Why home-grade IT hardware could be sabotaging your business

For many small business owners, especially those just starting out, buying IT equipment seems easy. All you need to do is flick through the latest JB Hi Fi or Officeworks catalogue, pick a nice looking one, and you’re set. Right? Wrong.

While it’s tempting, buyer beware: most consumer IT catalogues feature personal (home-grade) laptop models and IT hardware. They’re less expensive, they’re fit for purpose – but put simply, these computer models are not designed for business use.

When a business calls me at The Mac Mechanic to talk through their network or laptop woes, often their old, substandard, home-grade IT hardware is the common culprit. Their IT equipment can’t handle the demand that is being placed on them, and as a result, it’s slowing down connectivity within the office.

Let’s take a look at the fundamental differences between buying personal (home-grade) IT hardware, versus business-grade equipment.

1. Business IT hardware is built to last
 Business-grade
Computers are more hardy and durable. With higher spec, quality components, they are designed to withstand being on all day and connected into a multi-network IT environment. The same also applies of network hardware: switches, routers and modems that have multiple users connected to them and large amounts of data passing through them will benefit hugely from business-grade IT equipment.

2. Better support and service when things go wrong

Business-grade IT equipment is more expensive and built to last. So whether it’s a new router, switch, server or laptop, you’ll generally experience better support and longer warranties from the manufacturer. HP’s support is renowned for being fantastic, which is certainly our experience at The Mac Mechanic. So when your downtime needs to be minimal and time and money is critical, the last thing you want to do is be on the phone to consumer support getting the run around. Buying business-grade equipment ensures you’ll be supported more quickly and efficiently to get your business back up and running.

So, what are the takeouts?
• If you’re looking at buying new IT hardware for your business – STOP! Step away from that seemingly good deal and shop around for some solid, reputable business-grade equipment.

If your business has expanded from 2 to 20 staff, your network speeds have taken a dive, and you’re still wondering why, take a look around. It could be that you are still using home-grade equipment and working it harder than it’s capable of. Time for an upgrade.

If you need some extra support, let us help. We can audit and troubleshoot all kinds of IT network faults, from older equipment to wifi connectivity issues. Contact us today!

Looking for a new laptop? Check out our 2017 Best Laptops guide.