Surprise! Smaller Companies Are Cheap On Tech SpendingSurprise! Smaller Companies Are Cheap On Tech Spending

In a stunning validation of the stereotype, a new survey shows that keeping a lid on spending is the top technology challenge facing businesses with under 1,000 employees.According the the CTIA survey, 37% worried about IT their technology budget while 26% complained about the high cost of IT maintenance.

What worries me is that it's not until you get to third place that you see any concern for productivity, with 24% ranking that as their top concern.

That's followed by extending the life of current systems (20%), and finding the right vendors and solution providers (15%).

I don't know about you, but sometimes even famously frugal small (and midsize) businesses can be too cheap. Sure, it's important not to waste your technology investments. But if trying to hold the line on IT spending causes your business to miss sales or waste money on low-productivity in other areas, you're actually losing money. Technology isn't just a cost center, it's a strategic opportunity. Or at least it should be.

What do you think? What's your biggest IT challenge?