IT best practices for a growing business: a practical checklist
Who this is for: owners and managers of growing businesses who want their IT to be reliable and predictable as the team gets bigger.
Most IT problems in small and medium businesses are not caused by bad luck. They come from missing basics. These ten habits prevent most of them.
1. Know what you own
Keep a simple register of every computer, server, router, printer and software licence: who uses it, when it was bought and when the warranty ends. You cannot protect or plan for what you cannot list.
2. Back up and test
Automatic daily backups with at least one copy off site, and a restore test every quarter. Backups should cover cloud services as well as local machines.
3. Patch on a schedule
Automatic updates for workstations, a monthly review for servers and network equipment, and a rule that anything no longer supported by its manufacturer gets replaced.
4. Use multi-factor authentication
Everywhere it is offered, starting with email, remote access and administrator accounts.
5. Manage joiners and leavers
A checklist for new starters (accounts, equipment, training) and for leavers (accounts disabled, equipment returned, data handed over) removes a surprising amount of risk and confusion.
6. Give people the right access
Staff need access to what their job requires and nothing more. Review it once a year.
7. Plan replacement, not emergencies
Business computers typically serve well for around three to five years. Replacing a fifth of the fleet each year is easier to budget than replacing everything after a failure, and it keeps your team productive.
8. Protect power and connectivity
A UPS or inverter on the router, switches and key equipment, and a second internet line for anything that depends on the cloud. It is the cheapest way to protect productivity during load shedding.
9. Keep the documentation
Passwords in a company password manager, network diagram, supplier contacts and warranty details. Your business should never depend on one person’s memory.
10. Have one accountable IT partner
When hardware, network, software and support come from different suppliers, problems bounce between them. A single partner that knows your whole environment resolves issues faster and plans further ahead.
Where StepEdge fits
StepEdge supplies IT equipment, provides managed IT and helpdesk support, and builds custom software and websites for businesses across South Africa. If you would like a review of your current setup against this checklist, get in touch.
