A brand new yr is a superb time to replicate on the previous 12 months and create targets for the yr forward. That is particularly essential for small companies, which have been so dramatically affected by the pandemic. As with many disruptive occasions, the pandemic has offered many classes for small companies to drag from.
We’ve narrowed it down to 5 resolutions small companies ought to think about as you tackle 2022.
1. Speed up Innovation Every time Attainable
As COVID upended operations and despatched firms of all sizes and all industries into chaos, it additionally revealed that innovation doesn’t all the time require a giant price range, large sources, or years to implement.
Small companies needed to embrace and speed up innovation to be able to survive. Many people thought distant work and digital transformation had been nonetheless just a few years away and would come on steadily, however COVID shortly proved that notion improper. We additionally realized that firms may pivot to distant workforces and on-line enterprise fashions virtually instantaneously. All it took was a disaster to indicate many small companies that they’re certainly able to innovating shortly and cost-effectively.
As you journey into 2022, don’t overlook further alternatives to speed up innovation inside your group.
2. Embrace Change – Even in Your Expertise
It may be laborious to make significant change (hi there, New Yr’s resolutions), particularly when that comes with a price ticket. For small companies, one of many priciest adjustments is most frequently with their expertise options. Why repair one thing that’s probably not damaged?
With cloud-based companies, managed networks, WiFi entry, video conferencing, digital desktops and extra, small companies found the advantages of latest expertise up to now 18 months. Advantages like protecting workers productive, collaborating, safe, and engaged — whereas additionally supporting a powerful buyer expertise. These companies even proved to be manageable in-house, decreasing the necessity for exterior IT.
In 2022, hold an eye fixed out for methods to additional embrace change. This may be so simple as adopting a brand new conferencing resolution or an end-to-end safety platform.
3. Give attention to the (Hybrid) Future
It’s essential to keep in mind that the work mannequin adjustments imposed on us all around the final yr and a half are possible right here to remain. Which means we nonetheless have some rising to do to transition from a totally distant to a hybrid work setting.
You would possibly nonetheless have on-premises tech that was used to assist your predominantly in-person office, plus no matter new expertise your group embraced as you went distant. Video calls, distant file entry and offsite workers are right here to remain, which suggests your IT must work in an entire new manner. It’s value evaluating your present arrange so you possibly can effectively and securely accommodate this new working mannequin in 2022 and past.
4. Make the Transfer to Cloud-based Options
Pre-pandemic, the shift to cloud-based options was progressing slowly, with most small companies nonetheless using on-premises IT – servers, networks, desktop computer systems, and extra. Cloud-based IT took off over the previous yr when companies realized they may seamlessly transfer their expertise, important functions, and information off-premises and into the cloud.
This enabled employers to grant distant employees entry to digital desktops and functions from wherever, with all the info and instruments they should stay productive and engaged. It additionally allowed companies to cut back IT necessities, in addition to prices (and complications) within the course of.
In 2022, cloud-delivered options and software-as-a-service (SaaS) will proceed to ship excessive worth and allow small companies to speed up innovation and scale as wanted. It’s like getting two resolutions in a single.
5. Repeat: Safety, safety, SECURITY!
Pre-COVID, many small companies might have felt a false sense of safety, considering themselves too small for hackers to trouble with. However the reality is – hackers don’t care how small your small business is, they care about how weak your safety is. So if you happen to thought you had been flying below their radar, suppose once more.
Cybersecurity assaults will be devastating, and hackers seized the chance when companies had workers started working from completely different areas and generally on private units. The excellent news is that, with cloud-based options, it’s now simpler and extra inexpensive than ever to safeguard your information, units, and enterprise from assaults like these.
Should you solely resolve to do one factor as a small enterprise in 2022, we extremely encourage you to rethink your cybersecurity options. A robust, but easy, safety method will help defend your total enterprise – out of your e-mail to your community to your endpoints.
New Yr, New Expertise
With the brand new yr in full swing, now is an efficient time to guage your present expertise and see what, if something, must be adjusted. Some inquiries to ask your self:
Are my expertise setting and gear prepared to satisfy the second and react to future crises?
Do we’ve got a versatile infrastructure than can simply adapt to vary?
Will our community bandwidth scale to satisfy the calls for of an workplace full of individuals and days when most are working from residence?
Are we adequately defending our folks and their information?
Will we proceed collaborating by video conferencing or providing companies and merchandise on-line?
For some further insights on these questions, take a look at latest episodes of the Cisco Designed “Small Enterprise, Large Options” podcast to take a deeper dive into these matters and extra.
We’re prepared that will help you meet your small business targets for 2022 by connecting you to with easy, safe, and scalable options that assist and speed up your digital transformation. Contact our gross sales group to be taught extra about our options for networking, safety, and collaboration, together with how one can get a one-on-demo of any of our small enterprise merchandise.
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