Even if everyone knows how to work a computer nowadays, businesses still need the help of geeks and geniuses like us. Sometimes there’s a hardware failure, a software incompatibility, or North Korea is trying to hold half the country's IT for ransom. But we do more than just save the day.

When you meet with an IT consultant, you get objective observations about your business technology and recommendations on how to improve it. The Red Key team has prevented thousands of computer problems across White Plains and Westchester this way, and we've noticed a few constants that every business owner needs to understand.

Budget is always tight

It’s no secret that small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are always short on cash, so they can’t always afford the latest toys that many large corporations enjoy. But that doesn’t mean SMBs have to live in the stone age.

We’re not recommending you go into the red just to purchase artificial intelligence and virtual reality gadgets. There are plenty of affordable tools out there that are perfect for small businesses like yours.

No Mr. Haverford, we don't need this in the office

For example, the cloud lets you pay for enterprise resources and apps on a month-to-month basis, and it’s usually one of the solutions we frequently recommend businesses that want to do more with less.

Everyone is worried about change

If we're being totally honest, one thing that really annoys us is when businesses decide against implementing solutions because they think everything is running smoothly and are hesitant to shake things up. There’s nothing wrong with being a little skeptical about new technologies, but when your employees are using stacks of printed documents as furniture and employees are filling in spreadsheets manually, you have a problem.

Even if you don’t experience such issues, we’ve done enough IT assessments to know that things could always be improved with technologies. New apps and devices are constantly being developed and if you don’t take advantage of them, your competitors will.

Apart from outclassing your rivals, another reason to embrace change is the constant threat of hackers. Seriously, we’ve heard of cases where hackers disguised themselves as employees to gain access to server rooms and steal sensitive files. So don’t ever take chances with your security.

No one has a backup plan

Disaster recovery is rarely at the forefront of business owners' minds. After all, thinking about your company’s demise is probably not your idea of a good time, but the fact remains: Storms, faulty servers, and ransomware could all bring your business down in a split second. And without a backup plan, there’s nothing we can do.

“I’m sorry Tom, but this is what you get for not backing up your files.”

Our technicians have witnessed tragic situations in which businesses turned to IT professionals after a disaster and asked whether there was a way to recover their files. Sadly, things were past the point of redemption.

So if you want your business to survive a catastrophe, you must start planning a business continuity strategy...like, right now.

Computers are a constant source of stress

We’ve met more than a few people who despise their computers. They’re the type of people who think putting a fist through their keyboard will fix the problem. But even if you're the cool tempered type, you're likely still ticked about constant cyber threats, computer crashes, and slow internet service.

Many people enlist an old-school computer repair shop, but we all know they suck. The funny thing is, a few extra minutes of care today goes a long way in the future. This means regularly updating software, running antivirus scans, and making sure the network is prioritizing important apps that need the bandwidth like VoIP.

Of course, we don’t expect people with business degrees to manage all this, and that’s why we offer managed IT services.

Call Red Key Solutions today to get the support and advice you need from our top-notch consultants!

Red Key is a leading Managed IT firm that is bringing AI to companies in New York City, Westchester County, Fairfield County Connecticut, California & beyond.