What’s your New Year’s Tech Resolution?
A new year is a chance for a fresh beginning, for you and for your business. It’s a good time to take stock and plan some resolutions for your business to make the best of January’s fresh start. To that end, check out ITM Tech’s top 5 tips for small business owners to kick off 2023 the right way.
#1 Embrace digital transformation
The business world is going digital. Ideally, you’ve already made the move to some extent, but always be looking for new ways to streamline your business processes. A great example of this is to embrace document scanning to move all your paperwork online. It’s easy to search digital documents for keywords.
This saves time and money spent looking for the right piece of information, plus, you’ll do away with file cabinets and dusty boxes of paper. Not to mention the added bonus; you’ll also be helping the environment by going paperless!
#2 Improve cybersecurity
Ideally, you should be securing your business against cyberthreats all year-round. Last year we covered the top cybersecurity attack trends for 2023. However, if you weren’t doing this in 2022, the start of the new year is a good time to ensure that you are following best practices such as:
- upgrading all software and hardware and keeping security patches up to date;
- setting up several data backups in case of a breach or disaster;
- testing your technology for any vulnerabilities hackers might leverage;
- planning for business continuity and disaster recovery;
- educating employees about cyberthreats and encouraging a culture of cybersafety.
#3 Encourage workforce engagement
Keeping your IT current is one great way to improve employee morale. With the best tools available, your workforce can enjoy greater productivity. Don’t lose people during a staffing shortage due to frustrations with the tech they use every day at work. Offering online learning also encourages workforce engagement, as people feel more respected. Retention isn’t the only advantage. Attract new employees with the tools to support flexible work hours. Using technology to simplify onboarding can make a great first impression on new hires, too.
It’s also important to remember the advancements in existing software that you may have introduced in 2020 to support staff working from home. During COVID-19, you probably added more business collaboration tools to support remote work for your business. These sorts of tools continue to advance and evolve, so don’t get complacent with existing solutions.
#4 Enhance customer service
There are many ways IT can support enhanced customer satisfaction. For one, converting phones to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) can ensure every call gets answered. You’ll also empower customers to reach the right people when they need to, which makes the running of your business far easier to manage.
Adding an online scheduler expedites booking and avoids doubling up on appointments. For example, Microsoft Scheduler allows people to book on a calendar of your available time slots, meaning there’s no back and forth. Online schedulers can also send follow-up and reminder emails.
#5 Work with an MSP
One resolution we recommend for every small and midsized business is to partner with a Managed Service Provider (MSP). For a consistent, monthly or annual fee, you gain IT experts on call. An IT Support company or MSP will monitor your network, manage hardware and software, and consult on the best tech.
The ‘break-fix model’ is costly in the long run. You may have a lot of people with opinions, but you should want to get input from industry experts who understand technology, security, and IT resources. Select an MSP to free up your resources to drive the company’s bottom line.
New Year, New Priorities
Now is a great time to hire a Managed Service Provider. Based in Naas, Co Kildare, ITM Tech supplies and implements reliable technical support for your entire IT environment. We are dedicated to quickly and effectively resolving your IT issues leaving you to concentrate on running your business.
Contact ITM Tech today at 045 409984 or email us at info@itmtech to learn more about what we can do to help your business meet its goals in 2023 and beyond.
