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4 Ways Unmanaged Technology Impacts Small Businesses

Think back to the 1980’s when only large corporations had computing power or were tech-enabled. Fast forward a few decades and you can find computing power enabling business processes at companies of all sizes. Technology has become the great equalizer for small businesses to compete with larger competitors. But, adopting technology isn’t without risks. We will examine 4 ways unmanaged technology can create extensive challenges for even the most forward-thinking entrepreneurs.

Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery

What would happen if you lost a day’s data in your business? How about a week? What if you had to fall back to 6 months old records? It’s not uncommon to see a small business with a homegrown network managing critical backups with an external hard drive that either goes home with the owner or sits on the rack next to the server or desktop and is forgotten until a critical system fails. This is when the backups are accessed only to discover the drive was full weeks ago and it hasn’t been storing data.

Creating an effective backup plan is something an outsourced IT firm will help small businesses with. Ensuring there are on-site backups as well as secure off-site for critical data. If you’re not sure when the last time you checked your backup system was, it’s more than likely you don’t have one anymore.

Data Security

Do you know where your sensitive customer information is stored? Are you sure it’s encrypted and secured from unauthorized access? Data security is a critical topic for any business, especially for small businesses with limited budgets and less technical expertise. An unmanaged technology environment can easily become vulnerable to phishing attacks, data breaches, or ransomware infections.

Outsourced IT firms have the tools and expertise to help small businesses secure their sensitive information so they can do business without worrying about potential risks. They can also provide office tech support so you’re up and running in the event of an attack.

Compliance & Regulations

Your business may be subject to various laws and regulations depending on what services you are providing or the products you are selling. If your technology is not managed properly, it can become difficult to keep up with the various rules and regulations. An unmanaged IT environment can quickly become out of compliance with various industry standards, leaving you vulnerable to fines, legal action, and other repercussions.

An IT company for small businesses will have the expertise to help your business meet all applicable laws and regulations on data collection, storage, retrieval, and destruction. In fluid environments, it’s helpful to have the IT company provide office tech support either by phone or in-person to ensure your business running smoothly and compliant.

Ongoing Maintenance & Support

In a world of constantly changing technology, it’s important to have an IT support team that can handle everything from office tech support to network maintenance. Without managed technology, small businesses are often left behind when it comes to the latest security updates or software upgrades. This opens up the possibility for potential data breaches or malware infections and can be avoided with managed IT services.

Choosing the right outsourced IT firm specializing in IT for small businesses can provide office tech support as well as ongoing maintenance and updates to keep your business running at peak efficiency. Outsourcing IT ensures your technology is up-to-date, secure, and compliant.

In conclusion, while technology can help your business stay competitive and offer new and exciting products and services, when left unmanaged, the technology you rely upon daily may become the biggest threat to your business’ survival.  Partner with the right outsourced IT company to ensure a secure future for your company.