When Should You as a Business Owner Seek CTO Help?
Does your business need help? Many organizations reach a place where they need the help of business consultants. More specifically, does your business need the kind of help that a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) can offer? Is it time to ask a CTO? Can a CTO offer the type of small business resources you need right now?
This is a critical question for modern businesses. There comes a time in the lifecycle of a business when failing to seek the right kind of help can be a tragic mistake. It may slow a company’s growth or even mark the beginning of the end.
Still, small businesses and startups are often stretched thin on resources making it seem impossible to afford to hire a CTO or even seek out CTO business consultants. But when should you, as a business owner, seek CTO help? There are a few moments when the time may be right.
Ask A CTO Before You Even Begin
This piece is not about when to hire a CTO but rather when to ask a CTO for help, input, or guidance. This could lead to hiring someone down the road, but let’s focus on CTOs as business consultants for now.
With that in mind, the answer is “as soon as possible.”
If you are starting a business or trying to take your current company to the next level, getting input from a CTO is critical.
What is a CTO?
CTOs provide a critical bridge between business and technology. They speak both the language of business and the language of hardware, software, services, and other technology tools. Whether or not you are running a technology-based company, technological solutions quickly become essential. A CTO can look at the mission and goals of an organization and identify the latest technical solutions to reach these goals in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible.
Too often, businesses develop systems and processes and then look to technology when they have trouble making these things work at scale—bringing in a CTO when the trouble begins means looking for solutions to fix problems in the system.
With CTOs working as business consultants, your organization can develop systems and processes based on available technology and designed to leverage that technology at scale.
With this in mind, if you ask a CTO early, you can save the time and money of going back and redesigning processes based on new information systems.
CTOs as a Small Business Resource: When Things Get Overwhelming
If you ask a CTO for help early on, you may avoid reaching the point where your systems and technology can no longer keep up with your business.
However, if you do get to the point of being overwhelmed, using CTOs as business consultants is still the right move. A CTO can still evaluate your business strategy and current reality and offer insight into the right architecture, infrastructure, software, and services to get your company back on track.
CTOs as Business Consultants: When It’s Time for a Technology Upgrade
Even if your business is thriving, you may reach a point when you know it is time to invest in a serious technology upgrade.
For example, if you are experiencing bottlenecks in your business processes, it is time to ask a CTO.
Large-scale technology upgrades can be daunting. Without the help of a CTO, you are at the mercy of staff that may or may not have a complete understanding of your goals or the technical capabilities. Or, you may need to lean on the guidance of vendors who will often attempt to modify your processes to work with their solution. A CTO can help ensure you make the right decisions and invest in technology that will serve your business.
Do You Need CTO Help?
For some businesses, a full-time CTO is the right solution.
Still, many others may not be ready, not need full-time help, or simply can’t afford the expense.
Fortunately, there are ways to ask a CTO for the small business resources you need without committing to that full-time salary.
For example, businesses can seek out the services of CTO consultants who offer the same insights and solutions as a full-time CTO but on a contract or as-needed basis.
Small businesses also now can work with CaaS (CTO as a Service) providers. CaaS is a highly scalable solution that gives companies access to high levels of skills and experience without the high salary of a seasoned professional.
Code of Entry Can Help
We know the fast pace of technology can be overwhelming, especially when you have a business to run. That is why Code Of Entry is here to help. Whether you need technical advice or are interested in letting us help you secure your network, business assets, and intellectual property, we can meet your wherever you need us.
If you are interested in having Code Of Entry join your team contact us (833) 263-3263 or fill out our online contact form today.
