Published 16th December
Small businesses often experience lots of issues when trying to grow…
Small businesses (employers under 50 employees) in the UK, often experience many issues when trying to grow. Should they diversify? Hire new staff? Invest in training?
Ensuring their IT and technology is on point is a key aspect of this. Utilising IT and technology well can speed up operations, increase security and efficiency, and promote growth. Not doing so can have the opposite effect.
As 2025 draws to a close, We will look into what the top 3 IT challenges small businesses face are, and what the solutions are.
Challenge number 1: Cybersecurity and compliance
As you grow as a small business, building trust through good cybersecurity and compliance practice is vital for your reputation, security, and for winning new work.
Cyber attacks are becoming increasingly more common by the day, with the latest Cybersecurity breaches survey reporting that 43% of businesses experienced a cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months. Cyber attacks can cause havoc for your business, they can result in downtime, huge reputational damage and a breakdown in trust for your business and your partners, and loss of key sensitive client data.
Compliance is another key issue, for example, lawyers who take on Legal Aid cases are by law required to secure Cyber Essentials certification, and it’s required in many cases to secure government contracts, specifically in defence and in the government supply chain. The UK GDPR and Data Protection Act (2018) is another key aspect of the law where businesses need to be compliant with it.
What’s the solution?
To comply with cybersecurity and compliance requirements, it’s advised by small businesses to take up Cyber Essentials certification, as this can reduce risk of cyber attacks by 80% and in businesses that are certified, reduces the number of cyber insurance claims by a whopping 92%. An experienced, qualified IT and cybersecurity provider can help you get certified and stay compliant with key legislation.
Challenge number 2: Technology adoption and integration
Many small businesses struggle with their technology, wondering how they should implement AI, what technology and applications to use, which hardware and software should be used, and if old technology, and systems are holding them back.
Without the expertise in those systems, SMEs can find themselves unsure about which approach to take. Modern businesses require use of cloud platforms for storing data, an effective IT system and policy to ensure systems are optimised, efficient, and current, and cybersecurity that is proactive and keeps their organisation safe, as a result, choosing the correct provider is vital, to save money, become efficient, and grow with confidence and speed.
What’s the solution?
Going directly to an effective Managed IT provider who can provide the knowledge, planning, and skills to implement these systems is very important. They should have lots of experience in their field, a track record of helping businesses of a similar size to yours and ideally should be certified in certifications such as being a Microsoft Solutions and Cloud partner, Cyber Essentials certified, ISO 27001, and more.
They can help you to make your IT grow your business, instead of it being a hindrance.
Challenge number 3: Resource and talent issues
Smaller businesses often have smaller budgets for their IT and tech than larger businesses, and as a result, they often find it harder to find, hire, and retain skilled IT staff. This can impact their bottom line significantly. Without the expertise, time and abilities to tackle these problems, businesses are often held back in their growth. They need a cost-effective approach, and it’s important to know that with managed IT spending, hiring the right expert, and buying the correct equipment, actually saves money, due to less time use, faster turnaround, and more deals/projects being completed in a faster time.
What’s the solution?
If your IT is limiting your business growth, it is generally worth outsourcing instead of hiring someone in-house, you’ll have access to more talent, more experience, and often, it actually costs less, due to the costs of sick pay, training, benefits, and more. Through outsourcing to an expert IT provider, you can resolve your issues with resources and talent, and get the most out of your IT.
RedDoor IT
At RedDoor IT, we specialise in helping SMEs to get their IT working for them and take their business forward. We’re proud of our 99% customer retention rate, 4.9* average rating on Google, and track record of providing exceptional IT, cybersecurity and business technology solutions.
If you’re looking to grow your business with intelligent IT strategy, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team of experts today.
