How to optimise your IT infrastructure for startups and small businesses (Guest blog from Hyve)

Author: Luke White, Senior Cloud Consultant, Hyve

Starting a new business is an exciting time - everything is moving quickly, and you are open to all opportunities. IT Infrastructure can often come as an afterthought to startups, built as you go, rather than planned from the start.

In this article, we explore how it is vital to consider your infrastructure from the beginning of your business’ journey, and what you should take into account to create a foundation for success.

Optimising your costs

Starting a business can be expensive - you will often have high capital expenditure (CapEx) costs. Depending on the nature of your business, this could include the purchase of equipment and machinery, office furniture, licences and permits, or paying for your initial branding. If you are considering hosting your IT infrastructure on-premise, the initial CapEx cost of purchasing hardware and software to set this up, on top of the other expenditures at this stage, can be a hurdle for new businesses.

You can avoid the CapEx of setting up your own infrastructure by choosing a hosting solution that’s managed by a provider, which replaces this initial outlay with a regular Operational Expense (OpEx) where you pay, usually monthly, to host your platforms on the provider’s equipment. This is generally much more manageable to a startup or small business.

To further optimise the costs of your infrastructure, you should opt for a provider who will consult with you to build an environment bespoke to your resource needs. This approach means you will only need to pay for exactly the resources you use, as opposed to an off-the-shelf solution where you could be overpaying.

In a new or small business, it is often not sustainable to pay for an expert in-house IT team to manage your infrastructure day to day, and make any upgrades you may require. To avoid this cost, you could consider a managed cloud solution, where this is taken off of your hands. Your Managed Service Provider (MSP) will manage all elements of your infrastructure, with this cost included as part of your solution.

Scalability and flexibility

When you are starting up a new business, or expanding a small business, your infrastructure needs can change rapidly. Whatever your sector, as your business grows, your resource requirements will increase. This could include supporting more staff on your internal systems, increased web traffic on your site, or requiring infrastructure in new locations.

If you are using an on-premise environment, scalability is possible, but it is costly and slow, generally requiring the purchase of new hardware. With cloud infrastructure, scalability can be achieved quicker and at a lower cost, and you are only paying for what you use although some providers may have hidden charges for higher use. Planning for scalability is vital when setting up your infrastructure - look for a provider with easily scalable platforms, and transparent and/or fixed billing.

Similarly, as your business evolves, you may find a different type of solution could replace, or add to, your existing infrastructure. This could include developing towards a hybrid or multi cloud solution, where aspects of your infrastructure and workloads are better suited to a specific type of environment, such as private cloud, for example. When you are first considering your infrastructure, you should look for a solution that allows for flexibility in the future, where you are not locked into a single type of environment long term.

Expert consultation and support

Whilst you know your business and sector inside out, you may not have a clear idea of the best way to set up your IT infrastructure in the early days of your business. Many providers offer off-the-shelf solutions, with no consultation or support to make your infrastructure work for you. Working with an established provider that has a focus on customer service and support, you can take advantage of expert knowledge to set up your platforms.

Before setting up your IT infrastructure, it is valuable to consult with experts with experience working with businesses similar to yours, and knowledge of how to optimise your solution exactly to your needs. MSPs can work with you to understand your business, current challenges, and plans for growth. Once they have established your requirements, they can design a bespoke platform for your needs.

With an MSP, you will have continued support on hand as you grow your business. If your needs change, you will be supported to adapt your platforms, and if you experience any issues, your provider’s technical support team will take the worry off your hands, providing a resolution, while you concentrate on running your business. As a startup or small business, there will be many tasks demanding your attention - this support can give you the peace of mind that your infrastructure is taken care of.

Article originally published by Hyve Managed Hosting

Hyve Managed Hosting is a fully-managed, UK-based hosting provider that empowers businesses to focus on growth and innovation by taking on the burden of managing complex infrastructure. With a genuine passion for exceptional customer service, Hyve delivers a range of hosting services - from mission-critical private cloud and managed cloud, to colocation and security services

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