IT is rarely top of the list for small business owners — until something goes wrong.

In this episode of the Buddez podcast, we sit down with Brendan Stenner from Particle IT to unpack the real IT and security risks facing small businesses today, and what you can do to reduce them without becoming an accidental IT manager yourself .

From access control and cyber scams to hardware upgrades, data protection, and AI boundaries, this conversation is a must-listen for any business owner relying on tech to run their day-to-day operations.

In this episode, James shares:

• Why small businesses are not “too small” to be targeted by cyber scams
• The most common IT security gaps he sees in growing businesses
• How poor offboarding and access control can put your IP at risk
• Practical ways to reduce risk without overcomplicating your systems
• What hardware lifecycles business owners should actually be planning for
• How AI tools like Copilot and ChatGPT can help — and where boundaries matter
• Why regular IT audits save money, time, and stress in the long run

👉 Join the Buddez community to access Brendan’s workshop and get the latest insights from real small biz owners doing big things.

CREDITS:

🔗 Guest: Brendan Stenner

🏢 Business: Particle IT

📍 Based in: Australia

🌐 Website: https://particle.au

📧 Email: hey@particle.au

📞 Call: 1300 147 642

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-stenner-ba2a76179/