Support
(587) 745-0366
Contrary to what some may think, it’s just as important for small businesses to invest in advanced IT as it is for larger corporations. In fact, many of the same tech problems that hurt large organizations can bring small businesses to a screeching halt just as easily—if not more so.
The challenge for SMBs is that they may not have access to the same resources as larger businesses, for both their tech investments and potential recoveries.
The good news is that there are plenty of enterprise-level IT solutions out there tailor-made for small businesses—and even fit within your budget. Implementing these 5 IT practices will give your business the security it needs for protection against advanced cyber threats.
Data Backup & Disaster Recovery
When you experience an emergency because of a natural disaster or human error, every minute of downtime is costing you money. Not to mention, file recovery can be expensive and time-consuming if backups weren’t done properly.
Small businesses are vulnerable to data loss and downtime in the event of a disaster. Investing in a reliable data backup and disaster recovery solution can help you minimize the impact of an unexpected outage or incident. Data backups ensure your data is always accessible.
Data Backup vs. Data Recovery: What’s the Difference?
Data backup is the process of creating a copy of your important business data so that you can restore it if it’s lost or damaged. Data recovery is the process of restoring lost data from a backup.
The 3-2-1 backup rule is a best practice for backing up data. It stipulates that you should have three copies of your data, stored on two different media, with one copy stored off-site.
For example, you could have your original data on your computer’s hard drive, a backup on an external hard drive, and a third backup in the cloud.
This rule helps to ensure that you always have a backup of your data in the event that one of your backups is lost or damaged.
What a Good Disaster Recovery Plan Includes
Not all disaster recovery plans are created equal, so make sure the following points are covered in yours.
- Each department knows what to do in an outage or emergency.
- You have a process for when and how to restore data from backups.
- You are constantly testing and improving your plan based on real data.
Having a tested backup and recovery plan is essential for ensuring your business continuity in the event of an unexpected outage or incident.
Cybersecurity-as-a-Service (CaaS)
Hiring, training, and maintaining an in-house IT team can be costly and time-consuming. The real annual cost of one IT employee making $70,000 a year is actually $100,000, and that doesn’t include hiring and training expenses.
Even with a great IT team, it’s hard for a small business to have all the skills and expertise it needs with an in-house team. Cybersecurity-as-a-Service is a great way for small businesses to outsource their security needs to a trusted provider.
CaaS provides your business with the tools and expertise needed to defend against the latest cyber threats. It includes features such as malware protection, email security, and web filtering.
CaaS is a cost-effective way to keep your business safe from cyberattacks. In addition, it frees up your IT staff to focus on other tasks, such as improving your website or developing new applications.
Cloud Hosting & Virtualization:
Cloud hosting and virtualization can help small businesses improve their flexibility and scalability while reducing IT costs.
Cloud hosting is a type of web hosting that uses a network of remote servers to store and manage data. On the other hand, virtualization is a technology that allows you to create and use virtual versions of physical resources, such as servers, storage devices, and networks.
Using cloud hosting and virtualization in tandem can help small businesses save money on tech costs. For example, you can use virtualization to consolidate multiple physical servers into a single server. This can reduce the amount of energy needed to power and cool the servers, as well as the amount of space required to store them.
In addition, virtualization can help you improve your disaster recovery plan. By storing data in the cloud, you can ensure that it is always available, even if your physical servers are damaged or destroyed.
Customer Support Tools:
Customer support tools can help small businesses improve their customer service and support operations. A lot of these tools are in the form of automation and based on the 2020 In(sight) Report, 53% of employees say that they can save 2 hours a day with automated tasks.
The right customer support tools can help you automate repetitive tasks, such as ticketing and billing. In addition, they can help you keep track of customer interactions and problems. Customer support tools can also help you improve your customer service by providing a knowledge base of FAQs and self-service options.
Infrastructure Design:
IT infrastructure design is the process of planning, designing, and implementing a company’s IT infrastructure. The goal of IT infrastructure design is to create an efficient and effective system that meets the company’s business needs.
A well-designed IT infrastructure can help a company improve its operations and reduce its costs. In addition, it can help the company be more responsive to changes in the business environment.
There are several factors to consider when designing an IT infrastructure. These include the company’s business goals, IT budget, and the skills of the IT staff. In addition, the company must decide which type of infrastructure is best suited for its needs.
On-premise
On-premises infrastructure is owned and managed by the company. It is typically more expensive than other types of infrastructure, but it offers the greatest control over data and applications.
Cloud-based
Cloud-based infrastructure is owned and managed by a third-party provider. It is typically less expensive than on-premises infrastructure, but it offers less control over data and applications.
Hybrid
74% of companies in the U.S. are implementing hybrid work models. Hybrid infrastructure is a combination of on-premises and cloud-based infrastructure. It offers the benefits of both types of infrastructure, but it can be more complex to manage.
The right IT infrastructure design can help a small business improve its operations, reduce its costs, and be more responsive to changes in the business environment.
Key Takeaways
When you own a small business, you can’t let your technology work against you. These 5 investments can help your business improve its efficiency and responsiveness to changes in the business environment.
If you’re looking for a company that can help you with your IT needs, then contact Alt-Tech. We can help you find the best applications for all of the solutions covered in this blog! We’ll work with you to create a system that meets your business needs and helps you succeed.
