Having a start-up will mean you have quite a full in-tray of periphery needs to care about; these could be marketing, funding, increasing your workforce among other needs that may pop up from time.
If you want to know where to get help on tech needs for your small startup, these steps should come in handy.
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Identify your Tech Needs
In this step, you outline the nature of your current tech needs and even proceed to deliver projections for the future. This way, you ensure there are no major disruptions in the event that the business scales or the model changes in the future.
The major areas of focus that you may need to take into consideration are:
The number of users: Assuming your startup is working on a lean team, you will need to inquire from tech service providers on the number of users that a tech solutions package supports.
Key to consider at this stage is that your staff may have more than one device to connect, they may bring along some other smart devices.
Integration Options
What’s more, you may need to connect other Internet of Things devices to the internet like the CCTV, biometric identification among several other customized IoT devices.
What you may also need to disclose to your tech service provider is whether you will be operating from an office setting or from a new spot. The benefit of this is that you may find some tech infrastructure already set up at the office, leading to reduced costs.
At this point, you will need to have a sit-down with your service provider to discuss issues around how your tech solutions could be integrated with your business model. You could get either business hardware or software to manage all your needs at a central point.
Of great consideration also that comes with connectivity would be the provision of IT solutions that hinge on highly secure networks.
Proximity
When you are setting up in a different zone, your best bet would always be the local tech service providers. The reason for this is that you will have faster responses when problems arise.
Also, the team can actually understand the local needs within that particular region and would offer better prices as compared to International brands which may offer competitive costs for a startup.
Customize Customize Customize
Once you research on the available solutions providers, you should be able to determine, through the reviews, the capacity of a company to handle your unique needs.
Taking cybersecurity as a priority, the tech solutions provider should be able to take care of your unique business requirements, and the tech should revolve around the business model.
It is at this time that you would need to ensure that the company you are settling on is reputable, and has in the past managed to successfully execute projects.
Issues of compatibility may arise at this point, as you customize the business IT solutions to work with your Operating Systems and the devices you plan to connect it to.
Based on the response time and clear communications channels in the company, you will notice whether the company is the right fit or not.
Your IT startup will definitely depend on Internet connectivity. For this reason, you would need a provider who provides prompt on-site monitoring services to ensure a steady workflow.
What You Have vs What You Need
Considering you are just a small startup, the need for top-of-the-range technology normally may blind your reasoning. However, the trick is to go back to your team and let them identify the areas where they spend most of their time.
This insight will give you a glimpse of where you need to channel much of your resources.
Conclusion
As a startup, the need for an efficient tech solution can never be overstated. You will, therefore, need to invest a pinch of your time to do online research and interviews.
Top of your focus will have to be budget, compatibility, response time, among other subtle considerations as we have discussed in this short guide.
Neha Nidhi
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