SmallBusinessNewz

If you've had to restart your computer seven times so far today, or if it takes 68 seconds for you to open a fresh Word document, you may be in good company.  A new report indicates that about one out of every four small businesses struggle when it comes to IT issues.

"Struggle" might be a generous term, actually, since the IT Effectiveness Index Mid-Year Report 2009 indicates that almost one-fourth of businesses deserve a D or an F in terms of IT grades.  Another 37 percent of small businesses are supposed to rate Cs, too.

Much of this seems to have been caused by the recession.  With less money floating around, the concept of blowing more than $1,000 on a machine that sits under a desk (or much more than $1,000 if you're looking at multiple devices or top-tier models) is hard to accept.

But it won't do to let yourself fall too far behind, as a press release stated, "[M]ore than two-thirds of the small businesses responding to the survey indicated that IT and Web commerce are the foundations that enable their business success."

And if you're wondering what, precisely, "too far" is, it may interest you to know that "[t]he ITEI program offers a free online benchmarking tool for small businesses to audit their IT effectiveness, and explore best practices and affordable options and alternatives for improving or maintaining effective IT standards.  In addition, the ITEI will begin providing survey participants with free peer comparisons based on company size and industry."