Benefits of Managed IT Services for Small Businesses
Every business, large or small, relies on some form of technology to facilitate its overall operations. When that technology is down, it hurts the entire organization—and you don’t always have the bandwidth to fix the issue and carry on daily tasks. Managed IT services assist with technology-related issues, customizable to your business goals and schedule. Learn more about how IT staffing works and the benefits to your small business.
Play to others’ strengths.
While you were busy growing your business and innovating in your industry, you probably didn’t have a lot of time to invest in learning information technology or computer science. And certainly not to the extent of someone whose expertise is technology. These individuals have spent years, if not decades, in the field perfecting their craft. Even companies with dedicated IT teams have found themselves in need of outside help, whether it’s in the form of additional staff, or to help them with a new technology challenge.
As a small business owner, you’ve learned the hard way the importance of delegating. You can’t do it all by yourself, and by playing to your team’s strengths you can create something beautiful.
Add in manpower—temporarily.
There are many reasons to leverage trusted IT staff in your business. The first is to simply give the stellar employees on your team a well-deserved break. This could be due to vacation, illness, maternity leave or any other reason. You may also need to take on extra IT staff temporarily due to outside factors: seasonal increases in activity, temporary expertise, sudden shifts in deadlines, etc. Through a trusted IT staffing partner, your temporary personnel will be:
- Experienced
- Vetted
- Certified
- Accountable
Augment your IT functions.
Help Desk
Help desk support provides your employees with expert customer service. Not many small businesses can effectively support the requirements of a fully staffed help desk. Supplementing your operations with an external help desk team is a cost-effective way to provide technical support. You can also provide even better service through:
- Extended support hours
- Multilingual support
- Faster call times
- Expanded support capabilities
- Call packages (one dedicated price for easier budgeting)
- A la carte services
Security
No matter which industry you serve, security is a priority for both internal and external operations. And routing that service has become increasingly common for many SMBs. Why? You may not have the staff or the budget to manage security professionals in-house. Utilizing an outside partner can help you maximize your operational safety with minimal impact on your budget, plus, you can always be sure you are following the latest best practices in data security through expert support. To sum it up, your business gets:
- Expertise
- Savings
- Extended support
Server/Network
Like your company, your network infrastructure grows and changes over time. Maintenance can become complex, expensive and frustrating, particularly if such technology is not in your wheelhouse. By trusting your onsite server or cloud management to an outside partner, you can ensure your system always aligns with what’s best for your business. Other key benefits include:
- Extended support
- Adaptability
- Reduced strain on in-house IT staff
- Quick repairs
- Increased security
- Expertise
Outsourcing
IT outsourcing can encompass a variety of services, including SaaS, cloud computing, IT project management and more. Your outsourcing partner provides these services for a fee, freeing up your team to focus on essential tasks. Companies that outsource their IT needs find many benefits, including:
- Reduced Costs
- Faster project completion of go-to-market wins
- Expertise
- Improved management and ROI
Do I need IT support?
No matter the size of your small business, the answer is likely yes. However, the extent of support needed can vary from company to company. Answer these questions about your business to develop a framework for your needs:
- How much of my business is reliant on technology?
- How critical is technology downtime to my business?
- How large is my staff?
- How knowledgeable is my team in the realm of IT?
- What upcoming projects are in the pipeline?
- What’s my contingency plan for IT employee absences?
- Do we have the tools and expertise we need to solve technology issues?
- Would outsourcing save us time and money?
- What experience gaps can IT support fill?
- What operations would benefit from outsourcing?
If your IT support partner isn’t asking you these questions, they might not be a good fit. IT support is not a one-size-fits-all service. To maximize your ROI, ensure your options can be flexed to fit your business and budget.
Curious about managed IT services for your business? Reach out for a free assessment!