Proactive support is not a new concept, and yet, it has lacked in the IT field as most of those within the industry follow a break-fix model. Changing the way support has been may also mean changing the way business is done on a daily basis. Innovation can encourage a new way to meet consumer demands or improve current business practices that will ultimately make you and your business more successful.
When you are examining your current IT solution, it can be difficult to figure out whether or not you are in an ideal situation or if maybe you could use some help. There are many different facets to consider when thinking about potential IT solutions, so to help you make the best decision for you, let's take a look at some of the questions you need to ask yourself.
Topics: IT best practices
Hiring a network support company makes sense doesn't it? Most small businesses are not experts in networking. So, one would think this is a logical thing to outsource.
Unfortunately, when it comes to small business computer services, many owners, CEOs and presidents fall into the trap of short-term thinking.
I meet with presidents, CEOs and owners of small businesses every week to discuss what computer services they are using (whether internal or external), what it costs them and the results they are seeing.
Topics: IT Managed Services
Over the last two years, we have conducted a study of small business computer services pain points. We interviewed 110 companies ranging from 20 to 100 employees. Representative interviewees included owners, CEOs, presidents, partners, general managers, CFOs, controllers and similar leadership positions. The pain points represent those most affecting business outcomes as reported by the interviewee. Verticals were wide ranging with everything from biotechnology to services organizations to manufacturing and technology.
One of the common questions that I get from owners who need their small business IT infrastructure supported is how can an external company perform support remotely and effectively?
Topics: small business it support, small business IT infrastructure
In today’s economically optimistic, but still cautious small business environment, efficiency in information technologies is more important than ever. And the best way to capitalize on that efficiency is to make sure your small business IT support doesn’t just detect problems in your network, it prevents them. Here are the five technology initiatives to best ensure maximum productivity.
Topics: small business it support, Virtualization, cloud services, offsite backups, social media, security audits
A client shared with me something that happened to him while he was on vacation in the Mayan ruins of Mexico. He received a call from his remote network monitoring agency while he was in the middle of those ruins, because one of his servers was down. He looked at this from the point of view that this call was awesome, because now he could get it fixed and his network monitoring provider was able to reach him wherever he was. Or he could have taken a step back and thought to himself: “Why did I even have to get called in the first place?”
Topics: small business it support, Remote Network Monitoring, proactive problem solving
How do your employees communicate and collaborate? Is the level of functionality in your office working so that everyone's best talents are put to use, especially yours? Although most small business owners are initially successful because (by being clever and intrepid) they can 'do everything', it also means that owners tend to take on all the responsibilities, working tirelessly to increase profits by whatever means necessary. This usually results in long days, as you struggle to pull yourself ahead while your true talents for networking, leadership and sales get pushed aside. Needless to say, this isn't the most efficient way to use your time.
Encourage Individual Strengths
Topics: small business it support, small business solutions, IT infrastructure, Security, IT Strategy
