What small business technology research says to prioritise

What the research tells us about technology priorities

For a small business, deciding where to invest in technology can be difficult when you're also managing costs, customers and day-to-day operations.

Telstra's Business Tech State of Play research found that 58% of business owners considered using digital technologies to become more efficient a priority. It also found that 69% agreed technology was about more than efficiency and had become part of how businesses compete.

Yet only 48% expected to increase their use of technology over the following one to two years.

What could this mean for your business?

Instead of starting with a particular technology, start with the problem you need to solve.

Ask:

• What's taking too much time?
• Where are customers experiencing friction?
• Which manual tasks could be improved?
• What problem would make the biggest difference if we solved it?

Customer experience is one example. In the research, 72% of customers surveyed said they were less likely to buy from a business if its website wasn't up to date, while more than half of businesses did not prioritise updating their website.

The goal isn't to adopt more technology for the sake of it. It's to identify where technology could provide practical value to your business.

Get your technology foundations right

Emerging technology gets plenty of attention, but the research suggests businesses were also focused on getting the foundations right.

When asked which technologies could have the most positive impact over the following one to two years, respondents selected:

• fast, reliable and secure internet connectivity: 57%
• cyber security solutions: 34%
• digital payment technologies: 28%
• cloud-based communications services: 27%
• artificial intelligence: 27%.

Before adding another platform or tool, consider the technology your business already relies on.

Ask whether:

• your connectivity meets your current needs
• essential systems and devices are working reliably
• there are security gaps to address
• existing technology can support any new tools you're considering.

This can help you prioritise the foundations before adding more complexity.

Make cyber security part of the plan

Using more digital technology can also create risks that need to be considered.

The research found 61% of businesses were concerned about data and privacy risks associated with having a greater digital presence.

Cyber security should therefore be considered alongside other technology decisions.

Start with practical basics such as the data, accounts, devices and services your business relies on. Then consider safeguards including passwords or passkeys, multi-factor authentication, software updates, backups, access controls, staff awareness and incident preparation.

Explore cyber security basics for small business for practical guidance. The current guide covers account protection, MFA, updates, backups, access management, staff awareness and incident preparation.

Explore AI with a clear purpose

Almost half of the businesses surveyed were already using AI or considering using it in the near future. However, only 7% were actively using AI across a broad range of use cases at the time of the research.  

Of the businesses already using AI, 64% believed adopting it was important to remaining competitive over the following five years.

What should your business consider?

Start with a specific business problem or task where AI could potentially help.

Then consider:

• what outcome you're trying to achieve
• what information the AI tool can access
• potential privacy and security risks
• how people will review its outputs.

If you're still working out where AI could fit, read our guide to AI for small business. The guide covers potential uses of AI as well as considerations around strategy, experimentation, human oversight and data security.  

Build your team's digital skills

Technology is only part of the equation. Your team also needs the skills and confidence to use it.

The research found 79% of workers wanted to develop more digital skills, while only 39% of businesses offered training in this area.  

When introducing or reviewing technology, consider whether employees need training in:

• the tools they use regularly
• safely handling business information
• cyber security awareness
• new technology being introduced into the workplace.

Building capability alongside technology can help your team use the tools available to them more confidently.

Decide where to invest first

More than half of respondents, 54%, said it was difficult to keep up with technology developments and know what to invest in. A further 40% wanted more support to use digital technology effectively.  

Amanda Hutton, Group Executive, Telstra Business, said:

“Australian businesses are adaptable and entrepreneurial by nature, but they need help keeping up with the pace of change and prioritising what to invest in. In an environment where there’s no time or money to waste, businesses need good support and advice to adopt technology that will deliver the highest returns for their business.”

If you're facing the same challenge, bring the decision back to what your business needs.

Before investing, ask:

• What problem are we trying to solve?
• What outcome do we want?
• What technology do we already have?
• What security or business risks should we consider?
• Will our team need additional skills or support?
• How will we know if the investment is working?

You don't need to change everything at once. Start with the area where technology could address the clearest business need.

If managing technology is taking time away from your business, explore how managed IT services can help small and medium businesses. The current guide covers networks, devices, software, backup, cyber security and technology support.  

Explore the full Tech State of Play report

The research looks more broadly at changing business priorities, productivity, technologies that business leaders believe could have a positive impact and considerations for prioritising technology investments.  

Explore the Tech State of Play report

Article originally published July 2024, last updated November 2026.