3 must-have tech assets for your small business

How many times have you screamed or cursed at your computer, the internet, your smart devices or even shaken your fist at the cloud (whatever that might be)?

For small business owners, technology can feel more like an expensive, time-wasting curse than a blessing. And for those of us whose technical savvy only reaches as far as the rule “turn it off and turn it on again”, the world of “tech” can be a frightening one.

But this need not be the case.

I spoke to Ian Bloomfield, Director of IT service provider TechOnline, to find out how to make technology work for your small business and not against you.

The challenge, according to Bloomfield, is to “figure out what you actually need and how to get value from it”.

Figure out what you actually need and how to get value from it.

“When thinking about technology it is easy to be overwhelmed with all of the details and all of the options, and making an informed decision can be almost impossible,” he says.

Read more: 4 free web tools to make your business stand out

Bloomfield says the key is to understand your business goals, and what your strategies are to achieve those goals. Then you can start to identify how technology can help you to achieve those goals.

That said, Bloomfield believes there are three important tech assets that all small businesses should be considering.

These are are web security, cloud hosting and mobility.

1. Web security

“Web security is the latest frontier in cyber security,” Bloomfield says.

“Browsing the internet represents the most common source of malware and infections,” he says. “Increasingly the source of attack is via compromised websites.

Web security is the latest frontier in cyber security.

“By hacking and compromising legitimate websites – especially those that get lots of visitors – a large number of computers can be infected in a very short time.”

Bloomfield believes that to mitigate this significant business risk, web security has to be one of the pieces in the security jigsaw.

2. Cloud-based services

“Cloud is a word that can be seen and heard everywhere today, and the potential benefit of cloud-based services for small business is huge,” Bloomfield says.

Instead of storing all your data and computing capacity onsite, the cloud stores it for you. Users access their data through the internet and so can access it from anywhere.

The potential benefit of cloud-based services for small business is huge.

“Like all technology, cloud solutions can be very complicated and there are many pitfalls for the unwary,” Bloomfield says.  “The cloud is not the answer to everything for small business, but it can deliver flexibility, and in conjunction with mobile technology, it can enable options for people to work anywhere, anytime.”

3. Mobility & small business

One of the great benefits of using the cloud is that it allows you to access your data anywhere, any time, meaning your business can go mobile.

Bloomfield has seen a dramatic rise in recent years in the number of small businesses who use smartphones and tablets.

“By using these mobile devices in concert with cloud services it is possible for a business to provide staff with the flexibility to work and collaborate no matter where they are,” he says. “A business can be more responsive to customers and improve communication among employees.”

Using mobile devices and cloud services makes it possible to provide staff with the flexibility to work no matter where they are.

However Bloomfield says the most significant benefit for small business owners is that people are no longer tied to the office, and they can be out engaged in activities that impact the bottom line.

Read more: Taking your website mobile: why it’s critical for small business marketing

So to get the best from technology for your business, he believes you have to “know what your business goals are, have clearly defined strategies for how you are going to achieve your goals, and understand your business processes”.

“Technology should not just be a tool, it should be an enabler. Technology should make it possible to work smarter, be more efficient, minimise risk and achieve more with less.  It should be about achieving your goals faster.”