For many organisations – small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in particular – keeping ahead in the rapidly evolving IT landscape can feel like an uphill battle. Growth is exciting, but it often brings with it new challenges, especially when it comes to IT infrastructure and scalability. What worked when your business was smaller may no longer be sufficient as you expand. To ensure your IT systems don’t hold you back, you’ll need to be proactive, strategic, and ready to adapt.
IT growth for SMEs: keeping ahead of the game
Posted on in Blog
The challenges of growth
Tips for growing SMEs
Here are three key ways SMEs can stay ahead of the game when navigating IT growth:
1. Be instinctive, not reactive – plan your IT upgrades
One of the biggest challenges SMEs face during growth is the struggle to keep their IT systems resilient and responsive. Growth often catches businesses off guard, especially when servers fail under the pressure of increased demand or websites slow down due to a sudden surge in traffic. It’s these reactive moments that lead to stress and, often, costly downtime.
The solution? Proactive planning. Mapping out potential scenarios that could strain your IT systems might seem daunting, but it’s critical to avoid unexpected issues. If there’s even the slightest chance of a problem occurring, it’s your responsibility to plan for prevention.
A good rule of thumb is to spec your IT infrastructure for at least 50% more capacity than you think you need. While some may suggest 30%, we’ve seen first-hand that aiming higher reduces the risk of bottlenecks and ensures your servers can scale with demand.
2. Choose a data centre provider who understands your business
Finding the right data centre provider is more than just ticking boxes about technical specs – it’s about building a relationship with a partner who truly understands your business. We often hear from companies whose previous providers didn’t go beyond the basics. There was no proactive engagement, no foresight into capacity issues, and – most importantly – no real effort to align strategies with the business’s goals.
Your data centre partner should do more than offer a ‘set it and forget it’ solution; they should collaborate with you to identify infrastructure upgrades and suggest viable alternatives as you grow. They should not only be familiar with emerging solutions but also be able to recommend options that complement your strategic goals. By leveraging their expertise, you can ensure your IT architecture remains both robust and adaptable.
Ask yourself:
- Could you imagine yourself working with your data centre provider to anticipate your IT needs before they become critical challenges?
- Does your provider monitor your services to flag bottlenecks before they impact performance?
- Are they committed to helping you boost performance as well as scalability?
The right data centre provider will work with you to ensure your systems keep up with your evolving business, all while understanding the unique challenges you face in your industry. And, importantly, the implementation process matters as much as the technology itself. A well-planned adoption strategy minimises disruption, maximises ROI, and positions your business for future growth whilst avoiding common pitfalls, such as underutilised solutions or unnecessary complexity.
3. Research and assess the latest technologies
The world of IT never stands still. Every year brings new tools and technologies that can revolutionise the way businesses operate. For organisations looking to maintain their competitive edge, staying informed of the ways to improve efficiency and scalability is critical – whether this means a focus on hybrid solutions to combine the benefits of both cloud and physical infrastructures for maximum performance, next-gen server upgrades to phase out reliance on outdated hardware and increase reliability, or one of the many other IT advancements.
The key here is instinct. If you’re proactive in assessing trends and innovations, you’ll naturally spot opportunities to future-proof your infrastructure and optimise your IT setup for better performance.
Why IT growth planning pays off
Planning, strategising, and partnering with the right provider aren’t just recommended – they’re essential to IT growth and, by extension, business growth. Reactive decision-making rarely works in IT; by the time you notice an issue, it’s often too late. Conversely, proactivity stops problems before they start and ensures your organisation is in the best possible position to thrive, no matter how fast you grow.
The right data centre partner
We specialise in helping our clients overcome their IT challenges, and future proof their infrastructure, while minimising growing pains. To speak to us about the ways in which we can support your organisation as it grows, get in touch with a member of our team.