If you are like many small businesses, your IT network may face some challenges when it comes to growth and strategy. It has often grown piecemeal, with equipment being added as needed but without any real forethought. Many SMBs do not have a dedicated IT staff, nor is an IT budget a major consideration.
Although you may not think so, the effort and budget you put into your IT network can have a significant impact on your company productivity and profit. Here’s how.
How Your IT Network Affects Your Business
Productivity: You may think that you are saving money by not upgrading your equipment, but the opposite could actually be true. New software updates will often not work correctly on older equipment. When software lags or freezes up, it can cause frustration for your employees and customers alike. When productivity suffers, so does profit and morale. Even adding a new printer, or trying to connect old equipment to new routers or communications can cause glitches and slow things down. More importantly, older equipment and software can cost more to upkeep and maintain, and is more apt to break down.
Competitiveness: When you are running slow software, or your customers routinely encounter downtime or mistakes, it erodes the customer experience. In today’s competitive business environment, customers look for an interactive and efficient transaction. They are looking to easily find the information they need, and to effortlessly purchase that product. Whatever your business or service, the online experience matters greatly, and customers are less loyal every day. In other words, if they encounter problems they are more likely to go to a competitor who has upgraded their technology and provide a state-of-the-art experience.
Security: Older equipment is more likely to be vulnerable to hackers, viruses and cyber crime. This is because older technology runs on older software which is not compatible with new security patches and updates. Cyber criminals exploit vulnerabilities in older systems and put your data – and your client’s data – at risk. It goes without saying that a cyber breach can negatively impact your productivity and your reputation with your clients.
Growth Strategy: When you have created a patchwork IT network over time, it is difficult to plan for the technology growth you need to expand your business. Without having a clear strategy for growth, you cannot maximize your budget or your employee’s time.
If your organization does not have an IT department, another member of your team may be operating as the de facto “go-to guy” for all PC and computer problems. This can take away from their daily duties or cause them to have to play catch up. Overall, it is typically in the best interest of any company, no matter the size, to have up to date technology and a dedicated person (or people) to take care of day-to-day operations and plans for growth.
IT Network Planning
A smart first step to bringing your IT network up to speed is a technology assessment by a Sarasota managed services company. This assessment will identify all of your current technology, reassign equipment if necessary, and determine where vulnerabilities exist. By planning your IT strategy, you can budget and plan for growth in a way which can grow your business, not hinder it.
By consulting with a managed services company, your organization can increase productivity and protect data. Call Alliance ITAlliance ITAlliance IT to get started on learning more about upgrading your technology.
