Microsoft Targets Small Businesses With Free Solutions, Services

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Microsoft is partnering with startup accelerators and other shared working spaces across the country to offer free hands-on training and access to products and services for small businesses. The outreach program is part of Microsoft’s effort to enable growing technology businesses, particularly in the software space.

Chief Technology Strategist Dan Stolts said Microsoft is offering a variety of tools ’including cloud services free to businesses, startup businesses.’

Businesses that qualify have made less than $1 million and have existed less than five years, and Microsoft is particularly interested in software and product developers.

’That’s really what the programs are targeted at. In a nutshell, through various different programs Microsoft is giving away about $360,000 worth of software and services to these startup businesses. And their hope is down the road people use the platform and learn the platform and realize that on the Microsoft platform they can grow and build their business,’ said Stolts.

Stolts said most of the small businesses Microsoft has targeted operate on a ’shoestring’ budget, and these free solutions enable them to grow much more rapidly into the larger SMB companies Microsoft enjoys partnering with.

He said it’s crucial for Microsoft to have a relationship with the ’massive’ startup community locally and nationally. ’There are so many more companies, small companies, than big companies,’ he said.

Companies interested in Microsoft’s free program can get more information at BuildYourBiz.org.

PUBLISHED APRIL 16, 2015