Do you wake up in the morning excited to fix your broken computers? Does the thought of spamware and virusware make your heart pitter-patter with delight? Do you wish you could devote all your time to researching which server is the perfect choice for your company?

No? You’re like most people. While the majority of business owners have a deep respect for technology, many aren’t sure what to do with it. So they either ignore it, wait for it to break or assign it to an already overloaded staff member.

These aren’t exactly the best options for any company, especially those small- and medium-sized businesses. By consistently protecting and managing your technology, you can prevent downtime, minimize your risk and ensure you’re getting the most our of your IT dollars.

Even if you think you can’t afford the time or money for consistent IT maintenance, here are a few basic tasks everyone can—and should—do.

1. Hardware ahead, software behind

Is it worth it to buy the latest and greatest? For business use, the general rule of thumb is buy hardware ahead, software behind. It’s better to buy new computers, memory, hard drives and the like before you think you’ll need them (usually when the old ones break). This way, you can take your time finding the best prices and value, instead of ordering the limited items in stock. It also prevents losses due to downtime.

For software, it’s better to wait. Don’t rush to get the newest release. These programs often have bugs, and don’t necessarily add value for your business. Wait until some of the kinks are worked out. Eventually, you’ll have to buy new software; at some point your current software will no longer be supported.

2. Standardize computer technology

Pick hardware and software vendors that fit your needs and stick with them. Get all your hardware from the same vendor (Dell, HP, etc.). You may pay a little extra for consistency. But in the long run, you’ll have less trouble fixing problems and swapping components.

You should also keep your software all on the same platform. In general, use industry leaders. They provide the most reliable support and maintainability. It might be pricier, but the company with a bigger market share is more likely to be around when you’re ready to upgrade or need support. Using an unknown software product may expose your company to risk.

3. Have a good backup plan

Backups are essential for the security and protection of your company’s information. If your server crashed and you couldn’t recover any data, how would it affect your business? Backups must be completed regularly. The schedule varies based on your business needs – more often for the more information you’re storing. Check your backups, too. You can’t assume they worked just because the backup tape popped out. Finally, keep your backups offsite in case of damage to your facility.

4. Regular maintenance

You give your car regular oil changes to keep it running at peak performance. Why would you treat your computers differently? Your technology needs attention on a regular basis. Develop a schedule of patching your systems by applying operating system, application and security updates. Run full malware scans every week. Check space availability. Monitor your backups. If you don’t have time to do these things, find someone who does. Your technology is an incredibly important asset—protect and maintain it as you would anything else integral to your success.

5. Choose the right support.

Even with regular maintenance, your technology will need support at some point. Take the time now to choose the right type of support for you. You have three basic choices. You could do it yourself. This will work only if you have the time and ability. Or you could hire someone when something breaks. Be wary of this; he or she must be extremely knowledgeable about a variety of problems and readily available at all times. Remember, servers won’t always go down during business hours.

Or your final option—hire a managed services company that will handle all of your IT for a flat monthly rate. For this situation, it’s imperative you choose a partner you trust. The company should offer a package customized for your needs. This choice should either save you money or add significant value. If it doesn’t, keep looking.

As technology develops, it will become a bigger part of our personal and professional lives. Your business will benefit from developing good, sound processes for managing your IT. Don’t wait for a disaster to think about caring for your technology.

Dave Davenport is the COO and managing director of Mother Network Guardians, a local IT managed services company. Mother is a Microsoft Gold Partner and Symantec Partner that provides services to Chicago-area small and medium businesses. Contact him at 800-676-7374 or at dave@motherG.com or visit www.motherG.com.