Mar 3, 2015

3 Things To Do Before Making IT Investments

Small and medium sized businesses are investing heavily in IT this year. But rather than hiring internal IT personal, savvy businesses are recognizing the importance of end-user hardware and cloud-based (and hosted) IT services. This is a smart approach, as these small and medium sized organizations are able to do more with less. Consider the following tips from the Xerox Small Business Solutions blog before making IT investments of your own:

Audit business practices: Take time to think about your business needs and goals to determine what technology you need to build an efficient workspace. Begin by taking a look around your office, are there any areas that need improvement or where you can simplify your operations? For instance, messy piles of paper, likely means there is a workflow process that’s out of control and there’s a better a way to manage it.

Do research: Identify different capabilities that are available in the market today and how they can help your business. Talk to your employees and fellow SMBs to learn which capabilities they use, are interested in, or don’t recommend.

Safeguard investments: IT investments can be costly, so it’s critically important to make sure they, and the information they contain, are secure. Research demonstrates how SMB owners’ attitudes toward IT can have a significant impact on their business – there is a positive correlation between protecting information assets and achieving business goals. Choose dependable protection that keeps up with the changing needs of the workplace environment.

Investing in an IT infrastructure is important, and if done correctly, can help you focus on what’s important and achieve desired business outcomes.