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Facing Your Technology Issues as a Small Business Owner

Published on: January 12th, 2014

As a small business owner, you are forced to wear many different hats and deal with numerous problems each and every day.  Many of the problems originate from business technology issues, with devices working improperly or not as anticipated.

10 Common Technology Issues

Here are some of the most common technology issues small business owners face and possible solutions:

Inadequate Backup: While we all understand the importance of backup, and may even have a solution in place are you 100% sure that it is working properly and being completed as scheduled?  You have to be 100% sure because if you are not and you have a failure it can be catastrophic to your business.

Solution: Implement a backup solution that meets the needs of the business; also develop a testing solution that occurs at least once a month to ensure you are able to recover from a disaster.  We recommend a managed solution that has the flexibility to grow with your business.

Lost, Stolen, & Unsecured Mobile Devices:  Every employee is accessing and storing company information on their mobile devices, whether it is a personal device or provided by the company.  What happens when these devices are lost or stolen with your confidential company information left on the device?

Solution: All devices should be integrated into your IT Infrastructure and have the same level of protection as your networks, services, and desktops.  Incorporating encryption and remote wipe solutions will help keep your business protected.

Lost Productivity: Have you ever tried to measure the amount of time your employees spend online or on their personal mobile devices?

Solution: Many small businesses are putting Internet and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies in place.  These policies outline what employees can and cannot access on their mobile devices while they are in the office.  Some are taking it to the next level and putting access blocks up within the office, meaning that certain features on their mobile devices will be unavailable while they are at work.

Unsecured Networks: Are employees putting your business network at risk by surfing untrusted websites and opening unsafe email attachments?

Solution: As a business owner it is your responsibility to protect not only your confidential business data but also your client’s information. Every desktop, mobile device, and server must have an adequate and up-to-date security measure installed.  There are malicious bugs and viruses emerging daily, and with one click your entire office can be put at risk.

Increased Efficiencies through Technology: Are your employees still performing accounting, payroll, and client-related tasking the same way they always have?  If you answered yes, then you are not taking advantage of the things technology can do to make your employees and your business more efficient.

Solution: Upgrading to cloud-based solutions will provide your business the ability to grow and change as necessary.  It also gives your employees the flexibility to access information from anywhere providing clients a better customer service experience, while automating related tasks.

The best solution in many cases is for the small business owner to establish a relationship with an IT service provider that specializes in small business technology solutions, so the provider can handle the technology, while the owner is focused on growing the business.