The holidays are behind us, and a brand new calendar is ahead. That makes it an exciting time to be a business owner, but also a stressful one. For all the dreams and goals you might have for 2018, you may have some concerns and questions, too.
Some of these worries might be centered on your company’s technology. In our experience, January is a time when a lot of business owners begin to wonder whether they have the right hardware and software, whether they are at risk for outages and unexpected costs, or if they might be paying too much for IT care.
The easiest way to get clear answers is by having a trained team give you an IT consultation. It only takes a few hours, and it can help you gain insights into lots of topics that are important as you move into a new business year, including…
How Technology Fits Your Business Plan and Operations
If you are planning on making some big changes in your business this year, you might have to adapt your approach to technology as well. New hardware, software, and apps might be needed. You may even be able to save some money by scaling your technology budget back.
You won’t be able to know, however, unless you have an experienced IT vendor who can match up your goals with a smart tech strategy.
The State of Your Existing Hardware and Software
How confident are you that the hardware and software you use to run your company are stable, secure, and up-to-date? If you have doubts, then it’s best to address them before they leave you with outages, unplanned downtime, or more expensive problems.
A good IT team can review the technology you have in place and let you know whether you should plan on upgrades or repairs now, so you don’t have to find out the hard way later.
Any Imminent Technology Risks
In the same way, certain businesses and technology configurations can leave you vulnerable to known, and preventable, issues. These might include security exploits, known device faults, or incompatibility between devices. These are the sorts of issues that would be nice to ignore and pretend they don’t exist, but that’s not a smart business strategy.
It’s easy to have your outsourced IT vendor look through your systems to spot vulnerabilities, and it could help you avert more serious challenges later.
Your Backup and Disaster Recovery Plan
Are your files being backed up securely on a regular basis? Do you have some sort of storage for a customer and financial data (as examples) that would stay intact if something happened to your business or facility?
When it comes to technology failures, it’s always a matter of when, rather than if. If you don’t have a good backup and disaster recovery plan in place already, this could be the most valuable part of your New Year’s IT consultation.
Whether Your IT Budget for the Coming Year is Realistic
New clients often tell us as if they always felt like unexpected IT costs “come out of nowhere.” In reality, they usually just didn’t have the right personnel evaluating budgets and making recommendations on their behalf.
If you want to know what you should realistically expect to spend on technology for your business this year – or looking for ways to keep costs down – then an IT consultation in January could be more helpful than you imagined.
Get the Personalized IT Advice You Need to Start 2018
It’s easy to get clear answers to your most pressing technology questions. Just contact the team at Fantastic IT in Southern California today and schedule a short consultation, where we can give you the insights you need and help you plan for a profitable, efficient 2018!