Want technology to help you grow instead of holding your business back?
It goes without saying that technology is essential to running a business these days. Email. Cloud storage. Customer databases. Payment systems. You name it, your business uses technology to get work done.
But for the majority of businesses, technology is one huge headache.
Systems go down at the worst times. Software breaks and no one is sure how to fix it. Security vulnerabilities are left exposed for weeks (or years) at a time. Oh and those updates you keep forgetting to apply? They’ll catch up with you eventually too.
This doesn’t have to be your story.
Shifting your mindset to treat technology like a strategic asset is the first step. But to truly flip the script, you need a solid business continuity plan that keeps your technology functioning at all times.
In this post, we’ll share exactly how the most successful businesses are treating technology as a growth driver, instead of a headache.
Let’s dive in.
What you’ll learn:
- Why Technology Becomes A Headache
- The Real Cost Of Downtime
- How Business Continuity Services Drive Growth
- 5 Ways To Turn Technology Into Your Biggest Asset
Why Technology Becomes A Headache
Most small to medium businesses start with a handful of laptops and a few pieces of cloud software. Maybe a shared drive somewhere.
But pretty quickly things get messy.
Software doesn’t integrate. Updates are forgotten. Important security patches aren’t installed.
And suddenly your business runs on outdated technology that everyone has learned to work around.
Then the headaches start.
Hours of productivity lost by staff trying to work around slow software. Customer information exposed due to risky IT practices. Or worse yet, one server going down can take your entire operation offline.
The number one reason technology becomes such a headache is because…
You don’t have a plan.
Any business that implements proactive managed IT services and has a strong business continuity plan won’t experience the same issues. They know where everything is, how it works and more importantly, how to keep it all running smoothly. That means minimizing downtime, recovering faster and having technology that works for your business, not against it.
The Real Cost of Downtime
You don’t think downtime is a big deal? Think again.
Your staff can’t work. Customers can’t buy from you. And your reputation is instantly tarnished.
Digital technology downtime is crippling for businesses. A recent study by Splunk estimates that the top 2000 companies in the world lose $400 billion USD annually due to downtime. And unfortunately for SME’s, the costs are much greater.
That’s because:
- Revenue loss — every minute your business is offline is a minute of sales you’ll never recoup.
- Productivity loss — staff either do nothing or look for unproductive workarounds.
- Reputation damage — unhappy customers turn away and tell others about their negative experiences.
- Recovery costs — it often costs money to get things back online in a hurry.
The only businesses that aren’t hemorrhaging money during downtime are the ones with solid business continuity services in place. They have processes and people ready to spring into action at the first sign of trouble.
How Business Continuity Services Drive Growth
If you thought business continuity services were just the IT equivalent of insurance…think again.
Business continuity planning is a huge growth driver for your business. When you know your technology is 100% covered, you’re free to do what you do best…grow your business!
Here’s how:
Solid tech = Happy staff
Nobody likes working with technology that doesn’t work. IT headaches cause staff frustration and lost productivity. That doesn’t help anyone.
But when your tech is running smoothly, staff spend more time doing their actual jobs and less time trying to solve IT problems.
Sales closes more deals. Customer service replies faster. Finance has more time to analyse data.
Business leaders are also better equipped to make decisions that fuel growth when they can trust their technology to always be available and productive.
Every part of your business benefits when your technology is a strength instead of a weakness.
That’s why a good business continuity plan includes:
- Proactive monitoring
- Data backup and recovery
- Cybersecurity measures
- Scalable technology infrastructure
Here’s a scary statistic for you…
According to this report, 43% of SMB’s have experienced a cyber attack. If your business has fallen victim to a cyberattack or doesn’t have a continuity plan that includes cybersecurity, then you’re leaving money on the table.
5 Ways To Turn Technology Into Your Biggest Asset
Alright, you’ve had enough theory. You want to know exactly how to treat technology like a growth driver.
Here are five simple steps you can take today to turn your technology stack from a business headache into a valuable asset.
Be Proactive With IT
Stop waiting for things to break and start preventing IT issues before they happen.
Proactive IT management means putting systems and processes in place that will minimise downtime and productivity losses.
Regular software updates, proactive cybersecurity monitoring and patching are all examples of how a proactive IT management team works.
Proactive IT = Less downtime
Create a Disaster Recovery Plan
Don’t just wait for disaster to strike. Have a plan.
Every business needs a disaster recovery plan that outlines exactly what to do when things go wrong.
And by “things”, that means anything from system outages to cybersecurity breaches.
A good plan will outline:
- Clear recovery time objectives (RTO)
- Point person responsible for recovery
- Detailed steps to recover from specific events.
- Regular testing to ensure everyone knows their role.
You get the idea.
Invest In Cybersecurity
Gone are the days of small businesses getting away with lax cybersecurity.
Cyber criminals are getting smarter every day. In fact, did you know that the average cybercrime attack costs $200,000?
Ransomware, phishing, compromised passwords. It’s only a matter of time before one of these attacks wreaks havoc on a business.
That’s why cybersecurity should be a core component of every business continuity plan. You can’t put a price on your reputation.
Consolidate Your Tech Stack
A fragmented tech stack is one of the leading causes of IT headaches.
Too many systems, software and tools that don’t play nicely together creates…
Operational inefficiency.
Nobody’s best at everything. That’s why centralising your technology stack makes your business more efficient overall.
It also makes life a lot easier.
Unified communications. Cloud based infrastructure. Integrated security.
Fewer tools to learn and manage. And less opportunities for things to go wrong.
Partner With a Professional IT Provider
The days of businesses trying to manage technology in-house are long gone.
Technology is evolving faster than most businesses can keep up with. That’s why the most successful businesses outsource their technology to a professional IT services provider.
A good IT provider will:
- Manage your technology day-to-day
- Give you actionable advice to improve
- Ensure your tech always supports your business goals
Wrapping It Up
There you have it!
Turn your technology stack from a headache into your greatest business asset by implementing strong business continuity services.
Remember…
- Be proactive when it comes to IT management
- Create a documented disaster recovery plan
- Invest in cybersecurity
- Keep your technology stack consolidated
- Partner with a professional IT services provider
With the right business continuity plan in place, your technology will help your business grow instead of holding it back.
