Common IT mistakes small businesses must avoid
As technology evolves at a breakneck pace, small businesses need to keep pace with the innovations to survive and thrive in an increasingly competitive space. Treating the IT systems as an afterthought is a mistake that small businesses often make and at a very high price. Mobile Computer Services shares the common mistakes that small businesses must avoid to stay relevant and competitive.
1. Resistance to new technology and processes
Although all small businesses do not need to be on the edge of information technology, they do, however, need to adopt technology and processes that help them compete with the big shots.
Resistance to technology can prove to be detrimental to a business. Therefore, business owners must keep an eye out for certain recurring challenges that are a sign that it is time to up the ante and adopt new technology:
- Sluggish boot-up times, loads, installs, web pages, and internet.
- Updates and upgrades are incompatible with current hardware.
- Regular computer freezes and other IT-related downtimes.
- Inefficient and disjointed workflows.
- Loss of opportunity due to low scalability.
- Other savvy competitors are dominating the market.
- IT Strategies lack agility.
- Systems working in silos lead to disconnected operations and poor productivity.
- Old applications pose security risks.
- Rise in the negative feedback from clients.
2. Insufficient security
Obsolete hardware and software often lead to gaps in the digital security of organizations. Moreover, the advent of COVID-19 that led to remote work increased the risk of cyberattacks even further. The FBI recorded a 400% uptake in cyber crimes since COVID arrived. Small organizations can suffer huge losses at the hands of hackers who can steal business data and hold the company at ransom. Digital security should be a priority for small organizations. Since security is an ongoing concern for organizations, a company that offers 24x7 monitoring and keeps the technology up to date is the need of the hour.
3. Lack of organization-wide training
The technological know-how that doesn't go beyond the IT department can prove to be self-defeating for an organization. When all employees across the organization are trained in the technology being used, it ensures best practices are being followed for smoother, more efficient work; employees can maximize their tech stacks; teams can better assess their tech needs and solutions, and it creates role flexibility that can enable new responsibilities or even role mobility.
Training all employees may seem to be a big expense initially but it is a worthwhile investment.
4. Hasty transformation
Digital transformations are on the rise, especially since the pandemic made it a necessity. However, rushing into a digital transformation could have its drawbacks.
Planning and monitoring digital transformation progress is essential for successful execution. As per Harvard Business Review, an unspoken disagreement about goals amongst management, and a lack of digital capabilities when scaling after the pilot are the two biggest pitfalls of hasty digital transformations. Therefore, accounting for the scope of a digital transformation as well as ongoing check-ins are very important in the long run.
5. No data backup
The continued survival of the integrity of the business data must not be taken lightly. With the constantly evolving cyberattacks, preventive measures may not prove to be enough. Loss of data due to a cyberattack, a natural disaster, or insider theft can lead to loss of reputation as well as revenues not to mention the cost of recovery, if possible. Utilizing a cloud service for storing data is one way of creating a backup. However, all data backup plans must be coupled with disaster recovery plans.
The 3-2-1 rule is often recommended for maintaining backups: keep three total copies of the data, in two different mediums, with one copy stored off-site. Maintaining physical backups even with cloud storage is recommended in case the cloud provider experiences downtime or faces a breach.
By avoiding these common IT mistakes and hiring a reliable managed IT service provider like Mobile Computer Service can keep all the threats at bay and offer the business owner peace of mind and the freedom to focus on crucial business matters.
Why Mobile Computer Services?
Mobile Computer Services is a professional IT services company that works with small and medium-sized businesses in Wake Forest. The services include:
- Managed IT services - 24x7 proactive monitoring and management of the company's IT infrastructure.
- Network services: Comprehensive care for the network systems provided by certified technicians.
- Business continuity planning: Get the business back on its feet swiftly during and after disasters.
- IT consulting: High-caliber advice from professional consultants to help achieve business goals.
- Security: Safeguard business from malicious hackers and cyber attacks.
- On-demand services: Day or night, the dedicated support staff is always available to assist.
- Office move: Professional office relocation and network cabling services.
- VoIP: Reduce telecom expenses and improve communications with powerful phone systems.
- Email Protection: Protect mail systems from spam and malware.
Contact Mobile Computer Services, Inc. at Wake Forest today at (919) 230-2900 for IT support, services and solutions.
