Often times, many business owners who are starting a business overlook the need for a solid technical foundation. These entrepreneurs focus on the most obvious things, such as their budget, marketing plan and office location, but neglect their need for having the proper technology, security measures and technical protocols. In order to ensure that a business runs successfully, it is critical that you establish a strong technical infrastructure. When there is a plan for how your technology will be employed, operations will be certain to run without interruption. Following these four crucial keys for your new business will enable you to have a winning start.
Protecting Your Assets Using Security Protocols
Because you do not want client or employee information to fall into the wrong hands, it is essential that you establish a security protocol for protecting your assets. Have employees and clients send sensitive data in encrypted documents with the passwords to these documents sent in a separate email. Passwords to encrypted documents must not be sent in the same emails as these documents because it makes it easier for hackers and unscrupulous people to get a hold of vital information.
Forbid company personnel to use any external media, like disk drives and thumb drives, with company computers other than what has been issued by your company. You will also want to avoid peer to peer networks for file sharing because these can cause viruses and malicious software to find its way onto company computers and networks. When new staff is hired, they need to be briefed on this protocol, and they need to receive training once a year to reinforce compliance.
Assessing the Kind of Equipment You Will Need
Before opening your doors for business, it is imperative that you assess your equipment needs. For example, if you are going to run a firm that specializes in the design and production of software, you will need to make sure you have a number of high-powered computers that will facilitate these processes. You may also want to have a virtual desktop instance set up for each of your staff members for testing and development purposes, and these will run on servers.
On the other hand, if you are just going to run a business that specializes in producing written content, then computers with average specs will do just fine. The last thing you want to do is purchase the wrong equipment up front, just to find that what you bought will not fit your needs. You will end up spending unnecessary money and contending with unneeded frustration, resulting in a loss of resources and productivity. To save money on your initial startup, you can also investigate programs that replicate the functions of their expensive siblings at either a low cost or no cost. For instance, you can get an Acrobat alternative or a Microsoft Office freeware version for free or a steep discount.
Having a Plan for Technical Glitches and Failures
When using technology, glitches and failures are inevitable. So you do not lose time and productivity, it is critical that you have a plan to address such situations. Backup computers, server equipment and other technical devices need to be available in the event that a failure occurs. This way, there will be no downtime. You also need to have a contract with a local technical support company or have support specialists available on staff to swiftly address problems when they arise.
Securing All Networks and Computer Equipment with Antivirus and Antispyware Protection
With threats and attacks increasing by the thousands each year and with hackers and other unscrupulous folks trying to get their hands on personal information to attain ill-gotten gain, protection for your computers and networks is an absolute must. When you install antivirus and antispyware solutions, threats and attacks will be kept at a minimum. It is also crucial that the highest level of encryption be used on networks.
Unfortunately, many individuals open their businesses without considering these IT tips. While things run smoothly for these guys for awhile, they run into problems down the line. Sometimes, these problems are large enough that startups fail miserably. By implementing these four keys for your new business, you can avoid these troubles and maximize profits.
