Selecting the IT services that will best serve your business can be as challenging as it is vital. For SMEs in particular, wasting precious resources on IT that ends up being unreliable, inefficient, and unused burns a hole in what is typically a limited budget and diverts attention away from progress and innovation. There are a few fumbles businesses regularly make when trying to upgrade their IT, but with the right knowledge, they’re easy to avoid. In this blog, we’ll cover the three most common mistakes SMEs make when selecting IT services, and how not to fall victim to them.
1. Choosing Unsuitable IT Services
One of the most significant mistakes SMEs make is settling for a one-size-fits-all IT service that doesn’t cater to their specific business needs. Impersonalised IT services can lead to an inefficient business, as the solutions provided may not align well with your unique challenges or goals and could actually work against you.
Why It’s a Mistake
Your industry, business operations, and even your team’s technical knowledge all constitute a completely distinctive business with completely distinctive IT needs. When your IT services don’t fit like a glove, you might find yourself paying for features you don’t need while lacking the ones you do. Opting for standard IT packages could mean you miss out on more suitable software that helps optimise your workflows and propel your business ahead of the competition.
How to Avoid It
To prevent this problem, look for IT service providers that offer bespoke solutions. During the selection process, ensure that the provider asks detailed questions about your business processes, challenges, and future goals. A provider that’s willing to tailor their services to align closely with your needs will contribute more effectively to your business’s success than one that expects you to re-structure your operations to fit their offerings.
2. Not Opting for a Provider with a Wide Range of IT Services
You might only need support in one aspect of your IT for now, but as your business grows, it’s likely this will change. If you’re stuck with an unyielding provider, these restrictions could soon pose a problem.
Why It’s a Mistake
An IT service provider with a narrow focus may be suitable for your current needs but can become limiting over time. As your business develops, you might require additional cyber security measures, flexible storage solutions, or strategic IT planning that your current provider doesn’t offer. You’re then forced you to seek additional partners and manage multiple relationships, overcomplicating this area of your business while you’re already trying to deal with the other demands of growth.
How to Avoid It
When choosing IT services, consider not only your current needs but also what you might need in the future. Opt for a provider that offers a comprehensive suite of services, including cloud solutions, cyber security, data management, and IT consultancy. Having a range of services available from a single provider will simplify your IT management and can be much more cost-effective in the long run.
3. Prioritising Reactive Solutions Over Proactive IT Support
When it comes to conserving resources, the difference between a reactive and a proactive approach to IT is colossal. Particularly where cyber security is concerned, many SMEs end up choosing IT services that only address issues as they arise rather than anticipating potential problems in advance.
Why It’s a Mistake
Reactive IT services, and by extension, reactive service providers, may be able to help you resolve issues swiftly when they occur. However, this approach still leads to unnecessary downtime and potential breaches in security, which could bankrupt an SME. Introducing more proactive cyber security measures, like continuous monitoring and automatic updates, means your business is kept protected from evolving digital dangers, instead of sitting back and waiting for attacks.
How to Avoid It
To get ahead of threats, SMEs should seek out IT services characterised by a forward-thinking approach. This includes regular assessments of IT infrastructure, pre-emptive security measures, and regular maintenance to ensure your systems are always running optimally. A proactive provider will help you outpace potential problems, reducing risks to your security and avoiding costly interruptions.
Make an Informed IT Service Decision
They may be common, but that doesn’t make these mistakes any less costly. By taking a moment to check whether your IT services and provider align closely with your business’s needs, supply a broad array of solutions, and take a proactive stance, you’ll set your business on the path to long-term efficiency and success. IT services can act not just as a support function but also as a strategic partner in your business’s growth, so it’s important to get them right.
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With more than 25 years’ experience, we understand how important a complete technical solution is for your business. Specialising in bespoke IT, telephony, and printing device packages for a diverse portfolio of clients throughout Scotland and the UK, our world-class service team becomes an extension of your business with a vested interest in your success. Get in touch for a discovery call, where we can discuss your business goals and help you harness the power of IT to reach them.
