Managing business technology is not easy, especially if your budget doesn’t accommodate an internal IT department. You want professionals who know what they are doing to be the first ones handling your organization’s technology solutions, but sometimes this simply isn’t possible. While the concept of outsourcing technology management and maintenance to a third party sounds strange at first glance, it sure beats just about any other alternative out there--and for good reason.
Dozens of surveys and reports are produced each year that evaluate digital threats and cybercrime. Not every publication applies to every business - but many of them do have some important take-aways about the best practices of handling IT. Here’s few highlights from the 2017 Cyberthreat Defense Report that offer important insight for SMBs and their use of technology.
We all know the pain of contriving a brand new business solution. It takes time to implement and it can be an unnecessary hurdle to greater operational efficiency. Therefore, the best way to make the most out of a brand new solution is to use one that requires minimal setup, and can be implemented immediately into your business strategy.
It’s well known in the business world that outsourcing your IT will yield significant savings for your IT budget. However, did you know that the benefits of outsourcing IT go beyond monetary savings? For example, gaining access to a new skillset is just one valuable benefit to outsourced IT that doesn’t have a column in your budget.
We often discuss why it’s important that a business takes proactive measures to resolve IT issues before they become problems, but these definitions might be lost on some of our followers. In order to understand the true value of our IT services, it’s imperative that you’re able to distinguish the difference between these two disruptive sources to your technology.
Seasoned business owners understand the value of working with professionally-trained teams. Due to the complexities and time constraints of running a business, there’s no way that one person can do everything, much less doing everything well. Therefore, it’s ideal to have a professional team dedicated to every aspect of your business, especially when it comes to IT.
Modern businesses are built upon their data. Therefore, you need someone you trust to oversee it. Having the wrong person handle your IT systems could turn into a number of time-consuming, costly, and irritating problems for you. Here’s a list of the six most common IT problems that can be prevented by going with a trusted IT service provider.
It can make a big difference for your business to partner with the right technology vendor. How can you know if you’re working with a vendor that’s looking out for your company’s best interests, or one that wants to rip you off? You can know for sure if you’re working with the right vendor if you have your trusted IT provider choose them for you.
When people talk about "phoning it in," they usually refer to purposely doing subpar work at their job. However, when a computer breaks and someone "phones it in," they're referring to calling remote IT support, which has a completely different connotation because remote IT service is service that's of the highest quality!
When your business runs efficiently, you will see the positive side effects start relatively quickly. While this seems pretty reasonable to most everyone, there are many business owners that don't know how to best produce the kind of efficiency that will take their business to the next level.
As the world of business becomes increasingly dependent upon technology, the role of IT is changing. Historically, the IT department has been viewed as a separate entity in the office that fixes and maintains the IT infrastructure. Today, more companies are involving IT when making important business decisions. Have you consulted your IT professional lately?
Some people are so good at communicating that they do it for a living. The best communicators get paid to talk to people on the behalf of others, with an interpreter being the classic example of this. In your business dealings, there are some people that you would rather have someone else talk to on your behalf; IT vendors often fall into this category.
When looking for a mate, you will be most attracted to a "total package." This is a guy or a girl that has it all: Looks, personality, a sense of humor, and everything else your heart desires. Looking for a business partner is a lot like looking for a mate. You want to go with a company that is a total package.
With every upgrade to every product, we see technology appealing to people's insatiable need for instant gratification. From microwaves to emails, you know the drill; the most successful innovations are the ones that make life more convenient. Why should your IT service be any different and fail to instantly gratify you?
What are your business' biggest pain points? Some pain points are obvious, like the issue keeping you up at night. Other pain points are smaller; you may not worry about them as much, but they still negatively affect your bottom line. Here are three ways we can help identify and find solutions for your company's pain points.
You can't do everything yourself. Often times, you spend too much of your day dealing with unforeseen situations that arise. This makes completing all the tasks you've laid out for yourself extremely difficult. Implementing best practices will help you manage your time better, have fewer surprises, and allow you to focus more on making your business profitable.
If you are a business that doesn't have an IT support plan, then you're running on borrowed time. It's the nature of technology to eventually break, and when it does, it can disrupt the entire flow of your business. A reliable IT support plan is crucial to your business continuity plan. Without a plan, you will have a big mess on your hands.
You can't do everything yourself. Often times, you spend too much of your day dealing with unforeseen situations that arise. This makes completing all the tasks you've laid out for yourself extremely difficult. Implementing best practices will help you manage your time better, have fewer surprises, and allow you to focus more on making your business profitable.
It wasn't too long ago when a person could go to his or her local supermarket and rent a copy of their favorite movie on VHS. When that novelty fell off, you could still get the movies at your local video store. Every town had one. Whether it was a chain such as Blockbuster or a locally owned store, millions of people relied on the video store in their town for entertainment for the better part of a quarter of a century.
We live in a world where money is the solution to all problems. If you have a problematic piece of technology, what do you do to fix it? You can call in the professionals, or shell out for new hardware or software. Either way, you’re spending money, but the difference in how much you need to spend depends on the policies your IT support budget specifies.
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