CompUSA, a major U.S. technology retailer, will refer small business customers who need additional support or services to Microsoft partners with the Small Business Specialist certification. The referral system, which could be duplicated with other retailers, will help Microsoft reach small business customers, drive business to Microsoft partners, and boost the struggling CompUSA chain.

The program could be particularly effective in reaching very small businesses, which are far more numerous than midmarket or enterprise customers—Microsoft puts the number at 40 million small businesses worldwide—but are costly to reach and do not generate enough revenue per deal to interest large partners. Small businesses make greater use of retail outlets, such as computer and office supply retailers, to purchase software and services, so the referral program could drive new business to Microsoft partners with minimal marketing effort.

The new CompUSA program lets partners in Microsoft's Small Business Specialist Community (SBSC) apply to CompUSA stores to become a CompUSA TechPro Business Provider. Each store will determine and accept a fixed number of SBSC partners. The store will then refer customers who want more assistance than the retailer can provide (such as on-site support) to one of its SBSC providers.

SBSC partners must have at least one employee who has passed an online assessment of their business and sales skills and one exam on either deploying a small-business network or using the Microsoft OEM Pre-installation Kit. The SBSC program is less costly and has lower requirements than the more advanced Certified or Gold Certified Partner levels stages of the Microsoft Partner Program.

CompUSA's program for providing more advanced services to small business customers has a different design but a similar intent to programs that Microsoft has developed with Best Buy, a CompUSA competitor. Microsoft has worked with Best Buy to certify staff in its Best Buy for Business Division and its Geek Squad (which delivers onsite services) on Microsoft technologies, with the goal of improving their skills and helping Microsoft reach small businesses.

CompUSA's TechPro Business Provider program could also help enrollment in the SBSC program, which has not met Microsoft's expectations. The company currently has about 10,000 in the SBSC, or about half what it hoped for. One problem: while Microsoft has special programs to drive business to many of its partners who identify a specialty—customers who request assistance with security can be referred to partners who have demonstrated competency in security, for example—small businesses are difficult to identify and reach, since most have no IT staff. A program that promises to drive small business customers to SBSC partners could prompt more Microsoft partners to join the SBSC.

The program might also help CompUSA, which has announced the closure of half of its 225 stores in the United States and Puerto Rico.

While the TechPro Business Provider program is unique to CompUSA, its general design could be used by other retailers as well. Unlike the Best Buy program, it does not require retailers to train and certify specialized staff. Instead, it leverages the skills of local companies that have already obtained certification from Microsoft.

More information about the program is available at https://partner.microsoft.com/40029778?msp_id=techpro.