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Now, more than ever, small businesses need good IT support.
From routine maintenance like ensuring software and networks get updated regularly to ensuring your business is protected 24/7 from computer viruses and other cybersecurity breaches, IT support is invaluable. Without updated software or networks, your computer systems will run less efficiently and productivity may falter. Without strong cybersecurity, your data, reputation, and bottom line are at risk.
The Need for IT Solutions in the World of Small Business
Unfortunately, small businesses are often underserved when it comes to IT services. Small business owners might be unconcerned or not understand the value of IT services. Or they discover staffing and maintaining a full-time or even part-time IT staff can be expensive or even unreliable.
And if a business owner is trying to save on expenses, meet overhead and stay focused on the core business operations running, outsourced IT is a great idea.
“Finding qualified candidates for IT services has become increasingly difficult,” said Brian Kane, NerdsToGo Senior Director of Technical Services. “When you have outsourced IT, you won’t have to worry about finding or competing for qualified IT personnel.”
The Wrong Way to Do IT (As a Small Business)
In some small businesses, the IT staff may actually be the owner who is wearing many hats beyond running the business, doing the payroll, handling staff logistics and managing the P&L. For those small businesses who have designated someone in the office to handle IT, that person might be really skilled with computers but have no real IT expertise. Or there’s the small business owner who was networked to a freelance IT person via their local Chamber of Commerce or BNI group under the “I’ve got a guy for that.” Thus, there is a big gap in skills and abilities, one that can be consequential for the small business owner if major issues are encountered.
Where To Find IT Support for Small Businesses
Where do you turn for outsourced IT support when you’re a small business? “Outsourcing IT services to a managed service provider is one of the most beneficial ways to get reliable and cost-effective IT solutions. NerdsToGo fills that gap in particular for small businesses with 50 or fewer employees,” Kane said. “We are their IT department. We’re continually evaluating best practices, updating services that improve security and business productivity.”
“If you need someone to upgrade your system, for instance, our team has a guy for that,” Kane said. And this is an IT support solution that doesn’t take vacations and offers 24/7 monitoring and enterprise-level support.
The Advantages of Outsourcing IT for Small Businesses
Save Money
Outsourcing IT saves money for small businesses. It lowers overhead and the costs and hassles of entering a new contract for updated software with each tech advancement. With outsourced IT, a small business owner can stay focused on business operations without worrying about technology issues.
Adapt with Technological Change
Constant changes in technology are causing some businesses to realize how important it is to upgrade their systems. But, adding new technology can also slow down your productivity as new systems are implemented. An outsourced IT department can effectively upgrade technology as needed with minimal or no disruption to your business processes. They can also train you and your employees on the upgrades at no extra cost to you. As the business grows, outsourced IT is also able to adapt the network as needs change.
“We have seen a lot of interest in network upgrades,” said Chuck Bailey of NerdsToGo of Pittsburgh, PA.
He added that upgrades help business users become more efficient and provide better security.
Additional Perspectives & Resources
Another dynamic that Bailey is seeing is the need for Managed Service Providers to use as a supplemental IT resource if the business has already had an IT team in place. Outsourced IT services also usually have a greater range of expertise to meet your needs from basic fixes to installing new servers.
A few advantages of outsourcing IT include:
- Lower costs
- Simplified scalability
- Larger pool of expertise
- Outside perspective
- Increased productivity