I can’t imagine a single company in the world that managed to avoid the impact of technology. It has permeated every aspect of our lives, making many processes easier and more streamlined. Unfortunately, technology changes so quickly that it’s often difficult to stay on top of the latest trends. For business owners, this presents a unique problem that can often end up being very costly. Here are four common technology mistakes that many businesses make – and this applies to startups and established companies alike.

Neglecting security updates

The recent ransomware hack highlighted a serious problem in online security. Companies often fail to keep up to date with the latest security updates and this leaves the vulnerable. When security breaches do happen, companies are often quick to hide the problem as it poses a risk of a PR embarrassment. No company owner wants their organisation to be known as the company that didn’t keep up to date with the latest security updates, and so they don’t act as a warning to other companies and the problem continues. If companies want to progress and protect one another against attacks, there needs to a be a lot more openness about data breaches. Updating your anti-virus software is one of the simplest ways to protect against attacks and help security companies to identify early signs of potential threats.  

Investing in unnecessary tech

Startups are often guilty of this, particularly when they are heavily funded. A startup spending spree will often involve investing in a lot of technology that will go unused. Technology like e-readers, fitness trackers and tablets often have no bearing on the work done in the company, but they can be used as attractive lures for new employees. Unfortunately, these purchases can drive up a company’s overheads. While it might not be a huge investment to buy 10 fitness trackers when your team is small, when you reach 100 people, it can be difficult to justify keeping this tradition going. When starting out, companies should aim to keep their tech expenditure low and then build out as and when required. 

Failing to get help

Knowing when you need to outsource your IT support is often a difficult thing for companies to identify. Ensuring you have reliable servers, internet, and phone service is essential to a successful business, and there comes a point when managing this in-house becomes counter-productive. Switching to a managed IT service doesn’t have to be stressful and it can often save time and money in the long-run. Other options include switching to cloud-based services, which can be cost-effective and protect against data hoarding.

Ignoring the need for an IT policy

A company IT policy can help to protect businesses from malware attacks and also helps to outline what is and what isn’t acceptable usage for company equipment. If your employees are allowed to take their work computer home, for example, a company IT policy would ensure they know not to use the laptop for personal use that could open the company up to threats. Accessing personal emails from a work computer could circumnavigate the company IT security and leave everyone open to threats.