The increasingly rapid acceleration of technology is moving many purchases from the small business owner’s “nice-to-have” column into the “must have.” Driven in large part by a growing push for an “on-demand” consumer experience, business owners feel competitive pressures to be technologically relevant. They also need technology infrastructures that can accommodate application upgrades.
Technology can quickly drain the small business bank account. While one can make an argument that it will save money in the long run, that return on investment for artificial intelligence, for example, could be years away, whereas a security breach could disrupt an entire supply chain and bring you to near bankruptcy. When you have more questions than answers about essential technology for your small business, particularly cybersecurity, WyzGuys Cybersecurity can guide you to priorities that make sense. In the meantime, check out the following tips to help bolster your business tech.
Let key businesses considerations guide your list
As you’re developing your list of needs, consider how you work, and who your customer is. For example, if you have remote workers or sales offices, work collaboration platforms and digital workspaces make sense for team access to instant messaging and file sharing regardless of location. If you are a consumer-facing business, investing in customer relationship management programs may be a worthy investment, whereas a B2B business owner is better off allocating that money towards inventory management programs.
Cloud computing and cloud-based services are popular, and for good reason. They offer businesses agility, and you can find scalable options that are well within reach of most small business budgets. Some businesses are hesitant about cloud-based IT infrastructure because they don’t understand it, yet don’t realize that they likely use cloud technology every day for both business and personal use. For example, if you save and share files via Dropbox, you are using cloud-based technology.
Technology benefits from proactive humans
Your technology investment needs you as much as you need it, and the number one way you can keep your technology working hard and effectively for you is to invest in good cybersecurity programs and personnel training. The best firewalls or antivirus programs for your website are still no match for human carelessness, such as weak passwords, writing down passwords and leaving them on desks or whiteboards, or clicking on an email link. And in today’s mobile business environment, robust security measures must be equally applied to handheld and personal devices. Small business owners are even more vulnerable to cyberattacks than large businesses, as criminals count on less investment and lax attention from small business owners. Proving them wrong could just save your business.
In addition to evaluating online reviews and asking for trial periods, probe your small business owner network for references and experiences. Find out what they liked best about their purchases and what problems they encountered, being sure to apply it to your business environment. A minor glitch to them could be a major headache with your business model. Also, do a little detective work into your customer support features. Call the support number before you click “Order Now” and see how long it takes for a response. Then call again at 3 in the morning; if they promise and you’re paying for 24/7 support, that’s what you should expect to receive.
Other Tech to Consider
In addition to security, CRMs or cloud computing, there are other items that can enhance your efforts. For example, online project management apps like Asana and Trello can make it easier to monitor a project’s evolution, and ensure the whole team knows their objectives and deadlines. Timesheet software saves both time and money, and many solutions make it easy to provide direct deposit and easy benefits management. Other items like newer and faster laptops, improved modems, ergonomic keyboards and wireless headsets can also be a boon for your work and your staff’s.
Make technology work for you
Like an employee, your technology investment should work for you and contribute to your bottom line. With some upfront research, clear setting of priorities that make sense for your business, and employee training, you will quickly reap the benefits of your tech purchases through streamlined processes that enhance productivity and improve customer satisfaction.
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About the Author:
I am a cybersecurity and IT instructor, cybersecurity analyst, pen-tester, trainer, and speaker. I am an owner of the WyzCo Group Inc. In addition to consulting on security products and services, I also conduct security audits, compliance audits, vulnerability assessments and penetration tests. I also teach Cybersecurity Awareness Training classes. I work as an information technology and cybersecurity instructor for several training and certification organizations. I have worked in corporate, military, government, and workforce development training environments I am a frequent speaker at professional conferences such as the Minnesota Bloggers Conference, Secure360 Security Conference in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, the (ISC)2 World Congress 2016, and the ISSA International Conference 2017, and many local community organizations, including Chambers of Commerce, SCORE, and several school districts. I have been blogging on cybersecurity since 2006 at http://wyzguyscybersecurity.com