Last Updated on Mar 27, 2020 by James W
Many small business owners erroneously believe that a strong, efficient, and up-to-date IT infrastructure is the preserve of large enterprises. These entrepreneurs feel that such a system would be costly to build and exorbitantly expensive to maintain, and so they settle for something second-rate.
This is simply untrue. Although you may be working within a small budget, you can still create a modern and proficient IT infrastructure within your business, provided that you know how to do it. That’s why we’ve collated some easy advice to help you…
Server/Workstation Ratio
Servers are essential for those businesses that use multiple computers, but there are many retailers that will over-exaggerate the number that you need. You don’t have to think about them at all until you have around three computers on your network, and after this point, you should be fine with around one server to every ten users. If you would like to be able to streamline this infrastructure, then slightly more expensive models may prove more economical in the long run, with systems that cost around £1,000 generally able to service around 25 users at once. Second-hand options will be more cost effective still, and companies like Pinnacle Data usually offer a wide range of new, used, and refurbished models for you to choose from.
Staff Numbers
Another common mistake that often blows the budget for smaller businesses is hiring too many IT department employees. Although these staff members are often an integral part of keeping your enterprise fully functional, you don’t need to employ the same number of people as larger ventures, and you needn’t cover such a broad spectrum of specialist roles. A small company means a smaller workload for your IT aficionadas, so only hire as many people as you actually require to cover this.
Mix Platforms
Another way to strengthen your infrastructure without breaking the bank is by using multiple platforms. Although Windows remains beloved of most, Mac also has a massive following, and both will perform all of the functions that your business requires. But why invest in two options when you could simply use one? The answer is simple: to create the most reliable system that you can, without splurging on expensive software. Should a full-scale shutdown due to a bad update, hack, or virus put one platform out of action, then the other should remain unaffected, meaning that your employees can carry on.
Build the infrastructure that your business needs with these three simple tips, and do it without breaking the bank.
