Is it time to consider replacing your business computers?
So, you’re a small business owner and confident you’re on the path to success. You’ve defined your target market. Set realistic goals. Carved out your budget. Hired top talent. Even solidified your marketing plan. As a result, you’re thriving. Congratulations!
But what about your company’s computers? Sure, when you launched your small business, you researched and purchased the most current equipment available – at the time. But as new technology continues to emerge, and operating systems evolve, your hardware may not be very up to date.
Whether you’re working solo or leading a small group of successful team members, here are four reasons to upgrade and consider investing in more powerful business computers:
1. Better Performance = Higher Productivity
According to the technological projections of Moore’s Law, processing speeds for computers will double every two years. Some technologists even say that this rate is now every year. That means your four-year-old business PCs are at least 200 percent less powerful than the current generation. If this is the case, you could be losing precious productivity time while your employees wait for their computers to boot up or download shared project documents. For example, an August 2018 J. Gold study on older PCs in small to medium businesses shows that PCs that are five years old decrease employee productivity by 29 percent.
2. Aesthetics + Corporate Responsibility = Happy Employees
If you’re looking to compete in the war for talent these days – and keep your workers productive – it’s vital that you provide employees with the computing gear they think they need to get work done. That means you’ll need to offer laptops and notebooks like what they use in their personal lives. A January 2019 study by the Workforce Institute at Kronos Incorporated showed that employees want technology that either matches or exceeds their personal technology, and 48 percent of employees surveyed worldwide said they wish their workplace technology performed as well as their personal technology. Meanwhile, 35 percent said their job is harder than it should be because of outdated processes and technology.
To this point, small businesses are adopting technology with increased mobility and ease of use. But they’re also attracting and retaining young talent with a stronger focus on societal outreach and environmentally friendly practices. A 2019 Deloitte Global Millennial Survey shows that millennials and Gen Zers are more loyal to companies with values that align to their own. The upcoming HP Envy Wood series, accented with one-of-a-kind wood inlay and scheduled for release this fall, hits both those marks.
They’re powerful, mobile, snazzy and compatible with Amazon Alexa. What’s more, the wood is environmentally sustainable. HP’s leather-finished Elite x2G4 notebooks provide another example.
3. Power, Power and More Power = Success in the Fast Lane
You need a powerful laptop to help power through busy workdays, and nobody wants to lug around those heavy, brick-like laptops of yesteryear. The best portable business machines combine power, long battery life, plenty of modern features and slim, lightweight designs for employees on the go. This year, TechRadar named HP’s Spectre Pro G1 as one of its Best New Business Laptops for 2019. It includes features that should be par for the course for successful, modern, small business technology: thin, light, clever design and a power-packing punch with its Core i7 CPU, a full HD 13.3-inch display, a whopping 4-cell 38Whr battery and three USB Type C connectors. Or, try the company’s newest HP Elite x2 1012 is a 2-in-1 that has enterprise-class security, durability, mobility and stunning design.
4. Ditching Legacy Software = More Access to Productivity Perks
Change is always hard but hanging on to older computers with outdated software could make your current situation even more difficult. If you’re using PCs with anything older than Windows 10, along with older processors and software, your small business could suffer. Your computers will be sluggish, which means your employees might be too. Investing in newer equipment with the latest productivity programs and tools will give your business access to faster traffic handling, powerful new applications, such as digital video editing and more storage with greater memory capacity. Remember, all it takes is one giant computer crash to completely wreak havoc on your entire workday and the revenue it could have otherwise generated.
So, what do you think? Is it time for a PC overhaul? On the small business technology front, performance, power, mobility, happy employees and modern software are some of the keys to greater success. If you’re missing any of those elements, the answer could very well be a resounding “yes.”
used with permission from HP Tech@Work