IT Advice For A Start-Up Business

When anyone creates a Start-Up Business, they do so in the full knowledge that there’s a gamble involved. The unpleasant truth is that a half of businesses fail in their first year of trading. So it’s wise to make sure you concentrate on not failing among their number. But this shouldn’t let you lose sight of your prize, or take your eye off the route there. Planning for success can be even more important than planning for failure, and you need to make sure your start-up business is as future-proof as possible.

Nowhere is this more relevant than in the technology you choose to use. Buying cheap and out-dated equipment might save you a few pounds at the beginning, but the headaches, both logistical and financial, of having to transfer everything to a new system a couple of years down the line could be extremely punishing.

Look at the timescales involved – if your PCs are running Windows, have a look at how long Microsoft supports each system. Microsoft usually offers about ten years of support for each version of Windows – support for Windows 7, for example, will end in 2020. If the OS you want is in mid-cycle and you think upgrading your entire range of computers is going to prove too costly (which it may well do), then it’s worth spending a little extra for machines which are more powerful than they need to be. Try to avoid minimum specifications- if your machines will only just run the latest OS, then they’ll have no chance when it becomes out-dated. Ten years is about the time a current top-of-the-range machine will stay a viable option for, so if you jump on an OS as early into its lifecycle as possible then you will maximise the use you get from it.

And try upgrading your hardware gradually – a CPU here, a RAM upgrade there – so as to avoid the shock of having to do everything at once, which will not only be a major hit to your finances but also cause massive disruptions to your workflow.

Don’t fear the future – embrace it, and if you are starting out on your business journey contact us for advice – we’re here to help.

Call us today to discuss your business IT requirements, and we’ll take the tech strain and let you get back to worrying about your bottom line. Call 01708 390 370, or fill in our online contact form on our contact us page.