If you’ve done any research on running a business in this day and age, you know that it doesn’t come without the implementation of technology. While technology can be beneficial to growing your small business, if it is not utilized properly it can do more harm than good. Limited funds, lack of knowledge, and inexperience are often the culprits for why entrepreneurs end up in a huge mess when it comes to technology.
Below are a few pitfalls and how you can avoid them as you grow your small business:
- Poor Technical Security
It can be a pretty common assumption to believe that hackers won’t target your business. However, this is not a true assumption to make. Smaller businesses are more vulnerable to cybercrimes simply because criminals know that you don’t have the technological infrastructure to protect your data. Hackers are not the only thing you have to be prepared for. Internal breaches, human error, and technical errors could lead to serious issues with company data which could hurt your reputation and ruin your finances.
At the very least, it is imperative for you to have antivirus protection that will ward off any impending threats. You should also consider researching various service providers to whom you can outsource your IT needs. For instance, if data were to be deleted from your desktop accidentally, you need to contact a company like Secure Data Recovery.
- Failure to Plan Ahead
Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of not planning ahead when it comes to the technological needs of their business. The problem is that many start off with a basic IT infrastructure and never plan for the instances in which their business will grow. Eventually, the business will need more technological resources to keep up with the pace of the growth in the business.
It is important to plan every stage of your business’s growth so you can discern when you need to upgrade or increase your IT infrastructure. While you might not need an IT staff now, will you need one in the future? If so, where do you intend to hire from? Are you using a web hosting platform that will scale with your business? If not, what other options are there? These are the types of questions you want to ask as it pertains to the hardware, software, and technical support within your business.
- Forgetting About Hardware
Though investing in software programs that will streamline business and improve productivity is ideal, you cannot overlook the need to invest in new hardware. Though there are a lot of cutting-edge software programs out there that can make running a business easier, if you don’t have the right hardware, the programs won’t work efficiently.
At least once every year or so, you should do an assessment of your existing hardware. Does it still work efficiently? Is it compatible with your software? If the answer to these questions is no, you should consider hardware upgrades.
- Buying Cheap
Okay, when you’re dealing with a small budget for technology, it can be fairly easy to get caught up in the free or affordable options. The only problem with this is that sometimes it can cheapen your business. Free applications that don’t provide the same results or dated (cheap) software will only leave you vulnerable to the competition. Cheap technology is not as efficient and therefore will require a lot more time to operate and waste a lot of money.
When purchasing technology, it is important to look at quality over price. Making a one-time investment in software or hardware that will benefit your business is better than having to invest several times throughout the year to remain successful. If you’re not sure which investments are best, contact an IT support company for assistance.
This might seem like a pretty hefty list – especially if you’re guilty of more than one, but it is vitally important that you avoid these common pitfalls. If you want your business to prosper in this day and age, it is imperative that you pay attention to technology and how it is used. Create a budget, make a plan, and assess the IT solutions within your business to see where you could use improvements. With time, you’ll see that making the investment now will help to secure a brighter future.
These are all great ideas. Buying cheap is definitely not always the way to go.
These tips are very helpful. I’m not technologically savvy, but I do have a brother who is my go-to person when I have tech needs. He’s actually told me all these things or something along these lines.
Very helpful tips. NEVER buy cheap technology. I find that you get what you pay for in a number of areas and technology is one of them.
I didn’t have a proper cloud data storage system and my backup drives failed early this year- it was a mess. These are all great tips for any business owner with tech!
Planning a head is something I know a few business owners have messed up while dealing with their new businesses. These are all so true!
I am just starting a new venture into a small business, when I’m in the greatest fears is security and that is something I want to make sure we have strong security on our stuff.
You are spot on with every point. I’ve experienced each and every one of these. It’s so hard to wear the many hats we have to when we start our own business. Thanks so much for this post!
Great post! I’m all about NOT buying cheap. It never pays off in the end. The key word is investment, like you said.
It is true that going for better will help you in the long run. This is especially true for security.
Technology is not something that I will ever skip money!! It is so hard to know sometimes though the best decision to make as a business owner!
These are great tips! My hubby works in tech, and he totally agreed with everything you said!
Now I know why my business has failed, I don’t either have a plan. It’s really hard to be failed and now, I’m trying to get new things done.
To thrive as a business in the 21st century, we need to have our digital game face on. We must either hire the right experts to help us or get educated to handle the technical stuff ourselves.