When running a business, IT can sometimes feel like a big mystery with lots of twists and turns. It’s all smooth sailing until someone can’t access their email, or a file disappears right before your eyes. It’s common to feel frustrated and wonder, “Is this just part of the process?” Remember, you're not alone in this. Many business leaders are facing the same challenges. Lucky for you, there are solutions out there!
Whether you’re hands-on or hands-off with your technology, there are a few foundational things every business leader should know about their IT environment, because when your technology works, your business works!
Before we jump in, we will quickly note our bias on this subject. In our almost 25 years of IT work, we’ve worked with all kinds of business leaders, all with varying degrees of technical knowledge. While it's not required or expected for these leaders to understand everything about their IT, we've seen firsthand that some of the most successful partnerships happen when leaders come to the table ready to learn, ask questions and genuinely collaborate so they can get the most bang for their buck.
Now, let’s walk through some of these tips and best practices so you can make informed decisions about your technology and be an active participant when talking to your current or future MSP.
1. Mastering the Essentials
Before jumping right into fancy tools or automation, it’s crucial that your business addresses the basic essentials. Do you have the foundational tools, systems and processes to ensure your IT environment functions? These questions might help jumpstart that process and drive meaningful conversations with your provider.
- Is everything working when we need it?
- Is our internet reliable?
- Are the computers and devices up-to-date and functioning?
- Do our key systems (email, files, business apps) stay online consistently?
- Do we have backups that are working, tested and accessible in a timely manner?
2. Cybersecurity Isn’t Optional Anymore
Too many businesses discover the importance of cybersecurity after it’s too late. Remember, cybersecurity isn’t just for big companies. Ransomware attacks, phishing attempts and data loss can (and do) disrupt small to medium-sized businesses every day. These incidents are costly and often outweigh the cost of the tools/services themselves.
You need to know:
- Do you have EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) or MDR (Managed Detection and Response)?
- Are you using MFA (multi-factor authentication)?
- Are employees trained to spot phishing?
- Do you have firewalls and patch management in place?
3. Who Do You Call When It Breaks?
Unfortunately, technology will have issues from time to time. Too often, business leaders accept slow or unreliable IT support because they think it’s “just how IT is.” But support should be quick, reliable and painless. If you spend your day on the phone waiting for support while your computer isn’t working, you’re losing time, productivity and money.
Ask yourself these questions. Is your current IT team getting the job done?
- When something breaks, who do you call?
- Is there a help desk that answers live and in a timely manner?
- Do they fix things quickly and keep you in the loop?
- Do you trust them to solve your problems?
4. You Should Have Visibility Into Your Own Technology
We mentioned earlier that business leaders will have different levels of technical knowledge. While you won’t need to know how to configure a firewall, there are some things you’ll want to understand so you can be an active participant in your IT partnership:
- What systems do you have?
- Are IT accountabilities clearly defined in your organization?
- Where does your data live?
- What are you paying for and why?
5. IT Should Make Your Business More Productive
Functioning IT is non-negotiable, but let’s take a second to think beyond basic functionality. If your team is constantly toggling between clunky systems or doing things manually that could be automated, your IT isn’t doing enough to enable productivity.
IT shouldn’t just “work,” it should make life easier for everyone. Let’s apply these questions to your business:
- Are your systems integrated?
- Are your tools standardized across departments?
- Are repetitive tasks being automated?
Talking with your IT Provider
Now that we’ve walked through the basics, it’s time for you to start the conversation! Whether you’re talking with your current IT provider or prospecting a new one, a credible and trustworthy partner will appreciate the work you’ve done to understand your own environment, and you’ll be better prepared to work with the experts to make informed decisions for your business.
Quality IT is an investment, but poor IT will lead to greater expenses down the road due to decreased productivity, unhappy staff and customer service issues. You deserve an IT environment that supports your growth, keeps your team productive and gives you peace of mind. It might be time for a deeper conversation if your current setup isn’t doing that.
