January 2020 - Main Article:

3 Places You Should NEVER Cut Corners With IT

We all know how easy it is to cut corners in business; we have all done it somewhere. But we also know we should not. You will eventually have to face the consequences, whether they are small or large. The same applies to IT. When you cut corners, the consequences to your business can be major. Here are three places where you never want to cut corners.

EQUIPMENT

You want to set up a wireless network at the office, but you do not want to spend more than $50. So, you spend that $50 and call it good. While this new router may deliver a wireless signal that reaches every employee, you could be making a huge mistake that may cost you dearly.

Routers are a good example of technology you want to put extra thought and money into. You want equipment that not only makes sense for your business’s network needs but also performs reliably and securely. Cheap routers aren’t known for their security features. You want something that will complement the firewalls or security software you have in place (and you should have them).

This same idea applies to all other equipment, as well as software. When you cut corners, there is a good chance you will be opening your wallet again to fix the problem in the near future. On top of that, it puts your data at risk if you are buying cheap, potentially faulty equipment.

want to invest in hardware and software that will scale with your business. It is safe to say that most businesses want to grow, which means adding more customers and more employees. When that is the plan, scalability becomes a big deal.

Part of it comes back to the first point: cheap equipment is not typically designed with scalability in mind. It is a quick-fix investment. It is not made for the long haul. Where do you plan on being in five years? What are your growth goals? You have to ask these kinds of questions to determine what kind of investment you need to make, whether it’s in billing software, customer service software, workstations or your network infrastructure.

If you do not think about scalability, as soon as you start really growing, you’ll be hit by growing pains. You will have to reinvest in technology, and you’ll be spending far more than you needed to, once for the first investment (on non-scalable tech) and once for the second investment (to catch up with your growth). But because your business has grown since that initial investment, you will be left with a hefty bill – for much more than you paid the first time. Do not make this mistake!

DATA SECURITY

Just because your data is locked away in the back room does not mean it’s safe. For one, small businesses are the biggest targets for cybercriminals because most small businesses skimp on data security, making it easy for cybercriminals to steal data and cause a lot of problems.

To make matters worse, if you get hit with a cyber-attack or data breach, it can be incredibly difficult to recover, and many small businesses do not recover. They struggle for a few months before finally closing their doors.

You need to invest in firewalls, malware protection, data encryption, data backups, password managers and, as mentioned above, good equipment that is designed with reliability and security in mind. And no, you do not have to figure it out by yourself. It can be a lot, and as you dive into the topic of data security, you will have questions.

This is exactly why you want to pair up with an experienced IT company that specializes in security. It is very hard to run a business and try to be a data security expert at the same time. Thankfully, you do not have to do that. You can get the most out of your equipment, you can be prepared for future growth and you can be ready for the threats to your data! You just have to make that first investment.