For many business leaders, IT is a little like home plumbing in the sense that you only think about it when something goes wrong. But unlike a leaky faucet, an IT problem can bring your entire operation to a halt. When you’re busy running a business, managing technology often falls to the side, leading to common IT mistakes that drain budgets, create chaos, and expose you to unnecessary risk. 

The good news is that these aren’t complex problems that require a massive internal IT department to solve. By recognizing and fixing a few key issues, you can get back to focusing on your business with confidence. This guide will walk you through five of the most common IT mistakes that we see with growing Denver-area businesses and provide you with simple, straightforward solutions. 

Why is Knowing the Most Common IT Mistakes Small Businesses Make So Important?

For so many local small businesses, technology is a necessary cost, but rarely a priority—until something goes wrong. However, ignoring common IT mistakes carries a steep price tag far beyond an emergency repair bill. These errors create vulnerabilities that directly impact your bottom line through lost employee productivity, unexpected downtime, and significant security risks. Understanding these pitfalls allows you to shift your focus from constant firefighting to strategic growth. By proactively addressing these weaknesses, you protect your critical data, ensure business continuity, and turn your IT infrastructure into a reliable asset that supports your future success, rather than a liability that holds you back.

Here are the Top 5 IT Mistakes Small Businesses Make

To help you secure your operations and ensure smooth growth, we’ve distilled our experience working with organizations like yours into the top five common IT mistakes small business owners often make. Addressing these issues now can save you significant time, money, and headaches down the road.

Mistake #1: Ignoring Backups and Disaster Recovery 

It’s easy to assume your backups are running in the background and everything is fine. However, one of the biggest mistakes that a business can make is not having a reliable backup strategy or, even worse, not knowing if that strategy works. The hard reality is that without a solid plan, years of data could be lost after a hardware failure, natural disaster, or cyberattack. This same principle also applies to data stored in the cloud. You must have independent backups of your data, even when using cloud-based platforms, as the provider’s native recovery options may not cover all types of data loss. 

How to Fix It 

A simple, effective way to get started is to follow the 3-2-1 backup rule: 

• 3 copies of your data. 

• 2 different storage types (for example, one on an internal drive and one on an external drive or network-attached storage device). 

• 1 offsite copy (this could be in the cloud or at a secure remote location). 

Beyond having the right number of copies, you must test your backups regularly. Set a reminder to perform a test restore every quarter. This step confirms that your data is recoverable and your business can get back up and running quickly if a disaster occurs. A proactive IT partner can automate and manage this process for you, giving you peace of mind that your data is always safe. 

Your data is irreplaceable. Do you have a recovery plan in place? 

IT Disaster Recovery Plan Checklist

Mistake #2: Holding Onto Outdated Systems 

When a laptop still works or a piece of software is doing its job, it can feel wasteful to replace it. For many businesses, the mantra is “if it works, don’t fix it.” While this seems like a way to save money, it’s a short-sighted approach that can cost more in the long run. Using aging hardware and software introduces significant risks, from slow performance that impacts productivity to gaping security vulnerabilities that can be easily exploited. 

How to Fix It 

Instead of waiting for a system to fail, think about IT from a lifecycle perspective. Every piece of equipment has a lifespan. A smart approach is to create a plan for when to replace and upgrade your hardware and software. This lets you build a strategy and budget for new equipment over time and avoids the high costs and unexpected downtime of a sudden, emergency failure. A good IT partner can help you build this kind of roadmap, ensuring your technology is always ready to support your business goals. 

Mistake #3: Poor IT Documentation 

When you’re the go-to person for all IT problems, it’s easy to keep everything in your head. But what happens when you’re on vacation, get sick, or leave the company? This is what we call a single point of failure, and it can grind your business to a halt. When a company lacks proper IT documentation, it risks losing critical information about its networks, passwords, and processes. 

How to Fix It 

Good documentation doesn’t have to be a complicated, time-consuming process. Start with the basics: 

• Password Management: Use a secure password vault to store all critical credentials. This keeps sensitive information safe and accessible to the right people. 

• Network Diagrams: A simple map of your office’s network can be a lifesaver in an emergency. 

• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): Create simple checklists for common tasks like setting up a new computer or troubleshooting a network issue. 

Getting these basic pieces of documentation in place makes your IT more resilient and helps your team handle minor issues without needing an expert to be physically present. 

Mistake #4: Overlooking Employee Training and Buy-In 

When it comes to cybersecurity, the most advanced firewalls and antivirus software can’t stop the biggest threat: human error. Employees are the front line of your defense. A single click on a malicious email can expose your entire network to a ransomware attack. Unfortunately, many businesses don’t provide adequate or ongoing cybersecurity awareness training, leaving their people unprepared for today’s sophisticated threats. 

How to Fix It 

Training should be a continuous part of your IT security. Here’s how you can make it effective: 

• Cybersecurity Refresher Courses: Don’t assume one training session is enough. Provide regular refreshers on identifying phishing emails, creating strong passwords, and using secure practices. 

• Phishing Simulations: Test your team’s readiness with simulated phishing emails. This is a low-risk way to help your people practice identifying threats in a safe environment. 

• Culture of Accountability: Encourage a culture where employees feel comfortable reporting suspicious activity without fear of being blamed for making a mistake. 

When your people are educated and aware, they become your strongest defense against cyberattacks. 

Phishing/spoofing attacks accounted for about 27% of all complaints in the 2024 FBI Internet Crime Report. Read our Field Guide to Phishing Prevention and stay ahead of attacks.

Read the Field Guide

Mistake #5: Relying on Reactive Break/Fix IT Support 

For many businesses, IT support is a cycle of putting out fires. You wait for a server to crash, a network to go down, or an employee’s computer to freeze before you call for help. This break/fix model of IT may seem cheaper at first, but it comes with a high price tag. Unexpected downtime costs money in lost productivity, puts stress on your team, and leaves you vulnerable to major failures and security threats. IT becomes a constant source of chaos and frustration instead of a reliable business tool. 

How to Fix It 

Instead of waiting for technology to fail, you can adopt a proactive approach with a managed IT partnership. This transforms your IT from a reactive, unpredictable cost into a stable asset. By working with a dedicated team of experts, you can prevent problems before they disrupt your business. 

A managed IT partnership gives you: 

• Proactive Monitoring: Your systems are monitored around the clock to spot potential issues before they cause downtime. This helps you avoid unexpected emergencies and keep your business running smoothly. 

• Predictable Budgeting: With a fixed monthly fee, you get unlimited support. This helps you budget for IT with confidence and eliminates the high, unpredictable costs of emergency repairs. 

• Strategic Guidance: You get a partner who is invested in your long-term success. We provide ongoing guidance and planning to help you make smart technology decisions that support your business goals. 

A managed IT partnership helps your business stay covered, giving you the peace of mind to focus on what you do best. 

Avoid Common IT Mistakes with a Denver MSP

Avoiding these common IT mistakes is a key part of protecting your business. Whether it’s putting a solid backup plan in place, creating a hardware roadmap, or building a culture of security awareness, these steps can help you save money, improve efficiency, and reduce stress. 

At Aspire Technology Solutions, we help Denver-area businesses like yours navigate these challenges every day. We act as a trusted extension of your team, providing the proactive guidance and reliable support you need to keep your operations running smoothly. We believe that technology should be a tool that helps you succeed, not a source of stress and frustration. 

Ready to put these fixes in place? Contact us today to start a conversation about proactive, reliable IT support and gain the confidence to focus on what you do best.