2018 is just around the corner, and just like every year a majority of people will set optimistic goals for themselves in the first few days of January. But we all know what happens. Reality kicks in, and the New Year’s resolutions you set for yourself don’t even last to Valentine’s Day.

LOL, good luck with that!

That might not be a big deal for many people, but it’s a different matter when it comes to improving one’s business. With that in mind, here are four resolutions you definitely don’t want to leave on the back burner next year.

1. Spend More Time Training Staff

If you’ve been blaming every security issue on your IT department, you should probably cut them some slack. All your employees (yes, even your senior staff) are the #1 cause of data breaches, not least because most attacks are designed to trick them into giving out their passwords to total strangers.

That’s why everyone on your team should have a deep understanding of your security policies, and it starts with training your staff. It may seem like a lot of work, but it beats the alternative -- half your company handing out money to Nigerian princes.

2. Curb Addiction to Social Media

Is Facebook a great way to keep in touch with friends, or the end of personal privacy? Call it what you will, but addiction to social media is an absolute killer for business productivity. Unfortunately, there are no support groups that will keep your employees on the right track.

“Please, I just need a few minutes to check my Feed....promise.”

The best solution is to use URL filtering or content filtering. This limits access to social media sites and helps you conserve bandwidth in the process.

3. Improve Your Mobile Device Policy

Employees no longer tolerate being chained to a desk day-in, day-out. And thanks to the rise of mobile devices, there’s no longer any need for them to be. Today, over half of the US workforce is mobile; so if you still haven’t created a robust mobile device policy, then it’s time to get with the program.

To save money and give your employees more freedom over how they work, you should also consider implementing a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy. Just make sure you have a rule that prevents them from playing Candy Crush during work hours or downloading suspicious apps.

4. Get Rid of Inefficient Technology

It finally has to be said: That ancient, refrigerator-sized beige box powered by a 200Mhz Pentium processor needs to go.

“Add me in Talkomatic and your Reaganomics chat room!”

If you’re still running any technology that absorbs more resources than it produces in value, then you’ll end up being left behind. If any of your systems are slow, in need of regular repairs, or result in employees verbally assaulting them, then it’s probably time for change.

No one is saying you need to completely overhaul your technology every year, but it’s vital for the sake of security and performance that your systems are up to date and still fully supported by their manufacturers. If a device is more than five years old, for example, then this is unlikely to be the case.

Every year, organizations become more dependent on their technology. That means implementing a goal-driven approach to IT is no longer an option – it’s a necessity if you want to survive. Contact us today if you don’t want to see your business swallowed up by the rising tide of technological evolution.