Navigating Digital Transformation in Small Businesses
Om Jani
College: Hennings College of Science Mathematics and Technology
Major: BS.COMPUTER/SCI
Faculty Research Mentor: Kocoglu, Ipek
Abstract:
Title: Navigating Digital Transformation in Small BusinessAuthor: Om JaniAbstract:Digital transformation has become a mandatory tool for business competitiveness, and small businesses are unable to operate with or apply digital technologies effectively. The given paper evaluates the key problems small businesses experience during the digital transformation process. It examines organizational, financial, technological, and cultural constraints that hinder the successful digitization and strategy. It is relevant to learn about these difficulties because they represent a significant part of the economic process and work, and their digitization affects their persistence and expansion over time.The study uses a mixed-methods approach to investigate the obstacles to online change among small businesses. Data will be collected through a survey approach, in which questionnaires will be mailed to 100 small business owners and managers across various industries, followed by a semi-structured interview to support the survey because technology adoption levels, perceived barriers, and digital readiness are among the variables to be measured in the study. The qualitative information from the interviews provides additional data on organizational culture, attitudes toward leadership, and the obstacles to practical implementation.The paper envisions the most significant challenges as financial constraints, a lack of digital capabilities, eagerness to learn, cybersecurity, and deteriorating infrastructure. It assumes that companies that are more invested in leadership and strategic planning are more successful in digital adoption.The research helps understand the exceptional character of the effect of resource limitations on small enterprises in the digital transformation process. The findings will be used to train policymakers, consultants, and business owners in strategies for supporting sustainable digital development in a small-business environment.Keywords: Digital Transformation, Small Businesses, Technology Adoption, Organizational Change, Innovation Barriers