Few things send a chill down the spine of small business owners more than unexpected technical issues. It’s one thing transferring your smartphone profile to a new device, or scheduling software updates for late at night. It’s quite another when your computer suddenly crashes, or fails to boot up properly, or a key software packages declares that your time-honoured password is incorrect. Since most entrepreneurs, sole traders and small business owners rely heavily on digital hardware and technology, even relatively common IT issues can feel like an existential threat to productivity.

Having set up my business in a house with a Midband internet connection (a pitiful 256Kbps), I’ve experienced a fair few technical challenges over the years. I’ve watched a phone engineer burn through three diamond-tipped drill bits trying to fit a phone socket into a home office. I’ve raced to copy key files off a formerly trusty desktop PC before it repeatedly overheated and shut down. I’ve had a laptop die after my dearly beloved poured a glass of Ribena over it, a broadband connection go offline for an entire afternoon, and repeated connection problems with Microsoft Teams before a key client meeting which literally reduced me to tears of frustration. I have hated Teams ever since.

Simple solutions to common IT issues

Perhaps surprisingly, there are often relatively easy ways to resolve common IT issues. These don’t require a computing qualification (which I have) or the ability to write program code (which I also have). Below, I’ve added a few practical suggestions for anyone who can just about work a USB-C cable but doesn’t know their RAM from their ROM or their HTTP from their HTML. And if these tips prove to be of value to you, whoever you are, you’re very welcome. If you ever need an award-winning writer, I hope G75 Media will be your first port of call.

1. Just because a computer won’t connect to the internet doesn’t mean the broadband is down. Test the connection on a second device in case your laptop or desktop computer has developed a specific issue, such as a software update that’s disabled its wireless connectivity, or a hardware failure.
2. If two or more devices are offline, find your router and reboot it. Wait a few minutes and try connecting again. If you’re still having problems, use your phone’s 4G or 5G to check what any flashing router lights mean. Also visit your ISP’s website, in case they’re reporting local outages.
3. If you’ve enabled automatic file saving (such as Microsoft OneDrive’s autosave functionality), a sudden software crash doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve lost any data. Keep calm and carry on while the software or computer reboots; your data should be waiting. And don’t panic even if it isn’t…
4. Some software packages incorporate version control where you can access recently saved versions of a particular file. This isn’t always obvious – in Word, you typically need to search for it. Restore the last saved version and, while it’s fresh in your memory, add in any obvious lost changes.
5. Being unable to access a software package can be incredibly frustrating. Try updating the software, rebooting your chosen device or accessing it another way (via an app instead of a website, or vice versa). Resetting your password may enable you to log in, as might logging in as a guest.
6. If hardware isn’t responsive and there’s valuable data on-screen, take a photograph with your smartphone. This will enable you to replicate whatever is captured – a carefully worded email, for instance. Turn off your camera flash to avoid part of the screen being obscured by reflective light.
7. Overheating is one of the most common IT issues. Clean dust vents, ensuring a device has a free flow of fresh air. You could even position a fan beside cooling vents to maximise airflow. This might only help temporarily, but in that time, you may be able to rescue files or complete time-critical tasks.
8. If WiFi is being flaky, there are workarounds. If a machine has an Ethernet port (a squarish socket), use a cable to physically plug it into the router. If that’s not possible, Powerline adaptors carry wired network data through home plug sockets. Turn off wireless alarms, baby monitors, microwaves and kettles to minimise interference.
9. If a device (like a wireless printer) is suddenly failing to connect, or appears to be offline, it’s probably lost its WiFi connection. Try restarting the device in question, re-entering the WiFi password, and running any in-built troubleshooter utilities to reconnect it to your local network.
10. If you’re forced to work offline, productivity doesn’t have to cease entirely. Save documents on your device’s hard drive, check emails on your phone, conduct paper research, ring people instead of emailing them, and so forth. Any work you can do is better than doing nothing at all.

Having grown up around computers and been an early adopter of the internet, I am now a highly experienced technology writer. The topics might change (in-demand subjects among my clients currently include quantum computing, generative AI and data centres) but the underlying principles of IT remain the same. Basically, computers are wilfully hostile and will take any opportunity to let you down at the most inopportune moments.

However, when common IT issues are resolved, computers enable us all to run our businesses – and in G75 Media’s case, to provide award-winning copywriting, journalism and business writing. Get in touch with us to discuss bid writing, marketing copy, report production or anything else requiring a keyboard, reliable software and a stable internet connection…