Many organizations, especially those experiencing growth, find themselves at a crossroads where they must decide to expand their own internal IT department, or perhaps hire their first full-time IT staff member. Small and medium-sized businesses typically have a ‘technical’ employee or two who perform the daily duties of managing the organization’s equipment with varied results. These ‘involuntary IT managers’ often perform duties that go well beyond the scope of their actual job description. As a result, neither the job they were hired for nor those extra responsibilities are performed adequately due to time, budget, and/or knowledge setbacks of those individuals being pulled in multiple directions.

Do you know how much your business spends on print and copy expenses? If the answer is no, you are not alone. According to a Gartner Group study, 90% of businesses lack an understanding of the total financial impact of printing and copying. The two biggest reasons for this lack of clarity are: Printing and copying expenses are often split between office equipment costs and office supply expenses. Printers and copiers are often managed separately yet used interchangeably. Considering the average employee prints 34 pages per day at a cost of around $725 per year per employee, printing and copying expenses are typically the third greatest business expense behind payroll and rent.

Alternatives to a business server: Workgroup Sharing Network Attached Storage (NAS) Device Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) Cloud Hosted Server (think Microsoft Azure or AWS) File Sync and Share Applications (think Drop Box, Google Docs) A server allows businesses to point all users toward a centralized location to access files and applications. There are some considerations when deciding if your business needs a server. In general, servers offer many benefits, and are a common approach for businesses that want consistency, centralization, or compliance with PCI, HIPAA or other industry-specific requirements. If you're not sure that a server environment is right for your business, there are other alternatives to consider, each with their own pros and cons.

This is a very common question among small businesses, so let’s start with a quick definition of what a server is. A server is typically an on-premise, high-performance piece of hardware that is combined with a high-end, server-based operating system that is used to store data and centralize resources (what a mouth full). When done properly, all computers point to this server to access files and application data while hardware/software redundancy keeps a high level of up-time for your staff. There are numerous benefits to this type of centralization, but it doesn’t come without a cost.

Wouldn’t it be great if every time you called your IT support provider, they answered the phone? Waiting for service is not anyone’s idea of a good time. With the pace of business in our world, it is unreasonable that the only option for acquiring IT support is waiting by the phone like you are expecting a date to call. Unfortunately, this is frequently the service you get from single-person IT support operations, otherwise known as your outsourced "IT guy/girl." This level of support may be fine for your home PC, where processes and payments are not depending on technology working right now, but for small and medium businesses, the consistent coverage provided by a trained, business-focused help desk team can be a lifesaver.

Computers, Printers, Copiers, Phone Systems Oh My! You know your business depends on technology for day-to-day operations, but do you know the impact it has on things like employee retention, customer experience, and overall growth potential? Do you know how much you stand to lose if your technology systems fail – or worse yet – would your business even survive a major outage for any length of time? Technology is a major factor in your ability to grow your business and must be planned for strategically. Fixing computers when they break is not an IT strategy Fixing is reactive and doesn’t allow you to proactively plan for your technology investments. A more strategic approach helps to ensure you’re making investments in technology that contribute to the success of your business. Technology, like any tool, is only as good as its fit for the job. Fixing your chainsaw isn’t the best investment if what you really need is a nail gun. A sound IT strategy helps to determine when changes in your business and/or job functions dictate changes in your IT tools. Fixing only allows you to maintain the status quo. Is your business the same as it was three years ago when you purchased that sluggish computer? If not, your investment may be better spent on new equipment better aligned with your business needs today and not three years ago. Fixing doesn’t allow for lifecycle management. With an average lifespan of 3-5 years, computers and servers should be replaced as they approach end-of-life. A comprehensive IT strategy will track anticipated replacement dates and assist you in making educated decisions on investing in repair vs. replacement.

As technology advances so do the software needed to make it run efficiently. At the beginning of the year, Microsoft published a reminder that Windows 7 will lose support on January 14, 2020. If you're wondering how this affects you and your business, here are some things to consider.

It’s happened to all of us – your computer crashes just before you save the report you’ve been finishing all afternoon or the printer jams while you’re printing that big proposal. Anger, frustration, helplessness, and a touch of nausea are the result. These are the absolute worst feelings employees could have on the job, and the more frequently they feel them, the more likely you are to lose your top talent. Cost is often a big reason cited by business owners for not upgrading or advancing technology, but the truth is that fast computers, high-speed internet, accessible data backups, and secure electronic files are not luxury items. They are essential tools to most effectively utilize and retain your greatest asset and most limited resource – your most talented employees. According to the 2018 Global Talent Trends study by Mercer, “as [employees] support technology, they want technology to support them back – through state-of-the-art platforms that enable people to connect, collaborate, and innovate together.”