Bed and Breakfasts, Small Inns, and the Internet: The Impact of Technology on the Globalization of Small Businesses

As the service industry continues to grow, small businesses must decide whether they are going to use new technologies available to them. This article is an exploratory study that examines how the Internet can help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) attain a global market. Small inns and bed and breakfasts were used as SMEs in this study. The authors developed a survey and sent it to small inns and bed and breakfasts in Canada and the United States to determine the ways these businesses are using the technologies available to them and the pros and cons of using the technologies. The authors discuss managerial implications of using the Internet.