Why should a business owners seek IT services before there is an IT issue? To answer this question, I have outlined three details often overlooked in IT decisions. They do significantly impact a business in terms of downtime and productivity. Many businesses take a reactive approach to technology instead of proactive stance. This can hurt a small business’ overall health.
Logically, businesses reach out to an IT company when something is broken or not functioning as intended. And why not – we don’t often call the plumber if all the sinks are draining properly or an electrician if the light are all on. The idea of proactive engagement with an IT company may be foreign, but times have changed and the wise business will change with it.
The Three Details Often Overlooked In IT Decisions are as follows:
Is It Properly Funded?
There are generally two reasons IT projects are not properly funded.
One, the business is responding to a system outage and needs to get back into production as quickly as possible.
Two, the business does not have an IT advisor when deciding on technology implementations.
Understandably, small businesses are not going to employ a Chief Information Officer (CIO). A CIOs job it is to align company goals with IT Initiatives. The CIO will ensure that proper budgetary allocations are made to avoid technology pitfalls.
This dearth of visibility can lead to technology becoming an afterthought. The results often appear
- Unexpected downtime or system failure or disaster.
- Inability to grow or scale without a major system overhaul
- Systems becoming prematurely outdated
- Not keeping pace with today’s trends
Netvolutions Technology Group has a solid, proven track record of helping the SMB market to be relevant, efficient and safe. We’d like the opportunity to see if we can help your business take its next step technically.
Is It Future Proof?
In a crisis situation, a business owner will do what any rationally thinking business owner would do to get his or her business profitable again – find the quickest option to get back into production!
There is a risk with this approach. During an IT triage proper attention may not be given to the future direction of the business. Long term this may incur additional cost due to the need for premature capital reinvestments. The Boy Scout motto ‘Be prepared’ applies here. Take time to start an IT Roadmap to ensure future proofing and pre-test disaster recovery solutions to ensure they will work in a crisis .
To help a small business with future-proofing, please see my blog on Five Tips to Future Proof Your Business.
Is It Secured Properly?
While cybersecurity is on the minds of many business owners, implementing security is still lagging behind in their plans.
The old adage, ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,’ applies very well here. One business contacted us and quickly retained our services. They found clear evidence that a cyber attacker had control of their internal computer system! They did not see the need for stronger IT security until a malicious compromise had invaded their small business.
Were we able to nullify the cyber attack? Absolutely! Were they ready to take immediate action to prevent such an attack to happen again in the future? Of course. But there are lingering questions that can cost them significantly:
- What did the attacker or attackers get while they had access?
- Had they been attacked previously where information was compromised and the attacker came back for round two?
- Did the attacker get client information that could get them in legal trouble or damage their reputation?
- How long did the attacker have access before they were discovered?
Conclusion
The three details often overlooked in IT decisions is a scenario that can be easily avoided. With proper planning and foresight, IT implementations will cost less and be more stable. A properly engineered cloud, on premise or hybrid network will provide a better user experience and greater productivity.
If you have questions or comments be sure to leave a comment
Netvolutions Technology Group is an Independent Technology Firm located in Southern California. They are dedicated to the specific technology and security needs of the Small and Medium Size Business community. The blog article: was written by Jesse Simms Virtual CIO and founder of Netvolutions Technology Group
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