Some estimates suggest employees lose as much as 30 hours per month to unproductive meetings. That’s almost four days in 20, and if you cost that across multiple employees and their salaries, the amount of wasted time and money is substantial.
Anyone who thinks a small business budget means great technology is out of reach needs a rethink. Running a small business means being lean, smart and finding efficiencies wherever possible, and choosing the right technology for your budget is your best chance of doing all three successfully.
Anything that allows a business to be better organised, more efficient and on the ball when it comes to managing technical issues can only be a good thing. And, if you can work with an IT service provider to create a help desk solution that works on your terms, the question is not so much why, but why not? Here are some of the key benefits businesses can expect with a team of experts taking care of IT help desk needs.
The term ’future-proof’ is used a lot in business today, particularly in sectors where the IT investment is higher and there’s a need to keep systems updated and well protected. But, before we go gung-ho on upgrades and cyber security, it’s important to ask a few questions up-front. Such as, whether the technology you have is fit for purpose? And if the tech starting point is right?
There are very few processes technology can’t improve in a business. In fact, IT can make things easier from the moment an employee walks through the door for the first time. First impressions last and one of the biggest mistakes businesses make with new hires is assuming the job’s done when they accept the role, when in reality, they’re just getting started.
There’s no doubt about it: Adopting an agile methodology in your business is absolutely necessary for ongoing success and growth. It’s also helping SMEs punch well above their weight when it comes to digital innovation, but in order to do this they need to have the right tech infrastructure in place and be open to the ways in which IT can help them innovate and improve.
Whether a CFO holds the purse strings for a multi-national based in New York or a start up in Newham, their key objectives are likely to be remarkably similar. The figures might have a few extra zeros behind them, but the KPIs will be focused on optimising efficiency, controlling spend and justifying new costs.
It’s easy to see how some might get a little tied up in the difference between online back-up and cloud storage, given that both work with personal or business data online and store files safely outside the computer hard drive or as an alternative to the in-house server.
IT support means different things to different companies and agencies. For a bigger business, it takes in everything from their full roadmap, growth plans and project management to the telephone system and end-to-end operations. A smaller company might not even think of their simpler requirements, such as making sure they maintain strong connectivity and can connect to printers, as IT.
Ambitious agencies and SMEs know good tech support is key to productivity and operational success, but not all of them want to, or can, master the art of IT management. Smart businesses understand it’s better to concentrate on what you’re good at and get expert help for something as important as IT, if you don’t have the skills you need in-house.
