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While it’s true that every business needs an IT team (at least an outsourced one), a lot of companies fail to give their IT the attention it deserves. This results in them making mistakes that are easily avoidable and therefore causing a significant setback for their business. With this in mind, and in order to hopefully avoid falling into the same trap, here are some of the worst IT mistakes that businesses tend to walk right into.
In This Post:
Worst IT Mistakes a Business Can Make
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Not backing up their data
If you walked up to a random business headquarters and asked the first person you come across what is the worst thing that a business can lose, there is huge chance that you will hear something like – client, good name or team spirit. Sure, a loss of any of these can fall hard on you, but now compare it to the loss of two full months of work due to not backing up your data regularly. This can be equally as dangerous, sometimes even more so. The most humiliating thing about this particular mistake is just how little time and effort it takes to prevent it. What you need is a solid data backup software on your side. Luckily, most top-tier ones start at under $50, which makes them affordable even for those businesses that are on the tightest of budgets.
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Turning to illegal software
A lot of businesses use open source programs in order to save on their IT budget. Although open source programs sometimes tend to be inferior to their premium counterparts, they are still a valid choice. The same definitely doesn’t go for illegal software. First of all, if discovered, you will have to pay a massive fine, probably much bigger than you would have been required to pay for a life-long use of the given software. Second, you get no customer support whatsoever, which can be quite devastating on its own.
One more thing that needs to be paramount is the fact that you should under no circumstances allow your employees to install third-party software on their work computers without asking people from the IT department first. This needs to be one of your most important company policies and can save you from a world of problems.
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Reluctant to outsource
When speaking about the advantages of outsourcing, most people will mention lower short-term costs. Still, there is something more important than money here. You see, it takes some time to hire, equip and train the right people for the job. In the meantime, your business gets the inefficient IT support to the frustration of your customers. In other words, in the long time, having an in-house team might be as effective, but for the time being, outsourcing will give you a much higher quality of service.
In words of Picnet IT services professionals, consistency is key to both great IT support and business in general, which is why you might want to consider going with IT support and managed services. You can even do this temporarily until your team is up to the task to take over.
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Disregarding security
One last thing, cyber-security has never been as important as it is today, with all the hackers and cyber-hazards lurking around. Still, this can be solved in several simple policies, that you might try enforcing. First of all, you need to secure all wireless networks in the office. Second, you need to hold a presentation on hazardous online behavior in front of your employees. You see, it takes only a second of negligence by just one of them in order to completely compromise your company. Third, you need to invest in a reliable antivirus, anti-rootkit, anti-malware and anti-spyware programs. Additionally, you need to use them regularly in order for this investment to have any effect.
In conclusion
Finally, there is one thing you need to keep in mind. Earlier on, we mentioned that some people are constantly on the lookout for new methods that will help them save a few bucks. Still, in 2017 you probably can’t afford to save on your IT. Sure, there are other mistakes that SMBs and startups usually make, like dreading cloud, using unsolicited emails or even using insufficient power protection in their office. Still, the above-mentioned four issues are as good place as any to start making some change.
