All business owners have their dilemmas when setting up their operations. When you own a small business, you are constantly thinking about how to successfully set up procedures while keeping overhead as low as possible. One of the cost-inducing decisions you’ll need to make concerns your IT infrastructure.
Does it make sense for you to bring an outsourced player into the story? Or is your business just too small for expanding your in-house team?
Well, as a small business owner, you can easily fall into the trap of thinking that a DIY (Do It Yourself) approach will cost you less. But that’s a mistake many make. Small business owners and their in-house IT teams actually have a lot on their hands each day as they try to keep their daily operations running smoothly while growing their business. That leaves them with less time and focus on the upkeep of their IT infrastructure.
Here is why it makes sense for a small business to hire managed IT services.
IT Challenges in 2022 Faced By Small Businesses
IT can heavily impact business process management. And in 2022, business process management is closely tied to digital transformation. This transformation isn’t solely about introducing revolutionary technology for new projects. Often, it centers around the need to increase the efficiency of existing systems and processes.
Teaming up with a managed service company with a vast pool of talent that, among other things, knows how to use siloed data (structured and unstructured) held across the IT system can propel your business value to new heights.
And sometimes your business value climbs up when you implement solutions that make your small business seem more like a larger company. Such solutions are, for example, incorporating an interactive voice-response system, increasing automation, and moving towards more efficient e-commerce along with increased automation. All of this can help your product and services seem more like your competitors. And tapping into the talent pool of expert managed service businesses that work with both large enterprises and SMBs (small and medium businesses) really helps your case.
5 Ways Managed IT Services Benefit Small Businesses
Let’s see why embracing managed IT services makes sense and what other factors you need to think about when picking a provider of managed IT services.
Keeping Costs in Order
A suitable managed service package can help in giving you more money for unplanned expenses and prevent costly downtime. Such services are less expensive than hiring full-time team members.
It is also vital to consider the flexibility and scalability of managed IT support services. You can tailor the precise level of help and coverage you need in one service package, whether that’s a package that prioritizes remote support or a plan that enables you to request on-site visits from technicians.
Access to a Vast Talent Pool of IT Experts
Outsourced IT support services let small businesses use the experience of proven tech experts without having to make full-time employment decisions.
Due to its ability to close the skills gap, outsourcing has an impact on all areas of a business. The result is that you are no longer limited by the skills of your current workforce. Nor do you need to go through the time-consuming and costly process of hiring someone to handle your IT problems on an in-house basis.
Offer of 24/7 Support
No business owner wants to have issues in the middle of a Sunday night. But those things do happen, and small businesses are more at risk of costly consequences in those situations.
In most countries, 24/7 service is usually too expensive. But good news – you can easily create a 24/7 team with offshore staffing. Having 24/7 staff in other countries is fairly common thanks to the time zone differences.
Less Risk of a Cyberattack
Just one attack on an IT infrastructure can result in a small business losing a lot of money – far more than the annual managed services subscription would cost.
So another benefit of 24/7 support is the fact that you can add cybersecurity to the list of services. Cybersecurity is maintained by practices like constant network monitoring, managed antivirus operations, patch and update management, and so forth.
When you pair up with IT managed service professionals, they can take care of your security so you can sit back, relax, and not burden your in-house IT team with cybersecurity issues instead moving them to innovative and challenging projects.
Taking Better Care of Your Data
Data loss can occur for a variety of reasons. It can be the result of a hard drive crash, storm-related damage, or staff negligence.
Working with outsourced IT experts includes managed backup and disaster recovery assistance. Your data is regularly backed up and monitored to ensure they haven’t stalled and are regularly collecting all the new data.
Final Word
There are many challenges to owning a small business, especially if you’re just starting your business journey. While some tasks that keep an up-and-coming organization need to be kept in-house, outsourced services are always worth considering.
Managed IT services can benefit both small and large businesses, borrowing experiences from both types of partnerships. That way, a small business owner can reap the benefits of having an experienced outsourced IT staff that knows what makes a large business grow and prosper.
Don’t rush into the decision when picking a suitable managed service provider. Take the time to compare providers and select a package suited to your needs.
