The holidays are a time for family, friends, and fun. But it can also be a period of stress and anxiety for owners of small- or medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in California and the world over. After all, customer demand and support typically increase during the yuletide season. Not to mention, cybercriminals also take advantage of the holiday rush to catch businesses and their customers unaware and trick them into falling for various social engineering scams.
To make your holidays more productive, peaceful, and cheerful, we've compiled some of the best pieces of advice from our IT experts at Complete Document Solutions. Follow these tech tips to ensure a stress-free season.
Leverage Internet of Things (IoT) devices
IoT devices, or smart devices, can be a great asset during the holidays for creating simple yet efficient routines. For example, you and your employees can use the interactive voice command features in AI assistants to remind yourselves of upcoming deadlines and events. This provides a convenient way to stay informed and up to date without having to manually check your calendars or search through emails.
Another great way to make use of IoT devices is to utilize them to respond to customer inquiries. By combining the power of automation and IoT devices, you can ensure that customers will receive immediate assistance when they need it most, helping create a better experience for them. This also effectively eliminates the need for customer service representatives to be available 24/7, resulting in cost savings, which is always a plus in managing a business.
Scale up your systems
During the holidays, customer demand and support can increase exponentially due to the influx of gift shoppers. Your IT systems must be equipped to handle this increased activity, otherwise, they could become overloaded, leading to poor performance and customer dissatisfaction.
Scaling up your IT systems during the holidays can also make accessing any information easier. By having an IT system that is properly optimized for peak times, your staff can easily look up information or run multiple programs simultaneously without worrying that the system will slow down to a crawl.
Strengthen your cybersecurity posture
Having a robust cybersecurity posture is vital since there's an increased risk of attack from malicious actors during the holidays. If you haven't already, implement antivirus software, firewalls, strong password protocols, identity authentication tools, and other measures to protect your network against cyberthreats. You should also train employees on cybersecurity best practices, such as avoiding malware-ridden sites and spotting suspicious email attachments.
Cybercriminals also typically choose to exploit companies with weak cybersecurity, so fortifying your defenses minimizes the risk of your company being a target for these malicious actors.
Related reading: Beef up your cybersecurity posture during the holidays with these 7 tips
Partner with a managed IT services provider (MSP)
Managing and maintaining a company's IT infrastructure can become even more complex during the holidays. Fortunately, an MSP can help ensure that performance issues are minimized and any security vulnerabilities are resolved quickly and efficiently.
Additionally, since MSPs have a team of experienced professionals who understand how best to manage your systems, they can help maintain the highest levels of productivity and ensure that customers receive prompt service during this critical time.
Partnering with an MSP also helps reduce holiday stress levels since there will always be someone available to answer your questions or troubleshoot problems if they arise. This peace of mind alone is worth its weight in gold, taking away one more worry from business owners who would otherwise have too much on their plate during one of the busiest times of the year.
If you're looking for an MSP you can trust, look no further than Complete Document Solutions. With our comprehensive security solutions and experienced professionals providing reliable assistance all year round, you can rest easy knowing that your IT infrastructure is always in good hands. Drop us a line to learn more about how we can make the holidays merrier and stress-free for you.
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