Small and medium business owners are constantly trying to stay ahead of their competition. However, many find themselves in a catch-22 where they lack the resources, funding and expertise to utilize modern technology but also lack the capital necessary to hire full-time IT professionals. So, how do SMBs create an environment where they have access to cutting edge applications and can effectively compete with their larger counterparts?
Outsourcing IT operations to a managed service provider (MSP) is a surefire way of ensuring that your business meets growing customer demands and takes full advantage of modern technology. It’s often not until an SMB begins experiencing increased pressure to become more competitive in the market, when growth requires access to a new technology that is too expensive for budget or a service that can’t be maintained in-house, that they encounter the need to outsource.
Let’s dive deeper into the value that a winning MSP can provide you with.
Get Top-Tier IT Technicians Without Hiring More Full Time Staff
For starters, small business owners will find that having an in-house IT team is expensive. They’re accountable for salaries, benefits, vacation time, sick days, and other perks that are part of any full-time employee package. An MSP isn’t a full-time employee—they’re contracted to provide support on an hourly basis as needed. This means they don’t need the same benefits and paid time off as full-time employees do, and you can adjust how many hours they work each week based on your business needs. Overall, this is a much more cost-effective solution than maintaining an in-house team.
Utilize The Cloud For Next-Gen Security & Quick Recovery
One of the most important things that a managed service provider can do is help small businesses in their need for backup, recovery and disaster-recovery services. Businesses are often wary of using cloud services due to security concerns. But cloud storage is different from local desktop/laptop storage. Cloud storage uses a network of servers to store information, separate from the user’s computer system or the data center. This makes it inherently safer than other forms of data storage. Cloud services also allow users to back up their data to multiple servers in multiple locations, so they can be backed up via several different methods simultaneously. This provides redundancy and prevents loss of information.
Free Up Resources & Drive Positive Change
You have the perfect idea for a small business. Your head is brimming with visions of how you’ll run it—how you’ll manage your employees, how you’ll build your brand, and how you’ll bring in new customers. But there are other areas that need to be addressed in order to make your business run smoothly. Areas like IT support, payroll, and accounting are usually necessary—and regardless of whether you’re a service company, an online retailer, or something else entirely, they all take up valuable time and resources that could be better spent on expanding your business. Outsourcing these functions can help save time and money and provide your business with the necessary tools to succeed.
MSPs take over these administrative functions for companies that don’t have the resources to do it themselves. They look at their clients individually and find ways to implement new processes and improve systems.
Takeaway
SMBs that want to do more with their tech, but don’t have the necessary internal resources should start exploring outsourced IT. This will allow them to better manage their infrastructure and keep their network up to date.
Typically, there will also be more monitoring of everything from data storage to viruses and other potential problems that could affect the business. Ultimately, outsourcing IT to professionals is often times more cost effective than running your own IT department and gives you top-notch service at a fraction of what it would cost to run it in-house.
Every business needs technology. Chat with us to get started.
If you’re trying to run a business but you don’t want to deal with the IT part, that’s where we come in! Shartega IT is a managed IT service provider (MSP) that can provide you with the IT essentials you need from day one at a flat-rate monthly subscription price. Our services include a 24/7 help desk team, network monitoring, hardware and software procurement, breach detection, cloud backups, and more. To learn more or schedule a meeting with us, click below.
