Leaning on technology isn’t a bad thing. Businesses have been doing it for decades, in some form or fashion, and it is a successful strategy. So, it’s little wonder SMEs and entrepreneurs that want to break into the market follow suit. It’s a good sign that you’re aware of the trends pushing the sector forward and willing to embrace them for the sake of your company’s future. Still, copying ideas, or believing the word of technology is the gospel, is your first mistake. Tech has pros and cons, and you need to understand them properly before implementing software into your strategy. Otherwise, you’ll suffer from the following.
Buying Cheap
The latest releases are expensive, so it’s easy to see why people are willing to cut costs to land a game-changing piece of equipment. Unfortunately, opting for a cheaper model is fraught with risks as the quality is lower. Even if your investment hits the ground running, you need to be wary of the potential long-term expenses. After all, it’s costlier to replace a piece of technology that breaks down than it is to pay more upfront for something you know will last five or ten years. Please don’t let the price tag fool you.
Skipping Upgrades
There’s an attitude that tech is the saviour and will take your business to the next level. It might impact your success, but only if you utilise it correctly. A boss who leaves a program to work its magic might realise it’s a mistake, but it could be too late. This is because upgrades, such as updates, are essential for the lifecycle of software. Plus, a patch is a security feature since it plugs the holes left by glitches in the previous version of the operating system. You shouldn’t leave an upgrade for longer than three months.
Dismissing Training
Without training, your employees won’t understand how to use technology properly. While it sounds evident, it’s clearly not as lots of companies are willing to forego the training part. Again, it’s a security risk, which is why cyber security training is a must, particularly when you consider 80% of leaks are from human errors. But it’s a productivity problem, too. The longer workers have to teach themselves, the less productive they will be. They’ll catch up in the end, yet why run the gauntlet when you can fork out for a training program and get them up to speed in less than a week.
Not Backing Up
A backup is a safety net in case the worst-case scenario comes to light. Think of it in the same vein as an insurance policy. Yes, it’s not free – you’ll have to spend time and energy on the plan – but it could save your skin in the long run. Hackers are very sophisticated, so preventing an attack is challenging. With regular backups, the damage won’t be as great. Also, you can take the pressure off your IT team as the consequences aren’t as high when everything is on the line.
Are you making any of these tech mistakes?
