Have you raised enough capital? Are you able to deliver on your promises? How will you pay unexpected costs?
Sometimes the most critical questions remain unanswered. What IT infrastructure does your startup need to help achieve your business objectives?
Ultimately, it is vital that you set the proper foundation for your business. Your infrastructure can be divided into three core competencies.
THE “MUST HAVES”
- Equipment – workstations, printers & phones – this is the absolute bare minimum.
- Email – I don’t care what industry you are in, it never looks professional sending out an email from a Gmail or Hotmail account. It will be hard enough to establish credibility as a startup, do not shoot yourself in the foot before you even get started.
- Proper high-speed internet.
THE “WE SHOULD PROBABLY HAVE”
- Cyber Security – How important is it that your data remains confidential? If a data breach has the potential to dismantle your business then cyber-security should be taken seriously.
- Backups & Recovery – In a Startup, each day presents itself with new challenges which hopefully means that each day, progress is made. With continual progress, it begs a few questions; what measures are in place if your laptop is stolen or if there is a flood in the office? Will you be able to recover your data? If so, how will it take to do so? Too many companies wait until the problem happens to put measures in place. Our advice is simple, buy the insurance before the problem strikes.
- A Team to manage your setup. *Shameless Plug Alert* You will need a wide range of skills to manage your IT setup. You most likely won’t be able to find or afford an IT employee that checks off all the requirements. As a startup, it is best to have a group of individuals who can take care of your every need and do so at a fraction of the cost.
THE “IT WOULD BE NICE, BUT IT’S NOT DETRIMENTAL IF WE DON’T”
- Top of the line hardware
- A custom ERP
- A dedicated server
AVOIDABLE MISTAKES
- Affordable – unless your seed funding has gone better than expected, most startups are budget conscious. The last thing you want is for your IT setup to cripple your growth and acceleration. Do not overpay.
- Flexible – no startup launches with the hope of remaining a small player in their particular space. Whether your business objectives change or your workforce grows, you need your IT setup to be flexible. When your setup is scalable, on-boarding new employees and beginning new tasks will be seamless.
- Properly vet your IT provider.
FINAL THOUGHTS
By design, great IT will go unnoticed.
What that means is, very few employees will notice a great IT setup, however all will recognize a poorly configured one.
Whether you are looking for an IT company in Montreal or for managed services like support and configurations, look no further than your neighborhood superhero, Fencecore.
Fencecore is a full service IT provider that specializes in managed services, cyber security, hardware & software and dedicated hosting.