As tax season comes around, there’s always that question about where to spend any money that may be coming back.
One area that will pay you back in both productivity and security is to use your refund (or any extra money you have) to invest in your technology and data security.
Whether you’re a homeowner or run a small or home-based business, technology has likely permeated your daily routine. From checking news and weather through an Alexa speaker to producing work product and delivering it to clients, our lives would be very different if we didn’t have our tech.
When we talk about investing in technology, we don’t mean buying the latest smartphone, we’re talking about looking at the tech and technology services that you use now and investing in ways to make them more secure and serve your needs better.
For example, if you run a virtual business from home, something as simple as a computer memory upgrade can speed up your system significantly and help you finish your projects faster because you’re not waiting on your PC to catch up with you.
What types of tech and IT security upgrades give you the best return on an investment? We’ll go through several ideas you can think about as you’re awaiting that tax refund.
Technology Investments That Bring Big Returns
When it comes to improving the efficiency of your technology, it doesn’t take a lot of money to make a big impact in productivity and security.
As you’re deciding where to invest in your tech, focus on the types of things that can improve your workflow, save you time, and protect your data and network from costly breaches.
You have multiple options. Here are few smart IT investments.
Computer Tune Up/Upgrades
You don’t always have to purchase an entirely new computer to speed up your PC and make it seem like a new system. You can often spend just a fraction of the cost on a PC tune up and/or upgrade of certain system parts that will improve your computer’s speed and reliability.
As we mentioned earlier, a memory upgrade can transform a slow system that’s always freezing into one that’s extremely fast. Here are a few other potential upgrades that don’t cost a lot and that can improve system performance:
- Solid-state drive (SSD)
- External storage device
- Graphics card
- Operating system upgrade (especially if you’re still using Windows 7!)
If you’re using a traditional signature-based antivirus program that just checks files against a known threat database, it’s only a matter of time before you suffer a data breach.
Today’s threats are much more sophisticated and designed to get past older antivirus software. Investing in a next-gen antivirus/anti-malware tool that includes things like behavior monitoring and advanced threat protection, can save you from a data breach that can cost your small business hundreds of thousands of dollars or result in your personal banking details being stolen.
Cyberattacks cost small businesses an average of $200,000 each.
Investing in network and web protection applications are like an insurance policy against stolen data, ransomware, viruses, malware, and more.
Some considerations for security additions to your device/network:
- Advanced threat protection product
- DNS filtering (secures you from website-based threats)
- Virtual private network (VPN) (secures PCs and mobile device connections)
- Email anti-phishing protection
Home or Business Managed IT Services
For one low monthly price, you can have a worry-free technology infrastructure with a pro looking out for you. Managed IT services by Cris’s Tech Repair, aren’t only for businesses. We do residential PCs as well to help secure and optimize your technology.
With a managed services plan, you check multiple boxes when it comes to tech efficiency and security, you also have tech support when you need it (no more spending hours on hold for “big box” tech support).
Here are some of the cost-saving services included in a managed IT plan:
- Computer diagnostics and optimization
- Proactive maintenance to minimize downtime
- Time-saving tech support
- Managed updates and security patches
- Monitoring for any potential threats to your device or network
Retrofit Data Drops
If the data cables in your home or office are incorrectly installed, that can mean slow network connections, unsightly cables where you don’t want them, and difficulty putting that new home theater setup or office video conferencing hub where you want it.
An investment in a retrofit data drop to improve the cable layouts in your home or building can significantly improve your technology connections in speed, how they blend with your décor, and flexibility.
We can come in and help you map out exactly where you need a fast connection, plus build-in expansion capability for the future.
Get Help Making a Smart Technology Investment!
Wondering where you can get the most “bang for your buck” when it comes to investing some extra money into your technology? Cris’s Tech Repair can take a look at your current setup, challenges you have, and your future goals to help you come up with a smart tech investment strategy.
Contact us today for a free technology consultation. Call 561-985-4961 or contact us online.