If you're planning on fitting out a new site or office space to expand your business in the coming months, don't forget about your IT needs! Almost all businesses consider IT a critical component, however, IT is often an afterthought with frustrating impacts. This can lead to delays, productivity downtime and limited opportunities or costly investments to scale up and expand later on.
Avoid the delays of slow internet, inadequate network housing, or any other delays from unplanned IT by considering these three critical components in the early design stages of your new site.
1. Secure and suitable networks
It’s important to have secure and suitable housing for any server and network equipment in your office. Having a dedicated space for network equipment improves cybersecurity and office aesthetics. Assess the communication and IT requirements for your business and the industry you’re in when evaluating the following:
How many phone lines will you need?
What are your network cabling requirements?
Will a wired or wireless network better suit your business?
Is cloud migration an opportunity to consider now?
2. Internet connectivity and broadband in the area
Consider what the internet connectivity and broadband speed is like in the area of your new premises. You may have found a great office space, however if you find that the internet connectivity is unavailable or slow, or upgrades such as NBN technology have not yet been installed, you will run into increased costs, productivity issues and delays when you’re ready to move into your new office.
Not considering your IT needs during the early planning stages can lead to up to 3-6 month delays resolving internet connection issues, leading to poor customer service, decreased employee productivity and unnecessary stress.
3. Scaling up infrastructure for future growth
Lastly, consider what the future looks like for your business. Ensure there is adequate network cabling and wireless coverage for future requirements. Not planning for the future means spending more on IT infrastructure and upgrades a few years down the line. For example, even if your existing site has traditional on-site server hardware, planning for a cloud-based system on the new site will ensure that you can easily scale up and down to meet your business requirements as they evolve.
If you’re planning on expanding your business in 2021, we highly recommend partnering with a trusted IT provider who can help identify your goals, develop a 3-5 year plan, and make the best-suited recommendations for your budget and needs.
Working with Incito means you have a team of proactive IT professionals backing your business at all times. For simple, cost-effective business IT solutions all managed in one place, get in touch with the Incito team, here.