The Better Business Show in Worthing was a useful reminder that most small businesses do not need more technology for the sake of it. They need the technology they already rely on to be secure, dependable and easy to manage.
With the final quarter of 2026 approaching, this is a good time for Sussex SMEs to review the basics. A short, focused IT check now can prevent avoidable disruption later and can also expose services, licences or support arrangements that are costing more than they should.
1. Check your Microsoft 365 security baseline
Microsoft 365 is at the centre of many small businesses, which also makes the account itself a valuable target. Start with the controls that reduce the most common risks:
- Make sure multi-factor authentication is enabled for every user.
- Keep administrator accounts separate from normal day-to-day accounts.
- Review users, shared mailboxes and licences so former staff and unused access are removed.
- Check forwarding rules, mailbox permissions and unusual sign-in activity.
- Make sure important Microsoft 365 data is covered by an appropriate backup strategy.
If you have not reviewed these settings recently, our Microsoft 365 security checklist is a sensible starting point.
2. Test your backups rather than simply assuming they work
A backup that has never been restored is only a promise. Businesses should know what is protected, how long data is retained and how quickly it could be recovered after an incident.
That applies to more than servers. Consider Microsoft 365, laptops, shared files, line-of-business systems and any data held by third-party cloud services. The important questions are simple: what could you afford to lose, and how long could you operate without it?
At least one restore test should form part of a regular review. It is far better to find a gap during a planned test than during ransomware, accidental deletion or hardware failure.
3. Decide whether ad-hoc IT support is still enough
Ad-hoc support can work well for very small organisations with simple requirements. As a business grows, however, waiting for something to fail before dealing with it can become expensive.
Managed IT support changes the focus from fixing individual faults to monitoring systems, applying updates, improving security and spotting problems earlier. The right model depends on the business, so there is no need to buy a larger service than you actually need.
We have covered the difference in more detail in Managed IT Provider or Ad-Hoc Support? and our guide to what should be included in an IT support contract.
4. Write down what happens if there is a cyber incident
Many businesses have security products but no clear plan for the first hour of an incident. That is often when simple decisions matter most.
Your incident response plan does not need to be a large document. It should identify who makes decisions, who contacts your IT provider, how affected devices are isolated, where backups are held, who deals with customers or suppliers, and whether your insurer needs to be notified.
Keep a copy somewhere that can still be reached if Microsoft 365 or your main systems are unavailable. Our cyber incident response guide for Sussex businesses explains the basics.
5. Review what you are paying for
IT costs tend to grow quietly. Licences are added, old subscriptions remain active, broadband and phone services roll over, and overlapping security products can accumulate.
A simple annual review should compare your current users and devices against:
- Microsoft 365 and other SaaS licences.
- Backup, antivirus and security subscriptions.
- Broadband, mobile and VoIP services.
- Support agreements and warranty coverage.
- Hardware that is approaching replacement or end of support.
The aim is not simply to cut spend. It is to make sure the money is going towards services that reduce risk or make the business easier to run.
A useful 30-minute IT review
If you only do one thing after reading this, spend 30 minutes answering five questions:
- Who has access to our systems today?
- Could we recover our important data if we lost it this afternoon?
- Who would we call first if something went wrong?
- Are we paying for licences or services we no longer use?
- Is there any single device, connection or person that the business cannot operate without?
Those answers usually reveal where the next practical improvement should be.
Need a second pair of eyes?
ML Services supports small and growing businesses across Worthing and Sussex with Microsoft 365, cybersecurity, backup, managed IT support and practical technology planning. We focus on making IT understandable and proportionate to the business rather than adding complexity for its own sake.
If you would like an informal review of your current setup, contact ML Services and we can talk through what you have, what is working and where there may be unnecessary risk or cost.