It's not an often thought about comparison, but running a business is a lot like having a fitness regimen. You need to regularly work out all your various muscle groups in order to stay in shape. Businesses have "muscle groups" as well, some of which vary depending on the industry but exist nonetheless. Regularly paying attention to each of these groups builds a strong, effective business.
The muscle groups of business
The most common "muscle groups" which almost every business has are things like: accounting, legal, production and technology. Being an IT company, we'll go ahead and focus on that last one.
Technology has always been an important group, dating all the way back before the industrial revolution. Today however, it's gone from a competitive edge to the virtual life blood of most businesses. It spearheads efficiency, streamlining operations and enhancing communication. It enables businesses to automate processes, reducing the need for manual labor. Additionally, it provides businesses with valuable data and analytics, allowing you to make informed decisions.
With this increase in importance, technology has also become much more complex. And with this increase in complexity, comes the need to develop a complete process around managing, planning and "working out" this group. We're quickly approaching the end of the days where a company can sell a technology solution "in a box", shake hands and then be on their way. Modern solutions are more reliant than ever on regular review and maintenance, especially when it comes to things like security (both internal and external).
Getting a fitness coach
With all the extra importance placed on technology, some businesses can benefit in a major way from having a "fitness coach" for their technology infrastructure. For large businesses with the money and resources for it, hiring a dedicated IT manager is probably the best way to go. It allows for a dedicated person to remain in-charge of the full environment and keeping sensitive information fully in-house.
But what about smaller businesses that can't afford a dedicated person? Lets face it, competent IT managers aren't cheap (even "cheap" ones are going to be 60k+ a year). In these cases, you may look into a Managed Service Provider (MSP) as an alternative. Hiring the right MSP can help you focus on the right exercises to perform in order to maximize the gains your business receives from technology, while helping make sure things stay secure.
Whatever you do, don't get lazy
Even if you decide your business isn't ready for a technological "fitness coach" yet, it's extremely important to make sure that you still pay attention to all aspects of your business, technology included. When it comes to working out, getting lazy and skipping days or muscle groups will cause them to get weak and out of shape. The same goes for businesses. Ignoring any particular area for a lengthy period of time will cause that area to become a major weak spot. So make sure you keep all areas of your company in-shape, IT included.