It’s not as tricky as it may seem to run your small business’s Information Technology (IT) on a shoestring budget.
With the world currently in the grips of a post-pandemic cost of living crisis, more small businesses are finding they need to keep their IT infrastructure operating with increasingly limited financial resources. However, as cyber security specialists, we cannot overstate the importance of maintaining a robust and secure IT backbone.
It’s the main reason we want to take a look at some strategic ways you can optimise your small business’s IT while keeping a close eye on the business bottom line. From practical insights to non-negotiable core components, to ways you can creatively stretch your IT budget further, we want to help you make sure your IT infrastructure not only works efficiently but also becomes a key driver of success for your business.
What is a small business IT infrastructure?
A small business IT Infrastructure is the technical framework and elements a small business uses to support its operations, data management, communication and other IT-related needs. The exact parts can vary depending on the business’s size, industry and needs but the three main parts typically found in such an infrastructure are:
Why is a budget so important?
A budget guides a business, setting the limits for what’s possible and what can be achieved within financial constraints. Without a budget, money can be spent in the wrong spaces, resulting in potential cyber security breaches, data hacks or, even worse, a loss of trust with business customer or clients.
It’s also not just about executing budget-friendly IT solutions, it’s making sure everyone from the CEO to the newest recruit understands the importance of these actions. When you take the time to build internal support, every person working in the business will not only understand but support IT initiatives.
When money is tight, what should be included?
Every business is different and will have different IT needs, but here’s a basic lists of IT must-haves and good-to-haves.
Must-haves:
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Employee training on IT security
Good-to-haves:
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Advanced threat detection systems
The role of strategy in budgeting
Developing a realistic budget requires a strategic approach. Consider long-term business goals, the potential for growth and ever-evolving cyber threats. Then work out a realistic budget by assessing current and future needs, accounting for potential risks and opportunities.
Look at what your business can automate
Smart business owners understand a little financial pain now from significant upfront IT investments – especially when funds are limited – can reap long term business benefits for years to come. Not to mention, by automating routine tasks and streamlining processes, you may be delighted to discover much improved efficiencies and time saved, allowing your employees more time to work on the less mundane parts of their jobs. When this happens, your initial investments start paying off sooner rather than later.
Review current efficiencies
As a small business, you should be regularly reviewing current efficiencies. The IT landscape is ever-changing and what worked yesterday may need tweaking tomorrow.
Balancing costs and benefits
There’s a delicate balance between the costs and benefits of investing heavily in your IT set-up when money is tight. Every investment should contribute positively to the business, so take the time to assess the costs and evaluate the benefits to ensure the continued financial well-being of the business.
What happens if you don’t invest in your IT infrastructure?
In a world where major data breaches and cyber hacks are now just part of the regular news cycle, think about the consequences of neglecting your business IT systems. The reality is, it’s no longer as simple as ‘xyz department is offline for a bit.’
A derelict IT infrastructure has the potential to bring your business to its knees. Security breaches, data loss, operational inefficiencies and a loss of consumer trust are all too common results of an overlooked IT environment.
Get professional advice and help
Unless you’re an IT whizz-kid, asking for help from the professionals is one of the best things you can do for your business. As cybersecurity experts, we’re used to collaborating with all sorts of businesses with all sorts of budgets, so are well positioned to offer professional advice you can rely on. In fact, you may find we actually elevate the performance of your IT infrastructure.
Think about outsourcing the parts of your IT Infrastructure that will benefit from external expertise. What this is for you and your business will depend on a number of things, all of which we can help clarify.
Cyber threats are no longer just a concern for big business. With the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) receiving over 76,000 reports of cybercrimes in the 2021-2022 financial year, even the smallest of small businesses can no longer ignore their IT set-up.
If you’re unsure, or just want to talk about your IT system, we’re happy to schedule in a meeting.
