A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD

For years, small businesses were at a technological disadvantage. New tools are changing the dynamic, Constant Contact's Frank Vella tells us.

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Not long ago, the technologies that make business easier were available only to the big firms. Small businesses had access to some tech, of course, but it was dramatically different in scope and scale from what their larger competitors had on hand. The playing field has leveled, and those small businesses that take advantage gain a leg up.

“Today, there are tools that serve up exactly what your bigger competitors have in a way that’s tailored for consumption by a small business, smaller footprint, smaller technology need,” Frank Vella, CEO of Constant Contact, told Reboot. “A small business that has learned how to embrace those competitive tools does better. Advancing technology has made technology accessible and that continues to accelerate at a very rapid pace.”

These tools have helped small businesses persevere, as they always seem to do, through uncertainty.

A CAUTIOUS APPROACH

With the large-scale introduction of tariffs on imports and other market shakeups, small businesses have been taking a cautious approach in 2025.

"They have no other alternative than to be cautious right now," Vella said.

He said through the first half of the year, SMBs had been pleasantly surprised with their fortunes. They were faring better than they anticipated in January, if not as well as projections based on 2024 might have indicated.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the last five years of surviving Covid, inflation, and recession fears have taught entrepreneurs valuable lessons in versatility and resilience.