Results for keyword: scaleup

When SMEs are looking to invest in IT support, many will be sold exclusively by the bottom-line cost – which isn’t always the most accurate judgement call.

We understand that any external expenditure has to have a solid business case and be able to successfully demonstrate a positive return on investment – and rightly so! That’s why business owners need to meticulously weigh-up the pros and cons of each provider – not just the pound signs – and ensure they are the best and most supportive ‘fit’ for their organisation on a much greater level.

Find out more about why we believe IT support goes above and beyond just the numbers…

As you’ve heard us mention before, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to outsourced IT support – what will work for an SME in its early stages, won’t be suitable for one that’s fully established.

It’s crucial that businesses take stock and assess what stage they’re at on their corporate journey, so this can be mirrored in the IT support they seek. But, as an SME business owner, how do you know the level of IT support needed to help you #ReachYourITPeak?

Well, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we look at three common support tiers – start-ups, scale-ups and established SMEs – to help you better understand your organisation’s IT assistance requirements.

Albert Einstein once said, “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” – and in many ways, this philosophy is easily applied to starting a successful business.

When a company is in the start-up stages, it’s important that the foundations – especially where IT is concerned – are solid, so that operations are smooth, productivity is at its best and corporate headaches are minimised.

So, when it comes to establishing a secure and effective IT infrastructure, it’s crucial that your start-up has all of the necessary equipment, software and support to keep it streamlined.

But if you’re a little stuck and wondering where to start your outsourced IT support journey to reach your IT peak, it may help to bear the following points in mind.

For many SME owners, knowing the level of IT support your business needs to operate most efficiently can seem like an impossible – sometimes unobtainable – task.

That’s why, with our latest campaign – Reach your IT peak – we’re focusing on helping SMEs to decipher their individual IT requirements, and find the right level of support for them.

Think about it… it takes a careful balance of strategy and equipment to reach a peak level of IT productivity. And the bigger the mountain – or SME – the higher the level of support needed, meaning that both these factors must adapt accordingly to maintain effectiveness.

This same rule applies to businesses of all sizes, right through from start-ups and scale-ups, to fully-fledged enterprises.

But how can you ensure that your organisation has all the IT support it needs?

Whether big or small, all businesses know that the data they store is crucial for communicating with people – including employees, stakeholders, potential customers and more, who are vital in helping them successfully fulfil their company activities and objectives.

Given that between 60% and 90% of organisations fail after a security breach or data loss – and with plenty in the news about GDPR fines – it’s never been more ingrained in the minds of SME owners, that copies of this data need to be regularly saved somewhere safe. This is not only to help prevent any information being compromised in a cyber-attack, but also to enable rapid recovery in the event of a power outage or natural disaster, for example.

We’ve talked about the importance of back-up and data replication before, but how do you know exactly what kind of files you need to duplicate, how to do it and when?

As IT and cyber-threats continue to evolve at a rapid pace, SME owners are increasingly having to upskill in these areas – not only to keep up with the latest tech, but also in order to shape a cohesive and effective business model.

But whilst some have accepted that cyber-strategy is a vital topic for discussion in the boardroom, others are sceptical about who should be carrying the bulk of the responsibility. A recent study found that 84% of directors believe their IT department is able to protect them against a cyber-attack, yet although this good faith in your team is important, trust shouldn’t be used as a shield to deflect responsibility away from board members.

So, why exactly should cyber-strategy be given a place at the boardroom table?

The rapid evolution of technology means an increasing amount of modern-day business dealings are done digitally. Yet, whilst this convenient click-of-a-mouse approach is making many SME owners’ lives easier, it brings many security risks too.

From data breaches to phishing attacks, we’ve all seen in the news how cyber-threats – in all their forms – have affected businesses worldwide. So, it’s never been more crucial for SMEs to have a finger on the technological pulse when it comes to defending themselves against cyber-attackers. And deterring against viruses and other malware infections is a crucial part of this defence strategy.

But the array of protection options can be overwhelming. Paid-for or free – which anti-virus software will work best for my SME? Aside from being a quirky little rhyme, it’s a question that is causing many business owners to come unstuck. So, how should you decide?

Cyber-crime is an issue that undoubtedly spans the globe and with an ever-accelerating rate of technological evolution, it’s no wonder that incidents are becoming more commonplace – not to mention increasingly sophisticated! But is it really an issue that all organisations need to be concerned about?

The no-frills answer to that question is yes. Cyber-criminals don’t discriminate between business types or industries – and they certainly don’t let size put them off either. Whether a multinational corporation or a regional start-up, cyber-attackers show no mercy.

It’s in this respect that SMEs shouldn’t be lulled into a false sense of security and think that cyber-criminals won’t target their business – threats are around every corner of the digital minefield, and attackers are sure to strike if a firm’s guard is down.

Silos are for farms, not SMEs – unless, of course, your SME is an agricultural company that needs to store grain or compress green crops for sileage.

In that case, of course, silos would be very useful. Otherwise, avoid them at all costs.

So, your start-up has taken off. You’ve brought in new recruits, established a name for yourself and now you’re looking to scale-up. Great work!

But as with everything else in business, you’re more than aware that you can’t just jump in at the deep-end without weighing up the risks and opportunities around you. And one key thing you need to ask yourself before you take that plunge is whether your current IT infrastructure is up to it.

As your company evolves, your IT needs to as well. So, what should you be considering?