Tag Archive for: Cost Reduction

There’s a global chip shortage which has been going on for two years and is still causing huge problems.

Not only is it driving up the cost of a lot of the modern tech that we’re so dependent on, but it’s also taking a lot longer to get hold of some of the essential devices we need. When it comes to business, that can be really disruptive.

We’ve created this short video to help you reduce the impact the chip shortage will have on your business. Watch it here:

If you’d like help preparing your business, book a 15 minute, no obligation call with us at www.durham-it.ca/book-a-call/.

Do you have staff that work remotely sometimes?

A new survey has found that half of all businesses are at increased risk of cyber-attack because of their remote employees, and the scariest part… they haven’t taken this into account when planning their IT spending.

We’ve created a new video all about it. Watch it here:

Would you like our team to review your security set up? Book a 15 minute, no obligation call with us at www.durham-it.ca/book-a-call/.

Everything you need to know to keep your team and data safe.

Chances are you know about phishing.

It’s where someone sends you a fake email pretending to be someone else. They’re hoping you’ll click a bad link or download a dangerous attachment.

It’s one of the biggest kinds of cybercrime.

But do you know what the red flags are?

We’ve created this new guide with our top advice on how to stay a step ahead of cyber criminals. Read it here: GUIDE: The Business Owner’s Complete Guide to Phishing

If you’re interested in finding out more, book a 15 minute, no obligation call with us at www.durham-it.ca/book-a-call/.

Over the last number of years, VoIP phones have evolved immensely. You’ll now find that they are better quality and more reliable than traditional phone lines. On top of that, they have huge cost-saving, better accessibility, an endless number of advanced features, easy scalability, and are shown to increase productivity. Sounds like a tool that could benefit your business, doesn’t it?

We’ve created this new guide to help you understand what VoIP phones are, and how they are sure to better your business. Read it here: GUIDE: BETTERING YOUR BUSINESS WITH VOIP

Interested in finding out more? Book a discovery call with us at www.durham-it.ca/book-a-call/. If you decide to make the change to VoIP, we will provide you will the phones FREE OF CHARGE!

Spam emails are a pain. They are endless and a real distraction.

But it’s more than that. They are taking up hours of our time and when you run a business, you know that time is money.

Time wasted on filtering out spam emails means less time spent on the things that really matter.

Our newest video explains just how many hours are being wasted and how your business can reduce that time. Watch it here:

If you’d like help reviewing your email setup, book a 15 minute, no obligation call with us at www.durham-it.ca/book-a-call/.

How to Ensure Your IT Spending is an Investment & Never an Expense

No matter what kind of business you run, technology sits at the heart of it, and it’s going to become more and more important in the future.

Big business thinkers see IT as a long-term investment. They understand the correlation between the short-term impact to cash flow, and the enormous long-term benefits of business growth, increased productivity and highly satisfied staff and customers.

To ensure your Return on Investment (ROI), there are several Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track. Our new guide walks you through them. Read it here: GUIDE – The 7 KPIs For Your IT ROI

If you’re interested in finding out more, book a 15 minute, no obligation call with us at www.durham-it.ca/book-a-call/.

You know what a ransomware attack is, right? Cyber criminals access your data and encrypt it so you can’t access it. Then they demand a ransom fee to get it back.

A shocking 97% of business leaders who’ve already been hit by ransomware say they would pay up if it happened again, despite experts strongly advising against it.

Why? They understand what a nightmare it is.

The only way to protect is to prepare. Our newest video tells you how. Watch it here:

Want help preparing your business? Book a 15 minute, no obligation call with us at www.durham-it.ca/book-a-call/.

Your business can benefit a lot from working with an IT provider. However, you need to avoid several key mistakes when choosing your team.

Time spent on trying to figure out the technology you use in your business can be costly. While doing that, you can’t focus on your business needs, which can then result in poor customer satisfaction.

This is where IT providers come into play.

They enable you to outsource hardware and computing-related services, such as managed IT security and cloud computing. IT providers can also provide a robust IT infrastructure so that you can direct your attention to revenue-generating activities.

While there are numerous IT providers to choose from, not all of them will accommodate your business’s specific needs. Integrating with the wrong team can raise your spending due to irrelevant services, recurring security issues, data backup problems, and downtime.

Therefore, you need to be extra careful when selecting your team. The only way to avoid disappointment is to avoid these eight common mistakes when looking for the right IT provider.

THE EIGHT MISTAKES

MISTAKE #1 – INSISTING ON THE NEWEST TECHNOLOGY

Many advertisers want to trick you into believing that the latest technology will resolve all your issues. While the newest virtualization or cloud offerings can boost operations in many enterprises, they might not suit your business.

Hence, don’t let the hype surrounding new products dazzle you.

Carefully consider the results your IT provider will help you achieve and determine if those results are worth the level of investment. Your provider shouldn’t confuse you with state-of-the-art features – they should guide you and allow for seamless integration.

MISTAKE #2 – FAILURE TO CONSIDER THE RESPONSE TIMES

Determining the response times of your prospective IT providers is essential. You need to ask them how long they usually take to reply to queries and resolve problems. Be sure to gauge their onsite support efficiency too.

Not inquiring about their availability is another grave error. Your IT team should provide round-the-clock services, including specialists that will monitor your system.

Constant monitoring and availability can help ensure you can detect IT issues early. With this, the provider can immediately administer patches and updates to safeguard against disasters.

Furthermore, your IT provider should offer simple access to their desk support. You should be able to contact them via email, phone, and chat for instant guidance.

MISTAKE #3 – NEGLECTING THE SECURITY ASPECT

Disregarding the security features of your IT provider might be the most severe mistake. Teams with improper defence mechanisms can’t shield your system from cyber attackers, increasing the risk of losing data and access to resources.

To avoid this, look for IT providers that can protect you from malware and other threats. They also need to prioritize protecting your business’s confidential data, like trade secrets and customer information.

When it comes to specific security measures, your IT provider should have features that prevent data intrusions instantly upon detection. The list includes phishing attacks simulations, web content filtering, DNS security, endpoint protection, mobile device management, and dark web protection.

In addition, responsible teams should eliminate point-of-sale and network intrusions before they compromise your system. Making sure they abide by security compliance and government regulations is also paramount.

MISTAKE #4 – FORGETTING THE BUDGET

Many IT companies operate under pay-as-you-go pricing schemes. Although this helps you minimize upfront investment, adopting a large number of technologies simultaneously without considering the recurring costs can cripple your finances.

Thus, think twice before signing on the dotted line.

Research your providers thoroughly and draft your budget with professional assistance. These steps can prevent considerable frustration down the line.

MISTAKE #5 – NOT DETERMINING SCALABILITY

One of the biggest impediments to growing your company is choosing an IT provider with poor scalability.

In contrast, scalable IT teams allow your business to evolve and grow. They can continually extend their services to accommodate your company’s goals, even if these goals change.

MISTAKE #6 – OPTING FOR A NON-RESPONSIVE SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT

Service level agreements (SLAs) hold IT providers accountable for their services. It establishes standards for responsibilities, quality, scope, and delivery time in writing. Without it, you’ll have no way of ensuring transparent collaboration.

When selecting your IT provider, find one with a responsive agreement. It can help guarantee the SLA scales with their services while rendering continual improvement.

MISTAKE #7 – LACK OF TEAM TRAINING AND FEEDBACK

The story doesn’t end once you’ve found and partnered with a trustworthy IT provider. New technologies won’t magically increase your bottom line and decrease outputs.

To accomplish your goal, your employees will still need to understand how to use your new tech solutions. Bear in mind though, not every team member may be able to grasp new tools easily. Some may prefer the existing platforms.

Fortunately, you can hire IT experts to train them. These professionals should simplify any complex steps and advise your staff on making the most of your new investment.

Also, some enterprises set up regular training but fail to monitor their team’s performance. This is a huge mistake, as it keeps you from assessing your employee’s response to new technologies.

So, conduct questionnaires and other forms of feedback collection to determine and address any weaknesses.

MISTAKE #8 – IGNORING EXPERIENCES WITH PREVIOUS CLIENTS

Choosing an IT provider is similar to buying standard products and services. Failure to check user reviews can lead to disappointment.

To get a clear picture of your IT team’s capabilities, analyze their current and previous clients from similar industries. Look for reviews, testimonials, and ask the provider for a list of projects and references.

After doing your due diligence, you should be able to tell whether an IT provider is an ideal match for your company.

However, keep in mind that every IT team is different. For instance, they might be well-versed in the healthcare industry but have no experience working with retailers. That’s why as mentioned, stick to IT providers servicing your industry to get the best results.

FIND THE RIGHT FIT

Nobody wants to end up with a poor IT provider that can’t deliver great results, leaves your company open to cyberattacks, and causes other vulnerabilities. Your investment goes down the drain, and your operations suffer.

Luckily, we can show you a way out.

Let’s arrange a 15 minute, no obligation call. We can discuss more ways on how to find the right IT provider for you and ensure you get your money’s worth. Visit www.durham-it.ca/book-a-call/.

 

Article used with permission from The Technology Press.

Have you considered moving your business data and applications over to a cloud-based solution? The thought can be a little overwhelming since is can sound very complex.

The reality is, there is a lot that can go wrong – increased downtime, data loss, things not working as they should – but when done correctly, the benefits are countless. You will see big cost savings, increased security, and better scalability, just to name a few. And of course, access to extra features is a plus.

If you’re wondering if a cloud-based solution may be the right fit for you, download our FREE guide here: YOUR ESSENTIAL CLOUD MIGRATION STRATEGY CHECKLIST
If you’re interested in finding out more about cloud migration, book a 15 minute, no obligation call with us at www.durham-it.ca/book-a-call/.

Here is your March 2022 “Tech Tips For The Boss” newsletter! This month features easy screen sharing, protecting your business from insider attacks, the future of biometrics, and more! Click here to download it: March 2022 Newsletter

 

Interested in finding out more? Book a 15 minute, no obligation call with us at www.durham-it.ca/book-a-call/.