IT professionals tend to get a bad rep for not being a reliable source for their users in many cases. Anything from not responding fast enough, not being knowledgeable enough, to the extreme opposite of being too knowledgeable (that deer in the headlight stare when you don’t understand what your tech guy is saying).
As an IT professional, it’s hard to hear at times, but it’s also good. It’s good to hear, so we know what needs to be improved.
Although your IT guy can sometimes be a pain to deal with, it’s good to have him in your corner. Especially with our current worldwide crisis. I’m going to dispel a few reasons why your tech guy can be your best ally.
Crisis Mode
Let’s face it, we are all heavily reliant on technology these days, whether we want to admit it or not. We use technology both for personal and professional reasons. But I’ll be highlighting the professional side of technology in this post. Walk into any office today, and you’ll notice a common theme. Besides the obvious desk furniture and cubicles, you’ll also notice computers on just about every desk. Businesses rely heavily on their computers to operate and provide services to their customers. It’s so imperative, in fact for businesses to have computers in their office, that businesses without computers could simply consider themselves obsolete.
If a company’s computer system goes down for some reason, most businesses are like fish out of water…they can’t survive. Guess what individual understands this technology and would prove valuable in this instance? You guessed it, your IT guy. I’d like to paint a picture for you so you can get a better visual of what we’re talking about here. Let’s say your beloved server decides to take a break on you, and you’re not able to access the files that you have worked so hard on, for so many years. You physically check the server and see that it’s off and not responding to your attempt to turn it back on.
You can be in two scenarios here. The first scenario is not a good one, as you’re starting to panic, trying to figure out what you’re going to do. Are your files backed up? Was there a budget put in place to get a new server? How are you going to get the files back if the server did in fact crash? All sorts of crazy questions are running through your mind.
The second scenario is a bit better. You’re inconvenienced, disappointed even. I mean computers and servers do crash, right? Especially if they’re getting old, and not properly maintained. But here’s the difference, you know you’ll be back up and running in no time because your IT guy is there to save the day. All you need to do is reach out and explain the issue. Of course, this depends on the relationship you have with your IT guy.
And if the relationship is not quite like that, then you need to find one where the relationship can be that way.
Their Resources
IT professionals have access to certain resources that the average working person does not. Take, for instance, the current pandemic that the world is facing. Conducting business as we know has changed tremendously, because of the coronavirus. Working from home is now the new normal, at least for now. Your IT guy will be the Point of Contact to get you up and running to start working from home. He and his team will also be there to help maintain that remote operability and troubleshoot any issues that come along.
Without an IT professional, would you know what tools or software to use to get you up and running from home? Sure, the process may seem simple because there are tons of remote software out there for you to choose from. However, the setup and configuration are another issue to gripe with, not to mention the learning curve to use that new remote software. How much time are you willing to put forth in setting it up and learning that software? Especially given how valuable your time is.
These are questions your IT guy would be able to give answers to. He would know what software or app you need to use and help you troubleshoot whatever issues you might have along the way.
Adapting to Changes
What I love about being an IT professional is that we know how to use technology to our advantage in many different ways. We also know how to apply those changes to our businesses and to the clients we support. Most of us started out as mere computer enthusiasts who had the desire to work with computers. We either entered into this hobby while in college, high school, and in some cases, even younger than that. As our desire grew into more than just a hobby, and as a career, we’ve learned how to apply our technical skills to the professional and business world.
Our growing knowledge of technology has equipped us to keep up with the trends that are happening with technology. With technology having as big of an impact as it does on the economy, our knowledge helps us to adapt fast to the ever-changing economy. In most cases, we are ahead of the curve and understand how to use the latest technology to advance in the marketplace.
We know how to make things work when changes are happening, particularly with our jobs and businesses. That same skill set we’re able to apply to our clients when they’re facing trouble and hardships.
Keeping Your Business Operable
It pays to have a good IT guy or company to partner with. Times have changed considerably over the years and all businesses need some type of IT support. Gone are the days when all you needed to operate your business was a good secretary, a phone, and a few filing cabinets. All that paperwork is now in the cloud. Your secretary is still needed, but he/she needs to check all your emails, from a computer. Your telephone now comes with modern-day features that require the internet (VoIP) to work.
As I mentioned before, if you’re running a business in today’s market that does not depend on a computer, you essentially would have to consider yourself obsolete. But even more importantly, to have all this run and operate successfully, an IT professional is needed. You not only need an IT professional to help maintain peace of mind, but you also need them to help you operate and keep your business competitive.