Avoiding being left in the dust

Paul Clinton

Martha Daniel has seen firsthand how important technology can be

in driving the expansion of a small business.

Daniel, the president and chief executive of a Costa Mesa-based

information technology services company, offers her services to

companies and public agencies still looking to jump into the tech

age.

Daniel, an African American, was also one of a handful of local

business owners who participated in a Merrill Lynch survey released

in November that explored the success rates of minority-owned small

businesses with and without tech savvy attitudes.

Businesses in Orange and Los Angeles counties were surveyed.

Of the 1,014 businesses included, 51% use “the latest computer

technology,” while only 38% use the Internet for commerce.

“There’s a strong connection between a small business’ use of

technology and their ability to grow,” said Garrett Gin, Merrill

Lynch’s community development vice president. “There is a competitive

advantage to using technology in running a small business.”

The survey -- “Minority Business Enterprises: Gaining the Tech

Advantage” -- also reported that African-American businesses used

up-to-date computer technology at a far higher rate than other racial

or ethnic groups, including whites.

Businesses that use these technology, the survey reported, show a

“marked improvement in their business growth compared to those that

do not.” Tech-oriented businesses were more successful at increasing

revenue and adding new jobs, the survey said.

The survey stems from a larger survey known as the Minority

Business Atlas, which Merrill Lynch commissioned in 2000.

Daniel, who also partook in an Orange County Business Council

workshop on a spinoff of that study, has owned and run privately-held

Information Management Resources Inc. out of a South Coast Drive

office for five years. She started IMRI, as it is known, in Irvine a

decade ago.

For a fee, Daniel proposes ways to integrate technology with the

day-to-day workings of companies, as well as some municipalities.

Another Costa Mesa technology provider, SolidSource, provides

software to help streamline the operation of veterinary clinics.

Kirti Vola, president and chief executive of SolidSource,

developed the proprietary software PracticeVeterinary, an integrated

Web-based software package that allows clinics to manage

appointments, medical records, prescriptions, payroll and other

tasks.

Vola started his Red Hill Avenue business, which is also privately

held, with five other founders in 1999.

Vola, who developed the software in his native India, also agreed

with the findings of the study.

“If you don’t develop technology, you will be left out,” Vola

said. “All business needs technology.”

* PAUL CLINTON covers the environment, business and politics. He

may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at

paul.clinton@latimes.com.