November 10, 2020

5 common small business technology problems (and how to solve them)

Explore how you can better care for your business and your technology

As a small business owner, you probably have a lot on your plate. It probably feels like there’s not enough time in the day to oversee your employees, cater to your customers, and accomplish all the rest of your daily duties. 

However, if you aren’t careful, the need for constant multitasking could lead you down the dangerous path of overlooking the most common small business technology problems. 

Often, business owners find themselves unfamiliar with best IT practices, and believe they don’t have the finances to hire internal or external IT support. However, staying proactive and taking special care of your business technology can save you a lot of time (and money) in the long run. 

That’s why we’ve outlined the 5 most common small business technology problems—and how to solve them! Continue reading to learn more.    

Problem #1: Outdated technology

Many small businesses find themselves struggling to work with old and sluggish technology. The bad news is that outdated technology can cause stress for employees, increase the risk of security breaches, leave you open to possible compliance issues, and lead to missed business opportunities. 

Solution: Although it may seem like a luxury when budgets are tight, keeping your technology up to date is actually one of the best investments you can make to keep your business moving forward.

If you don’t know where to start, contact an experienced IT provider to help you build a technology system that’s tailored to you and your business. 

Learn more:

New computers, new phones, it’s a new day!

Problem #2: Challenges with backup and disaster recovery

Data disasters can strike at any time. It could be something as simple as accidentally deleting files, or something out of your control like power outages and server crashes. 

Solution: One of the most effective ways to avoid this common small business technology problem is to not wait for it to happen. Proactively planning for a data disaster could save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

A data backup plan and disaster recovery solution is something that every business—regardless of how small—should have in place. 

Problem #3: Inadequate cyber security

Recent data has shown that 43% of cyber attacks are aimed at small businesses, and these breaches cost small businesses an average of $120,000 to $1.24 million. [1,2,3]

These staggering statistics show just how important cyber security is in keeping your business safe.

However, a recent study found that while 58% of small businesses are concerned about cyber attacks, 51% have no plans for allocating a budget to cyber security measures. [4]

Solution: Being properly equipped with effective cyber security measures is vital for every business—even if you only have five employees! Why? Because the cost of a breach is much more than the cost of staying protected.

We recommend investing in a cost-effective IT security package from a reliable IT company that’s tailored to fit your specific needs.

Problem #4: Lack of professional IT planning and experience

Often, business owners and IT professionals are disconnected. Leaders see the bigger picture and make plans for company growth, but they forget to include the IT team in the conversation—which can lead to vital technology being left behind and outdated systems getting in the way of success.

There’s also the issue of business owners avoiding hiring a managed IT service provider (MSP) for fear of having to get rid of members of their in-house IT department. 

Solution: Make sure your business and IT plans are aligned! Include IT professionals in important conversations about company growth, so they can implement network infrastructure that accommodates long-term growth.

As for hiring a managed IT service provider, just because you hire an MSP it doesn’t mean you have to eliminate or downsize your IT department. Look for an IT partner who can support your existing technical team, focusing on the most complicated small business IT issues and freeing up your in-house staff to work on strategic projects. 

Learn more:

7 ways managed IT services save you time (and money)

Problem #5: Lack of employee education

One of the most common small business technology problems is neglecting to educate your employees on best online security practices. 

Employees are often the ones faced with the most common cyber security challenges every day through the use of emails, websites, and Wi-Fi networks—so it’s vital that they know how to keep themselves and the business protected.

Solution: We strongly recommend that you take the time to educate your employees about basic online safety practices. Provide them with examples of what to watch for to avoid email spoofing scams, malware, and other software that threatens the security of themselves and your network.

Train them how to judge the relative safety of websites and share any information about cyber security that you come across with them. Also let them know who they should contact if they should spot anything that concerns them.

Learn more:

New spam threats and new protection 

What’s next?

We hope this article has helped you understand the most common small business technology problems, and how to solve them. If you need help, we’re here to support you!

At InterNetwork IT, our goal is to provide the technical solutions you need, so that your business can succeed. You can rely on us to act quickly when catering to your IT needs so that everything runs smoothly.

We provide a variety of IT services including:

  • Managed IT services
  • Server backup and disaster recovery, and
  • IT security packages.

Contact us today to learn more.

Sources:

1: CNBC

2: Kaspersky

3: Keeper Security 

4: Symantec

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