Melinda has just graduated with a master's degree in information technology and has been having trouble finding a corporate job. None of the large companies she has contacted have job openings in her field

So Melinda decides to try marketing her services to some of her home town businesses. These businesses have been very slow to adopt new technology. For instance, the local hardware store runs just like it did thirty years ago, with an aging cash register and paper-based bookkeeping. She plans to talk with the store's owner about hiring her part time as its IT specialist to modernize the store's systems. What objections might the hardware store owner have to the idea of hiring an IT specialist, and what should Melinda say to convince the owner of the store that she can help increase the store's sales?

Small business owners may be reluctant to invest in IT because they often think they don't need it or think they can't afford it. Melinda can help the hardware store owner improve his sales by suggesting certain affordable technology tools to attract new business and make it more convenient for customers to do business with the store. These might include:
• Creating a company website and email account so that the owner would better be able to stay in touch with his customers by using this technology.
• Upgrade to computerized cash registers, which would help employees process the sale and exchange of goods more efficiently.
As the store owner sees positive results from these initial IT enhancements, he may become interested in more sophisticated tools, such as a database management system that could help him collect data about customers and the business and use that information to make optimal choices about products he should carry, marketing campaigns, and management of inventory.