The importance of IT to your business

How important is technology to your business? Is it something that you take for granted? Do you just assume that your computer will fire up when you get to your desk and turn it on of a morning? Is your technology working with you? Or against you?

Running a small business means that you need to be thinking about things that may not be your area of expertise – especially for smaller businesses and those just starting out you need to juggle the core of what your business is about alongside the red tape, the accounts, the marketing, your emails, your website and your branding.

But nothing will work if your IT doesn’t.

Most business people who know a little about a lot of different things, but unless you are running a technology company or you are big enough to have your own IT department, there will come a time when you are ready to fling your computer/printer/telephone system out of the window. So how do you prevent technology getting the better of you and instead working better for you?

Your Basic Business IT Strategy:

What Have You Got? Even if you are just starting out in business the chances are that you will already have some type of computer, possibly a printer, and a phone. If you are looking at growing your business when was the last time that you did a thorough inventory of your current technology? It’s worth your while knowing what you already have and updating this information as you add to or get rid of both your hardware and your software.

What Do You Need? What does your business need to operate smoothly and efficiently? It may be that once you have taken stock of all of your current business IT you don’t feel that you need anything more. But how much longer can you keep going with that painfully slow computer? Can you really keep your cool as your scanner chews up yet another important document? Do you have the software to help your business run smoother – and the hardware to cope with that software?

What Will You Need? Technology is changing and evolving as often as we are breathing. You can’t anticipate exactly what the future holds, but you will at least have an idea of where you want your business to be say in a year, or two, or five years down the road. What technology will help you towards your goals? Can your current set up cope, can it be upgraded? Do you have the security procedures to protect your data? Is your website secure, and easy to navigate? Do you have a policy for all members of your business regarding their laptops, tablets, social media activities?

What If It Fails? And it will – what if you get hacked? What if your emails go down, or your telephone systems? What if there is a power cut or your offices get flooded? What if your website gets hacked or there is an online campaign against your company whether justified or not? Do you have a disaster recovery plan for your business?

Who Can I Trust? There will always be a time when you need to call for help with your business’ technology needs – this is an area of your business that you cannot do without and so who can you trust with looking after this integral aspect of your working life? Our advice is to ask around – who do other companies use? Who has the working experience and knowledge to substantiate their marketing claims?

Dolphin are fast approaching their 18^th birthday – that is 18 years of hands-on experience of helping small businesses grow and flourish. We have worked alongside start-ups and been part of their journeys to multi-million-pound enterprises. We know how important technology is if you are a one-person start-up working from your kitchen table through to a multi-site, business critical company – and everything in between.

If you would like to start the new year knowing that your tech is going to work for you then give us a shout and see how we can help your business move forward and become the success that you have the vision to foresee.