As discussed in week 7, the company that I'm analyzing provides expert support on making e-commerce businesses ADA compliant. However, companies must have the budget and resources to fund this venture, and unfortunately, website accessibility is not always a priority. Companies must then assess the risks and benefits of investing in website accessibility. Therefore, one of the risks that is most prominent in businesses' point of view is the chance that they might devote budget to something that will not increase revenues. As mentioned in the literature provided, "small businesses and large alike tend to focus on projects with a likelihood of faster, more profitable payback." (Carlson, 2019). Another risk associated with investing in website accessibility is the misconception that the project will become a burden to manage as digital environments require constant updates. Essentially, executives feel that focusing on website accessibility will an obstacle to follow their roadmap of set priorities. Lastly, executives reject investing into website accessibility due to the fear of the unknown. From an educated perspective, becoming ADA compliant and servicing people of all abilities does not come with many risks but rather large rewards.

Accessibility is a heavily litigious space and often costs companies thousands in legal fees. For this reason, it is important to consider the cost of capital involved in making an eCommerce platform serviceable for all. As mentioned, "the principal way value is increased is by investing in projects that will earn more than their cost of capital." (Brigham & Houston). This is a crucial player in moving forward with investing in digital accessibility, as it is clear that the cost of capital is lower than the expected return. According to the CDC, there are 61 million adults in the U.S. living with a disability. Therefore, websites that are not accessible to all, are clearly leaving money on the table.

For all of the reasons above, investing in eCommerce accessibility is the worthiest project an organization can take on. As a business consultant, I would definitely advocate for the budget to be approved to fund this venture.

Resources:

Brigham E. F. & Houston, J. F. (2022). The cost of capital. In Fundamentals of financial management (16^th ed., pp. 360-388). Cengage Learning.

Carlson, R. (2019, November 13). Payback period in capital budgeting. https://www.thebalancesmb.com/payback-period-in-capital-budgeting-392916

Respond to the posts above in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a question about or provide an additional suggestion for the risks that your colleague's organization might face if it engaged in the capital investment project.
• Provide an additional perspective on the level of risk associated with the project your colleague identified for their selected organization or on how willing/capable the organization might be in taking on and managing the risks your colleague identified.
• Offer an insight you gained from your colleague's summary of the trade-offs between risks and returns and/or their recommendation for their selected organization to move or not move forward with the project.