Determining which IT solution is right for your small business can seem a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Many small businesses have limited resources, so picking the right IT tools is integral to helping your business reach its full potential and be at its most productive.
The answer, according to experts, is the cloud. “When it comes to IT, small businesses need tools that are turnkey, cost-efficient, mobile, quick to deliver and scalable,” says Macey Morrison, marketing programs manager at Gemalto -- a company that helps businesses secure their presence online. “This is why many small businesses today are utilizing the cloud for their core IT infrastructure.”
When determining which IT solution is right for your own small business, consider some of the biggest issues that Macey says they encounter in day-to-day interactions with other business owners -- and how they fix them.
Problem: The Cost of Communicating
Solution: Set yourself up with a good, web-based communication platform to make collaboration easier.
The details: Using Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems -- phone systems that use internet data -- can give you conference call and screen share capabilities that offer a simple DIY IT solutions for businesses, and provide easy solutions for regular phone problems.
Problem: Managing Customer Relationships
Solution: Morrison suggests capitalizing on an easy-to-use system that can be updated in real time from anywhere. “It’s important to choose a tool that behaves as your sales and marketing teams do, so choose one that integrates with your core tools, but doesn’t require a consultancy to figure it out,” says Morrison.
The details: When deciding which customer relationship IT solution is right for your small business, consider weighing the ease of use with a full service choice. For example, some companies might charge less but are easier to use, while a more full-service option will provide you with all the bells and whistles, but they can be harder to set up and more costly.
Problem: Safeguarding IP and Data
Solution: You want complete and accessible data backup for your small business, as well as file storage and sharing solutions that meet both your own and industry security standards. Important questions to ask include: where is your data being physically stored, how is it being handled, and is it compliant with industry standards like HIPAA, SOX or PIC?
The details: Back up valuable work using options that have a proven track record of reliability and dependability.
Problem: Getting People Access to Resources
Solution: For efficiency reasons, consider managing access and logins in the same place where your resources live -- the cloud. This makes it easy to maintain business continuity, while keeping data confidential and maintaining the ability to give or take away access to specific tools.
The details: Check out options with adaptability to multiple platforms, and something that’s easy for employees to use at a moment’s notice.
A little research ahead of time -- along with figuring out exactly what your IT needs are for your small business -- will go a long way in helping you determine exactly which products you need. Don’t forget to check for full disclosure in terms of privacy and security practices, and you’ll be on your way to picking your perfect IT solution.