigns.
Managing social
campaign
Hootsuite Enables you to manage your social campaigns. It
offers tools for listening, publishing, and third-
party integration.
Surveys and campaign
monitoring
SurveyGizmo
GetFeedback
Helps one build, style, test, share surveys, and
examine the results.
Help solicits feedback from people who are using
mobile devices.
Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship 17
the school district and reaching the community at large. With more than 2000 customers
in 48 states, IES is the biggest web and Mobile App development company between San
Francisco and Los Angeles. IES efforts have been recognized in Forbes and Entrepreneur
magazines.In 2008, the company was the Recipient of Goldline Research awards for
‘The Most Dependable Web Designers’ in California (Goldline Research 2008) and in
2009 and 2010, IES was the recipient of the ‘Leading Web Provider’ of the Western
United States (Goldline Research 2009,2010).
IES has helped many companies increase productivity, reduce costs, and improve cus-
tomer loyalty by optimizing their web presence. At the same time, the company has com-
bined effects of emerging Internet technologies, increased computing power, and fast,
pervasive digital communication to spawn new ways to manage talent and assets as well
as new thinking about organizational structure. As the technology landscape has contin-
ued to evolve, IES made CCT at the core of its technology upgrade. During a February
2018 site visit, Mike Diaz, IES project manager mentioned that since 2002, the company
has been using a series of Web-based cloud services for e-mail marketing, video confer-
encing, CRM, financial analysis, creating documents and spreadsheets, bypassing capital
investment in servers and software licenses.
Since the introduction of CCT, operating costs have reduced and efficiencies have
increased. IES has experienced a noticeable increase in office productivity. For example,
between 2014 and 2017:
The time that it takes to design and develop a custom web site decreased by 30%.
The cost of IT support and customer service decreased by 40%.
The office productivity increased by 35% as measured by fewer number of
employees.
SaaS enabled IES to access many services at a low cost. More specifically, the company is
using the power of CCT in the following ways:
Communications and collaborations
Voice Over IP (VoIP) – IES is using Asterisk to gain access to basic phone systems
features such as voicemail, call routing, faxing, call recording, and dial-in confer-
encing for its 15 employees.
Video conferencing and meeting management – IES is using Zoom for video con-
ferencing and Go-to-Meeting for meeting its customers online for demonstration of
its platforms or for providing customer support. Features such as shared desktops,
white boarding tools, and in-app private chat enhance communication with
customer.
Email marketing – IES is using email marketing service provided by Send Blaster
effectively for sending promotions, announcements of new features or services, and
discounted coupons to its customer. IES takes advantage of email analytics feature
provided by the module to find out whether its messages and/or promotions are
effective or are falling flat.
In-house and online chat with customers – Rocket.Chat provides IES employees
with an easy-to-use and a powerful communication platform. This chat-based com-
munication tool is designed for teams of all sizes to communicate with one another
through the workday. IES employees create chat rooms, private chats with small
18 M. Attaran and J. Woods
Table 2. Cloud services available for managing various business activities.
Software tools Service providers Solutions
Human resources (HR) Zenefits Z2
InteliUs
This HR and Management System
software offers benefits
administration. It can integrate with
most of the industry’s popular
payroll tools.
Run a background check on
prospective employees, browse
criminal records and other
information.
Contract management Agiloft Offers unlimited customization to
handle contract management. It
offers an easy way to automate and
simplify how to create, manage, and
store contracts.
Accounting Intuit QuickBooks Online Plus
Xpenditure Small Business
FreshBooks
Provides inexpensive accounting
package with a comprehensive set of
features for small businesses. It
features flexible contract records,
transaction forms, and report
templates.
Helps with expense tracking.
Provides on-the-go invoicing, PayPal
and credit card processing of
invoices, and expense logging.
Payroll SurePayroll
Intuit QuickBooks
Allows users create and manage
employee payment records.
Email marketing MailChimp It provides a rich, free plan and many
email templates that help you send
emails quickly.
Document
management
Ascensio System OnlyOffice Provides you with business document
management, file sharing, online
editing, project management, and
calendar integration.
Backup storage IDrive Provides 1 TB of online backup
storage. The tool features an easy
setup, unlimited access, continuous
backup, disk image backup, folder
syncing, and more.
Customer relationship
management
(CRM)
NutShell CRM Specially designed for small
businesses, the software automates
sales processes, simplifies contact
management, and provides reports
and analytics.
Web hosting Site Ground
DreamHost
Provides limited storage and data
transfer and backups. This web
hosting tool is very easy to install
and manage.
Offers unlimited disk storage space,
domains, emails, and monthly data
transfers.
(continued)
Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship 19
groups, and share files. The online feature enables IES to communicate with pros-
pects while they are browsing the company’s web site.
Help-desk and customer service ticketing – IES staff provides phone, email, and/or
help desk support on an ongoing basis. Technical support technicians are available
to work with clients to resolve any and all issues that may be experienced. In order
to streamline support requests and better serve its customers, IES utilizes OS Ticket,
a support ticket platform. It features a combination of automation and self-service
tools that reduce ticket workload in order to provide fast customer service. Every
support request is assigned a unique ticket number which can be used to track the
progress and responses of customers online. For each reference, the platform pro-
vides complete archives and history of all customers’ support requests.
Security and network monitoring
According to Robert Mann, the company IT director, IES provides web hosting services,
with solid security and data protection, to all of its more than 2000 clients. In addition,
IES uses private cloud infrastructure. All servers are located in a building off premises
and are managed by the CenturyLink, a secure management service. Private clouds pro-
vide greater control over the cloud infrastructure and are ideal for IES customers. IES
servers are run on a secure, high-end redundant computer network. The hosting service
offers a secure state-of-the-art data center with 24-hour, year-round monitoring system to
ensure maximum uptime and system protection along with daily backups, redundant
Internet connections and on-site generators with battery backups. IES also employs the
following cloud software services for the security and maintenance of its CCT:
Network monitoring – Site 24 £7
AntiVirus – Kaspersky and Malware Bites
Server backup – Storage Craft and Home Written Scrips, for providing automatic
backups and delivering excellent security.
Mobile communications and social media marketing
Mobile communications – Mobile communications are essential when it comes to
engaging K-12 digital parents and keeping them informed about school events and
activities while they are at work or on the road. A branded mobile app can deliver
Table 2. (Continued )
Software tools Service providers Solutions
Employee time
tracking
TSheets
Chrometa
These two-time tracking solutions
provide deep customization options,
user friendly navigation, and passive
time tracking option.
Helpdesk Happy Fox
Vivantio Pro
Provides a combination of automation
and self-service tools that reduce
help desk’s ticket workload.
Allows IT managers to create custom
forms and track task progress.
20 M. Attaran and J. Woods
the most often requested school information and news updates. IES develop Mobile
App for its k-12 Cyberschool clients. The company uses two frameworks, Ionic and
CF Wheels, for developing hybrid Apps. Both frameworks offer a nice selection of
templates and fields to help guide IES through the creation process.
Web analytics – IES is using Google Analytics, one of the most widely used
web analytics service on the Internet. Using this free software analytics, IES’
clients can track and report website traffic for their web sites. The analytics
give clients insights into how users find and use their websites. They can sift
and sort their visitors with dozens of dimensions. They can also track ROI for
their online marketing.
Social media marketing – IES is using a healthy balance of social media mar-
keting channels, including organic search, email marketing, events, social
media, and other lead sources. Moreover, IES is using AdWords – Google’s
PPC advertising system for its own web site because AdWords delivers mea-
surable ROI. Compared to traditional marketing channels such as TV and mag-
azine advertising, online marketing is highly measureable, and AdWords is one
of the most measurable and flexible of online channels. It is transparent,
providing a multitude of metrics that allow you to see what works and what
does not.
Financial tools and employee time tracking
IES uses a host of online software for handling of its financial needs. For example,
IES uses Approveme to handle its contract management. The software tracks activity
and capture signatures in minutes. It enables IES to automate and simplify creation,
management, and storage of the contracts sent and signed by clients. For its payroll,
IES is using Intuit QuickBooksPayroll that enables the company to create and manage
employee payment records. In addition, IES is using an RFID reader for time tracking
where employees can Clock in/out using a Key Fob. The Reader integrates with
QuickBooks and provides a report for quickly understanding and tracking employees’
timesheet. Additionally, IES uses both PayPal and Authorizes.net for merchant gate-
ways for processing of customers payments in various forms (credit cards, debit cards,
PayPal, and PayPal Credit).
Web design and social media integration
IES creates engaging, interactive websites using social media features such as blogs,
forums, wikis, news and announcements, event calendars, media galleries,RSS syndica-
tion, sharing and bookmarking toolbars. These features provide technology solutions to
help implement a social media strategy by ‘engaging audience’ and distributing content
across various social platforms. According to Viking Mann, Marketing director at IES,
the company uses Adobe Suite, including Photoshop for editing and compositing of pho-
tos, web, and mobile app designs and Dreamweaverfor design and development of mod-
ern, responsive websites.
Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube are great
communication and marketing tools. They allow customers to give instant feedback on
products and services. IES uses many social media tools in order to reach a broader audi-
ence and expand its online presence. The company selects the right channels to boost its
leads, and then drive engagement in its web content through conversation and
community.
Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship 21
Summary and conclusion
The digital revolution is helping organizations transform their businesses to better engage
and stay connected with customers, suppliers, and employees. The internet and services
related to it create an interactive working environment for users. Through the Internet,
effective cooperation is possible whenever, wherever, and with whomever. Cloud com-
puting emerges as a quickly evolving technology that ever more companies are willing to
adopt in order to improve collaboration. Advantages such as increased IT infrastructure
flexibility, computational power, the opportunity to use an existing infrastructure on a
pay-per-use basis as well as leverage that infrastructure for big data analytics, better infor-
mation visibility, and disaster recovery cost effectiveness make cloud technology a viable
choice for many companies.
Cloud-hosted servers are providing a significant savings for small businesses. By uti-
lizing PaaS and SaaS structures, small businesses can gain benefits and improve produc-
tivity and security. CCT enables IT infrastructure of small businesses to evolve quickly
and allows companies to save time and focus on new opportunities. Small businesses now
have the ability to access the same types of high quality enterprise IT services utilized by
larger organizations at a cost and scale that is affordable for businesses of smaller size.
CCT enables small businesses to store the company’s most important data in a secure
cloud-based system. Not only are cloud-based services cheaper than traditional ways of
managing in-house IT for small businesses, they are also safer for data storage and disas-
ter recovery. As discussed in this paper, small businesses can use numerous SaaS-based
applications and services available for managing business projects, document storage and
sharing, marketing, and accounting at affordable cost. The study also discussed example
of a small business that has successfully migrated to cloud-based infrastructure and has
been using various SaaS-based applications and services to reduce operating costs and to
increase productivity.
This study concluded that cloud computing introduces both challenges and new possi-
bilities to many aspects of Internet architecture, protocols, services, and applications.
This technology will affect many people in the organization and has a significant impact
on IT investment and costs. Moreover, this paper used the three phases of cloud adoption
strategy and proposed a conceptual framework for implementation of CCT in small busi-
nesses. Furthermore, this study identified security as one of the main stumbling blocks to
wider CCT adoption for small businesses. As discussed in this paper, CCT systems are a
major target for cyber attackers. These vulnerabilities show the importance of protecting
cloud platforms, infrastructures, hosted applications, and information and create demand
for higher-level cloud security management and centralized management of security in
cloud environments. Other major concerns of IT managers are compatibility of the cloud
with company policies, the IS development environment, and business needs. Imple-
mented properly, cloud technology has real potential to enable accuracy, reliability, ser-
vice enhancement, and cost reduction for small businesses. The challenge for IT experts
today is to understand the role of CCT and develop strategies that exploit its potential.
They should complete the prerequisites (the three phases of cloud service adoption strat-
egy) before making the technology decisions necessary for successful, service-centered
CCT strategies.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
22 M. Attaran and J. Woods
Notes on Contributors
Mohsen Attaran is the 2004–05 Millie Ablin Outstanding Professor of Management at California
State University, Bakersfield. He obtained his Ph.D. in Systems science with specialization in Oper-
ations Management and Technological Forecasting from Portland State University. He is the
author/co-author of three books, over 100 peer-reviewed research papers, and ten commercial soft-
ware packages. He is a three-time recipient of the Meritorious Performance and Professional Prom-
ise Award for outstanding performance in teaching, research and community services. In 2006 and
2016 he was nominated by CSU-Bakersfield for Wang Family Excellence Award and in 1996 he
was honored as recipient of the El Paso Natural Gas Faculty Achievement Award. Professor Attaran
has been a consultant for public and private organizations and has conducted numerous in-house
workshops and seminars for Fortune 1000 companies He is the founder and president of IES, Inc. a
web and Mobile App Development Company with more than 4,000 clients in 48 states. He has
founded, launched and managed several businesses in his career in a variety of technological fields
including a Telehealth Doctor Visits; a subscription based virtual business, and a non-profit organi-
zation with the aim of closing the gender gap in coding.
Jeremy Woods is an international business development scholar, educator, and consultant with over
20 years of experience. He is an author and coach in the areas of small business executive decision-
making, entrepreneurial project implementation, lead generation, and sales management. Mr.
Woods has been a key player in a number of educational, consulting, and business expansion proj-
ects in North America, Europe, and Latin America. His research is focused on strategic decision-
making in family- and privately-owned entrepreneurial businesses. Mr. Woods is an assistant pro-
fessor at California State University Bakersfield’s College of Business and Public Administration.
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