Your IT keeps your business ticking over. It handles customer data, processes orders, manages your finances, and connects your team. Yet most business owners know more about their coffee machine than their IT infrastructure.
That needs to change. Here are the questions you should be asking about your IT systems, preferably before something goes wrong.
What are you actually paying for?
Seriously, grab your IT bills right now. Can you explain each line item?
Most businesses are paying for software licences gathering digital dust, hardware they’ve completely forgotten about, or three different tools that do exactly the same thing.
Check your subscriptions. Look at your user counts. You might find you’re still paying for Dave from accounts, who left eight months ago.
Who can access your systems?
Think of someone who left your company last year. Can they still log into your systems? If you’re not absolutely certain the answer is no, you’ve got a problem.
Every employee should have access to what they need for their job. When they leave, their access should vanish faster than the office biscuits on a Friday afternoon.
You should aim to review your user lists every quarter.
What happens when everything breaks?
How long until you’re back up and running?
If your answer is “I don’t know” or involves phrases like “probably fine” or “shouldn’t be too long”, you need a disaster recovery plan.
Downtime is expensive. For a 30-person business, even a few hours offline costs thousands in lost productivity. That’s before you factor in the stress, the angry customers, and the frantic phone calls.
Get a plan and test it!
Where’s your data backed up?
Your data is backed up, right?
Right?
Okay, but where? How often? And here’s the big one: have you ever actually tried restoring it?
Follow the 3-2-1 rule: three copies of your data, two different types of media, one copy off-site. Test your restores twice a year. Put it in your calendar now.
Is your security actually any good?
Having antivirus software doesn’t make you secure any more than owning a gym membership makes you fit.
Real security is layers. Multi-factor authentication. Regular patching. A properly configured firewall. Updated security settings.
Cybercriminals love small businesses. You’ve got valuable data but often weaker defences than big corporations. Don’t be the easy target.
What’s your IT person’s backup plan?
Your IT person (internal or external) knows everything about your systems. Great. But what if they get hit by a bus tomorrow? Or win the lottery? Or just decide to move to Spain?
Could someone else step in and keep things running?
Your IT setup needs proper documentation. Your passwords (stored securely, obviously), your systems, your processes. If it only exists in one person’s head, it’s a risk you can’t afford.
How old is your kit?
Hardware fails. The older it gets, the more likely it fails. And when it does, good luck finding replacement parts or compatible software for something that old.
Budget for hardware replacements before things break.
Are you actually compliant?
GDPR applies to pretty much everyone. Depending on your sector, you might have additional regulations to worry about.
Non-compliance means fines. But more importantly, it means explaining to your customers why you’ve mishandled their personal data. That’s a conversation nobody wants to have.
Get your compliance sorted. It’s not optional.
What’s your IT strategy?
IT shouldn’t just keep things running. It should help your business grow.
Where will you be in three years? Will your current IT setup get you there? Or will you hit a brick wall when you try to scale up?
Think of IT as an investment, not just a cost. The right systems give you an edge over competitors still running everything off a single laptop and a prayer.
When did you last review everything?
IT moves fast. What worked two years ago might be outdated now. New threats pop up. Better solutions appear. Your business changes.
Book an annual IT review. Look at what’s working, what isn’t, and what needs fixing. Don’t wait for something to break before you pay attention.
Preventive maintenance is cheaper than emergency repairs. Always.
You don’t need to become an IT expert. But you do need to ask these questions.
If you’ve read this far and you’re feeling uncomfortable about your answers, that’s actually good. It means you’re paying attention.
Have a proper conversation with your IT provider. If you don’t have one, get one. Your IT is too important to wing it.
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