Determining the level of usage of information systems in selected small businesses

Abstract

When starting a new business, the owner has the vision to grow the business to a large corporate enterprise. In the small business stage, many challenges face the management of such businesses though. The influence of the external environment pushes the business from one side to the other. It is at this point where a true entrepreneur takes control and uses all necessary skills to succeed in generating the expected return on the invested money. One of the skills in the management armour of the small business manager is the ability to use information as a management tool. To gain insight into the dynamics of information management, a detailed literature study was done on all the aspects relevant to the topic. Previous research studies were taken into account to form a broad understanding of the study field. To determine the use of management information in small businesses as a tool in decision–making activities, a qualitative research study was done. The outcome of this study shows that there is a good understanding of the advantages of using management information as a decision–making tool, but that application does not happen to its full extent in practice. The management of data seems to be not very recent in small businesses. The objectives of the study was to determine the use of information, as well as the possibility of creating a communal information bureau, to assist in the availability of relevant data in the information support process. Certain recommendations were made in terms of the direct results and conclusions raised by the empirical study. Future studies can be done to determine the feasibility of communal data warehouses and data bureaus.