How to Keep Your Business Running Smoothly this Winter

Winter brings plenty of challenges for businesses, from bad weather to staff illness and increased cyber threats. While most companies prepare for seasonal demand, many overlook the impact winter can have on their IT systems. Cold temperatures, power cuts, remote working and security spikes can all cause disruption if your not prepared.

Preparing for Remote Working

Winter often sees more staff choosing to work from home, whether due to icy conditions, illness or school closures. If your team relies on remote access, it’s vital to make sure your systems can handle the extra demand.

Checklist:

• All your computers have a secure and reliable VPNs
• Staff devices are up to date
• Multi factor authentication is enabled for logins
• Home Wi-Fi being used is secure
• Remote access policies are in place

Reviewing your Data Recovery Plan

Power cuts and unexpected outages are far more likely during winter, especially in older buildings and rural areas. If your business uses on-site servers, a sudden disruption could lead to data loss, downtime and corrupted files.

Checklist:

• A comprehensive backup system running daily
• Cloud backups for critical data
• A clear plan for restoring systems quickly
• Monitoring in place to alert you if a backup fails

Strengthen Cybersecurity

Cybercrime tends to spike during winter. Attackers know people are busier, more distracted and shopping online more. Add staff working remotely and you have a perfect storm for criminals to exploit.

It’s important to make sure your business has strong email filtering, secure passwords, up to date anti-virus protection and regular staff awareness training. If your systems are outdated or not fully patched, now is the time to fix it.

Hardware Maintenance

Cold weather can affect IT equipment more than people realise. Sudden temperature changes can cause condensation and damage internal components, especially when devices are left in cars or unheated buildings.

Checklist:

• Avoid storing laptops or equipment in cold vehicles
• Allow devices to warm up before turning them on
• Keep server rooms at a stable temperature
• Clean ventilation areas to prevent overheating

Internet and Phoneline Resilience

Winter storms can cause connectivity problems that could disrupt both your customers and your staff. It’s important to check that your business has a strong and stable connection, along with backup options encase your main line goes down.

Checklist:

• Broadband speed and reliability
• Wi Fi coverage
• Router and equipment quality

Licences, Renewals and Warranties

Winter is the time when many businesses discover that key systems are about to expire. Expired licences and warranties can lead to unexpected downtime and  security gaps right when you need them most.

Checklist:

• Software licences
• Antivirus subscriptions
• Hardware warranties
• Domain and hosting renewals

Staff Shortages and Holiday Cover

With holidays, unexpected sick days and seasonal workloads, winter stretches teams thin.

It’s important to:

• Document key IT processes for any staff providing cover
• Ensure staff know how to report issues
• Arrange outsourced support

At Edmondson's, we provide fast, reliable support with a 2 hour response time, making sure your business stays up and running even when your team is away.

Keep your Business Running Smoothly this Winter

Winter brings unique challenges, but with the right preparation your business can keep on running smoothly. If you want expert help preparing your IT for winter, get in touch with our team today and we can guide you through the best solutions for your business.