Modern day technology is necessary in starting a business. It is important to search and investigate for ways to keep your company parallel to, or ideally in front of, the competition. This also means that you should do whatever it takes to maximize your business with top-notch employees and vendors. After realizing that having a close relationship with computers is key, the next important step is to figure out how the networks will be run and be maintained. Most CEOs and owners of may feel that they do not need to staff a full-time IT (information technology) person until the company attains 50 or more employees, but this is not usually the case. Even in smaller businesses, having the right IT personnel can be vital. Why? Because technology is changing so frequently that it is essential there are measures in place to keep the business going. Think of the threats that happen when breaches occur to essential and confidential information. Even thinking about the time and money being saved through automation of daily tasks using technology can be a reason.
Along with it being much cheaper to hire an IT firm instead of a single employee, here are a few other aspects of business to consider where IT can help:
First is business decision making. Speed and accuracy is the core of making the right decisions for your business. Figuring out ways to get business processes done in a timely fashion helps the business ensure that demand is met and achieved daily. Not only do we offer counseling to our clients on projects they want to launch, but to accomplish speed and accuracy internally, you will probably use programs and software. These allow your business to complete these critical processes and making sure that these are up-to-date and that your employees know how to use them are vital. We automate updates to solve that issue and even hold training days to master programs like Excel and QuickBooks.
Customer support and satisfaction are also very critical. One of the best ways to attain the highest level of customer support and satisfaction is to have a real-time customer support process. Thanks to IT and the rise of this tech age, there are channels to communicate with current and potential customers without leaving the office. These forms of communication are usually conducted via email, webinar, member portals, social media, and online newsletters. Having a trustworthy and efficient IT staff in place can help maintain use of these forms of communication. Mobility is key in our face-paced world.
Finally, we have business growth. Not many people realize just how much other departments rely on IT. For instance, a business's success consists of marketing and sales. These allow the management and decision makers to identify their target audiences. Well would it not be easier if you had mobility and automation on your side? Digital marketing consists of utilizing technology (which could include search engines, blogging, and emails, etc.) and optimizing where it is seen. With the right IT infrastructure and staff in place to run your business effectively and efficiently, marketing and sales could become the most successful part of your business.
There is a plethora of justifications why it is crucial to have an IT staff dedicated to the vision of your business. The most important thing to consider though, is just how valuable the information you may be gathering from your clients is. In other words, your client information needs to be kept safe. Not only should the data be secure, but would you not want your clients to know this as well? Security is nothing to put off. It is more important than any other reason.
If this article has peaked some interest with you, download our eBook on creating and maintaining your own network for a small business!
With Lighthouse IT Solutions, we do it all.
- Our staff can help train your business to be more efficient on the programs they use every day.
- We can provide every aspect of your tech needs from VoIP phone systems, to cloud-based disaster recovery.
- Lighthouse can even help your company grow through marketing/sales automation and CRM.