I never cease to be amazed by the shocking state of IT in some small businesses. Companies that from the outside, look well-run and professional, are nothing more than an accident waiting to happen.
I visited one such company recently. They had called me in to look at increasing the speed of working between their two offices after staff complained of slow computers. During my visit, we discussed aspects of their IT infrastructure and I took a look at their existing set-up. It’s at this point I discover a big can of worms. A really big can of worms.
For starters, they have a server with all their data on it. So, at least they started with good intentions. The big problem here is that they aren’t taking regular back-ups. They did have a back-up “from a few weeks back”, but it’s kept in a desk in the office, so no off-site copy.
The next thing I discover is they only have one hard drive in the server. So, they’re one disk failure away from losing everything. If you know anything about computers, you’ll know that hard disks can and do fail, so you’d better make sure you have a back-up.
Then I find out they don’t have any anti-virus software on the server or computers. Oh dear, it’s getting worse. No licences on the server. A single copy of Microsoft Office used on all the computers. Is this any way to run a business?
I recently heard a business speaker say “How you do anything, is how you’ll do everything”, and its something I believe to be true. On that basis, would you want to be a client of the company in question? What if they were holding your financial data on their server?
I went on to ask about their current IT support provider, who set up the system. “Oh, we have a guy that we call when the system breaks. But he’s not very reliable – he can’t get out to us quickly.”
We then discussed how we might go about solving the problems they have, and how much investment might be required. “Oh, can you send me a proposal?” Now I’ve worked in IT long enough to know, when they say it like that, it usually means they want me out of their office and they won’t be responding to my email or telephone calls. Until something goes wrong that is.
I’ve sent an outline proposal, I’ve called them, I’ve emailed them. They haven’t got back to me. I honestly hope they’re lucky and nothing goes wrong for them; but I doubt that will be the case.
The point I’m trying to make is this: secure and reliable IT systems require professional design and installation. They also need ongoing maintenance and support. Yes, professional IT support costs money and, in the short-term, is more expensive than the do-it-yourself way. Over the long-term, there’s only one way to go. As a small business owner/manager, it’s up to you whether you find out the hard-way or the easy-way.
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