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Theoretical and Applied Economics
Reference:

Overview of modern digital practices for small business management

Prygunova Mariya Igorevna

ORCID: 0000-0003-4290-6487

PhD in Economics

Leading Researcher of the Department of Qualitative Research of GBU "Center for Advanced Economic Research of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan", Associate Professor of the Department of General Management of Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University

420111, Russia, respublika Tatarstan, g. Kazan', ul. Karla Marksa, 23/6, of. 1004

mariya.prigunova@tatar.ru
Other publications by this author
 

 
Tumakov Il'yas Kamilovich

Student, Department of General Management, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University

420111, Russia, respublika Tatarstan, g. Kazan', ul. Butlerova, 4

iktumakov@stud.kpfu.ru

DOI:

10.25136/2409-8647.2022.4.38393

EDN:

MAWPKK

Received:

05-07-2022


Published:

06-01-2023


Abstract: The object of the study is digital programs used by small enterprises for business management. At the beginning of the article, the authors dwell in detail on the very concept of small and medium-sized entrepreneurship, present existing approaches to the analysis of entrepreneurship and list the generally accepted criteria of a small enterprise in the Russian Federation. Further, the authors give arguments about the need to use digital technologies in doing business and give a brief overview of common small business management software. For small businesses, there are many such approaches and tools based on effective management of the company. Special attention is paid to the advantages of the programs under consideration, as well as possible ways of their application. The novelty of the research lies in highlighting the key advantages of the digital popular small business management programs presented in the article. Small business programs ensure that the entire organization of the company is synchronized, and the company's activities as a whole are effectively optimized. A special contribution of the authors to the study of the topic is an attempt to divide small business management tools into thematic groups in the following areas: customer relations, cloud collaboration, electronic billing, social networks, marketing, accounting, project management. The main conclusion of the study is the fact that small businesses are not lagging behind large ones in the application of innovative technologies for business process management.


Keywords:

entrepreneurship, small business criteria, business management, digital technologies, customer relationship, cloud collaboration, electronic invoicing, social media management, project management, effective management

This article is automatically translated.

IntroductionOne of the most important components of the market economy is small business.

The development of small businesses contributes to economic growth, reducing unemployment and saturating the markets of the economy as a whole. A large number of subjects of small enterprises increases competition between them, which is why each subject tries to increase competitiveness and take the most advantageous position for itself. Therefore, the application of various business management strategies is especially important for a small enterprise. Management needs to choose one or even several strategies that ensure the survival of the company in a tough competitive environment [1].Federal Law No. 209-FZ of July 24, 2007 "On the Development of small and Medium-sized businesses in the Russian Federation" provides a single definition for small and medium-sized businesses.

The Law states that small and medium-sized businesses are business entities (legal entities and individual entrepreneurs), classified in accordance with the conditions established by this Federal Law, to small enterprises, including microenterprises, and medium-sized enterprises, information about which is included in the unified register of small and medium-sized businesses [2].

Small business is one of the most complex and interesting socio-economic phenomena in science. At the same time, its importance cannot be overestimated, since small and medium-sized entrepreneurship is the leading sector that determines the economic growth rates of the region and the country as a whole, as well as the structure and quality of the gross national product [3].  In the current socio-economic conditions, small entrepreneurship is a key factor in social development and ensuring a consistently high level of employment of the population [4].

In the digital world, the main advantage of any enterprise is not its possession of a sufficient number of production factors, but the timely receipt of reliable and up-to-date information. Information in the global world is the main resource on the basis of which an enterprise must competently, rationally and timely make management decisions. That is why organizations, especially small businesses, should implement the most advanced and innovative management and control methods in their activities [5].

In 1996, the first popular science book dedicated to the concept of digitalization of the economy was published, the author of this work is Nicholas Negroponte, who in his work presented his proposals for the development of digital technologies and their further possible application [6].

 

The main partThe introduction of digital platforms and business models has formed the basis of sustainable competitive advantages by reducing costs and providing a better quality of "consumer experience".

While in 2018, companies that implemented digital transformation accounted for 16.6% of global GDP ($13.5 trillion), by 2023, their contribution is projected to be more than half ($53.3 trillion). Such potential benefits encourage businesses to use digital technologies more actively. It is expected that only the introduction of artificial intelligence in key sectors of the economy and social sphere will give an increase in value added from 3.5 to 5.8 trillion dollars [7].As part of the implementation of Decrees of the President of the Russian Federation dated May 7, 2018 No. 204 "On national goals and strategic objectives of the development of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2024" and dated 07/21/2020 No. 474 "On National Development Goals of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030", including in order to solve the problem of ensuring accelerated introduction of digital technologies in the economy and social sphere, the Government of the Russian Federation has formed the national program "Digital Economy of the Russian Federation" approved by the minutes of the meeting of the Presidium of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation on Strategic Development and National Projects dated June 4, 2019 No. 7 [8].

The main obstacles to the digitalization of medium and small businesses in Russia are the disinterest of company managers in the transition to digital format and the lack of funds for the introduction of digital technologies. This conclusion was made as part of a study conducted in 2019 by Otkritie Bank, Google, Mail.ru Group, the Moscow School of Management Skolkovo and RAEC, its operator was the Analytical Center NAFI. The first reason was indicated by 21%, the second by 20% of entrepreneurs interviewed during the study, in total, 580 senior employees of enterprises were interviewed during the All—Russian representative survey.

Also, among the advantages of digitalization, 34% of respondents indicated the convenience of controlling processes, and 33% — an increase in the speed of work. Despite the difficulties, 92% of entrepreneurs believe that digitalization gives business advantages [9].

A year later, a similar measurement of the business digitalization index was carried out, and it is equal to 50 points on a scale from 0 to 100 – this value has been maintained since February 2020. At the same time, 8% of companies in Russia as a whole have a high level of digitalization. Among medium–sized businesses, this share reaches 20%, among sole proprietors and micro–companies - 7-8%, among small enterprises - 17% [10].

Throughout 2021, many small businesses had to overcome enormous difficulties in order to continue their activities.  This year has become one of the most difficult for small businesses in history (Figure 1).

 

Figure 1 – Number of registered small business entities in Russia, units [11]

 

From this figure, it can be seen that the number of registered subjects of small structures in Russia during the study period has been constantly decreasing. In 2021, the smallest number of successfully functioning small-format enterprises was recorded, which amounted to 212,429 units, which is 21.34% less than in 2015.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, small businesses have faced a number of problems. Figure 2 shows the main ones.

 

Figure 2 – Small business problems since the beginning of the pandemic, % [12]

 

Many business owners say that the COVID-19 crisis has led to a loss of income (23%), while others complain about budget cuts (11%) and temporary closure (11%). Some enterprises had to reduce the salaries of their employees (10%).

Businesses seeking to recover from the pandemic should take into account new small business trends that are likely to persist. To fulfill this requirement, small business owners can take advantage of the listed areas of development, because continuous improvement helps the enterprise to function stably and successfully, increasing its key indicators.Researchers note that big business in Russia is actively engaged in digital transformation, but small and medium-sized businesses are not yet fully aware of the benefits of the digital economy for business processes, and also do not understand what place it occupies in the state program of digitalization of the economy.

Modern small business management tools include a large number of advanced technologies, consider the most common of them:1. Customer relationship management tools.

CRM programs can track almost every detail of the business that happens between a company and its customers, from their billing address to their preferred delivery day. CRM systems were first developed for large businesses with large sales departments, but now these systems are also available for small businesses. 

2. Cloud collaboration tools. Over the past decade, enterprises have realized that it is easier and cheaper to store information necessary for doing business on the Internet than on their own servers. This use of the Internet has become known as "cloud computing" or simply "cloud storage". If Gmail is used for email or files are stored on Google Drive, then the company's data is already in the cloud. Quickbooks offers accounting software that does not need to be installed on your computer, it has a version in the cloud. Newer accounting software such as Freshbooks and Xero are designed for cloud computing only. 

3. Electronic billing tools. Electronic billing tools can be used from a computer, tablet or smartphone, and many of them are based on cloud technologies, for example, an online checkout. This allows employees to send an invoice from the work site at any time, which reduces the time spent on interacting with counterparties. Electronic billing tools offer different options for small businesses and allow customers to send payments directly to the bank or through a specialized electronic payment system.

4. Social media management tools. Today, social networks are one of the platforms for promoting the company's products, finding new customers, increasing awareness and monitoring demand. There are many free or inexpensive social media management tools, such as Hootsuite and Buffer. Many of the best social media management tools are free at the level of use and most common in small businesses [13].

There are also specialized software for managing a small enterprise, which includes many controlled processes, namely:

1. Marketing. Small business marketing software can multiply the results of an ordinary marketer with the help of powerful tools that provide a deep understanding of customer data, which ultimately leads to an increase in potential and regular customers.

2. Accounting. If a small business manager needs to track transactions and the movement of incoming and outgoing money, modern accounting software and tools will help a small enterprise in this. With the help of such programs, it becomes possible not to keep an accountant on staff, the business owner will be able to generate all the necessary reports himself.

3. Project management. The main purpose of project management tools is to monitor teamwork and achieve an optimal level of productivity. Project management software and tools provide small businesses with services to ensure a balanced workload for teams and allow them to complete tasks at the appointed time [14].

In the modern era, the concept of virtual workplaces and remote work is developing. Small business programs guarantee that the entire organization of the company will be synchronized, and the company's activities as a whole will be effectively optimized [15]. This fact is confirmed by the analysis of existing programs both for very small companies that are just starting their activities, and for businesses that have decided to start scaling.

 

ResultsAs part of the study, the classification of the most common software products for small businesses with the possibility of obtaining a free or shareware trial version was carried out.

  Programs that are currently unavailable on the territory of the Russian Federation are excluded from the study. The results are summarized in table 1.Table 1 - Popular Small Business Management Software*

 

TitleDescription

Cost

Analogues and alternatives

Asana

Asana is a program that is one of the important tools for small businesses. It is used to focus on the set goals, projects and operational tasks of a business that is in the stage of growth. With this digital product, all tasks, regardless of their size, can be controlled in one place [16].

0 - $ 30.49 per month ($24.99 per user per month when paying once a year)

Planfix is a constructor that builds a management system for your own team or company.

nTask is a tool for small businesses that helps to effectively manage the company's tasks and projects.

Scrum Time is a project management system based on flexible methodologies: Scrum, Kanban, XP.

Brizo - CRM and Management Accounting in one simple tool. Allows you to manage the profitability of sales in CRM and the financial efficiency of the business.Trello

Trello, along with Asana, complements the troika of small business software. This program allows you to work together with teams, helps to visually organize and prioritize team projects. The program has a user-friendly interface.

0-17.5 $ per month.

WEEEK is a flexible and simple project and task management system based on the principle of weekly planning. In addition to the boards, which are not inferior in functionality to Trello boards, WEEEK has a calendar mode. Tasks from all projects can be viewed simultaneously.

Wrike is a large and comprehensive solution where many important features are hidden behind a paid subscription. For example, a built-in time tracker, reports, calendar mode (in the free version here, as in Trello, you can't view downloads for different projects in one place). The obvious disadvantage of the program is the cumbersome interface.

YouGile, like WEEEK, is a Russian service. But unlike WEEEK, it is focused exclusively on working according to the principles of Agile.  An unambiguous plus of YouGile is a concise and intuitive interface, whiteboards. Tasks can be viewed not only on the boards, but also on the Gantt chart. Tasks have a priority system and built-in chats (instead of comments).Rodeo Software

Rodeo Software is a project management tool designed to help small businesses optimize their profits while effectively working on timely project execution. It offers all the functions necessary for project management, without unnecessary complications (and costs). The tool has a simple interface, which is easy to navigate even for those who do not understand technology. It includes features such as budgeting, time tracking, task lists, and reporting that help you plan and execute projects efficiently and effectively.

From $ 29.99 per month for 1 user (free trial).

SendPulse is a simple CRM for small businesses, suitable for selling goods and services. It is aimed at users who have not yet worked with such services, but already want to streamline their transactions — switch to a centralized online system.

Megaplan is an enterprise management system. Automates routine business processes, keeps an event log, records calls, and sends reminders to responsible employees. The platform is integrated with end-to-end analytics, accounting and reporting programs.

MixMax

MixMax is a browser plugin that helps you track correspondence, schedule emails, and use sequences and reminders.

From $ 49 per month for 1 user (14-day free trial).

SalesHandy is a sales interaction platform. It provides email tracking, merging, document tracking and email scheduling.

Gmelius turns your Gmail/G Suite mailbox into your company's workspace.

Yesware is a universal sales tool. The program allows you to track emails and presentations, create templates, register calls in CRM and much more directly from the Inbox.

Datananas helps B2B companies increase sales through email sales sequencing.

Automate.io

Automate.io It allows you to connect various cloud applications that entrepreneurs use — marketing, sales, payments, web forms, collaboration, email and automate routine tasks.

You can create simple, unambiguous integrations or workflows from multiple applications. Automate.io Supports — Google Apps, Slack, Trello, Salesforce, Pipedrive, MailChimp, Infusionsoft, Zendesk, Quickbooks and more than 50 other popular applications [17].

$0-199 per month. There is a free tariff. The subscription price for the business tariff starts from $ 9.99 per user per month.

1C:Integrated automation is a program for building a unified information system at the enterprise, covering the main tasks of management and accounting;

Albato is a service that allows you to independently link more than a hundred different systems in five minutes: CRM, analytics, advertising management, messengers;

Webjack is a system that allows integrating various services and providing data exchange between them; ApiX-Drive is an online connector of various services and applications among themselves without programmers.

*compiled by the authors

 Another tool for small businesses is currently the Zoom video conferencing application, which is often used in the educational process or as part of interpersonal interaction. This program provides small businesses with the opportunities and means to conduct online meetings and webinars using video conferencing software built directly into the main messenger. The free Zoom plan allows you to hold an unlimited number of meetings in which up to 100 people can participate with a 40-minute limit.Conclusion

 

Based on the review of modern ideas about the state and problems of small business, we have once again confirmed the need to focus the attention of small business leaders on advanced management practices using digital technologies.

  The introduction of digital platforms and business models can form the basis of sustainable competitive advantages by reducing costs and improving quality. However, the disinterest of company managers in the transition to the digital format and the lack of funds for the introduction of new technologies may continue to restrain their development.Thus, having considered modern tools for managing a small enterprise, we can conclude that small business does not lag behind large ones in the possibilities of using advanced technologies for managing business processes.

To ensure a competitive advantage, rapid and stable development of the company's activities, it is necessary to switch to digital management. The table above contains a significant number of applications and programs, including from domestic developers, which can be used in small companies. In addition, due to the fact that small enterprises employ a small number of employees, such companies can use free or shareware programs as part of their activities. For small enterprises, there are many such approaches and tools based on the effective management of the firm, both foreign and Russian analogues.

References
1. Turenko B.G., Turenko T.A. On a new approach to the formation of a strategy for the development of small businesses // Izvestiya BSU. 2019. ¹3. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/o-novom-podhode-k-formirovaniyu-strategii-razvitiya-predpriyatiy-malogo-biznesa (date of access: 07/04/2022).
2. Federal Law No. 209-FZ of July 24, 2007 (as amended on August 03, 2018) “On the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses in the Russian Federation” (as amended and supplemented, effective from December 01, 2018) ) // Rossiyskaya Gazeta.-2007.-No. 164.
3. Prygunova M.I. Evaluation of the effectiveness of regional measures of state support for small and medium-sized businesses: on the example of the Republic of Tatarstan: dis. ... candidate of economic sciences: 08.00.05 / Prygunova Maria Igorevna; [Place of protection: Kazan. (Privolzh.) Feder. un-t].-Kazan, 2019.-122 p.
4. Vaypan V.A. Fundamentals, problems and new changes in the legal regulation of the activities of small and medium-sized businesses. Journal of Entrepreneurial and Corporate Law.-2016.-No. 2.-S. 9-16.
5. Pronyaeva, L. I. Management of the development of small business in the region / L. I. Pronyaeva, O. A. Fedotenkova // National interests: priorities and security.-2020.-T. 16.-No. 3 (384).-S. 496.
6. Negroponte, N. (1995). Being digital. Knopf. (Paperback edition, 1996, Vintage Books.
7. "Black Swan" in a white mask. HSE Analytical Report on the Anniversary of the COVID-19 Pandemic / ed. S. M. Plaksina, A. B. Zhulina, S. A. Farizova; National research University "Higher School of Economics". — M.: Ed. house of the Higher School of Economics, 2021. — 336 p. — (e-book).
8. Ministry of Digital Development, Telecommunications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation: https://digital.gov.ru/ru/ministry/common/ (date of access: 07/13/2022).
9. Otkritie Bank: Index of digitalization of small and medium-sized businesses: https://nafi.ru/projects/predprinimatelstvo/bank-otkrytie-indeks-tsifrovizatsii-malogo-i-srednego-biznesa/ (date of access: 07/11/2022).
10. NAFI Analytical Center. Business Digitalization Index: https://ict.moscow/research/indeks-tsifrovizatsii-biznesa/ (Accessed: 07/11/2022).
11. Unified register of small and medium businesses [Electronic resource]. – Access mode: https://ofd.nalog.ru/
12. Problems of small business [Electronic resource]. – Access Mode: https://financesonline.com/small-business-trends/
13. Tochinova, Yu. S. Methods of cost management in small businesses / Yu. S. Tochinova // Actual problems of modern science: theory and practice: Proceedings of the International (correspondence) scientific and practical conference, Neftekamsk, May 29, 2020 / Under general edition of A.I. Vostretsova.-Neftekamsk: Scientific and Publishing Center "World of Science" (IP Vostretsov Alexander Ilyich), 2020.-P. 325.
14. Shportko, Yu. V. The use of digital technologies for personnel management in the field of small business / Yu. V. Shportko // VII SPERAN readings. Actual problems of management in the digital economy of Russia: All-Russian scientific conference: collection of articles, Moscow, April 01, 2020 /
15. Tumakov I.K., Yusupova L.R. Modern small business management tools. In the collection: Innovative research projects. Collection of articles of the International Research Competition. Petrozavodsk, 2022, pp. 110-115.
16. Asana enterprise: https://asana.com/ru/resources/how-prioritize-tasks-work (Date of access: 07/05/2022).
17. Gorbova, I. N., Sleveleva, V. A., Bazarnova, O. A. Management of small businesses based on the project approach in modern conditions // Economics and Entrepreneurship.-2021.-No. 1 (126). – S. 637.

First Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

The subject of the study. Based on the title, the article should be devoted to an overview of modern digital practices for small business management. It seems that correcting the title by replacing the word "review" with "development" would expand the potential readership, as well as contribute to improving the quality of scientific research. Research methodology. The research methodology is based on the enumeration of well-known facts and characteristics of the software. The author did not apply general and special methods of conducting scientific research. The relevance of studying the application of modern digital practices for small business management is of great importance, because it not only simplifies its current economic and organizational processes, but also makes it easier for the customer and the client to interact, which can become a serious incentive for the development of this segment of commercial organizations. There is no scientific novelty in the reviewed material, because there are no results of SCIENTIFIC research. The author is recommended to determine the specific socio-economic effects of using each software product listed in the text of the article, noting the strengths/weaknesses and calculating the amount of money that can be saved and the amount of other benefits from their use. Style, structure, content. The style of presentation of the text is scientific. At the same time, the chosen structure is quite controversial, because the author in the introductory part of the article, instead of substantiating the essence of the problem, dwells in great detail on the criteria for classifying small businesses, which was not chosen as the subject of research. The content of the article is an enumeration of well-known facts. At the same time, information about the programs is presented in a form that can be used in the formation of software catalogs. There is no other practical significance for this material. It is recommended to design tables based on the requirements of GOST. The conclusion looks rather dubious: "having considered modern small business management tools, it can be concluded that small business does not lag behind large business in the application of innovative technologies for business process management." The text of the article does not contain any comparison of the list of technologies used by small and large businesses, on the basis of which such a conclusion is made? How is it related to other text fragments? Moreover, the conclusion notes about innovative technologies. Does the author equate innovative and digital technologies? Bibliography. The list of references includes 10 sources. At the same time, the author has absolutely not studied the normative legal acts regulating the digitalization of socio-economic processes in the Russian Federation, as well as foreign scientific literature. Appeal to opponents. The reviewed material does not contain a scientific discussion. When finalizing the article and supplementing it with well-founded problems, their causes and solutions, the author is recommended to discuss them with the results obtained by other researchers. Such a comparison will allow the author to additionally focus on the increment of scientific knowledge and the practical significance of the conducted research. Conclusions, the interest of the readership. Taking into account the above, the article is recommended for publication only after revision and re-review. At the same time, taking into account the relevance of studying digital practices of small business management, it will be in demand among a wide readership.

Second Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

The reviewed article is devoted to an overview of modern digital practices for small business management. The research methodology is based on the generalization of literary sources devoted to the topic under consideration, the analysis of statistical information on the development of small businesses, and a visual representation of the identified trends. The authors rightly attribute the relevance of the study to the fact that the development of small businesses largely determines the pace of economic growth in the region and the country as a whole, as well as the structure and quality of the gross national product, has an impact on social development and ensuring a consistently high level of employment. Unfortunately, the scientific novelty in the study is not clearly formulated. In their work, the authors, relying on federal legislation and points of view found in scientific publications, present an overview of modern ideas about the state and problems of small business, focusing on best practices in managing small businesses using digital technologies. It is suggested that the introduction of digital platforms and business models has formed the basis for sustainable competitive advantages by reducing costs and improving quality. Among the bottlenecks is the disinterest of company executives in the transition to the digital format and the lack of funds for the introduction of new technologies. Special attention is paid to the problems of small businesses related to the coronavirus pandemic. Next, the article discusses modern small business management tools: customer relationship management tools, cloud collaboration, electronic billing, and social media management. A separate table describes the popular small business management software: Asana, Automate.io , Trello, Rodeo Software, MixMax. According to the results of the study, it was concluded that small businesses do not lag behind large ones in the possibilities of using advanced business process management technologies. The bibliographic list includes 17 names of sources: scientific publications in Russian and English, dissertations, legislative acts, Internet resources, to which the text contains address links indicating the presence of an appeal to opponents in the publication. Some comments should be made on the material submitted for review. Firstly, the text does not highlight such sections generally accepted in modern scientific articles as introduction, research materials and methods, results and their discussion, conclusion. Secondly, it is advisable to formulate the scientific novelty of the research results more clearly. Thirdly, the name of Figure 1, according to the reviewer, requires correction, since it reflects the change in the number of only small enterprises, and the number of microenterprises and individual entrepreneurs is not given, in connection with which the name "Number of registered subjects of small structures in Russia" may mislead readers about the essence of the indicator under consideration and the ongoing processes. The topic of the article is relevant, the material corresponds to the topic of the journal "Theoretical and Applied Economics", however, the article needs to be finalized before its publication.

Third Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

The subject of the study. The subject of the study is modern digital practices for small business management. The article does not formulate the purpose of the study, does not specify the object and subject of the study, the methods used by the author. The topic of the work is relevant due to the insufficient elaboration of the issue in the theoretical aspect and the practical significance of digital practices in the management of small businesses. Scientific novelty is a disadvantage. The author formulated the novelty of the undertaken research. The conclusion "The introduction of digital platforms and business models can form the basis of sustainable competitive advantages by reducing costs and improving quality" contains an element of scientific novelty, but it is desirable to confirm this conclusion with figures. Style, structure, content The content of the work The style of the article is scientific, at the same time, the article is written in understandable language. The article presents at a sufficient theoretical level the judgments available to the reader. The structure of the article reflects the logic of solving the tasks set. The content of the article corresponds to the title. The material is presented sequentially. The advantage is a good illustrative work. The paper shows that the introduction of digital platforms and business models formed the basis for sustainable competitive advantages by reducing costs and ensuring the production and provision of better quality services; the main obstacles to the digitalization of medium and small businesses in Russia are identified; modern digital tools for small enterprise management are shown; the classification of the most common software products for small businesses with the possibility of obtaining a free or shareware trial version. Disadvantages: It is necessary to eliminate typos ("the main advantage of any enterprise is not ownership"), stylistic errors. Colloquial expressions are allowed ("Some businesses had to cut wages") and elements of expression ("work with an impressive level of flexibility"). There is an understatement, incompleteness in the conclusions and allows us to formulate proposals based on the results of the analysis, revealing in more detail the main idea of the author. It should be emphasized that the conclusion "that small businesses do not lag behind large ones in the possibilities of using advanced business process management technologies. In order to ensure a competitive advantage, rapid and stable development of the company's activities, it is necessary to switch to digital management." Bibliography The list of references corresponds to the stated research topic. The list of references includes modern publications by both Russian and foreign authors. Appeal to opponents. There is no discussion point in the author's presentation. Conclusions, the interest of the readership The reviewed article arouses the interest of the readership. It is recommended to publish the article.