Annual IT Checklist for Small Business Owners

Windows 10 upgrade image from Laptop Mag

For small business owners and operators, it’s vital that you know what you’re working with as well as how those tools and services need to be updated and maintained. To do this, you need to have a solid game plan in place as to how you use, distribute, and revise IT within your business.

Your annual IT checklist is a short list of simple improvements you can make that keep you up-to-date and in control of your business. You can implement these easily, quickly, and effectively to gain awareness and maintain control of your company’s technology at all times, especially as the holidays and the end of the year approach.

1. Change All Your Passwords

Here’s the truth: passwords have become a problem. Too many people use the same password for every login, use too simple of a password, or else don’t change their passwords nearly enough.

In fact, this has become a major issue in online security for individuals and businesses alike. Because people reuse the same password across nearly all their logins, hacked email addresses and passwords can then be used by the bad guys for everything that person uses online!

Put another way, if you have just one password you use for email, social media, banking, etc., then someone only needs to hack one of them (usually email) to get access to all of your online activity. Now, that’s scary.

A little saving grace does exist: several sites exist now where you can check whether any major sites you use have been compromised. It will list each site you belong to that has experienced breaches, as well as let you know if your login info has been exposed publicly for others to exploit.

One simple trick to solve this problem entirely: use a password manager. This will enable you to create strong, effective passwords for every application or login that you use, while also maintaining distinct passwords across different suites or platforms.

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Dashlane provides a great password management tool that’s easily learned and implemented and even works across different operating systems, including desktop, tablet and mobile devices.

Whichever app you ultimately decide on using, making sure that you do actually utilize it with each login is essential. Otherwise, it’s just one more piece of technology wasting away on the company shelf. And nobody needs that.

2. Install the Latest Security Updates

Another critical factor to office technology entails safety and reliability. It’s very important that you make sure all of your equipment has the latest security updates installed.

This doesn’t apply solely to laptops or smartphones either. If a device can connect to a network these days, it runs on software that needs to be updated. That means printers, network switches, firewalls, NAS devices, servers, VOIP Phones, wireless access points, security cameras…

Think of it this way: If the machine connects to the internet, it needs to be regularly checked for security updates. It’s really that simple.

In turn, this not only keeps your tech safe and sound, but it enables the software to run more efficiently, as operating system and application updates often include various bug fixes as well.

Lastly, it’s important that you take advantage of security updates while they’re still available. Depending on the operating system or application version you’re using, there’s a chance your software might not be eligible for updates or patches in the future.

3. Test Your Backups

It goes without saying that in order to test your backups…you need to have backups in the first place, and it’s even better if they’re stored in the cloud. So, if you don’t have backups of all your important business and customer data, make sure you get on that first and foremost.

Once that’s in place, you can go about checking your backups at regular intervals to ensure that they’re completely properly and run smoothly in case of any emergencies or unexpected data loss. (Is any data loss truly expected? Food for thought…)

The point is this: make sure your system(s) have backup(s) completed daily at the absolute least, though more regularly offers an even safer solution. The more consistent and complete your backups, the more likely you are to have success in the long run, in the case of data loss or hardware failure.

Further, the only actual way to know for sure that your backups really work is to personally test them. Successful software verification of backups doesn’t always match the reality, so make sure to do the testing yourself every time.

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4. Replace Old Technology and Equipment

Here’s a suggestion for those of you looking to reduce your tax liability this year. If your company just needs to spend some extra cash before the end of the year, an easy solution comes by way of simply replacing old equipment.

As we mentioned above, backups are vital to any organization’s technological game plan. However, having updated hardware can actually decrease the odds that you’ll ultimately need those backups in the first place.

In other words, newer tech usually means more stable tech. Though this isn’t a hard and fast rule, it stands to reason that the older your hardware gets, the more likely you’ll experience failure or at least slowdown over time. Nip this particular issue in the bud by using some of those extra company dollars to outfit your team with the latest and greatest equipment.

And you know, it might just increase efficiency around the office at the same time…

One simple trick to solve this problem entirely: use a password manager. This will enable you to create strong, effective passwords for every application or login that you use, while also maintaining distinct passwords across different suites or platforms.

Dashlane provides a great password management tool that’s easily learned and implemented and even works across different operating systems, including desktop, tablet and mobile devices.

Whichever app you ultimately decide on using, making sure that you do actually utilize it with each login is essential. Otherwise, it’s just one more piece of technology wasting away on the company shelf. And nobody needs that.

5. Bargain Shop

On the opposite end of the spectrum, you might be reassessing your company’s budget at the end of the year. In this case, you ought to look into shopping around for new internet and phone providers, just to make sure you’re getting the best deal.

As time goes by, you may be stuck in a “grandfathered” plan that’s not actually as good or robust or cost-effective as the new plans that telecom companies rolled out more recently.

Take a look at the plan you have and compare it to the ones offered on your service provider’s website. You can even call them up and ask for a representative to help tailor a plan that fits your organization’s needs better than your existing contract.

Finally, if you’re not happy with your service, drop them! If you can get out of your current plan, it might behoove you to just cut ties entirely and find another provider that can more adequately meet the needs of your team, operations, and clients.

6. Create a Strategic Plan

To ensure that all these tools and tasks get implemented effectively and efficiently, create a strategic plan for success. Write down what your company uses currently, the costs and upkeep associated with those devices/services, and how they’re helping you with your business goals.

If something doesn’t fit anymore, let it go. Replace old technology with newer machines. Get more robust backup harddrives or incorporate off-site data centers for cloud backup. And for goodness sake, if you do nothing else, please update those passwords! You can thank us later when your accounts aren’t hacked by the Russians.

GET HELP WITH SMALL BUSINESS IT

Ultimately, deciding how to deal with your devices or incorporating newer tech is a big decision. Before choosing one over the other, ask yourself whether the new devices or software can be integrated with your existing systems. Does it actually serve your business needs? How steep is the learning curve?

When answering these questions, it can be immensely helpful to seek assistance from professionals that know information technology inside and out.

At Bristeeri, we pride ourselves on exactly this kind of helpfulness. It’s our goal to make sure that you and your business operate efficiently and effectively on every level, and that you stay online at all times.

To do this, we provide assistance in every area of IT for small businesses. No matter what field or niche in which you operate, we can help you create a tailored plan for success with your technology, get your systems updated, run backups and safety tests, and create a detailed roadmap that takes you exactly where you want to go with your company’s tech.

Call or email us today to get started. We can’t wait to help you and your team with any and all technological solutions.

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