Imagine owning a small business in today’s highly competitive economic environment. There’s so much on your plate that even the smallest of problems could delay achieving your business goals by days, weeks or even months. Consider this: Of all the operational issues that businesses could encounter, those pertaining to the technical side almost always end up at the top of the queue.
It is one thing to worry about your business’ productivity, but to also face tech problems that could be easily avoided is tantamount to having to pick something up while having your hands tied behind your back.
Just how much can one simple IT problem affect your business? Although it is difficult to quantify the exact financial impacts for every firm, the numbers that have been estimated and released are staggering. A survey of 410 executives conducted by Gartner in 2014 showed that many of their organizations had been troubled by tech issues (see graph below).
According to data from ERS IT Solutions, businesses lost on average 14 hours to IT downtime each year, which amount to $1.55 million in total costs. Employees themselves lose two weeks a year to technical difficulties, and the least tech-savvy users can waste up to 40% of their time on the computer troubleshooting. These studies, conducted by Robert Half and Behavior & Information Technology, found that most of the time wasted was on some of the most familiar and commonly used programs like word processing, spreadsheets and email.
Technology is a double-edged sword. When it works, it boosts efficiency and brings ideas to life, but when it doesn’t, it can stop you in your tracks and cause you to miss a deadline, lose a deal, or even lose a client. Although technology has advanced rapidly over recent years, we still can encounter the same types of IT issues.
What’s more problematic is that IT issues pervade businesses of all sizes and come in different shapes and forms. Even for a small business, the common problems could include:
- Backup and disaster recovery
- Integration
- Security risks
- Lack of IT strategy
- Frustrated users/employees
- Root causes not being addressed
- Equipment
As mentioned, we often worry about the operations side of the business while overlooking what really drives its efficiency and results – technology. The lack of resources companies put into preventing and solving IT issues also exacerbates the situation even further. Some still maintain that having an in-house IT department is enough, but in reality, that is far from the case.
If millions of dollars are being wasted by businesses worldwide, then something should definitely be done to improve on how we run businesses.
If you are thinking of making a change in how your IT services work for you, remember:
A strong IT infrastructure is the backbone of a growing business.
Choose an experienced managed IT service provider
who will handle all day-to-day IT headaches, so you don’t have to!
To learn more about our services or schedule a complimentary consultation with our IT experts, please contact us.
Sign up for our Small Business IT Newsletter
Vission Technology Inc. is one of the only teams in the Greater Vancouver Area that provides Marketing and Web Development Services in addition to Managed IT services. Web Development Services entail Vission Technology Inc. assisting small business owners in helping to establish an impactful digital presence at any stage of their business. Vission Technology Inc. can be involved at any stage of the creation of a digital footprint starting from content creation to server hosting. With its excellent project management skills and years of experience, Vission’s services span every part of the Greater Vancouver Area (Vancouver, Richmond, Burnaby, New Westminster, Delta, Coquitlam, and Langley).
References:
https://cmitsolutions.com/blog/measuring-the-impact-of-it-downtime/
https://smallbiztrends.com/2018/01/cost-of-a-tech-fail-small-business.html
https://blog.accentonit.com/7-most-common-technology-problems-for-small-businesses
https://www.globalbankingandfinance.com/it-issues-cost-companies-3-4-billion-per-year-in-lost-productivity/