Your aim as a small business owner is not just to survive but to thrive and grow. You’ll probably try to limit unnecessary spending, but cutting expenditure can be a false economy if you end up going without equipment and services that could enhance your success.
Technology can be costly and so it sometimes it’s an area where people try to cut corners. Don’t take unnecessary chances. These are seven tech assets that aren’t worth skimping on.
1) Data Backup Measures
Your data is a precious resource for your business. If disaster strikes you could lose everything – your documents, emails, financial information, spreadsheets, emails and more. A major data loss is very hard for any business to recover from, so it’s essential that you have a proper system for backing up your data. You should have a data backup solution that is automated, so human error is minimized and the backup data is always being updated.
2) Store Your Data Offsite
Nobody expects disaster to strike, so don’t think fires, floods and other major problems can never happen to you. Offsite data storage will be your salvation if the worst happens. Cloud storage can also make your operations more efficient, as well as a way to keep your data safe and secure. Some will sync with your local backup to ensure it’s up-to-date, so that if you have to recover from a disaster there’ll be minimum delay.
3) A Good Website
It’s essential for businesses to have a strong online presence in the digital age. It should be designed with search engine optimization in mind. Free templates may seem to be an economic way forward but they may not be on the search engine web crawlers’ radar. You will have to pay more to design, run and manage a good corporate website but it will be more effective for your business.
4) A Quality Printer
It might seem like a good idea to use a desktop printer that’s designed for the mass market and ordinary user. In fact, you’ll save time with a commercial-grade printer that’s better quality and you should recoup your costs in the longer term. With a print server it will be easy to connect all of your staff, so that printing is easy to complete.
5) Hardware for Today and Tomorrow
When purchasing hardware, you may only be thinking about your requirements in the present. What you should do is invest in hardware that will remain fit for purpose over the next three or four years or more, as your business grows. You don’t want to find yourself with insufficient capacity and in a position where you need to repurchase hardware in just a year or so.
6) Strong Network Security
A powerful security solution for your network is an absolute essential. It only takes one security breach, one virus or one piece of malware to slow down or even cripple your network and damage your business operations. You may think that the software firewall and antivirus protection that comes with a new computer is adequate, but it isn’t. You’ll need a hardware-based firewall and antivirus software that updates and monitors your system in real time.
7) Stay Ahead with Tech Support
IT support isn’t an optional extra. You might be a tech genius, but the time you or your staff spend dealing with computer problems is time taken away from running your business. An IT support solution will dramatically decrease your downtime, as well as working proactively to prevent problems from emerging in the first place. You might hire an in-house computer technician or outsource the work to a third-party who provides tech support services.
Quikteks is an effective and affordable outsourced IT option for your business, and we’ll assist you with all the IT issues we’ve described above. With the right tools in place you’ll be well-placed to grow your company. There are amazing technology solutions available for businesses today, which can boost productivity and performance and allow you to spend more time growing your organization.
We offer convenient and speedy customized service and IT support for businesses. To learn more about how we can assist your organization, call Quikteks today at (973) 882-4644.