15 Common Small-Business Tech Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

If you're not particularly tech-savvy, the prospect of purchasing, maintaining, and securing technology for your business can be confusing and alarming. Though you may have a pretty good idea of what you should do, what about what you should not do?

Everything from not backing up your data, to using social networking tools incorrectly (or not at all), to working with pirated software can affect your bottom line in a bad way. Here are 15 tech mistakes that small businesses frequently commit--and what you need to do to prevent them.

1. Relying Too Heavily on the Cloud

Even Yahoo's Flickr recently accidentally deleted one user's account--which had over 4000 photos stored on it--due to simple human error. Luckily, Flickr eventually managed to restore the account fully, but you may not be so fortunate.

Though the cloud is a great place to visit, you shouldn't make a permanent home there. Network-attached storage (NAS) drives and cloud storage services including Box.net are among the products that can help you put together a solid storage strategy. Always save your important data in several places, including on physical drives--preferably ones that are virtually indestructible, such as ioSafe's disaster-proof external hard drives.

2. Failing to Back Up Appropriately

Speaking of backing up data, backup strategies are useless if you don't use them. Unfortunately, many individuals and businesses neglect this crucial step, and sometimes it comes back to bite them. Remember, having a physical hard drive or a cloud-based storage account won't help you if you fail to keep your data backed up and your technology relevant.

The good news is that backup programs will handle the operation for you. Set up frequent, regularly scheduled automated backups for your data, so you don't have to remember to do it manually. The need to establish a good backup strategy is especially critical if you run a small business with no dedicated IT staff to handle the process; data recovery is a painful, expensive process.

3. Not Protecting Employee's Phones

As smartphones get smarter, securing these miniature, pocket-held computers becomes ever more important. Because smartphones carry so much sensitive data, it's crucial to do what you can to prevent both your own and your employees' phones from getting lost or stolen. Huge business secrets have leaked out because thoughtless employees have gotten a little tipsy.

4. Taking Too Many Trips

Business trips can be expensive, even you're an airfare ninja. Instead of hopping on a plane to meet your business partners, consider using technology to create a virtual meeting environment. Various Web conferencing and videoconferencing tools enable you to hold a virtual conference and save on time and transportation.

Studies show that telecommuting is good for both employers and employees. Employers get better-quality work in less time and for less money, while employees enjoy a less-restrictive schedule.

5. Disposing of Old Technology Incorrectly

You can't just toss unwanted computers, smartphones, and other gadgets in the trash, because they contain hazardous materials that can damage the environment. In a worst-case scenario, disposing of old tech improperly can cost you in fines. But you don't have to spend a lot of money for someone else to dispose of it properly.

Instead, consider cleaning up and reselling your old tech. Obviously, your gear has to be in working condition, though some companies will take phones with cracked screens. If your hardware meets the standards of resale companies such as Gazelle and NextWorth, remember to wipe your data before sending the items along. You may end up with a decent-aize check to put toward your office upgrade.

6. Failing at Social Networking

For small businesses, Social network sites such as Twitter and Facebook are excellent resources for developing an online presence. But they're not so excellent if you never use them, if you automate them, or (worst of all) if you use them to engage in public spats with customers.

Twitter can be dangerous, too. Just recently, Kenneth Cole made light of the current situation in Egypt with a tweet that said: "Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online at http://bit.ly/KCairo." This tweet offended many people, and posting something similarly insensitive could spell absolute disaster for a small business.

Social networks are a great, free way to build relationships with customers, so it's absolutely worthwhile to do some research before you jump into the fray.

7. Not Researching Your Printer

Many small businesses do a lot of in-house printing, but that doesn't mean you should choose a printer for your company strictly on the basis of its sticker price. Researching printers before purchasing one can help you save a lot of money. For starters, should you stick with a laser printer workhorse, opt for an inkjet, or buy both?

It's important to know how much the replacement ink or toner will cost, because in the long run the cost of consumables is the deciding factor in whether the machine is a good deal. Many "cheap" printers gradually leach money from your business through jacked-up ink or toner prices. It's also a good idea to look into refilling your ink cartridges instead of purchasing new ones each time.

8. Taking the Groupon Way Out

Groupon and other social-shopping Websites can seem like a godsend for a struggling business. Just offer your product or service up at a deeply discounted price, and watch as hundreds or thousands of brand-new customers crowd into your store.

But if you run a small business, be careful. Many such businesses are finding that offering Groupon-like deals can be a nightmare. Various things can go wrong, especially if you don't have the staff, time, or budget to accept hundreds of new customers who are eager to purchase your services for a fraction of the usual price. Offering a Groupon deal that you can't deliver on can cost you money, and it can ruin your reputation.

9. Slacking on Security, Security, Security!

Your business may be small and unassuming, but that doesn't mean that crooks aren't ready to steal your secrets. Along with safeguarding your employees' smartphones, it's important to make general IT security a priority.

It's also important to practice safe computing. E-mail and social networking accounts are particularly vulnerable to viruses and spam, so keep different passwords for different accounts and don't click sketchy links. This might seem like common sense, but more than half of small businesses have no IT security guidelines in place, according to protection firm AVG.

Next page: Stop paying for stock photos, and don't ask your cousin for tech support