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How Does IT Downtime Affect Your Bottom Line?

As a modern business owner or IT leader, you depend on technology for so much of your work. How Does IT Downtime Affect Your Bottom Line?

Published

4 years ago

January 28, 2020

TwinzTech

As a modern business owner or IT leader, you depend on technology for so much of your work. That makes it all the more frustrating when something goes wrong and your system — whether it’s your internet, website, or servers — goes down.

At the risk of stating the obvious: Not only is IT downtime incredibly frustrating, but it’s also costly and affects your bottom line. Here’s how:

Table of Contents

1. Revenue

When your system goes down, you immediately lose revenue. That revenue loss increases with every hour you’re down.

Recent studies show that 72% of retailers say sales were lost during network downtime. That loss in sales can lead to costly diagnostic work, mechanical repairs, discounted delivery fees, apology coupons, and more. In worst-case scenarios, outages can even lead to lengthy and expensive lawsuits from angry consumers.

Revenue IT Downtime

2. Reputation

Beyond immediate financial damage, IT downtime can also hurt your office’s reputation and decrease customer loyalty — sometimes irreparably. If a client can’t get what they need or get in touch with you, they’re more likely to complain online and seek out one of your competitors.

That means you lose both current and future clients.

3. Productivity

IT downtime doesn’t just lead to a loss in money or future business; it also leads to lost productivity among your team. So much of today’s work relies on technology and the ability to immediately access data and files. When your team can’t do their job, they’re likely to become frustrated and lose steam, and a disheartened team can be hard to reinspire — even after the system comes back up.

4. Security

Finally, IT downtime can leave you and your business susceptible to hacks, malware, and more. A recent study found that most retailers can’t enable security systems while disconnected from the internet. That creates a vulnerability to data breaches, and if you store sensitive customer information, an uncomfortable conversation with clients.

And as we’ve seen in the news, security breaches can also lead to costly lawsuits.

5. So what can you do to reduce harm?

The best way to prevent IT downtime is to make sure you have a strong internet connection, your website is well-maintained, your servers are up-to-date, and your applications are well-managed.

How To Secure Websites From The Sneakiest Cyber Attacks

That being said, IT downtime is not avoidable, according to research. The average business is likely to experience an outage once a year. If one does happen to you, you and your team should be prepared. Have a plan of action ready, one that includes an urgent IT request message and statement to send out to customers that include how you plan to get back online and how they can reach you in the meantime.

Aventis Systems can help you protect your revenue, productivity, and reputation. Whether you’re looking for new servers, used servers, or cloud-based technology, we can help set you up with office technology with IT support and care. Reach out and speak with one of our highly-trained engineers today.

Computer Network

6 Reasons You Should Have Security Cameras at Your Business

Implementing security cameras in business can Protecting your assets, ensure employee accountability, and provide evidence in legal matters

Published

1 month ago

November 1, 2023

TwinzTech

6 Reasons You Should Have Security Cameras at Your Business

Today, more and more businesses are realizing the importance and value of video surveillance systems. Threats from both external and internal sources can be a constant worry for business owners, and peace of mind is scarce.

Having a robust video monitoring system like the one offered by Genetec will help you capture, store, and analyze video footage of everything that goes down on your premises. How will this help you in protecting what matters to you? Let’s find out.

Table of Contents

1. Deterring Crime

First of all, video cameras are a natural deterrent for teenage scallywags and serious criminals alike.

If you have cameras visible on your property, anyone with ill intentions will understand that their risk of being caught out is that much higher, and they’ll naturally reconsider their actions.

In this sense, you may never need to use your video cameras for checking out any actual footage – if this is the case, you’ll know that they’ve done their job of preventing any incidents from happening in the first place.

2. Protecting Your Assets

security cameras in business can Protecting your assets

Of course, as a business owner, there are things that are important to you. Whether it’s the property itself, equipment, inventory, or any other valuable assets, it’s important that you have an extra layer of security protecting them – especially if they might make your business a specific target.

Video surveillance is a much more practical and affordable option than having someone physically monitoring your assets 24/7.

3. Keeping Your Employees Accountable

Unfortunately, internal threats are a real thing, and many business owners have suffered at the hands of an “inside job.”

Data theft, physical theft, fraud, and other crimes have seriously impacted a large percentage of businesses, and small businesses are especially at risk.

Having surveillance cameras can help deter any issues of this nature and will further hold your employees accountable to do their jobs and maintain productivity levels.

4. Security Cameras in Business Reduced Insurance Costs

Business owners need to be constantly on the lookout for ways to reduce their costs and increase profit margins. One such way is to ensure you’re keeping your insurance premiums as low as possible – and having a great security system can help you do that.

The better protected your business is, the lower the risk is for incidents, and the less you’ll be charged for your insurance policy.

5. Evidence in Legal Matters

Many businesses will have to face a dispute at some point – between employees, between an employer and an employee, or even between employees and customers. In many cases, a lack of real evidence can make things complicated and even unjust.

Having security footage of your premises can provide important evidence for any disputes or legal matters that might arise, helping you to ensure that things are resolved efficiently and fairly.

6. Peace of Mind

Finally, remember that having peace of mind about the safety of your business, your assets, and your staff is priceless.

Video surveillance offers an extra layer of protection and security that will help you sleep easier at night, knowing that what matters to you is under protection and less at risk.