Let’s face it, no one was brokenhearted when 2020 finally ended. It was a year filled with shutdowns, masks, a global pandemic, small businesses struggling, division within our nation, and constant uncertainty — yet life continued.
Now, as we step into a new year, it brings with it a sense of hope and fresh opportunities. But before moving forward, it’s important to take care of some essential housekeeping tasks for your Information Technology networks.
1. Tax Planning
December is the time to look at your tax reports and determine if you need to reduce your tax bill.
- Pay attention to IRS rules (section 168 and 179) about qualified assets purchases.
- These rules can determine the best time for you to make hardware computer purchases.
- Review your Profit & Loss statements and determine the right time to replace or purchase additional equipment
- Don’t delaying and losing the advantages.
2. Cleanup
Many companies have some downtime around the holidays. This slow down time is a perfect time to clean and refresh your IT functional areas. You will also take special care of your computer during this time. This step has two parts:
Physically clean
- Sweep out the desk
- Clean the keyboards
- Wipe down the monitors
- Remove dust from the area around the computers.
- Review the post-it notes that seem to gather over time
- Make sure the workspace is clean, refreshed.
Hard Drive/Disk Space
- Review your back up files, and make sure they are working.
- Archive documents and files that are not needed.
- Run compress and defragment utilities.
- Check temporary folders → move files to permanent place or delete them
- Clean cookies from browsers
- Clear cache files
3. Prepare and Prevent Data Breaches
This is also the perfect time to enforce all your employees to change their password and add encryption. If your network doesn’t force passwords to expire, then how about setting that up for 2021? It’s easy to introduce a new policy of password changes every 30 days at the beginning of the year.
We are seeing other bloggers who say, “use this time to check for your information on the Dark Web”. In our opinion, that is not often enough. Here at Techno Advantage, we can run Dark Web search based on your employee name and email addresses. We have a Dark Web scan monitoring service, where we constantly check your employee credentials. This way we can address any data breaches immediately. If you aren’t already signed up for this service, call us Today!
4. Review Systems & Fix Problems
We all get behind and add things to the “someday list”. That list of items that when we get time, we will take care of it. This is the time to take care of them. Look at the processes and systems you have in place, review them, and begin improving them. Maybe it’s a network cable that you temporarily ran across the floor which needs to be hidden properly. How about that monitor that you haven’t mentioned to anyone, but it sometimes flickers? Yes, you can wiggle the cord when it happens, or we can swap it out and fix the problem.
Take the time now to inventory your IT equipment, verify that it’s working properly, and you know where each piece of equipment is within your business. Making a record of the manufacturer name, model number and serial numbers will be value if your business is faced with a fire, flooding, or break in.
Make sure your hardware is updated and running the most updated security patches, as well as your operating system and software. Right now, the news is talking about security updates, verify your patches and look for any new security updates.
This is also a good time to look at any vendor contracts and make sure you know when they renew. Look at the quality of service you are receiving and if it’s not renewal time, set a reminder to do some competitive shopping to make sure you’re getting the best value for your budget.
5. Buy Products with Holiday Savings
Sometimes the new sales staff needs updated laptops, or the accounting department needs to upgrade their QuickBooks desktop edition. Many IT providers will offer special deals on hardware and software during this time of the year. It is a time to purchase the upgrades, updates, or new equipment.
6. Review Your Website and Social Media Accounts
Recently, I found a client had the wrong telephone on their website. It had changed over a year ago, but no one caught it. I hate to think how many potential sales they might have missed. Sometimes, your website will have staff photos that are outdated, products that you no longer offer, or other outdated information. Make sure you’re review your website and all social media accounts that they have the right information and are current.
Along with checking the content of the website, also make sure the plug-ins, themes and any other software associated with your website is updated. Check the copyright date and keep it current. People trust websites less if the copyright statement is outdated. Look for when your hosting and domain renew and set a calendar reminder to make sure they don’t lapse. Also, check the website traffic and SEO. Make changes to keywords and the SEO to get better traffic if needed.
Review your Social media feedback and see what posts are getting the most attention. Make a schedule or plan for at least the first quarter, so that your social media is part of your marketing strategy and plan.
7. Make your Project List for Next Year
We get that it’s the time to slow down. Employees will request time off to spend with families, so staff might be reduced temporarily, but this is the time to make the list and start a timeline for future projects.
Conclusion
As one year closes and another begins, it’s the perfect opportunity to prepare your business for success by giving attention to your IT systems. From tax planning and system cleanup to strengthening security and updating equipment, these housekeeping tasks ensure your technology is ready to support your goals in the new year.
By taking time now to review, refresh, and plan ahead, you not only prevent future problems but also create a stronger foundation for growth, efficiency, and security in 2021 and beyond.
