Technology Planning for SMEs: A Quick Start Guide

As I write this article, we're about to head into Easter for 2020. And like you, I'm asking myself how we got here. Wasn't it November last I looked?

Seriously - before we know it, it will be Xmas... again...

The good news is, that once the Easter break is through, that's the last major holiday interruption until the Melbourne Cup weekend (if you're in Victoria anyway). And what this means, is that you've got 6 months of largely uninterrupted time to get some technology planning done.

So - what do you want to implement in your business this year in when it comes to technology? Because unless you get planning now, you'll find yourself in the same place, this time next year, stuck in the same position. Or worse, have suffered downtime or data loss because you didn't take action towards planning and preparation.

But how do you get started with technology planning?

If you're not sure what your major priorities should be from a technology point of view, then you're certainly not alone. Technology changes at a rapid pace. And the worst possible thing you can do is to try and become an expert in technology for your business. This just isn't a good use of your time. Your time is best spent doing what you do best, and leaving the technology side of things to a team of specialists.

This is where the quick start guide to technology planning comes in. And it's only got one step.

The quickest way to get started with technology planning? Find a trusted IT partner.

It's that simple.

This is the one and only step in our quick start guide to technology planning.

When you partner with the right managed IT service provider, they'll take the time to get to know your business and the technology and people behind it, so they can talk you through where to start with a technology planning approach that's right for your business.

Reservations? We get it.

Finding the right technology partner for your business can be challenging. It can be especially hard to take the leap if your business is growing and up until now, you've been doing a great many things using only your internal team.

It's easy to think that partnering with a managed IT service provider is going to cost you mega bucks.

But if you partner with the right IT professionals, it won't cost you nearly as much as you think and is likely to actually end up saving you money. This is because they can transform the way your business uses technology, make you and your team more efficient with the right technology choices and prevent you from investing in technology you don't actually need.

What you don't want is someone to come in all guns blazing, making wholesale, costly changes, which can end up taking you three steps back for every two steps forward. For example, at P1 Technology, we start with baby steps so we can implement some quick wins and efficiencies. Then we build towards bigger and better things. We also take the time to get to know you and your people so we can make the best recommendations for your business.

Now is the time to get planning with a technology assessment.

Once you've found a reliable IT partner, you'll want to engage them to do a technology assessment. At P1 Technology, this is something we offer for free, and we do it on an annual basis for all our clients.

We'll take a look at all the technology in your business, find out what's working and what's not and talk to you about where you want to go. Then we'll make recommendations and discuss our review findings with you so we can make a plan. What urgent things need to be addressed now? What should we look to implement over the next 12 months? How can we do everything we need to do in the most cost and time effective way with as little downtime as possible?

Then, of course, we'll help you take action on your business technology plan, so you can focus on the other important areas of your business.

Need a technology partner?

We think there are 10 questions you should ask to make sure you're getting the right IT provider for your business. You can head to our home page to download your free copy.

And while it's not our style to sell in a blog article, we do want to point out that you can also head straight to the phone and call us. We'd love to help you work out where to start with your business technology and we work with tailored solutions that suit businesses of 1 person all the way up to a team of 100.

Already partnering with P1 Technology?

If you're already a client of ours, then now is a great time to call and arrange a free review of your systems. We'll map out a plan for the rest of 2020 that will keep you moving forward, and always at least one step ahead of your competitors.

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