8 Must-Have IT Checklists for Small Businesses

Jan 20, 2026

For most small business owners, dealing with your in-house or outsourced IT team can be a difficult task.

IT checklists give small businesses a simple, repeatable way to manage hardware, software, cybersecurity, data backups, and day-to-day IT tasks. When your team follows a clear checklist, issues are resolved faster, risks are lower, and you can scale without guessing what to do next.

At Blade Technologies, Inc., our managed IT team in St. Louis has helped small businesses build and refine these checklists for more than 15 years. Use the eight IT checklists below as a starting point for your own processes, then customize them to match your industry, team size, and risk tolerance.

 

Your IT Checklists At a Glance

Here are the eight IT checklists every small business should have:

1. IT strategy checklist – Aligns technology with business goals.
2. IT risk assessment checklist – Identifies and prioritizes IT risks.
3. IT project planning checklist – Tracks projects, timelines, and owners.
4. Hardware and software asset checklist – Keeps devices and licenses organized.
5. Cybersecurity checklist – Protects accounts, devices, and data.
6. Employee IT training checklist – Ensures staff knows how to use systems safely.
7. Data backup and recovery checklist – Prevents and recovers from data loss.
8. BYOD policy checklist – Manages personal devices used for work.

Keep reading for what to include in each checklist and the questions you should ask as you build them.

 

1. IT Strategy Checklist

An IT strategy checklist keeps technology aligned with your business goals. It helps you decide what to invest in, when to hire, and when to partner with a managed service provider.

What to include in your IT strategy checklist:

• Business goals that technology must support in the next 12–24 months
• Core systems and applications you rely on every day
• Planned IT projects with timelines, budgets, and owners
• Current IT support model (in-house, MSP, or a hybrid of both)
• Budget for hardware, software, cloud services, and IT support
• Key metrics you will track, such as uptime, ticket volume, or time-to-resolution
• Compliance or regulatory requirements that impact IT decisions

Respond to questions like:

• Why is IT essential for your company in future successes?
• What areas of your company is IT currently supporting?
• What new roles can you foresee for IT in improving your business efficiency?
• Is there new technology in mind that you’re thinking about implementing in the next year?
• If you currently have an in-house IT team, what sort of staff structure do you see your company having in the next year?
• If you decide to expand your internal IT team, how many team members would you plan to bring on board, and what will be the cost associated with this decision?
• Would hiring a Managed Services Provider (MSP) be more efficient for your company instead of growing your in-house IT department?
• What is the estimated IT budget for the year?

 

2. A Checklist of Your IT Risks

Every business carries IT risk, from lost laptops and weak passwords to ransomware and extended downtime. An IT risk assessment checklist helps you identify where you are most vulnerable and prioritize what to fix first.

What to include in your IT risk assessment checklist:

• Inventory of critical systems and the data they store
• Identification of threats such as hardware failure, cyberattacks, and human error
• Assessment of current security controls, like firewalls, antivirus, and access policies
• Business impact if each system went offline or data was lost
• Likelihood of each risk occurring based on your environment and industry
• Risk ratings (high, medium, low) to clarify priorities
• Current mitigation steps and gaps that still need to be addressed

Questions to ask as you build this checklist:

• Which systems would cause the most disruption if they were unavailable?
• What types of sensitive or regulated data do we store?
• How are we currently protecting that data?
• Are there risks we are accepting today that we should not be?
• How often will we revisit and update our risk assessment?

 

3. An IT Checklist for Current Project Timelines

From a new line of business app to a phone system upgrade, IT projects can easily go off track without a clear plan. An IT project planning checklist keeps projects on schedule, on budget, and aligned with business needs.

What to include in your IT project planning checklist:

• Clear project goals and success criteria
• Defined scope and list of deliverables
• Stakeholders, decision-makers, and the project owner
• Detailed timeline with milestones and dependencies
• Resource plan, including internal staff and any vendors or MSPs
• Communication plan for updates and changes
• Risk log for potential obstacles and how you will respond
• Post-implementation review and documentation update steps

Questions to ask as you build this checklist:

• What problem is this project solving for the business?
• Who is responsible for each milestone and decision?
• How will changes to scope or timeline be handled?
• Are we documenting what we learn for future projects?
• Who ensures that users are trained and supported once the project is complete?

 

4. An IT Hardware and Software Checklist

As you add employees and devices, keeping track of hardware and software can become a full-time job. A hardware and software asset management checklist gives you a clear picture of what you own, what is in use, and what needs to be refreshed.

What to include in your hardware and software checklist:

• Inventory of all computers, servers, mobile devices, and network equipment
• Purchase dates, warranties, and expected replacement timelines
• List of installed software and assigned licenses
• Assignment records showing which employee uses which device
• Standard hardware and software configurations for new hires
• Process for onboarding and offboarding employees, including device handoff
• Secure disposal process for retired equipment
• Regular review schedule to update inventory and warranties

Questions to ask as you build this checklist:

• Do we know where every company-owned device is today?
• Are any devices or operating systems past their supported life?
• Are we paying for unused software licenses?
• How do we handle equipment when an employee joins or leaves the company?
• Who is responsible for keeping this inventory accurate?

 

5. A Cybersecurity Checklist

Cybersecurity is no longer optional, even for small teams. A cybersecurity checklist helps you put consistent protections in place, so one weak link does not expose your entire business.

Sample cybersecurity checklist for small businesses:

• Require strong, unique passwords for all business accounts
• Use a password manager and multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever possible
• Keep operating systems, firewalls, and antivirus/anti-malware software up to date
• Limit administrator access to only the people who truly need it
• Apply the principle of least privilege for file and system access
• Protect remote access with secure VPN or zero-trust tools
• Run regular phishing and security awareness training for employees
• Create and test an incident response plan, including who to contact and what to do

Questions to ask as you build this checklist:

• What would happen if a cybercriminal gained access to one user’s email?
• How quickly could we detect and respond to a suspected breach?
• Are we meeting any industry-specific security or compliance requirements?
• Are employees trained to recognize and report suspicious emails or activity?

 

6. Training Checklists for Small Business Employees

Even the best tools cannot protect your business if employees are unsure how to use them or what to watch out for. An employee IT training checklist makes sure your team understands both productivity tools and security expectations.

What to include in your employee IT training checklist:

• New-hire IT orientation covering email, collaboration tools, and core applications
• Security basics: passwords, MFA, phishing, and safe browsing
• Role-specific training for line of business systems (ERP, CRM, EMR, etc.)
• Clear policies for acceptable use of company systems and data
• Regular refresher training on cybersecurity and new tools
• How to request IT support or report issues
• Documentation and quick reference guides for common tasks

Questions to ask as you build this checklist:

• What IT topics do new employees consistently struggle with?
• How do we train employees when new tools or processes are introduced?
• Are current training materials easy to find and up to date?
• How do we verify that training is understood and applied?
• What training schedules are needed for each hardware and software, cyber threats, and how to reduce risks?

 

7. A Data Backup Checklist

Data backups are your safety net when something goes wrong: accidental deletion, hardware failure, or a cyberattack. A data backup and recovery checklist ensures your backups are complete, secure, and restorable.

What to include in your data backup and recovery checklist:

• List of critical systems and data that must be backed up
• Backup frequency for each system (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly)
• Backup locations, such as on-premises storage, cloud backup, or both
• Retention policies for how long you keep different types of data
• Encryption and access controls for backup data
• Recovery time objectives (RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO)
• Regular testing of restores to confirm backups work as expected
• Clear responsibilities for monitoring backups and resolving failures

Questions to ask as you build this checklist:

• What data sets would cause the most damage if they were lost or unavailable?
• How much data could we afford to lose between backups?
• How long can we realistically be without each critical system?
• Who is notified when a backup fails, and what happens next?
• Where should data be backed up?

 

8. BYOD (Bring-Your-Own-Device) Policy Checklist

Many small businesses allow employees to use personal phones, tablets, or laptops for work. A bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy checklist helps you support flexibility without sacrificing security.

What to include in your BYOD policy checklist:

• Eligibility criteria for which roles can use personal devices for work
• Minimum security requirements, such as passcodes, encryption, and OS version
• Required security tools, such as mobile device management (MDM) or endpoint protection
• Rules for accessing company email, files, and applications on personal devices
• Process for wiping company data from lost or stolen devices
• Clear boundaries around personal privacy and company access
• Expectations for reporting lost devices or suspicious activity
• Acknowledgement form for employees to sign

Questions to ask as you build this checklist:

• Which business applications will employees be allowed to access from personal devices?
• How will we separate company data from personal data?
• What happens when an employee leaves the company?
• Who manages and monitors compliance with the BYOD policy?

 

Learn More About Information Technology from Blade Technologies

With these eight must-have checklists and policies, you’re well on your way to ensuring your company’s systems and data are safe and operating at peak efficiency.

These IT checklists help you stay prepared for security breaches or downtime that could affect your business. A checklist that is comprehensive, in-depth, and covers every angle with a clearly defined action plan can pull through any IT contingency.

But these checklists are only the tip of the iceberg. For more comprehensive help with your company’s IT needs (and the peace of mind that comes with it), reach out to the experienced Managed Service Providers at Blade Technologies.

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