The Opportunity Cost of Neglecting Your Business IT

In business, it’s tempting to think, if it's not broken, don't fix it. This is especially true for technology. Your computers turn on, emails go out, and things seem to work… so why bother with constant maintenance?

What if I told you this safe approach is actually draining your profits? It’s a hidden expense, and understanding it can completely change how you see your IT.

A Tale of Two Businesses

Let's imagine two similar, successful businesses. The only real difference is how they handle their technology.

Business A sticks to a tight budget. They use older computers and software. When something breaks, they fix it. On the surface, it seems like they're saving money.

Business B, however, partners with Preferred. They invest in modern technology and proactive support. They see tech as a tool for growth, not just a cost.

At Business A, a modem crashes. Work stops. Customers can't be helped. They spend hours on the phone with support and pay extra for an emergency technician to come in and swap it out; either by the ISP or a third-party. By day's end, the Internet is fixed, but a whole day of productivity is lost. The team is stressed, frustrated, and behind.

At Business B, our monitoring system spots a potential server issue at 3 a.m. The Preferred team fixes it remotely before it can cause any trouble. When their employees arrive, it’s just another productive day. They have no idea a crisis was avoided. They’re free to focus on what matters: serving their clients and growing their business.

This is the hidden cost in action. Business A didn’t just pay for a repair. They paid with lost productivity, missed sales, and unhappy employees. The money they save on IT was nothing compared to the cost of one bad day.

The Real Cost of Your Technology

These hidden costs aren't just about big disasters. They're the little things that add up:

• The slow PC - An employee waits 30 seconds for a file to open. If that happens 20 times a day, you've lost over an hour of their paid time by the end of the week.
• Wasted time - Are your teams still doing tasks by hand that a computer could do automatically? That’s time they could be spending on making money.
• Security risks - A single cyberattack can be devastating, leading to huge financial losses and ruining your reputation. The cost of a breach is always higher than the cost of preventing one.

When you stick with outdated technology, you're missing the opportunity to be more efficient, more secure, and more profitable.

Don't Settle for Good Enough

At Preferred, we believe your technology should help you grow, not hold you back. We provide proactive business technology support for businesses of all types, making sure their systems are always available and helping the organization as a whole be its best. We get to know your business so we can provide technology solutions that give you an edge.

Stop paying the hidden price of "good enough" technology. If you're ready to see what your business can really do, give us a call at 708-781-7110. Let's talk about turning your technology from a headache into your greatest asset.