I’ve been out and about across the North West these past few weeks chatting with business owners about what’s working and what’s….
It’s the same story in almost every office, warehouse, and café — the IT drags, the phones drop, tech is holding people back, and everyone’s quietly fed up with it.
Different businesses, same frustrations: unreliable systems, rising costs, and budgets that leak money through outdated contracts and forgotten services.
Here are the top five frustrations I keep hearing and a few simple fixes that can make 2026 a bit less stressful.
1️⃣ The Broadband That Can’t Cope
Everywhere I go, someone’s moaning about the internet. Slow uploads, freezing Teams calls, or the classic “it drops every Friday afternoon.”
The truth? Most SMEs are still on shared connections, even the ones sold as “business fibre.” That means your speeds depend on what your neighbours are doing.
Quick win: Ask your provider if your line is contended or dedicated. If they can’t answer clearly, that’s your answer. And if downtime hurts your bottom line, look for a connection with a service level agreement (SLA) that fixes issues in hours, not days.
2️⃣ The Cybersecurity “We’ll Do It Later” Plan
One click. One bad link. One ruined week. That’s how most ransomware stories start and SMEs are top of the target list now.
The scary bit? It’s rarely about fancy hacking. It’s about tired passwords, missing updates, or staff too busy to think before they click.
Quick win:
- Turn on multi-factor authentication everywhere you can.
- Test your backups — don’t just assume they work.
- And run a 5-minute “fake phishing” test with your team before Christmas. It’s eye-opening (we can help with that…).
3️⃣ Old Tech That’s Quietly Holding You Back
I met a local firm last week still running Windows Server 2012 — unsupported, unpatched, and living on hope. They said, “It still works fine.”
Sure it does… until it doesn’t.
Outdated systems waste time, block integrations, and attract cyber threats like flies to jam.
Quick win: If your hardware’s older than your latest phone, it’s due for a chat. Start planning upgrades before it forces your hand. Moving key tools to Microsoft 365 or cloud apps can be cheaper than replacing physical kit.
4️⃣ IT Support That’s Just a Ticket Number
A business in Rochdale told me they logged an issue with their IT company on a Monday. It was “resolved” the following Thursday. Apparently, switching it off and back on was the resolution.
If you only hear from your IT support when something’s broken, you don’t have a partner, you have a reaction service.
Quick win: Ask your provider how many of your issues they prevented last quarter, not just how many they fixed. Proactive monitoring saves more time (and bad mood) than reactive repairs ever will.
5️⃣ Telecoms That Make Everything Harder, Not Easier
Still juggling separate mobile contracts, call plans, and handsets that don’t talk to each other? You’re not alone. One firm in Manchester showed me their phone bill, 14 pages long, and half the numbers were ex-employees.
Quick win: Pull your last three months of telecoms bills. If you can’t explain every line on page one, it’s time to simplify. Unified VoIP and mobile plans now cost less than running two systems, and they actually work when staff are hybrid.
Tony’s Takeaway
The good news? Every one of these frustrations has a fix, and most don’t need new tech, just smarter use of what you already pay for.
Heading into 2026, my advice is simple:
- Audit your internet.
- Check your backups.
- Patch your systems.
- Simplify your telecoms.
- And make sure your IT partner actually answers the phone.
It’s not glamorous, but neither is losing a week’s work to a frozen router.
Here’s to fewer frustrations — and fewer calls that start with, “Tony, the Wi-Fi’s gone again.”
If your IT or telecoms setup feels like it’s running you, not the other way around — let’s fix that.
Book a quick chat this week and we’ll make sure your systems are ready for whatever 2026 throws at you.
📧 info@piblu.co.uk 🌐 www.piblu.co.uk 📞 0161 388 8188
