We get it: when you’ve got a problem, the temptation to handle it yourself is strong. It’s why there’s a whole do-it-yourself (DIY) industry, devoted to giving you the tools you need to get the job done on your own.
And it’s so satisfying and fulfilling, isn’t it? Fixing your house and putting together a new piece of furniture are great DIY projects. So it’s easy to say, “I can fix it”, when your computer, network, or something else in your information technology (IT) setup needs attention, right?
Here’s the thing about IT DIYs though: Don’t.
Okay, if your computer is having a problem, do the old “turn it off, turn it back on” trick. This certainly works, sometimes. Beyond this, it’s just not worth it. Do IT right and turn to IT pros that solve these issues daily, like the knowledgeable and helpful experts from Beacon IT Services (BITS). It will save you valuable time AND money.
Two of our experts—Lead IT Support Specialist Caleb Pruitt and Account Executive Kevin Lackey—share some common issues they’ve dealt with firsthand. These seemingly easy-to-solve problems can quickly go awry and cause serious trouble for your business and network.
This is what happens when you try to DIY your IT issues.
3 Examples of Why You Need an IT Pro
1. Setting Up and Monitoring a Firewall
Setting up a firewall is a must for enhancing your security. By filtering traffic and stopping outside users from accessing your network, it can keep you and your data safe. But setting up the firewall can be a real challenge: it needs to be set up to protect against a wide variety of threats, including phishing attempts, ransomware, viruses, and more, and updated to keep up with fast-evolving cybersecurity threats. Ensuring that your firewall works as intended and to its fullest potential requires the expertise of a dedicated IT team.
Even more importantly, you need someone to monitor your firewall. Otherwise, your not really protected because no one is handling alerts in a timely manner when intrusions or security issues occur. “It’s like having an alarm system but leaving your door wide open,” explains Caleb.
2. Migrating Your Email Server
“Email migrations are not for the faint of heart,” says Kevin. And between maintaining and
updating your passwords and logins across multiple servers and managing the transfer of data for everyone in your organization, he’s got a point. There are a lot of details to consider, especially to maintain business continuity.
Still, you might think you can handle it all yourself. After all, many servers, like Microsoft Office 365 seem like they’d make things easy. But the truth is there’s plenty that can go wrong. For example, Office 365 only backs up your data for 30 days at a time. So if you need to dig up an old email for reference, or to support a legal issue, you may not have it archived. Again, why not make sure all the configurations are set up to take advantage of technology and optimize the outcome?
This is another great time to ask an IT Pro for help, like the BITS Team, to provide back-ups and other security measures – for around $4 per employee.
3. Cleaning Out Your Hard Drive
You’ve got hundreds, thousands—more even—of files saved. Your hard drive is filling up fast, and soon you’ll be out of room – and your business will come to a screeching halt. Surely, deleting some files and clearing out space is something you can handle yourself, right?
Not so fast.
There are a couple of pitfalls here. You could accidentally turn off your anti-virus software and expose yourself to viruses and scammers. Or you could accidentally delete some file(s) that you need, and if you haven’t backed up all your data effectively, then that file is gone forever. Even worse, you could end up inadvertently deleting a file or program that your system needs to run properly. We’ve seen it happen: a client deleted an essential Windows file while trying to clear space, bringing their entire system to its knees.
So don’t take the risk. Contact BITS for help. Or even better, have them sync your network to the Cloud so you can have all the storage space you’ll ever need and never have to worry about running out of space.
Maintain Your Network with BITS
You can trust BITS to solve just about any IT issues that come up. We’ve been doing this for 20 years. But more importantly, the constant maintenance and updates you get from managed services professionals mean that most problems won’t arise at all. “Think of BITS like your auto mechanic,” says Caleb. “If you bring your car in for regular maintenance, you can count on it to run smoothly. But if you try to fix problems yourself or just neglect them, you lose that peace of mind, and more often than not, it’ll create bigger issues in the long run.”
Or, as Kevin explains: “We try to be the SPF to prevent the sunburn, not the aloe to soothe it. We want to keep the fires from even starting, but if they do, we are already in front of it… and it’s much easier to put out.”
In other words, whether you have an IT issue that needs resolution or you’re looking for a partner that protects you from challenges and disruptions down the road, you should contact Beacon IT Services (BITS) today. You’ll regret trying to fix that problem yourself, but you won’t regret choosing BITS.
