By Guest commentary Friday, May 22nd, 2026

By Jodi Duva

National Small Business Week is an opportunity to celebrate the resilience and impact of small businesses in our Santa Barbara community. It’s also a moment to pause and reflect on the realities these businesses face as they grow in an increasingly digital-first economy 

Today’s small businesses — 36.2 million strong by U.S. Small Business Administration estimates — are expected to move faster, respond instantly to customers, support flexible work models and remain always connected. 

Whether they’re expanding into new markets or reimagining how they serve their communities, one reality remains constant: small businesses can only grow as fast as their operational and technology foundations allow. 

We see entrepreneurs using technology every day as a practical tool to strengthen day-to-day operations and support long-term success. Here are a few examples of how this has played out for small businesses across the country that partner with Cox Business. 

HIDDEN COST OF ‘MAKING DO’ WITH LEGACY SYSTEMS

Despite the positive influence technology can have on business, many delay technology upgrades to manage costs. But outdated systems often create hidden or unexpected expenses that are far more disruptive than the investment required to modernize.

These costs can show up as downtime that interrupts customer interactions, missed sales opportunities caused by slow or unreliable systems and growing employee frustration as workarounds become part of the daily routine.

Fredericksburg, Virginia-based Matern Staffing experienced these challenges firsthand as demand for its services increased. 

As the third-generation, women-owned company expanded beyond its regional roots, unreliable connectivity and limited support from a previous provider began disrupting candidate intake and call handling. 

Internet outages became so severe that employees were occasionally forced to work from home on personal connections, introducing risk in a business where speed and responsiveness are critical.

After modernizing its connectivity and communications, Matern Staffing gained reliable fiber internet and a cloud-based phone system that allowed calls to route seamlessly across devices and locations. 

The result was immediate operational stability and zero dropped applications during candidate intake. Plus, the team then had the ability to scale confidently into multiple states and support significant growth without sacrificing service quality.

GROWTH REQUIRES TECH THAT SCALES WITH BUSINESS 

Small business growth doesn’t fail because of a lack of ambition. It fails when infrastructure can’t keep pace.

As organizations add locations, employees and customers, scalable operations depend on reliable connectivity and flexible communications that support hybrid work without constant manual fixes just to keep systems running.

That reality became clear for Arrow Stage Lines, a family-owned transportation company with operations across the United States. 

As the Nebraska-based motorcoach business expanded nationally and served time-sensitive customers, its centralized, on-premises server environment became a growing liability. Outages and system limitations created risk and slowed responsiveness across locations.

By migrating to a secure, cloud-based IT environment with RapidScale, a Cox Business company focused on managed services, Arrow Stage Lines unlocked real-time operations across all locations and established an IT foundation designed to support long-term growth.

TECH AS AN ENABLER, NOT A DISTRACTION

When technology works as it should, it fades into the background, allowing business owners to focus on their customers and the communities they serve instead of troubleshooting systems.

That balance is essential for Las Vegas-based Mothership Coffee Roasters, a mission-driven café designed to function as a true community hub for entrepreneurs, remote workers and creatives. Mothership is more than a place to grab coffee. 

It serves as a shared workspace where reliable, high-capacity internet is critical to the experience. 

Rather than managing IT complexity herself, the owner partnered with Cox Business to ensure consistent, scalable connectivity across bustling café environments. With technology handled behind the scenes, the focus remains on the community.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT TECH PARTNER MATTERS

Small business owners need partners who understand their challenges and can grow alongside them. When evaluating, entrepreneurs should prioritize teams that bring reliable, responsive solutions that scale as the business evolves.

From staffing firms and transportation companies to neighborhood cafés, small businesses benefit most when they’re supported by partners who understand both industry pressures and local context. These partnerships matter most when they’re built for long-term success, not short-term fixes.

IS Y0UR TECH POWERING GROWTH OR GETTING IN THE WAY?

National Small Business Week serves as both a celebration and a checkpoint. It’s a moment for business owners to ask whether their technology is actively helping them grow or quietly holding them back.

Small businesses are the backbone of our local economies. When they’re equipped with strong, scalable foundations, they’re better positioned to innovate, expand and continue serving their communities for years to come.

• Jodi Duva is the vice president of Sales/Sales Operations for Orange County, Palos Verdes and Santa Barbara markets for Cox Communications.