The Hidden Dangers of Relying on One Person for Your Business IT

If you run a business, you probably have that one IT guy that you rely on. Maybe they're an internal hire, maybe a solo freelancer you've worked with for years. They're the wizard behind the curtain, the one who just knows how everything works… and while that can feel comforting on the surface, it often hides a ticking time bomb:

What if, for whatever reason, that one person up and leaves?

There are Plenty of Reasons Your IT Person Might Leave

From a sudden influx of cash to a sudden call of self-discovery, your IT person—let’s call them Chip, for simplicity—could very well leave your business with little to no warning. A family emergency may require them to move, or they could find themselves unable to continue working. Whatever the case, you aren’t just losing Chip… you’re also losing all the experience and knowledge that Chip collected over his time at your company.

For instance:

What if Chip was the only one with all the keys to the castle, made the secret sauce that allowed everything to work, and knew where to find everything? Unless Chip kept fastidious documentation (which isn’t a safe enough bet to rely on), all the knowledge your business depends on leaves with him. Good luck when an issue pops up.

There are also cybersecurity implications to Chip’s departure. If Chip was indeed your lone IT resource, he almost certainly had access to everything in your IT infrastructure. What happens if Chip’s credentials are somehow compromised, or—far worse—he didn’t leave on good terms? Either way, the keys to the castle are out of your hands and out of your control.

By relying on one person, you’re inherently gambling your company’s future on the hope that one person will always be available to you. What if Chip gets sick or has an accident and can no longer perform his role, for whatever reason? 

There are Problems with This Approach, Even If Your Person Sticks Around

So far, we’ve focused on the issues that could arise if Chip, your lone IT person, were to leave your company. Unfortunately, there are also very real potential problems that we must acknowledge, even if they remain with you.

For instance, will Chip be able to keep up if your business grows? Whether you introduce new systems or grow your workforce, that’s more work that will ultimately fall to Chip… a lot of which may require him to finish his tasks before continuing. Chip himself may become a bottleneck to your growth through no fault of his own.

Chip may also get stuck playing catch-up, leaving your business to fall increasingly behind. The more fires that Chip has to put out independently, the less time and attention Chip will be able to commit to preparing your business for the future and ensuring your existing IT stays up to standard. Eventually, he’ll fall behind as conflicting priorities battle for his time, and your business operations will suffer.

Clearly, Your IT Support Can’t Have a Single Point of Failure

The thing about business technology is that, once you have more than two or three people to cover, you’ve reached the point where you really need a team to manage your technology properly. There are various reasons that this is the case:

You Get Access to Diversified Experience and a Wider Range of Skills

Presumably, you’ve heard the term, “jack of all trades, master of none.” Business IT is a banner example of where this is the case, simply because it is so faceted and complex. The more people you have specializing in your IT, the more likely you are to have an array of skills at your disposal.

You’re Protected Against Absence 

To return to Chip for a moment, he almost can’t go on vacation or call in sick. After all, what if something happened and Chip wasn’t there to fix it? With a team pooling their knowledge and experience, there’s a much better chance that someone will be there and able to help.

You Can Plan Ahead

Having a team to work on your IT allows you to move beyond the break/fix model and proactively predict your needs, effectively positioning you to plan for better IT in the future, which will give you a competitive advantage.

Datalyst Will Be There to Help You Unlock Your Business’ Potential

Unfortunately, it can be challenging—sometimes, prohibitively so—to maintain these essential resources independently. That’s where we can come in to lend a hand.

We work with businesses in and around Plymouth County, Massachusetts, giving them:

• Access to a team of knowledgeable, professional technicians
• Reliable response times
• A full suite of essential IT services and support, like consulting, compliance, and help desk (to name a few)

Your business could be one of them. Whether you need a fully outsourced IT department or to boost your existing department’s capabilities, we should talk!

Don’t let technology—or the need to support it—keep you from success. Sign up for a free IT consultation, or give us a call at (774) 213-9701. Let us give Chip a hand.