September has traditionally been a peak month of the year for business start-up’s, and a key time for existing businesses to focus on their strategy and growth plans.
There may be a number of reasons for this, including:
- Business owners having had some time during summer holidays to step back from day-to-day pressures and think more strategically
- Some businesses having slowed down during summer months and now being a time to re-focus
- September, October and November are the most productive months for many businesses, so planning for this period is crucial, to ensure the right resources are in place
- The next calendar year is not too far off and if you make plans on an annual basis, now is the time to start thinking ahead
You may be thinking about sales, marketing, staffing, suppliers, pricing, costs… and a whole lot more – but don’t forget your technology. Considerations may include:
- Cloud services. If you’re still relying on on-premise servers, then it’s good practice to review the reason(s) for that. Are you using old software packages where there is now a cloud alternative? Moving fully to a cloud environment has the benefits of:
– Easy access to applications wherever you’re working from
– Removing the need for server hardware and the associated costs
– Centralised data security
– Business continuity – quick recovery in the event of a disaster - Security. If your IT security hasn’t been reviewed recently, then it needs to be. Cyber security threats are ever evolving and you can’t afford to stand still when it comes to such an important area. Talk to your IT provider about the solutions that you currently have in place and whether these are sufficient.
- Hardware. Be aware of the ages of the PCs, laptops, printers and other equipment that you use in your organisation and have a rolling replacement plan so that you can budget accordingly. Continuing to rely on old devices that are past their useful life span can slow down productivity and cause downtime if they fail.
- Staff training. Whether it’s to improve skills (and therefore productivity) in using your software, or heightening awareness of cyber security risks, it’s really important to keep up technology training for your staff.
If you have any questions about any of these points, or would like our assistance with your technology plans, please give us a call or enter your details here and we will contact you.