Keeping up with the newest technology trends can be a big challenge for some businesses.  Owners and operators of small business are faced with an ever-growing demand of customer expectations, evolving hardware and software issues, and time demands relating to running a business 24/7/365.  In order to spare your business some significant loss of time, wasted money, and hours of frustration, scan the simple list below of common tech mistakes that many companies make that can be easily prevented.

• Avoid having inadequate tech support.  Many small companies lack the resources of having a reliable tech team within their office, however, a reputable tech support team is a must!  Whether you hire an expert from within, or rely on an outside IT company, you will save your business time, money, and frustration if you have a trusted, efficient tech support team for your company.
• Ensure that all software programs and applications are licensed properly.  If you are working with “illegal” software, you face the potential of facing large fines, office downtime, and office staff headaches.
• Rotate your hardware and software due to their expected lifetimes, and avoid using them until they completely die.  Working with efficient, standardized equipment will save money in the long run, instead of coasting along with equipment that is out of date or piece-milled together.
• Avoid having insufficient power for your tech equipment.  Too often, businesses rely on simple power strips and power surge protectors to provide the life for the equipment.  If the cheap, simple power supplies fail, then it can be catastrophic for the office.  Quality supply and battery backup equipment is the premier choice.
• Lack of proper data backup is also a common mistake.   Not only is reliable data backup crucial for businesses, but also regularly testing the backup equipment is a necessity that ensures proper function.
• Provide tech training for all employees.  Studies show that the majority of office workers understand about 20% of office software applications, leaving about 80% of what the applications are capable of, not understandable.  That is a lot of wasted software knowledge that could improve your company in countless ways.
• Ensure your business has strong software security policies in place.  Hackers are constantly trying to find weak openings into businesses, and it is imperative for the success of your company that you provide the best protection available.  This protection should also include safety from viruses, spyware protection, and email safety.

In conclusion, running a business is a very demanding job, with so many different aspects to engage in; however, technology is an aspect that should not be neglected.  Advances and changes in technology are occurring at rapid speeds, and it will only give your company an edge among others if you stay current and proactive with technology advancements.

RedWave Technology Group, LLC provides a wide range of tech support services including hardware and software support, data backup, computer training, and network security.  Contact us at (205) 917-5757 for a consultation.