As a business owner you're constantly planning for the future. You focus on company growth by offering new products and services, adding staff, or expanding into other areas of the business. But how often do you tie technology plans with your company's future strategy? If you don't have a technology road map, it may be time to form one. The right technology investments can support a company as it advances toward its goals; it can also launch the business to a higher level of performance and achievement.

To match your growth and technology goals, start by looking at your overall business strategy. Where do you want to be in the next five to ten years and what role will technology play in this growth? Will you use IT to manage and support your goals now, or will technology be the engine that fuels your future strategy?

Lay out the scope and structure of your business strategy in a business plan. Then define the role technology will play in each stage of your planned growth.