Technology creates many exciting opportunities for businesses. Unfortunately, it also produces certain issues that small businesses face that can negatively impact an organization’s operations and ability to grow unhindered. By better understanding the IT-related risks that affect their organization, small businesses can find effective solutions for resolving these common technology issues.
Disaster Recovery and Backup Challenges
Disruptions to a business can have significant financial consequences. System failures, power outages, server crashes, natural disasters and various other types of catastrophic events often result in periods of downtime that can prevent a business from generating revenue. Having a reliable disaster recovery and a backup plan is critical to minimize downtime and enable the business to get back up and running quickly. However, many businesses have a poor disaster recovery plan or have no plan at all.
Technology Integration Problems
Many businesses find that their older technology is not as efficient as it once was and may seek new technology to maximize productivity in the workplace. Unfortunately, new technologies do not always integrate well with older systems or applications, leading to system glitches and similar problems. Proper planning before choosing and integrating new technology can drastically reduce these types of issues.
IT Security Risks
Data breaches and other IT security threats are more common than ever as cybercriminals become more sophisticated. Businesses are obligated to protect a wealth of confidential business and customer information or risk the severe penalties and financial hardships that could follow a cyberattack. Small businesses have access to various cost-effective IT security solutions that can help block online hackers and keep IT infrastructures safe from intrusions.
Failure to Address Underlying Issues
Innovative IT departments have a targeted process for tracking technological problems that occur over time. This data can then be gathered to identify trends that could point to a larger underlying problem. Businesses then have the opportunity to resolve the root cause of the issue and prevent further IT problems relating to the underlying issue instead of wasting time and money dealing with the same issues.
Inefficient IT Strategies
It can sometimes be difficult for business leaders to work effectively with IT professionals as the two entities may have separate visions. When business leaders fail to look at things from an IT standpoint, they may have trouble accomplishing key objectives without technological barriers. It is important for business and IT leaders to become aligned and work together to achieve long-term growth and success. This could allow organizations to scale without constraints and leverage the benefits of new technology to better the business.
Poor Productivity Among Employees
Businesses that encounter frequent IT-related issues often experience poor productivity among employees. This lack of productivity is not for lack of trying but can develop when employees become frustrated with the equipment and resources. Having to use slow and outdated systems or software daily can cause low motivation and prevent workers from performing to the best of their abilities. Consider how improving IT and keeping technology up-to-date could help employees get more accomplished each day while also boosting morale.
Lack of General Maintenance
Regardless of the age or efficiency of a system, regular maintenance is needed to keep businesses running smoothly and without disruptions. Many businesses make the mistake of waiting until a problem occurs before taking action. By conducting ongoing maintenance on business systems, organizations can help reduce the risk of unplanned downtime or IT issues and keep the business running efficiently. It is best to resolve IT issues when they are first identified instead of waiting until they become more costly.
Confusion About the Cloud
Although cloud computing has been around since the 1960s, it was not until the last decade that it became mainstream among businesses. Today, many businesses still do not leverage the power of cloud technology and may not be aware of the many benefits that the cloud can bring. Businesses that use the cloud may not pay attention to factors like usage, leading to wasted time and resources. It is important to understand what cloud-based services are available to small businesses and how to use the cloud to meet the business’s unique requirements.
Learn More About Managed IT Services
There are many issues small businesses face. These often include a wide range of IT-related issues relating to areas like data backup, disaster recovery, IT security, hosting, network integration and spam filtering. Organizations can alleviate the stress of dealing with these common IT-related problems by seeking a managed IT services provider.
Managed IT services allow small businesses to focus on their core business functions while outsourcing common IT-related tasks to a team of technology experts. For more information about common IT issues that small businesses face or to schedule a consultation with a reputable managed IT services provider, contact TCB 24×7 Expert Network IT Support.