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Imagine you have just discovered a gap in the market, and you have an exciting opportunity to release software to service this market's needs. The only catch? Time is not on your side and you need to jump at it quickly.  

Or, you've just had an amazing idea of how your business could create software that would save you 100 man hours per month, naturally you want to launch it ASAP.  

In both these situations time is not on your side, and neither is technical debt.  

Wait, technical debt? What debt!?

Relationships in all facets of our lives require work, including professional ones. However, recognising and breaking off professional relationships, such as those with your IT support, is not as easy. 

Experience tells us that, often, companies will only realise that their IT relationship should have ended long after it is beyond repair, leading to unproductive downtime, additional costs, and overall staff unhappiness. 

Our advice? Don't grin and bear it for 3-5 years until you can raise the idea and find a new IT provider, as the cost will only amplify.  

The reality is: it is hard to break up with an IT provider, but it is ok to admit that the relationship isn't working for your business. The good news? It has never been easier to find and IT provider that can take your business to the next level! 

So, if you are finding yourself on the fence, this post is likely to be the wakeup call you have been waiting for. We have compiled the top 6 signs that show that it is time to say good bye, and these are:

After the industrial revolution, the business world stayed consistent for just over a century. However, with the dawn of the internet it is safe to say that will never happen again! The accelerating rate of technological development in the last 40 years has changed society – and it has also had a rippling effect in the business world, creating new business challenges for owners.

We’ve outlined what we see as the 4 biggest challenges for the modern business owner and provided insights on how to overcome them.

Cloud computing security can be a scary word for SME’s. I mean, how secure could your data possibly be if it’s floating around in space!? Especially with all of these cyber-attacks we are hearing in the news…

But what if cloud computing was safer than your small business system? Before you look for a cave to curl up in, let us explain a few points:

The recent security incidents point what should by now be considered common sense: businesses who rely heavily on technology (and let’s face it, that makes most of us!) need to go a step further and make sure that their staff are trained on how to spot a possible cybersecurity threat.

If this is still not syncing for you, or perhaps the incidents seen by Wannacry didn’t scare you, perhaps this will:

Cybercriminals like to target SME’s. 43% of cyber attacks target small businesses.
Phishing attacks are the main avenue criminals use to implement ransomware and malware inside organisations. 

It’s not brand-brand new, having been launched late in 2016, but Microsoft Flow is a rather unsung hero in the Microsoft pantheon. It’s a hero nonetheless, though, because it can transform the way you work.

You have decided your business needs to modernize its operations and innovate. You have done all the hard work to come up with an app idea, and you are ready to start your project.

But, how do get your staff buy in?

Over the years, we have worked with many businesses who had a tough time when introducing a new tool to their team. What follows is a guide on the simple tactics you can apply when launching an internal tool.

“54% of customers will consider ending their relationship with a provider if they are not given tailor-made, relevant content and offers” (Microsoft 2016).

I am guessing that, in 2017, the above quote from Microsoft isn’t any news to you. But what may still be a struggle is:

How, as a small business owner or manager, can you keep up with your existing clients, and understand how to grow your business online?

Well, you are in for a treat! That is exactly what I hope to answer over the next paragraphs.

You would see it almost every day: those endless reports, those endless astoundingly complex worksheets shared around the office by the local ‘Excel Power User’, a person that usually gets paid to keep spreadsheets alive. The bigger the company, the more spreadsheets, and the more Excel gets used.

Before you stop reading OR pick up the phone to ring me, let me just make things clear: We are not here to propose that you stop using your loved spreadsheets!

We’d never advocate the banning of one of the most useful tools ever to enter the workplace, and doing so would in any event result in a massive surge of shadow IT. But… Excel Hell is real!

You probably won’t be surprised to hear that studies have shown that workplace happiness spikes productivity levels by 12%, while unhappy workers productivity levels dip by 10%.

But how can small business, often constrained by time, resources and money, incentivise a happier work place?

There are many ways to increase employee health and happiness, and in this post we share the top 5 initiatives we are focusing on, here at Lancom.