5 Common IT + Tech Mistakes Made by Growing Businesses

5 Common IT + Tech Mistakes Made by Growing Businesses

Businesses of all sizes face a variety of IT challenges each day. The purpose of technology should be to help grow a business. The unfortunate reality of the situation is that often times the technology used to make work easier ends up hamstringing growth or being the root cause of our problems. This blog will seek to address some of the issues that businesses struggle with in dealing with their technology and how to avoid these issues.

Outdated hardware and software.

Technology advances rapidly. Investing in high-quality hardware from the onset will help prolong the inevitable need for an upgrade in the future. But no matter the dollar amount spent, a piece of hardware will eventually need to be replaced. It's the unfortunate reality of how fast technology is evolving.

An important factor to understand is that while some hardware components can be upgraded or replaced over time there will be a point in time in which it is best to replace the unit itself. A computer's performance is limited by its weakest component. Incremental upgrades can be helpful up to a certain point but other non-replaceable components will eventually make the computer obsolete. An issue to factor in is the loss in production should and important system go down and cost man hours or important company data loss as the result.

Security.

Security is an extremely vital component to a business's long-term health and reputation. Security originates from company culture and enforcement of protocol. It’s essential that all employees be aware of different types of attacks in addition to knowing how to handle them. A previous article written in this blog goes into further details regarding security.

Employee devices.

For companies dealing with remote employees or instituting a bring your own device policy, there are additional challenges. There needs to be a strict policy regarding the control of sensitive data in addition to training employees in proper cyber security protocol. With an increase in access points It important that all of your employees understand the importance of practicing extreme caution and awareness.  The use of personal devices allows for access points that could leave your company’s sensitive data even more at risk of being stolen by cybercriminals.

Waiting till something breaks.

Systems need regular maintenance to ensure they run properly and securely. With the right IT protocols in place, problems may be planned for and resolved before becoming urgent. It's best to address these issues prior to them becoming costly and time-consuming endeavors. Simply being proactive and allocating additional funds from the budget towards IT as a preventative measure could go a long way in disaster averment. Benjamin Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” this also applies to your IT setup.

Insufficient backup.

Having a redundant and comprehensive backup solution goes hand in hand with having adequate hardware. If a computer or server containing vital information go down having a backup storage unit in place prior would prevent the loss of valuable data. Depending on the size and nature of the data being handled the return on investment in data storage will be exponential if it means averting a company crisis and maintaining productivity.

 

How to address these problems with your IT company.

A vital part of picking the right IT company for your business is identifying your companies weaknesses and having a bigger picture in mind. Communicating that with your IT company will help them set up an infrastructure that will support your business today and plan for future growth. If significant growth is planned in the future it is vital that your IT infrastructure is built in a manner that can accommodate long-term growth and flexibility.