The Two Biggest Tech Mistakes I See Small Businesses Make – And How to Fix Them
The Top 2 Tech Mistakes Small Businesses Make – And How to Correct Them
Starting a business is an exciting journey, but navigating the tech landscape can be challenging. In this blog, we'll uncover the top two tech mistakes that small businesses often make and provide practical solutions to help you avoid these pitfalls. These tech mistakes that can put your business at risk. The worst part? Most business owners have no idea these issues exist.
The Two Biggest Offenders:
- Not owning your own domain name – Your domain (yourbusiness.com) is the digital foundation of your brand. But more often than not, we see businesses where their IT company or digital marketing agency owns the domain name instead of them.
- Incorrect email security settings (DMARC, SPF, DKIM) – Without proper email security settings, your emails can be easily spoofed, making your customers vulnerable to phishing scams that appear to come from your company.
Let’s break these down in plain language and explain why they’re a serious problem.
1. Why You MUST Own Your Own Domain Name
Think of your domain name like the deed to your house. If you don’t own it, you don’t have control over it. And yet, so many small businesses unknowingly let someone else – usually their IT provider or marketing agency – register it in their name instead.
Why is this dangerous?
- If they disappear, you’re locked out. If your provider goes out of business or you fall out with them, you could lose access to your domain.
- It gives them too much control. I’ve seen cases where companies had to pay huge fees to get their domain back.
- Your entire online presence depends on it. Your website, emails, and even branding are tied to this domain. Losing it is like losing your business identity online.
✅ Fix it: Log into your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, etc.) and check the ‘Registrant’ details. If it’s not you, it’s time to take ownership.
2. The Email Security Gap That Leaves You Open to Scammers
Did you know that cybercriminals can send emails that look like they’re coming from your business? It’s called email spoofing, and it’s incredibly common. If your DNS settings (specifically DMARC, SPF, and DKIM records) aren’t set up correctly, scammers can impersonate your company and send fake invoices, phishing emails, or worse.
Why this matters:
- Your customers can get scammed – If a hacker pretends to be you, your customers might send payments to the wrong place or fall victim to malware.
- Your emails may go to spam – Many email providers filter out emails that don’t have proper security settings, meaning your legitimate emails may never reach your customers.
- Your brand reputation is at risk – Once a scammer has used your domain to send fraudulent emails, it can be tough to rebuild trust.
✅ Fix it: You need to check your email domain’s DMARC, SPF, and DKIM settings. This is a quick check, but if you’re not sure how to do it, I can help.
We'll Check These for You – No Strings Attached
These two issues are critical, but most business owners don’t even realise they exist. That’s why we are offering to personally check your domain and email security settings – for free.
If you want us to take a look, just fill out the Form and we’ll provide you with a no-obligation report on what we find.
Let’s make sure your business is secure and in your control. Don’t leave these vital assets in the hands of someone else.
Addictive Technology Solutions – Helping Businesses Take Control of Their Tech.
