by Andrea Palmer
\nTechnological progress continues to enhance business operations. With advances come new pitfalls and opportunities for growth, particularly for the small business owner.
\n\u201cWith the popularity of \u2018the cloud\u2019 over the past five years, it\u2019s been an unprecedented time for cloud- or web-based software solutions designed specifically for small businesses to function and remain competitive,\u201d said Carl LeGere, owner of EmpireTech in Queensbury. The company serves many small businesses, with some emphasis on construction and medical.
\nSecurity is another large issue. LeGere said damage related to cybercrime is projected to hit $6 trillion annually by the year 2021.
\n\u201cWith this trend, it is critical to have a layered approach to cybersecurity,\u201d said LeGere. \u201cThis should include training employees in security principles and phishing prevention, using multiple layers to protect your network and cloud data from attack, having a handle on what private or critical information is on mobile devices, and having a way to wipe those devices if they\u2019re lost or compromised.\u201d
\n\u201cLarger companies have entire tech teams to keep them functioning and safe,\u201d said LeGere. \u201cSmaller businesses need a technology partner that supports them in the same way the larger companies\u2019 tech departments do.\u201d
\n\u201cSmall business owners are running their particular business, their specialty. They don\u2019t have the knowledge to do everything,\u201d said Kyle Fillion owner of Evolve IT in Saratoga Springs. The minute they start messing around with IT, they\u2019re probably not paying attention to building their business.\u201d
\n\u201cRather than a business owner trying to navigate all of the potential technology benefits and pitfalls by themselves (taking time away from working on growing their business), they can talk over their needs and concerns with a knowledgeable engineer,\u201d said LeGere.
\n\u201cEmployees of small businesses, as well as their clients, are counting on owners\/management to be a part of the solution, for the future success of the enterprise as well as the security of customer data,\u201d said LeGere.
\n\u201cOften those responsible for making their companies\u2019 technology decisions are faced with evaluating IT\/MSP service providers,\u201d said Craig Stephenson, administrative and compliance manager at Tech II Business Services in a \u201cwhite paper\u201d he provided on the subject.
\n\u201cMany folks assigned to this task are not experts in the industry; therefore, they aren\u2019t even sure what questions to ask,\u201d he said. \u201cLooking for a fair price is part of due diligence, for sure; however, be wary of what organization you let into your critical systems.\u201d
\n\u201cKeep in mind, if you give a provider keys to the castle, you better be comfortable with their reputation and who they are. \u201c
\n\u201cIgnoring cybersecurity in a small business is simply no longer an option,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cA big difference between a large corporation and a small business is resources. It takes a lot of resources to hire a full-time IT employee,\u201d said Fillion.
\n\u201cIf a small business hires an IT person, they obviously have to pay everything that comes along with that person\u2019s expense as an employee,\u201d Fillion said. \u201cMore importantly, that person doesn\u2019t come with support, or tools, or software. Those are all the things needed for economies of scale, to really help out a small business. Sometimes they think they\u2019re doing themselves a favor by hiring a full time IT employee, when what they really need is a company that really knows how to do IT work.\u201d
\n\u201cWe have a lot of backing behind us and a lot of economies of scale. We have a lot of software and tools available to us. We have hardware that can diagnose their issues before a problem even happens,\u201d he said .
\nHe said often, businesses don\u2019t think they need that kind of support until something goes wrong. \u201cThen it costs them a ton of money.\u201d
\n\u201cOur job is to be proactive. To make sure everything is running as smoothly as possible. We fix problems before they even know it exists. We send a monthly report detailing what we did. If they read the report, they start noticing they\u2019re never down any more. That\u2019s because we\u2019re proactive in fixing issues before they become a serious problem,\u201d said Fillion.
\nHis business handles networks, PCs, laptops, servers, Wi-Fi, camera systems, and sometimes phone systems. \u201cAnd of course the 24\/7 service that goes along with that.\u201d
\n\u201cIf anything goes wrong, we go fix it, no questions asked, because that\u2019s part of the service contract,\u201d said Fillion.
\n\u201cThe best thing to do is talk to a company that specializes in IT services, especially an MSP, (managed service provider).\u201d said Fillion. \u201cA good MSP will be honest and tell a small business owner where they fit on the spectrum of IT support needs. Not everyone needs MSP support, but more people need it than think they do.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Andrea Palmer Technological progress continues to enhance business operations. With advances come new pitfalls and opportunities for growth, particularly for the small business owner. \u201cWith the popularity of \u2018the cloud\u2019 over the past five years, it\u2019s been an unprecedented time for cloud- or web-based software solutions designed specifically for small businesses to function and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":196,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\r\n