What are common mistakes small businesses make when setting up their IT?

When small business owners seek the help of IT several years after launching, the complaints often center around too many applications, confusing processes, inefficient tools, or expensive solutions that aren't being used by frustrated staff. The first few years of a business is a wild ride of pivoting direction, struggle, success, and responsiveness – and often, IT decisions are made without a clear IT infrastructure plan in place. New business owners feel like they're too new or too small to have a documented technology strategy, but even a rough one can save time and headaches.

IT decisions should be made from day one, regardless of industry or size. Where you store legal documents, what email platform you use, how you organize your work tasks, and how you document client interactions all introduce technology decisions to your business that have a lasting impact and may need re-evaluation in the future.

In developing a 3-5-year IT Infrastructure plan, keep these five common IT setup pitfalls in mind:

Lack of Flexibility & The Sunk Cost Fallacy:

It's tempting to go right to the most expensive, top-of-the-line solution that has proven successful for big players in the industry. SaaS solutions market enticing "full suite" business operation capabilities – from sales-lead to payment in one scalable and user-friendly platform. They're typically expensive and designed for established businesses with static, established business processes, ample time for training, and bandwidth to learn more complex systems. "Full suite" software solution users who buy in too early can find themselves stuck in annual commitments and frustrated, having to model business processes to an inflexible solution that doesn't jive with their changing, real-world needs. 

Early business owners sometimes fall victim to the "sunk cost fallacy". The sunk cost fallacy is the urge to continue doing or investing resources into something we've already put significant resources into, even when it's wiser to stop. The Decision Lab does a fantastic job of explaining this psychological pitfall in their article, The Sunk Cost Fallacy Explained.

Instead, stay flexible and opt for software and tool solutions that you can try, test, or implement in the short term for a relatively low investment. If it works, you have a low-cost solution and knowledge to make a more long-term, significant investment in something you'll be confident in. If it doesn't meet your business needs well enough, move on without investing too much time or energy and find something that does.   

Inadequate Data Backup and Recovery Plans:

If all operations are done on one computer and that device must run smoothly to keep revenue coming in, be sure it's backed up.   Even small businesses can suffer significant losses when hard drives fail or data gets corrupted due to human error or cyberattack.   Implement PC and data backups and then test or verify the backup monthly. It's also a good idea to go through the recovery process annually to be sure you're prepared to quickly and correctly restore your PC and files in the event of failure.  Backups can save time when ordering a new PC, which can take 2-7 business days, and setting it up from scratch can take a week or more, even if your data wasn't lost. Without a backup, though, you're almost guaranteed to lose critical documents hiding in your downloads or local document files.

Underestimating Cybersecurity Risks:

"I didn't think it would happen to me."  -- every person who's been a victim of a cyberattack. 

Small businesses tend to assume they're not profitable or public enough to be a victim of cybercrime, leaving themselves open to being easy and perfect targets for it. Every business should have a basic understanding of current cybersecurity preventative measures that are widely available and low-cost.

Password managers, firewall security appliances, online cybersecurity training for phishing scam recognition, and regular risk assessments should be an annual topic for review and updates by business owners. 

Overlooking IT Maintenance and Support:

IT infrastructure such as firewalls, network switches, phone systems, printers, and cabling need regular maintenance. Network systems and hardware are not a one-and-done expense, and ignoring the maintenance or cost of necessary support to maintain IT infrastructure leaves businesses at risk. Network devices that aren't updated may not receive critical security updates needed to perform their core functions. Switches, printers, VOIP phones, and most other network devices need regular firmware updates to continue working well and working efficiently with other devices. Printers and copiers may also need costly physical maintenance. 

Computers and electronic equipment break, and failing to plan for replacements and maintenance and the cost of IT support when required leaves business owners stuck with broken, unusable equipment and frustrated employees. 

Insufficient Employee Training: 

Like equipment maintenance, office network equipment and electronics require that at least one employee be trained in the basic troubleshooting of that equipment, even if it's just how to turn it off and back on. Employees don't need to become fully-fledged IT professionals. It is essential, however, to train employees to be comfortable enough with the hardware and software they're using every day that common errors or hiccups in performance don't bring productivity to a halt.

When implementing new software, offer training sessions and take advantage of onboarding support teams or online resource portals. When buying new hardware like printers, phones, point-of-sale systems, or warehouse scanners, be patient with employees and devote extra time to training, feedback, and follow-up questions.

Technology isn't intuitive for all learning styles, and it's never wise to assume that employees will learn over time. Without training to feel comfortable and good change management communication to feel prepared and informed, some people avoid or reject learning new technology altogether.  Knowledge is power.