Creating Your New Small Business IT Checklist

Small and medium business IT is similar to the IT of larger organizations, but with the added difficulty of tighter finances. A full IT team may not be in the budget, but you can create a comprehensive checklist that anyone in your organization can fulfill which covers critical data, potential security risks, and prevents cyber attacks. This may sound like a miracle solution, but it's simply an efficient IT checklist. 

Initial IT Setup Checklist

Setting up your IT infrastructure is a similar process to setting up an office relocation plan. Of course, if you've already set up your IT infrastructure then you can ignore this step, otherwise, these are the first few points to prioritize. The checklist should cover:

• Office Floor Plan: Where is each department located? Where will you put the server rooms, conference room, printers, copiers, and network/WiFi equipment?
• Choose An ISP: Pick a main and a backup ISP, then negotiate the best package for your company.
• Wiring/Outlets: Ensure that all electrical wiring and sufficient outlets are in place.
• Prioritize IT Setup: Your IT department is critical to business operations, so you should prioritize setting up the server room, network infrastructure, routers, and access points, workstations, UPS, printers and scanners, and the conference room before dealing with anything else. 

​IT Infrastructure and Stability

While new equipment is enticing, if you don't know how or where to install it, it's a moot purchase. It's not uncommon for a small business to grind to halt for hours or days as employees attempt to install a new service or software "just like we had at our last job". Your last job probably had a dedicated IT department. Here, it's all hands on deck with some people knowing more about some aspects of your IT than others.

Additionally, some small businesses make the mistake of purchasing equipment in their office based on similar equipment used at home. Home use and work use are not the same, despite some people's insistence. You have to ensure that the equipment you purchase is suitable for a business network environment.
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Create an infrastructure checklist that covers:

• Device compatibility with your infrastructure.
• Installation through an IT professional if you don't have an in-house expert.
• Ensuring appropriate warranty and service contracts.
• Finding a common operating system to standardize troubleshooting and maintenance.
• Installing the latest drivers and checking that these are updated regularly.

​Preventing Security Threats Through Software

Software licenses are valuable assets for your company. Installing software is simple, but it's even easier to forget that it's there. Similarly, it's easy to forget if you have a service contract, what it includes, if you should renew, and when the renewal date is.
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Picture a situation where you forgot to renew your domain name. Despite numerous emails, it slipped your mind due to your high workload. Although domain names are cheap, they're the identity of your business. Slipping up leaves the domain name open for squatters or opportunists to grab and hold over your head for a hefty price.

To avoid situations like this, you should standardize the processes for purchasing, licensing, renewing, and updating. Someone should be responsible for it and keep everything documented somewhere easily accessible. Without a system in place, you open yourself up to potential cyber threats or network security issues. Other items to consider are:

• Customizing software to suit the needs of your business.
• Downloading and installation by users.
• Using mobile device management for assessing and deploying security patches to ensure secure mobile devices, operating systems, and applications. 

​Protecting Sensitive Data With The Cloud

The cloud offers customizable solutions for your small business that lets you scale your infrastructure and keep up with growth both rapid and slow. The cloud is perfect for small businesses because it's fast, affordable, and flexible. Sadly, it isn't all rainbows and sunshine. Before shifting to the cloud, you need to consider some critical questions, which includes:

• Is your use of the cloud compliant?
  
• What level of service can the cloud provide your business?
  
• Do your service-level agreements have clauses on response times, business continuity, and disaster recovery?
  
• Who is responsible for software upgrades?
  
• Who has access to the data in the cloud?
  

​The Importance of Cybersecurity

Unfun fact: 46% of all cyber attacks are targeted at small businesses. Why? Because odds are you have a much smaller or possibly non-existent IT department that isn't fully equipped to deal with security threats. With every new technology you adopt, the need to have cybersecurity vigilance grows.
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Your IT security checklist should at least cover:

• Password best practices
• Limit system access using Identity and Access Management
• Secure WiFi network and devices
• Use legitimate software
• Acceptable use policy
• Ensure the latest updates and patches are applied
• Disaster recovery
• IT security training and workshops

​How to Use Your IT Checklist Effectively

Combining all of this together, you get a complete IT checklist that covers all of your small business technology needs. Running through each of these points may be overwhelming, but if you compartmentalize everything further, you'll have a simplified four step plan.

1. Planning: Determine how you will invest in your technology needs currently and in the future. Have a clear understanding of what IT provides your business, have clear goals, and have a budget that covers the next 12 months at minimum.
2. Building: Build new systems, expand IT infrastructure, and install new software as needed. Plan for growth and create standard practices for the purchase and installation of new infrastructure.
3. Operating: Regularly review and evaluate your IT operations and make sure robust policies are in place so you always follow industry best practices. Audit your IT infrastructure every three to six months and create or review policies for your IT operations and cybersecurity.
4. Monitoring: Keep an eye on your IT operations to ensure everything is aligned with your business goals. Research new technology on the market and evaluate whether it will help achieve your business goals more efficiently or not. Keep up with innovations in the industry, you never know when the next perfect solution for your IT will appear. Know what you need now and in the future. Research and test everything before you adopt. Be careful and approach everything with a healthy dose of respect.

Keeping up with all of these steps is daunting. You just read through a five and four step checklist, respectively. If your head is swimming, it's understandable. If all of this technology management is infringing on your business management, then you need an IT provider like IntegriTel. We offer extensive IT services that cover the cloud, managed IT, cybersecurity, and telecom services. Revolutionize your technology services with none of the hassle. If you need cohesive IT solutions, contact IntegriTel today.