[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Introduction” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
If time is such a precious resource for small business owners, why isn\u2019t more of it spent on high-value, high-impact work?<\/p>\n
A survey of small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) shows that SMBs spend an average of 120 working days per year on administrative tasks (CPA<\/a>). For perspective, that\u2019s roughly 48% of the working year dedicated to non-core activities.<\/p>\n Brendan King, CEO of Vendasta, not only thinks this is a major problem for local businesses\u2014he thinks the situation is becoming even more challenging. Taking other factors into account, it\u2019s likely that SMBs today are only spending about \u201c33% of the time practicing their craft,\u201d King says. \u201cThe rest of the time they\u2019re trying to make the business work.\u201d<\/p>\n So how can SMBs flip the script and redirect their efforts towards meaningful, high-value work? And how can digital marketing providers become the local experts and guides responsible for getting them there?<\/p>\n The challenge lies in making technology easy, accessible, and affordable.<\/p>\n Keep reading to explore how King insights on democratizing technology for SMBs and what\u2019s next for Vendasta\u2019s vision.<\/p>\n [et_pb_section global_module=\"112902 \"][\/et_pb_section]<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Firsthand experiences as a local business owner” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Speak to King for only a few minutes and his passion for small businesses shines through. In fact, one of the first statements in the \u2018About\u2019 section on his LinkedIn page<\/a> decries how local businesses \u201care getting Starbucked, Amazoned, and Walmarted.\u201d<\/p>\n It may come as no surprise that King used to be a small business owner himself, as well as an entrepreneur selling to small businesses.<\/p>\n \u201cMy first business [in the late 80s] was a clothing store I started in school, selling colorful shorts from the factory my dad worked at,\u201d King reminisces. \u201cWe sold to all the university clubs\u2014it was a hit!\u201d<\/p>\n And with a name like \u2018Son of a Beach,\u2019 how could it not be?<\/p>\n Though the store\u2019s success was short lived, King credits the experience for teaching him essential business lessons at a young age:<\/p>\n And keep going he did.<\/p>\n In the 90s, King founded (and later sold) two computer retail operations, Delron Computers and CompuSmart. But he didn’t just sell tech. He immersed himself in the unique challenges faced by his primary clientele\u2014small and medium-sized local businesses. The stories and struggles he encountered impacted King\u2019s holistic understanding of SMB pain points.<\/p>\n Fast-forward to the 2000s, and King entered the software space with Point2 Realty Solutions, which he helped grow to a global network of over 165,000 agents and brokers in 85 countries.<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s vibrant shorts, cutting-edge computers, or dynamic real estate solutions, the through line connecting King’s ventures up to the present as the CEO of Vendasta remains a deep commitment to local businesses.<\/p>\n The core purpose of Vendasta, according to King, is to democratize technology for these businesses by making it:<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”How is the way SMBs buy technology broken?” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n The question, to King, is related to Vendasta\u2019s aforementioned core purpose. In order to level the playing field, technology implementation needs to check these three boxes\u2014easy, accessible, affordable. And it often doesn\u2019t, putting SMBs at a disadvantage.<\/p>\n Lacking time, money, and expertise, local businesses are often struggling to find and implement technology on their own in an increasingly fragmented tech landscape.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_testimonial author=”Brendan King” job_title=”CEO” company_name=”Vendasta” portrait_url=”\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/07\/Brendan-King.webp” quote_icon_background_color=”#3b9a62″ admin_label=”Testimonial – Brendan King” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” body_text_color=”gcid-body-color” author_text_color=”gcid-heading-color” position_text_color=”gcid-body-color” company_text_color=”gcid-body-color” max_width=”95%” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{%22gcid-body-color%22:%91%22body_text_color%22,%22position_text_color%22,%22company_text_color%22%93,%22gcid-heading-color%22:%91%22author_text_color%22%93}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n \u201cThe big guys can hire entire teams whose sole purpose is implementing technology to make big companies more efficient. What you can do for SMBs is democratize that same technology by making it easy, accessible, and affordable by partnering with a technology provider that streamlines it through one system of record.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_text admin_label=”How is the way SMBs buy technology broken? – Remaining Text” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Other tell-tale signs that the way SMBs buy technology is broken?<\/p>\n This last part is crucial. Vendor clutter leads to inefficiencies, miscommunications, and misalignment, often setting SMBs back further.<\/p>\n In King\u2019s mind, when something goes wrong, an SMB should know exactly who to talk to. When something goes right, they should know how to replicate it. Sounds simple, but it\u2019s easier said than done.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why we’re trying to build an ecosystem where a small business can deal with one trusted expert, and that expert works in tandem with vendors,\u201d King continues. \u201cOur system is the system of record for all communications and data, making it easy for small businesses to keep everything streamlined.\u201d<\/p>\n With this vision, Vendasta\u2019s goal of democratizing technology for SMBs goes hand in hand with empowering the trusted experts (also referred to as Vendasta\u2019s channel partners) to offer a comprehensive range of technology solutions.<\/p>\n So if the DIY approach is impossible to scale, and bringing in outside help often leads to confusion and communication overload, why don\u2019t SMBs simply work with one digital expert that works in tandem with vendors to deliver a high-quality solution?<\/p>\n The main obstacle is the widespread fragmentation of software, services, and trusted experts.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are so many options now,\u201d King says. He breaks down the challenge in three ways.<\/p>\n Trust is paramount, but sometimes word-of-mouth can lead to dead ends and wasted time.<\/p>\n A small business\u2019s trusted accountant is not necessarily going to know how to point them in the direction of a best-in-class digital marketing expert, for example.<\/p>\n With so many options, it\u2019s tough for SMBs to know who to trust or what they truly need. Decision paralysis<\/a> can put businesses behind on innovations and trends.<\/p>\n Even if SMBs do manage to find the help they need, that individual might be focused in a particular niche or vertical. Whether it\u2019s ecommerce, advertising, or content marketing, once the SMB inevitably has more problems to solve, it might mean adding a new provider into the mix.<\/p>\n And starting the whole time-consuming process over again.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Tactics for local experts bridging the technology gap” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n There is much to be gained by becoming the trusted expert that fixes the broken process for SMBs and unifies it into a cohesive whole. \u201cVendors come through you [as the channel partner], white-labeled under your brand, for an easy, accessible, affordable experience for SMB clients,\u201d King says.<\/p>\n Yet shifting a local business\u2019s perspective can be tricky. How do you deepen relationships and get clients to rely on their tech providers as trusted experts rather than salespeople or vendors?<\/p>\n King suggests that building a strong relationship with clients involves empathy, genuine care, and above all, curiosity about their problems. In other words, a people-first approach\u2014even as a technology provider.<\/p>\n \u201cYou need to fall in love with your clients\u2019 problems first and foremost,\u201d King says. \u201cThen be curious, agile, and driven about solving them.\u201d<\/p>\n Channel partners that focus on solving customer problems rather than just pushing their own solutions will avoid the common pitfall of over-emphasizing the technology and losing sight of the bigger picture.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s like trying to tighten a screw by using a hammer,\u201d King continues. \u201cA technology-first approach can actually hinder progress rather than accelerate it.\u201d<\/p>\n Here\u2019s another analogy. If you\u2019re changing a light bulb, you don’t necessarily need a tool\u2014just a clear understanding of what needs to be done.<\/p>\n From King\u2019s experience, clients aren\u2019t always right about what they need (and that\u2019s okay!). \u201cYour role as their guide is to listen, assess, and diagnose situations to uncover the real root of their problems,\u201d King says.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t, you risk making the situation worse.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I had my retail computer store and was selling to small businesses, customers would come in and say, \u2018I need an accounting package,\u2019\u201d King recounts. But by asking follow-up questions to better understand the customer\u2019s problem, he\u2019d discover that the real issue was that they had no processes in place to implement the accounting software.<\/p>\n Simply adding more technology on top of a separate underlying problem will only make things worse. It\u2019s the recipe for a quick win and immediate sale that will cut the client relationship short in the long run.<\/p>\n SMBs can be all over the charts when it comes to how comfortable they are with technology. So how can local experts serve businesses with varying degrees of tech savviness? King has the elephant idiom at the ready. \u201cTrying to implement 10 new tech solutions all at once would be overwhelming for most,\u201d regardless of their savvines, he adds.<\/p>\n Prioritization is also essential. \u201cTo go back to \u2018one bite at a time,\u2019\u201d King says, \u201cI would start small and solve the biggest problem first, then earn the trust of the customer.\u201d<\/p>\n AI is more than a technological buzzword\u2014it’s an undercurrent shaping the future of work. But it\u2019s not some new phenomenon. \u201cThough it\u2019s been around a long time, we\u2019re experiencing a paradigm shift [with AI],\u201d King explains. Why now?<\/p>\n Because AI has been made easy, accessible, and affordable.<\/p>\n This newfound accessibility can be traced back to initiatives like those from OpenAI, which released their large language model, ChatGPT, for free testing to the general public. No longer the domain of data scientists and machine learning engineers, AI has been thrust into the mainstream, becoming an accessible tool to accelerate business outputs.<\/p>\n And when it comes to business, AI is already helping reduce the cognitive load in tasks like research, draft creation, and image selection. \u201cSomething that took six hours, now takes a fraction of the time. AI can do the research, summarize the data, and local experts can help businesses put it into action<\/a>,\u201d King says.<\/p>\n But this is just the tip of the iceberg.<\/p>\n By analyzing large volumes of data, AI can provide personalized insights and recommendations, enhancing overall business operations. This means local experts can offer clients previously unimaginable services, driving better results and deeper understanding.<\/p>\nFirsthand experiences as a local business owner<\/h2>\n
Early wins, early lessons<\/h3>\n
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From local business owner to SMB champion<\/h3>\n
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How is the way SMBs buy technology broken?<\/h2>\n
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Obstacles that hinder meaningful tech adoption<\/h3>\n
1. Business owners don\u2019t know where to turn.<\/h4>\n
2. The market is oversaturated.<\/h4>\n
3. There\u2019s more fragmentation than ever.<\/h4>\n
Tactics for local experts bridging the technology gap<\/h2>\n
1. \u201cFall in love with your clients\u2019 problems\u201d<\/h3>\n
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2. \u201cThe customer\u2019s not always right\u201d<\/h3>\n
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3. \u201cHow do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time\u201d<\/h3>\n
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4. \u201cDemocratizing technology with AI\u201d<\/h3>\n