These Two Businesses Got a Tech Boost. Here's Why You Should, Too. New devices and a new platform showcase what's possible with the right tools.

This summer, vinyl record shop Paramita Sound and custom clothier 1701 Bespoke pooled their talents for a special project: a video lookbook. This showcase of new menswear styles and songs from local musicians served as a tribute to Detroit, a city that made both of their businesses possible.

"There's more opportunity here than other places," says Tom Daguanno, 1701 Bespoke's founder. "I don't think that we could have started this business anywhere else."

They'd need technology, however, to make their project happen. Microsoft switched both businesses to a single platform and provided them with Surface Pro 3 Tablets and Lumia smartphones to help them communicate seamlessly in real time.

In the process, the companies learned how technology can power how business is done. These takeaways can help entrepreneurs rethink their approach to investing in tech.

Transitions can be easy. Staffers on both teams were already familiar with desktop applications like Microsoft Word and Excel and just needed a short introduction to other compatible tools. They quickly learned how to save notes, photos or music files to OneDrive, a cloud solution, and how to access those files from any device, staying focused and productive.

Worry less about learning curves. The moves put both companies on the same platform. The teams were instantly connected, with no downtime to learn new technologies. Collaborating with each other was simple and hassle free.

Boost productivity. Technology helps small companies compete like large corporations. All from one device, Daguanno can video chat with Italian vendors on Skype, sketch ideas or access orders on the cloud. The saved time is funneled into strategy and special collaborations, like the video lookbook. "If you don't take advantage of the tools available to you, you're not running your business in the best way possible," says Daguanno.