Small businesses spend enough time focusing on their business, and often times that means technology practices get overlooked or completely ignored. Frequent downtime, lost data, and missed opportunities all due to technology headaches can be extremely costly to a small business. It’s difficult to recognize the importance of small business IT support when owning and operating your business are on your mind.
This is where an IT consulting company come in to help. Outsource the headache to an entrusted computer support and IT service provider to handle the day-to-day IT requirements of your small business so you can focus on what’s important, running your business! ITC has become a trusted partner in computer support and IT consulting to many small businesses in Austin and Central Texas. Reason being, we take the time to understand our client’s technology pain points and deliver custom tailored solutions to meet their needs. There’s no one solution fits all, nor is a company ever too small to work with us. At ITC, we don’t require a contract and we’ll never sell you something you don’t need. Plain and simple, we’re here as your partner in IT to help grow your business by delivering value with your computer, network, and mobile support needs.
Next, I’ll explain the top 5 mistakes most small businesses make with their technology along with the preventative measures necessary to avoid them.
5 Mistakes Small Businesses Make With Their Technology
1. Insufficient Tech Support – Most companies I’ve encountered with this problem, heavily rely on that one person in the company who knows just a little more than everyone else about IT. Or, someone in the company has a friend or family member who grew up with computers or subscribes to Wired magazine. Though it’s encouraging to meet someone with a thirst for knowledge, as a business owner ask yourself, Is it really a viable option for my to rely on the company IT guy (or gal) for technology issues? Are they responsive? Do they really know what they’re doing?
It’s best to have someone you’ve interviewed, a computer support and solutions provider who’s responsive, and most importantly someone you trust to keep your computers and network running smoothly. Why? Because there are so many aspects to information technology it’s best to hire a professional. The cost of downtime can be a huge hit to sales, production, or overall business operations. Go ahead and do the numbers on your own, what does computer and network downtime cost your business?
2. On-going Hardware And Software Issues – There’s a reason why smart businesses retire their IT equipment around the 3rd or 4th year in commission. This is the point when you’ve passed the average shelf life of most components so aging and hard-used components begin to fail. To make matters worse, by this point the warranty period is over and you’re left SOL (sobbing out loud). Keep your software updated and you’ll be fine. But components like hard drives and power supplies are expected to fail around this time.
How do you prevent on-going hardware and software issues? Simply be reactive by doing preventative maintenance on your systems and network. Invest in a computer duster and keep the fans and air vents clean. You can also periodically have your computer cleaned and optimized by your IT professional. Lastly always keep asset data including warranty and vendor information readily available in the event components do fail. By hiring an IT consulting firm like ITC, we’ll do everything we can to prevent issues from happening. It all begins with being proactive in approach with preventative maintenance and keeping computer and network information handy.
3. Poor Or Non-Existent Backup And Disaster Recovery Plan – A BDR (backup and disaster recovery) plan is about as important to every business as keeping the electric bill paid. In fact, without a proper BDR for your business, it puts your business at huge risk to lost data and revenue. I’ve personally heard of businesses filing for bankruptcy due to poor planning in the event of a technology disaster.
ITC recognizes the importance of a solid BDR custom tailored to your business needs. We recommend implementing both a local and off-site backup strategy. Utilize technology like continuous data backup, RAID, and network attached storage devices. We also partner with big names in the cloud backup industry to ensure the safety and complete recovery of your data.
4. Computer And Network Security Failures – Small businesses fail to accommodate security issues. Computer and network security is one of those things that’s either ignored or not taken seriously. Think about the real risks involved and the headaches they bring. Computer viruses can hijack a system making it inoperable, networks can be hacked opening the flood gates to problems including industry compliance issues, and even worse stolen data! In a perfect world, that $19.99 off-the-shelf anti-virus and computer scanner would be enough protection from such vulnerabilities. Maybe it is enough internet security for your home, but could you really trust the security of your business (the Ferrari) with the cheap anti-virus (the Club wheel lock)?
ITC offers a managed approach to computer and network security. We implement computer and internet security solutions like our managed anti-virus and computer security. Our software deploys and installs to your computers and network for complete online protection. Even better, once installed you never have to worry about it again. We manage the updates, clear any infections, and monitor/prevent attacks all by using the cloud.
5. Lack Of Computer And Software Training – Today’s technology is hard to keep up with. Let’s face it, it’s difficult to learn, know, and master most Microsoft applications. Most employees at the average organization know just enough to get by but what if there was a level of mastery with your team? Imagine, you could improve efficiency, automate, or even implement new processes and strategies.
With a technology partner like ITC, you’ll have the expertise of our technology professionals to help work with and train your team in popular applications like Microsoft. Leverage our experience in software training and support. We can assist with everything from company-wide sales training to advanced software support and troubleshooting.
Is your business guilty of making any of these mistakes? Share your experience, questions, or comments with us below or at Our Facebook page. We look forward to hearing from you!