Entrepreneur's Guide to Managing Information Technology

Software. Hardware. Networks. Wireless. Entrepreneurs face a bewildering array of choices and decisions when it comes to incorporating technology into the fabric of their businesses. Yet nothing could be more important these days. Aligning information technology (IT) with business strategy is essential to meet and beat the competition. As business strategy and technology expert CJ Rhoads shows, managing information technology effectively is an essential skill that all entrepreneurs must develop, just as they develop skills in sales or finance. However, due to the immaturity of the IT industry, making good decisions about information technology is very difficult. Reliable and unbiased information is hard to find, and technical people are often unable to convey information in a way that makes sense to entrepreneurs. The Entrepreneur's Guide to Managing Information Technology to the rescue!

Software. Hardware. Networks. Wireless. Entrepreneurs face a bewildering array of choices and decisions when it comes to incorporating technology into the fabric of their businesses. Yet nothing could be more important these days. Aligning information technology (IT) with business strategy is essential to meet and beat the competition. As business strategy and technology expert CJ Rhoads shows, managing information technology effectively is an essential skill that all entrepreneurs must develop, just as they develop skills in sales or finance. However, due to the immaturity of the IT industry, making good decisions about information technology is very difficult. Reliable and unbiased information is hard to find, and technical people are often unable to convey information in a way that makes sense to entrepreneurs. The Entrepreneur's Guide to Managing Information Technology to the rescue!

Caroline Geck - Library Journal

Information Technology (IT) refers to the people, processes, hardware, and software that determine the flow of information within an organization. Companies today can achieve competitive advantages only by ensuring that their IT strategies align with their overall business strategies and propel their businesses forward. The task of formulating technology plans is a complex endeavor, however, and it is further complicated by the tendency of ineffective IT strategies, including badly timed implementations, to jeopardize current and future income and opportunities and hamper the viability of new entrepreneurships. Rhoads (business, Kutztown Univ.), president and CEO of a technology consulting firm, uses stories from her experiences and quirky language-e.g., "pounce like a panther," "the hedgehog concept," and the "bleeding edge"-to stress the importance of executives continually reexamining their IT strategies, and she provides them with practical guidance and methods to minimize risks and maximize benefits. This book is an essential read for business professionals at all levels and can be used as a textbook alternative for an introduction to the management of technology in academic business programs.

CJ RHOADS is a well-known guru, speaker, and author on making better decisions about business strategy and technology. Rhoads is the founder of ETM Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in enterprise decision making, management, and technology. She's also an Associate Professor in the College of Business at Kutztown University, as well as the author of over a hundred published articles, dozens of manuals and whitepapers, and two books.