These days, the responsibilities of a small business owner often involved wearing many different hats, from accounting to marketing and virtually everything in between. Whether you are running a business of ten or fifty employees, here are five must-have technologies that can make running your business more efficient, effective and easier.

Anti-Virus Software – There are few things that can bring your business to a screeching halt quite like a virus that attacks your network can. To keep your network safe and secure, install anti-virus, anti-spy, and firewall programs to protect your system.

Avaya IP Office – Designed specifically for small to medium-sized businesses, Avaya IP Office is a telecommunications system that offers the functionality of a large corporation with the user-friendliness required by small businesses. Features offered through Avaya IP Office allow businesses to communicate with clients, vendors, and other business associates more efficiently.

CRM – Short for customer relationship management software (also known as contact management software), CRM is a system (either web-based or downloadable) that gives companies the ability to manage client information and all correspondence. Designed to optimize customer service and client relationships, CRM also allows you to monitor and track the activities of your employees.

Smartphone – Whether you prefer BlackBerry or the iPhone, the smartphone has become the quintessential business device for professionals across all industries. With the ability to email, surf the web, and much more, small business owners can essentially run their business from this small device no matter where they are or where work may take.

Online Backup – Another major threat to small businesses is irrevocable data loss, which can be the result of human error, fire, or theft. As such, online backup is an essential technology for all small businesses. Online backup provides affordable, automatic, and encrypted backups of all your business-critical data.