How are small businesses weathering the storm of global technology outages caused by CrowdStrike?

In an increasingly connected world, small businesses often find themselves vulnerable to global technology outages. When incidents like those caused by CrowdStrike occur, their survival is put to the test. How do these companies manage to weather these technological storms and bounce back? Answering this crucial question requires an in-depth exploration of the challenges and strategies small businesses face in such crises.

The impact of technology outages on small businesses

Faced with a digitalized world increasingly fragile, small businesses often find themselves helpless when a major outage, such as that caused by CrowdStrike, occurs. Unlike the large companies which have large IT departments, small structures often have to find solutions on their own.

Significant financial losses

For Tsvetta Kaleynska, founder of RILA Global Consulting, the impact was immediate: inability to sign a contract via DocuSign, delays in submitting crucial research, and inability to pay your employees. This outage represented a loss of nearly 25% of its annual revenue.

“If I were in a big company, I could delegate and get support. But as a small businesswoman, I only have myself to rely on,” says Kaleynska.

Emergency solutions and improvisations

Small businesses must demonstrate flexibility to overcome these crises. Chris Seabrook, owner of Asguard Locksmiths in Australia, borrowed a non-Microsoft device from a friend to access his important tools. He also used his smartphone to organize his critical procedures and communicate with his clients.

• Device loan
• Using Smartphones for Critical Tasks
• Proactive communication with customers

The role of backup and redundancy systems

Dr. Ozan Toy, medical chief at Telapsychiatry, took advantage of his backup systems. His company switched from Microsoft Teams to Zoom and used alternative phone systems in order to continue business. With multiple backups of electronic medical records, they were able to quickly resume communications with their patients.

A necessary but costly adaptation

For Chris Delmond, co-owner of Handcraft Hospitality, the biggest challenge has been access to cloud-based accounting systems. He had to contact his banks to check deposits and financial statements because he was unable to view his statements online. Although operations were quickly restored, this situation slowed its ability to pay its suppliers and employees.

“It’s frustrating, but as a small business owner we have to deal with these ups and downs,” says Delmond.

Lessons learned from the crisis

This crisis has highlighted the need for small businesses to develop resilience strategies in the face of technological failures. Several lessons emerge:

• Provide emergency systems and backups
• Develop a proactive communication strategy with customers
• Invest in alternative technological solutions

In conclusion, although small businesses are often the most affected by technology failures, they show a remarkable ability to adapt and improvise to minimize disruption. Nevertheless, adopting preventive measures remains essential to strengthen their resilience in the face of future technological crises.