Three questions to start:
- When was the last time your technology had a real checkup?
- Are your systems actually healthy, or just functioning well enough for now?
- If something failed tomorrow, would you know exactly what to do?
January is the month people finally schedule the things they have been putting off.
Doctor. Dentist. The weird noise in the car.
Preventive care is not exciting.
But it is far less painful than a preventable business disruption.
So here is the uncomfortable question most small and medium businesses avoid.
When was the last time your business technology had an actual health exam?
Not “we fixed the printer last week.”
A real, structured assessment.
Because “working” and “healthy” are two very different things.
A familiar story for SMB owners
We regularly speak with growing businesses that feel confident about their IT.
No major outages.
Employees mostly productive.
Nothing obviously broken.
Then we ask one question.
“When was the last time you tested your backups?”
Silence.
They had backups. They assumed they worked.
They had never validated recovery.
This is exactly why an IT & Security Health Check matters. Problems rarely appear until they are already expensive.
The Lesson
Small businesses do not skip IT checkups because they are careless.
They skip them because they are busy.
If systems are running, it feels safe to wait.
But technology failures behave like health issues.
They stay invisible until they become urgent.
An annual tech physical is how you catch risk before it becomes disruption.
1. Are Your Backups and Recovery Actually Protecting the Business?
Real world example:
Many businesses discover broken backups during an outage, not before.
What a tech physical reviews:
Whether backups are completing successfully
When restore testing last occurred
Realistic recovery timelines for servers, cloud apps, and endpoints
Why it matters:
Backup and recovery are the foundation of reliable Managed IT Services.
If recovery fails, everything else stops.
Learn more about how proactive monitoring and recovery fit into our Managed IT Services approach.
2. Is Aging Hardware Quietly Increasing Downtime Risk?
Real world example:
Servers and firewalls remain in service long after manufacturer support ends because they still power on.
What a tech physical reviews:
Age and lifecycle status of servers, firewalls, and workstations
Unsupported equipment with no security patches
Performance degradation that signals failure
Why it matters:
Unsupported infrastructure increases outages and security exposure.
Strategic lifecycle planning is a core component of modern Cloud Solutions and hybrid environments.
3. Do You Know Exactly Who Has Access to Your Systems?
Real world example:
Former employees or vendors still have active credentials months later.
What a tech physical reviews:
User access across Microsoft 365, cloud platforms, and line of business apps
Inactive accounts and shared credentials
Privilege creep over time
Why it matters:
Most SMB breaches occur through valid credentials, not hacking.
Strong identity and access controls are a pillar of Managed Cybersecurity.
4. Could Your Business Recover From a Real Incident?
Real world example:
A ransomware incident exposes the absence of a documented response plan.
What a tech physical reviews:
Incident response and disaster recovery plans
Downtime tolerance aligned to business operations
Whether leadership and staff know their roles during an incident
Why it matters:
Prepared businesses recover faster and lose less revenue.
This is where Cybersecurity strategy and business continuity intersect.
Need Managed IT Services?
We are an Award-winning IT Provider and Comprehensive IT Solutions in San Francisco, San Jose, and throughout the Bay Area.
Schedule A Free Consultation
Need Managed IT Services?
We are an Award-winning IT Provider and Comprehensive IT Solutions in San Francisco, San Jose, and throughout the Bay Area.
Schedule A Free Consultation
5. Are You Accidentally Out of Compliance?
Real world example:
A business assumes compliance only matters once an audit happens.
What a tech physical reviews:
HIPAA alignment for healthcare organizations
PCI requirements for payment processing
Security obligations in contracts and cyber insurance policies
Why it matters:
Compliance gaps lead to fines, lost contracts, and insurance denial.
Ongoing Compliance Services reduce risk and protect leadership.
Warning Signs You Are Overdue for a Tech Physical
If any of these sound familiar, it is time:
“I think our backups are working.”
“Our server is old, but it still runs.”
“We probably have former employees still in the system.”
“We have a disaster plan somewhere.”
“If one person left, we would be in trouble.”
“We would probably fail an audit, but no one has asked yet.”
The True Cost of Skipping Preventive IT Care
A technology checkup costs hours.
A failure costs days, weeks, or worse.
Data loss can erase years of work.
Downtime damages productivity and client trust.
Compliance fines escalate quickly.
Ransomware recovery often reaches six figures for SMBs.
Prevention is boring.
Recovery is expensive.
Why SMBs Need an Outside Perspective
Just like medicine, you cannot diagnose your own systems objectively.
An experienced partner understands what healthy looks like for a business your size and industry. They recognize early warning signs because they have seen the patterns before.
That is prevention, not firefighting.
Takeaway
If your technology has not been formally reviewed in the last 12 months, you are operating on assumptions.
January is the right time to replace assumptions with clarity.
Schedule Your Annual Tech Physical
We provide a plain English technology health report that shows:
What is working
What is at risk
What needs attention before it becomes an emergency
No jargon.
No pressure.
Just insight.
Book Your Free Consultation Now
Because the best time to fix a problem is before it disrupts your business.
Iman Oskoorouchi Iman Oskoorouchi, President and Co-founder of TruAdvantage, studied Electrical Engineering at UC Davis and holds multiple IT certifications. With over two decades of experience helping Bay Area and California businesses and healthcare practices navigate digital transformation, Iman is known for his personal touch and deep industry expertise. He believes technology should serve people first, then systems, combining technical insight with a human-centered approach to build secure and efficient IT environments. A lifelong learner inspired by books like The Untethered Soul and The 5AM Club, he finds balance in backcountry skiing, philosophy, and Thai green curry.
President, Co-Founder
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