Small- and medium-sized business owners have a lot to do. Aside from managing their staff, exploring new opportunities for growth, and keeping clients happy, they have to oversee investments in new technology. Being busy, they can easily commit mistakes when choosing the right IT solution. Here’s a list of common IT investment missteps that owners like you should avoid.
Spending without finding the perfect fit
Advertisers like to make you believe that the newest technology will solve all your problems. While the latest cloud or virtualization offering is likely to make things better for many companies, they won’t work for everyone.
Don’t let the flash and hype of new products deceive you. Take time to think about the results you want to achieve with technology. Make a list of your goals and check if they can be fulfilled with your new IT investment. A good IT provider should guide, not confuse you. That provider should see to it that you make the best choice.
Believing everything will magically work together
As technology evolves, it becomes easier to use. User-friendly products help people work better and faster. However, not all products follow that route, and many business owners wrongly assume that the new technologies they invest in will work well with the other IT systems they already have. This mistaken belief can get them in trouble.
While many technologies are compatible with one another, those that don’t work together can result in massive and costly downtimes that can cripple your business. So, don’t push your luck. Be smart, do some research, or consult an IT professional before making a purchase.
Not training your team
Now that you’ve found the perfect fit technology that will integrate with your current IT, go ahead and purchase it. After that, you think you can relax and let your sparkly new IT solution power your company to new levels of success and profits, right? Wrong!
Don’t forget that not all employees will be comfortable with your new investment. Nor will everyone know how to use it. That’s the time to consult an IT provider for support and training. If this is not possible, look elsewhere or think twice before buying anything.
Forgetting your budget
More and more IT solutions are packaged with pay-as-you-go monthly pricing. While this is a great way to help you avoid a large upfront capital investment, implementing too many different technologies quickly without thinking about recurring costs can eat up your money.
Think carefully before opening your wallet. Do a little research, draft a budget, or get help from a consultant. This will spare you a lot of frustrations.
Not getting feedback
It’s wise to consult employees who will be using the new technology on a daily basis. Do this even before you make a purchase.
Remember that not everyone may feel at home with the new product. They might even discover some downsides you aren’t aware of. Talk to people to get important feedback, or you may find it difficult to convince them to use it.
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