(Page one of this article, The Information Technology Makeover, involved learning how to secure your business data and how to institute procedures, such as a Document Management System, to ensure that your business data is organized and accessible. Go to page one of the Information Technology Makeover or continue reading about how to set up an Information Technology maintenance and crisis plan for your small business.)
3) Set up a service/crisis plan.
Having an Information Technology service and crisis plan in place is important because not having one can cost you money. Here's what you need to do to make sure that your Information Technology maintenance and crisis management are buffed up:
A) Information Technology Maintenance
Someone has to do it. And most small business owners only have two choices; to do it themselves or contract someone else to do it.
1) Read the list below of Information Technology maintenance tasks that need to be done.
What are you comfortable doing, in terms of your expertise and time? What are you going to have to have someone else do?
- Software/ application renewals – antivirus, tax software, accounting software
- Domain and web hosting renewals
- Software updates
- Software installations
- Operating system upgrades and/or installations
- Replacement of/ installation of hardware
2) Find a knowledgeable, reliable Information Technology service provider to do what needs to be done for your small business on a regular basis.
You may have to try several different ones before you find one, but the effort will be well worth it when you get to the point where you can just call so-and-so and know that what you need to be done will be done properly and within a reasonable time.
B) When Crisis Strikes
What happens if a power surge fries your desktop computer or your Point-of-Sale system goes down? Or if your computers are hit with a virus or a program you use frequently won't open?
Crisis can take many forms, but in all its forms, it leads to downtime which in turn leads to lost revenue. In most cases, the point of your Information Technology crisis plan will be knowing who to call, and, if your small business has employees, establishing a call protocol. Prepare by:
1) Creating a list of all the relevant numbers and putting it in a handy location.
Almost all small businesses (unless they’re in the Information Technology business themselves) will need to have the number of a knowledgeable, reliable Information Technology service provider on their list – a company or person that will troubleshoot whatever problems occur and keep all the relevant equipment up and running.
It's also a good idea to have the numbers of other relevant service providers on this list, such as your Point of Sale, phone, electricity and cable service providers.
2) If you have staff, be sure you let them know who is responsible for calling.
For effective Internet Technology management, it's best to funnel all Internet Technology service requests through one person, rather than having anyone being able to call your Internet Technology service provider when they have a problem. Having professionals come to a site and troubleshoot problems tends to be expensive, so you want to make sure a real problem exists before calling someone out.
Keep Your Information Technology Management Fit
If you've worked through all the exercises on these two pages, your Information Technology management has gotten a good workout and your business data is now more secure, organized and accessible than ever.
However, like any new fitness regime, the trick is to keep doing it. In this case, that means actively managing your Information Technology by consistently practicing the new procedures for securing, handling and storing business data that you've put in place and by updating your Information Technology maintenance and crisis plans as needed.
Looking for more of the Small Business Makeover?
- The Business Planning Makeover - create a Business Action Plan that will provide your small business direction for the coming year or longer.
- The Business Finance Makeover - Follow the steps in this business finance makeover, from separating your personal and business finances through financial statement analysis, to make sure that your business finances are in good shape.
- The Customer Service Makeover - Learn how to provide good customer service, the kind of customer service that builds customer loyalty, gives positive word-of-mouth advertising, and increases sales.
