Are you one of the many small businesses facing the same IT issues as everyone else? These IT issues are some times happening within your business without your knowledge.
One of the best ways to choose an IT provider and plan for the future of your business is by learning about the current struggles your company and employees face on a day-to-day basis. This knowledge brings you the opportunities needed to implement better strategies and plan for growth and success of your business.
The IT world is an ever-changing and evolving part of our world today. Just when you think you have a grasp on the latest and greatest piece of technology, a newer and smarter model is hitting the market and you’re a year behind.
Learning some of the more common IT issues small business face will help you avoid some of these issues taking place at your workplace.
Common IT issues can be as small as slow computer or as severe as the “blue screen of death”. Many of these IT issues can be resolved with as little as restarting your computer.
The more you know about these IT issues, the easier it’ll be to control and help you in choosing an IT provider.
Computer problems and technology issues are going to happen, even if you have an experienced IT provider. It’s a smart idea to teach yourself some basic IT support skills that could potentially help you solve your most common IT issues.
Now, let’s dive into some of these common IT issues and take a look at possible solutions!
Common IT Issues: Is your small business at risk?
Having the best team of IT providers with the most secure data centers in the world, your small business may still be at risk. We never want to admit it but most companies don’t have as much control over networks and servers as they think they do.
Learning and understanding your office technology is important. We believe the more you familiarize yourself with common IT issues, the better you’ll be at preventing them from happening, hopefully!
1. Poor (or nonexistent) Network Security
Network security is one the most critical parts of keeping a small business secure, along with avoiding common IT issues that little or no network security might uncover.
Even if your business only has 5 employees, it is important to ensure you have a safe and secure network.
Hackers do not discriminate when it comes to attacking your business files and/or employee information. We see a lot of hackers or cybercriminals target small businesses because they know a smaller business might not have a robust security policy.
Having a proactive approach to cybersecurity can help ensure your network and technology devices are safe and secure.
A small business should make sure their employees are well-trained in security policies, you have a company firewall enabled, company data is backed up in an external data center, and you’re maintaining the upkeep and security of your passwords.
2. Lack of Professional or Qualified Experience
Ever heard of Managed IT Services? Hiring and outsourcing your managed IT services doesn’t mean you don’t need an IT department or have to get rid of them.
Having an IT provider allows for your current IT employees to focus on less technical issues that might be overly-complicated or overwhelming for them to tackle on a day-to-day basis.
An experienced and knowledgeable managed IT services provider can be ready to support you with all of your tech needs. They support a wide variety of systems and respond to any issues or needs and can respond on the same day.
A managed IT services professional monitors and works on your most complicated IT issues. They free up your in-house staff, allowing them to tackle new projects. IT providers can also work proactively to create new initiatives that can improve your business operations.
3. The Downfall of Old Technology
Having old or slow-working IT systems fails because its outdated or you don’t have the resources to fix them can be the worse.
Old technology is one of the most common IT issues we see and the best way to solve those issues is the implementation of new technology as well as the fast installation of that technology.
The moment you receive new hardware or you have more money to purchase new technology, it is crucial your IT provider begins tackling those projects.
Having a managed IT provider as a resource free’s up your company and team from looking for new technology. That manage IT provider is always looking for new and updated technology the second it comes out on the market. The more updated and newer your IT systems are, the fewer IT problems you’ll have now, and in the future.
4. No Data Backup / Backup Issues
Uh oh… its Monday morning, you just got to work after your coffee pitstop and find out all of your data is gone. This common IT issue can be caused by overloaded routers.
Now what? If you built a solid backup strategy, don’t freight, you’ll be back in business quickly. However, if you’re like 65% of most small businesses we see, you don’t have a backup plan. Oh no!
A backup plan is something every business, no matter what size they are, should have in place.
In case you didn’t know, failing to back-up your data can actually be costing your business a whole lot of money. The costs associated with a data breach can leave you thousands and thousands of dollars in the hole.
5. Lacking an IT Plan
Preparation is key! Some things you can prepare for and some things are just not possible. One thing is for certain when it comes to IT issues, preparing for a security breach or natural disaster is next to impossible. This is where an IT plan and a managed IT services team comes in handy.
It takes careful planning and consideration when outsourcing your company’s IT. As a business owner you want to make sure to educate yourself and become more familiar with managed IT services. It takes time to learn the ins and out but you learn significant benefits for your small business in more ways than one.
Having a provider that provides managed IT services will save you time, saves you money, provides you a safer network, brings subject matter experts, and even gives you access to more customizable services.
For more information on everything to do with Parkside Tech Managed IT Services, click here to view our plans and pricing.
