As a busy business owner, it’s likely that the thought of undertaking computer admin tasks is an unwelcome concept — after all, they’re duties that take you away from your passion — the day-to-day running of your enterprise. However, waiting for something to break — or become pressingly urgent — before dealing with it is not a viable way to run a business. In this blog we will outline the computer admin tasks that you may be overlooking, and the consequences of failing to do them.
Social media
Many small businesses focus too much on creating an online presence and not enough on managing it. Social media may seem like a bit of fun, but it’s a profoundly important aspect of running a business. Keeping it up-to-date, full of content and on-brand is key to spreading the word about your products or services. Consistency is key and social media is a reflection of your business’s ethos — if you can only post once a week, that’s perfectly fine, but make sure you post once every week, rather than sporadically.
Password management
Passwords are a pain, and the temptation to give each program the same password and leave them as such can be overwhelming. However, this leaves your business open to hackers and other security breaches. We highly recommend using unique passwords for each program and changing it regularly. There are online password generators that can make this an easier task.
Anti-virus and malware protection
Keeping your anti-virus software up-to-date is the cornerstone of your computer security. That annoying little notification in the corner of your screen is there for a reason. Turning on auto-updates may make this chore less of a… well, chore.
Backups
Backups are one of the most important and often forgotten tasks. If you manage your own storage, backing up data is your responsibility. Ensure backups of locally stored data are performed regularly to avoid the loss of data in case of hardware failure — portable hard drives are perfect for this job. Cloud data should also be backed up.
Manage online presence
Moved business premises? Changed your logo? New manager in situ? All of these are details that will need updating wherever your business has a presence. This can be in online directories, on social media, and on your own website. While you’re there, check that your website is running smoothly — unless you have an in-house or outsourced team who do this for you, your website can hit issues that may go unnoticed to you, but put off potential customers.