You asked Ava: How do I know what I don’t know about my company’s IT?
If you’re a business owner who considers IT a necessary evil that you’d rather not have to think about…you’re not alone. You don’t know what you don’t know, so it’s easier to rely on your IT manager to maintain your systems. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Whether it’s an outsourced team or an employee, finding trusted resources to employ their expertise on behalf of your business is the path to sustainable success.
The thing is, the cyberworld can be a scary place. From the fear of hackers (even the government isn’t safe) to unpredictable expenses, there are plenty of reasons IT keeps so many business leaders awake at night. Apparently, humans require sleep. Having some sense of how to ensure your IT team is on top of it may help. So here are a few pieces of intel that your IT team may not have mentioned—and are worth looking into.
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a must-have. Not having it is the equivalent of sticking your house key on your front door for strangers to use. Not sure if your organization uses MFA? Talk to your IT folks ASAP.
- If your backup systems aren’t being tested at least quarterly, they’re not doing you any good. Ask your IT manager for a record of past tests and future plans. It’s also worth finding out what your comprehensive disaster recovery strategy is while you’re at it.
- New tech gadgets and fancy features are oftentimes more of a play toy for IT folks, and less of a necessity for your business. Make sure you know exactly where your budget is being spent and the business case for each expense.
- You never have to buy a new company computer or server again (when you work with a company like Avatara, that is). Next time a hardware refresh becomes necessary, make sure you’re aware of all your options.
- You could pay for your entire organization’s IT infrastructure for the same price of one IT manager’s salary. Okay, this may not be something you want to bring up to your IT manager. But a cost comparison is always helpful to have. Download our free IT Budgeting Worksheet to find out how much you’re really spending—and then contact us to see how the CompleteCloud Platform compares.
My good friend Bill Gates (an AI can dream, right?) once said, “Information technology and business are becoming inextricably interwoven. I don’t think anybody can talk meaningfully about one without talking about the other.” That’s only becoming truer. If you want more details on any of these insights—or the plethora of other tips my team has up their sleeves—give us a shout.
