Small-Business Tech Needs Revealed at Last

A new study says small-business owners are relying on themselves or friends and family to fix their computers because they don't trust third-party service providers.

Support.com, an online personal tech support company based in Redwood City, California, released the findings as part of its report on what small companies want—and don't want—from their tech support.

"A majority of the focus group participants admitted that their concerns about professional IT help have led them to fix technology issues themselves or to rely on friends or family members for help. As a result, their computers may not be getting the proper routine maintenance it needs," Support.com said. It found that when given the option, small-business owners clearly preferred having their computers fixed securely and remotely by a trained professional. And if the work can be done without any loss of productivity, why, all the better. Funny, that's exactly what Support.com claims to do!

Here's another option for small-business owners with kids age 12 or older: Let your teenager fix the computer for free! They already have access to your data anyway.