Somehow, 2019 is already almost upon us. In preparation for the New Year, business owners across the country are taking a close look at their finances, scratching their heads as they inspect their budgets, line by line, to cut everything that isn't absolutely necessary and searching for new investments that will boost their bottom line. Leaders must take a long, hard look at their technology budgets in the midst of all this. Chances are those budgets are a far cry from where they should be.
Many Orlando business owners – especially those running smaller organizations with tighter resources – assume that IT is the ideal spot to cut costs. But they forget that today, technology is the foundation upon which their business is built. We can almost guarantee that if you partner with a cut-rate IT support company, you will sorely regret it down the line. You'll end up spending thousands more on broken equipment and systems, you'll lose customers to server downtime, and you may even fold entirely under the weight of a cyber-attack.
The long-term cost of your decision will vastly outweigh the minuscule amount you'll save by hiring a cheap support company. It is just not worth it. While looking at your budget this December, check whether you're making one of these three potentially deadly mistakes with your IT investment. It might just save your company.
YOU'RE INVESTING IN A "BREAK-FIX" APPROACH
This is the primary place where bargain-barrel IT support companies cut costs. Instead of proactively managing your network, their technicians hardly touch your network until something breaks, and it's time to fix it. Sure, this reactive way is cheaper, but when you consider the enormous risk that can arise in such a crisis and weigh that against the foresight and proactive approach of a managed services provider, the real expense quickly becomes evident. Not only will your business suffer many more tech catastrophes than they would if you partnered with a more reputable company, but those catastrophes will take significantly longer to fix. A technician who shows up only when something's wrong doesn't know your network as well as a team of experts who work with it all the time.
YOU'RE INVESTING IN A COMPANY THAT DOESN'T BOTHER BEING PROACTIVE
Technology shifts rapidly day by day. The arms race between hackers and security software designers is continuously happening behind the scenes, as is the hurtling pace at which hardware and software become supplanted by newer, better options. Without a managed services provider keeping you abreast of the latest tech trends, you're both incredibly vulnerable to cyber-attacks and at risk of falling behind your competitors. Technology shouldn't just be something you set up and hope it doesn't break; it should be something you and your team actively leverage to maximize your impact. A managed services provider is genuinely invested in your success and will do everything they can to help you do exactly that.
LET'S FACE IT: YOU'RE JUST UNDER-INVESTING!
To keep your company at the top of its game, you need to invest in your technology based on how vital it is to your day-to-day operations. We're guessing that it's pretty much essential for your success, so why are you so quick to cut corners in tech? Allocating your resources to support your technology is more than a baseline cost to stay alive in the business world – it's an investment that can substantially increase your bottom line and amplify your operation's reach, scope, and efficacy. So, this year, as you comb through document after financial document, ask yourself: are you really doing all you can with the technology at your disposal?
The 7 Most Critical Business IT Security Protections
Free Report outlines the 7 Most Critical IT Security Protections Every Orlando Business Must Have In Place To Protect Against Cybercrimes, Data Breaches & Hacker Attacks
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Concerned about the security status of your business IT network? We can help… Call us to schedule A FREE Consultation. Aurora InfoTech is a premier managed services provider specializing in both network security and information technology. Give us a call today at (407) 995-6766 to discuss your network security concerns and learn more about how we can help you secure your business IT network.
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Roy Richardson
Managing Partner & Co-Founder
Roy Richardson is a co-founder, Managing Partner, and CTO of Aurora InfoTech LLC, a leading Cybersecurity & IT consulting firm in Orlando, Florida. He is also a co-author of the Amazon Bestselling book, "Hack Proof Your Business", a Cybersecurity guide for business owners & executive leadership.
Roy has 20+ years of executive management & engineering experience in the Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Telecommunication industries. The vast experience he gained over the course of his career has given him a unique perspective that allows him to relate to a broad spectrum of business & technology challenges.