While it’s almost impossible for a business to succeed without a well-trained staff, nearly a third of small businesses do not offer meaningful training programs for their employees. One reason for that is the cost. Small businesses in particular usually have limited resources, and when budgets are tight, training programs are usually the first to be cut. But as technology advances, budget justifications are less valid. Forward-thinking organizations are taking advantage of cost-effective e-learning solutions. Merrill Lynch, for example, recently switched its compliance training program to mobile platforms, which resulted in a 12 percent higher completion rate and a 45 percent reduction in time spent in training. Employees reported that they could complete more training courses using this format. Gamification has also increased the impact of training for small businesses. By incentivizing training course completion, employees are more likely to be enthusiastic about training programs, and take more away from them in the long run.