6 Ways Startups Can Avoid the Growing Pains of Outdated Tech

The true sign of startup success is when you begin to scale. You see a whole new set of customers who are buying from you and spreading good reviews through word of mouth. One of the biggest roadblocks in a startup’s growth journey is the tools and systems you’re currently using. These systems may have worked well in the past, but as the company grows, they may be unable to handle the influx of new users or keep up with the increased workload. 

Many fast-growing SMEs are looking for partners like Brookland Solutions, who have over 20 years of experience in providing ERP consultancy and helping businesses accelerate growth. But if you are a startup, how do you truly ensure you work with a system and setup that’s right for you? 

In this guide, we go over the reasons it’s essential to assess your legacy systems and the potential drawbacks of continuing to use outdated technology.

1. Stop Keeping Servers In-House

An in-house server seems like a good idea for a small setup where you don’t have a lot of employees or tools to use. However, an in-house server setup will not be able to give you the scalability you need when you’re hiring multiple people and need multiple tools per department to manage them. The costs associated with managing an in-house server, along with a dedicated team working on maintaining it, can eat into your profits. 

Instead, it’s a wise idea to move to a cloud-based setup where infrastructure is managed for you, freeing up your team’s time. Companies like Blackbox Hosting promise an uptime of about 99.999% and provide you with transparent and fixed monthly invoices.

2. Make Security a Priority

Many startup founders believe that they are too small to become a target or that they have adequate systems in place to ward off cyber attacks. However, the truth is that small firms face a higher risk of cyber attacks because their systems are not as strong when compared to bigger companies. 

If you have outdated tech or software, it could also make your business extra vulnerable to attacks. Some ways to improve your cybersecurity include multi-factor authentication, backing up your data regularly, and educating your employees regarding how to spot phishing emails.

3. Cut Down on Manual Work Before It Burns You Out

In the early days of your business, a spreadsheet was enough to keep your accounts or operations on track. However, as you scale, a spreadsheet could really halt your progress. Automating some tasks, like new hires, running payroll, or deploying code, will help your team focus on tasks that will help build the business. Automation will also help you reduce mistakes due to human error. 

4. Build For Tomorrow, Not Just Today

Startups often fall into the trap of buying the cheapest software that solves an immediate need. The problem is that short-term fixes rarely hold up once your team or business doubles in size. Your CRM should still function seamlessly when you have ten times the customers, and your finance platform should be ready to handle multi-currency transactions.

Investing in scalable tools early on may feel ambitious, but it shows optimism about your growth. More importantly, it saves you from the disruption and cost of replacing core systems just a few years down the line.

5. Keep an Eye on Performance Before It Breaks

One of the biggest frustrations for a company that’s scaling up is downtime. A crashed website, a failed payment system, or a slow application can reduce the trust of your customers in your business. 

Many founders prefer to fix the problems when they come up instead of maintaining their tools so that they can avoid downtime. There are many observation tools now available that let you see live how well your system is performing. They help you spot potential problems before they become the cause of a breakdown. 

6. Know When to Ask for Help

Not every startup founder is a tech expert, nor are you expected to know every tool on the market or which ones will work best for your business. That’s where reliable partners or an experienced IT team come in, helping you make complex decisions with confidence.

They can also identify tools that duplicate each other’s functions or highlight gaps in your technology stack. Choosing the right partner is crucial to ensuring your systems work efficiently and support your growth.

Final Thoughts

Even if a startup has done everything correctly and has all the right partners, they will inevitably experience some growing pains. By investing early in technology that can support you at multiple levels of growth, managing this becomes easier.

You don’t need all the latest tools available in the market. You need to build the right technological foundation for your company that allows you to build on it without any problems.

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