"Every day, I feel like we're playing defense. We're constantly getting barraged by threats: phishing attempts, malware, ransomware. And we don't have an in-house IT department to handle these. It feels as though one click is a disaster waiting to happen. Cybersecurity solutions do not come cheap. Not having them could potentially cost us everything. "

"I worry every day about the security of our data. We do not have any resources to protect it against the sophisticated attacks like those by large companies."

"Our IT budget is always very tight. So we are constantly juggling to spend some on new technologies and keeping the business running smoothly."

"I just wish that we could upgrade our systems regularly because, honestly, there will always be some other financial priority."

"When we first started, our IT setup ran like a dream. But as we've grown, we have outgrown our systems and now feel like everything's breaking down or causing bottlenecks. Whether it's slow servers or tools that do not scale, it's a constant fight to keep up with our own growth. And upgrading is never as simple—or as affordable—as we wish it would be."

"The more our business grows, the greater our IT needs, so it is very challenging to scale and increase without breaking the bank."

"It's like looking for a needle in a haystack when it comes to finding competent IT talent, but it feels even more impossible when you are competing with the large companies who can offer better pay and benefits. "We need to have a good sense of our business, but then help keep ahead of that curve on the tech side; however, hiring and retaining is nearly impossible on our budget so I end up helping to manage more IT issues-myself which isn't really my forte-it's a real drain on my time and energy."

"Our IT department is absolutely overworked and spread too thin. It's hard to attract and retain talent when we can't offer the same perks as bigger firms."