The Hidden IT Risk That Could Derail Your Business—And 2 Simple Fixes

If you’re like most small business owners and leaders, your business wasn’t built with tech as the centerpiece—and that’s okay. 

In a world of increasing digital complexity, ignoring basic IT hygiene could cost you your time, your money, and your peace of mind.

In this blog, we’ll highlight two of the most overlooked (yet essential) areas where a few smart moves can drastically reduce operational risk: vendor vetting and backup validation. 

This insight comes straight from a recent conversation founder, Jen Hamilton, had with Nic Held, a Fractional CTO who helps growing businesses make smart, sustainable tech decisions. 

Don’t worry—no IT degree required. Just a few questions you need to ask now before tech chaos strikes.

1. Vet Your Vendors Like a Pro (Even If You Feel Tech Clueless)

Choosing a new CRM or project management system? Or maybe you’ve hired someone to handle your IT. Before you sign a contract, make sure your tech partners are actually… trustworthy.

Most small businesses don’t realize they’re responsible for what vendors do on their behalf. That includes data breaches, outages, and compliance headaches.

“Third-party vendor management is a huge way to reduce operational risk.” – Nic, Held High Tech

Before bringing in a new tech vendor, ask for their SOC 2 certification—specifically SOC 2 Type 2, which shows they’ve been independently audited over time. Type 1 only proves they say they do the right things. Type 2 proves they do.

2. Don’t Just Assume Your Backups Are Working—Test Them

Have heard a colleague's story of woe about losing critical work because they didn’t back up and you thought—“Phew! Someone’s handling our backups.” Before you completely relax, have you ever tested them? Would your business survive if you lost a day—or a week—of client data?

Set a recurring calendar event every 6–12 months to test a restore. It doesn’t need to be fancy—just pick a file, try restoring it, and verify it’s complete. This one move can turn a disaster into an inconvenience.

3. Know These 3 Backup Questions Before It’s Too Late

Backups aren’t just “yes or no” to the question of whether we have a backup.  You need to know:

• What’s being backed up?
• How often is it backed up?
• How long is it stored?

“Are you doing incremental backups? What is the retention on those backups?” – Nic

Ask your IT provider or internal ops lead:
"If a file was deleted 45 days ago, can we get it back?"
If they can’t answer that confidently, it’s time for a new process—or partner.

Let’s be real: How many systems in your business are running on trust and hope?

• Do you assume your backups are working but haven’t checked?
• Have you brought in tools or vendors without truly vetting their security or performance?
• Are you still the go-to person when tech goes sideways?

What would happen if a major file disappeared… or if a key vendor ghosted your team during a crisis?

This isn’t about becoming a tech expert. It’s about protecting your time, your clients, and your peace of mind. You don’t have to carry the weight of “what if” anymore.

Next Steps 

Here are 4 things you can do today—even if you don’t love tech:

1. Add “SOC 2 Type 2” to your vendor checklist. Ask for proof before you sign anything new.
2. Test one backup file this week. Just one. Restore it and verify it’s complete.
3. Create a recurring calendar reminder to test backups every 6 or 12 months.
4. Ask your team these 3 questions: What’s backed up? How often? For how long?
5. Create a vendor vetting template with questions you always ask before onboarding a new tool or partner.

You don’t need to master IT. 

You just need to ask the right questions—and make sure someone on your team can answer them.

These two small steps—vendor vetting and backup testing—are quiet protectors of your peace. 

They’re the kind of proactive decisions that let you sleep at night, knowing your business is safer and smarter.

Let’s make tech something that serves your business—not something that breaks it.