Reliable Equipment: Small businesses tend to run equipment up until the point that it fails. The problem is that older equipment becomes increasingly unreliable over time and reduces productivity. This can also lead to data loss on failure. When an old piece of equipment fails and is not repairable, there is then a rush to determine what it should be replaced with and what the configuration should be. If the company's financial policy is to run equipment to failure, a yearly review should be done, and a plan documented on what will be ordered when the equipment fails. This will enable a quick and efficient return to operations.

IT Policies: To minimize the possibility of a Virus Infection or data loss, your staff should only use your IT Equipment and Systems for the purposes intended. If no IT Policies are implemented, it will be difficult to try and enforce a directive that staff do not visit non-business-related websites or use non-business-related software, for example. IT Policies should be implemented that enable an organization to mandate what safe IT-related work practices are, what activities should be prohibited, and what are the disciplinary steps for non-compliance.