Business downtime is a killer! In 2013, Google went down for just 5 hours, costing the company $545,000 in just that time. The New York Times had similar downtime, causing their stock price to fall in just a few hours. While your business will probably never reach the scale or size of these corporate entities, these staggering statistics underlie the exorbitant business costs, customer frustration, and data loss you could incur from a similar scenario. But fear not. With the right IT firm, you can avoid these potential pitfalls and keep your business humming along smoothly.
Ransomware Is a Significant Downtime Threat
According to a recent survey from Datto, Inc., ransomware remains the most pressing issue to many small businesses. Ransomware is a type of virus used by hackers where your entire system is placed on lockdown. To regain access to your network, you must pay a ransom to the hacker. In most instances, the cost of downtime is over 20 times higher than the ransom, often forcing the hand of small business owners to pay the ransom, despite the dangerous nature of doing so.
The key to eliminating the threat of ransomware is to have an antivirus system in place that’s continually monitored by an IT firm. When the IT firm sees a breach or illicit activity on your network, they spring into action, effectively quarantining the threat before it causes serious harm or downtime.
Downtime Kills Customer and Client Relations
In the age of instant gratification and impatience fostered by the internet, customers and clients won’t wait up when your business site is down. Customers greeted by a “web maintenance” or “technical difficulties” page are far more likely to take their business elsewhere, especially when it only requires a new Google search or a few clicks.
Unfortunately, these occasions aren’t always avoidable, but a strong and experienced IT firm enables you to minimize the damage. Remember that every minute your website is down, you’re losing potential customers who may never return to your website based on that sole instance. Combined with social media and word-of-mouth, this problem can quickly spiral out of control.
Employees Can’t Do Their Jobs
When your network goes down or requires repair during normal business hours, your employees bear the brunt of the situation. They can’t access important information, perform daily operations, or conduct business with clients. In short, they become dissatisfied and disheartened on the job and often feel handcuffed by the situation.
While many individuals will rebound once your network is back online, you may find that others take significantly more time to get back on track, lowering productivity and causing morale problems. That’s why you need a 24 hour IT company to get your business back up and running. The less time you’re down, the more likely you are to keep employees happy and productivity at a maximum.
Thanks to the 24/7 coverage LAN WAN Enterprise offers your business, you won’t have to worry about dissatisfied customers, low employee morale, or an unsavory online reputation. Don’t put your business into crisis mode. Find out more about our Orange County IT services.
Rely on us for business IT solutions in Orange County. San Bernardino Business IT support and Los Angeles IT services
Contact our professional IT engineers today to see how we can keep your business running, even when you’re away from the office.
