With the world of technology growing exponentially, it can be tempting to try and abstain from it and rely on the good old ways of running a business. The brick and mortar will always be a classic, and still important for many small business owners.

However, it is becoming more and more urgent for small businesses to embrace these developments in technology, and understand that not taking action to do so ends up being more costly than investing in an agency to get it started.

What was once a landscape of five-year strategies and long-term IT plans is evolving into a continuous evolution of digital capabilities, which pushes businesses to rethink their fundamental views on customers, competitors, products, and partners. Technology is no longer just supporting the business or enabling operations. Rather, it is a strategic weapon and differentiator. Forward-thinking businesses know that constant reinvention with technology as an enabler and key to success.

Small business success is increasingly tied to technology. Those that view technology as critical to improving business outcomes are outpacing their peers in terms of business growth. According to SMB Group’s 2015 SMB Routes to Market Study, 29% of small businesses view technology as helping them to significantly improve business outcomes.

These “progressive” ones are 18% more likely to forecast revenue increases than their peers. By using technology to streamline workflows, slash time spent on repetitive data entry and inefficient processes, gain better insights into opportunities and threats, and create new business models, progressive small businesses are well positioned to tap into new customer requirements, improve customer engagement and experience, and enter new markets, which will enable them to outpace their peers.