Business
The Business Benefits of Managed IT Services
The average small business owner pays anywhere between $10,000 and $49,000 per year on technology. Some of this money goes into IT work. How much are you currently spending?
If you haven’t found the sweet spot for your spending yet, it’s time to make a change. Have you considered investing in managed IT services to improve your business?
If you’re on the fence, we want to help. Read on to learn about a few of the most helpful benefits of managed IT solutions.
You’ll Save Money
As a business owner, you know that you have to choose where you spend your money wisely. You already have tight margins and one bad choice could be the difference between staying profitable and shutting down.
Because of this, you might think that choosing not to invest in managed IT services is the better choice, but this isn’t the case. In reality, working with a managed IT provider might be one of the best ways for you to save money.
First, a managed IT service provider takes the place of several in-house workers or contractors. This isn’t to say that you can’t maintain an in-house team, but managed IT services will make a great addition to that team.
The average IT worker makes over $90,000 per year, and for good reason! They work hard and they’ve gone through a lot of education to gain all of their valuable expertise.
If you hire contractors, you’ll pay less per year, but you’ll be paying a lot in the event of an emergency.
Paying a whole team of IT workers that much money might not be in range for a small business owner. You could pay a managed IT company a flat monthly rate for their services as an alternative.
That rate will include all of the services you need to keep your business up and running.
You’ll Save Time
Money isn’t the only thing you’ll be saving when you make the switch to managed IT services. You’ll also save time.
If you’ve been relying on contractors to fix your IT problems, you know how troublesome it is to wait for them to arrive just to fix your problem in a matter of seconds. You have to pay them for their time (as you should), but you’ve wasted valuable money-making time.
When you use managed IT services, you don’t have to waste any time. Either they’ll be able to solve the problem from afar or they’ll arrange for someone to come visit you in person in no time.
Time is money, so you can’t afford to waste it.
You Can Focus Effort Elsewhere
So you have several competent IT workers on your team already, right? Why would you want to spend more money by investing in outside managed IT services?
You hired your IT team for specific tasks, right? They’re working hard to keep your business running, but every time you have an IT problem, they have to stop what they’re doing to handle it.
They’re also spending a lot of time working on “behind the scenes” things, like security, software updates, and IT network support.
Wouldn’t it be better for you and your employees alike if you had a team of managed IT workers available to handle everything instead? Your employees would be able to focus on the jobs that actually interest them and benefit your company instead of having to waste time with tasks that are easily outsourced.
Your employees will appreciate the ability to focus and you’ll appreciate how much more efficiently everything runs.
IT Managed Services Are Scalable
You might be worried about investing in managed IT services because you know that your business is going to grow (or shrink). Wouldn’t it be a waste of money if your business is getting ready to change anyway?
Not at all.
Managed IT services are scalable. While you’ll start off with a custom package that works for your business as it is right now, it takes no effort at all to change it when you need something larger or smaller.
Let’s say you suddenly expand to a second floor and you’ve doubled your computers on a single network. No problem! It’s easy enough for your managed IT service provider to note that change and make any necessary changes in a flash.
When in doubt, simply contact your provider to ask about scalability. They’ll make sure that your plan always fits your business.
You’ll Have Access to Better Software
Do you wish that you had the money for the high-end software all the large companies are able to use? Small business owners often struggle to afford the best new technology!
You won’t be able to get everything that large businesses have access to, but through a reliable managed IT service provider, you will have access to the software you may not have been able to afford on your own.
The IT company uses the same software with all of its clients. Whether you’re a brand-new business with a single-room location or you’re running an entire building (or multiple buildings), you’ll still have access to the same technology.
You’ll Have More Advanced Security
Speaking of high-end software, how is your current security software? If you’re like many of us, you likely have a free antivirus program and whatever came pre-installed on your computer. You may even reject updates when they pop up.
For the average individual, this is enough security. For a business owner, however, it’s risky. Without proper security, you’re putting yourself, your customers, your income, and your entire reputation at risk.
Managed IT providers will make sure that your security is sufficient for your business. They’ll look for any potential problems and protect you against them before they happen.
They’ll also be able to identify potential security threats in real-time. They may catch a hacker before they even get to you!
This is another way managed IT providers save you time and money.
Let’s face it: security threats are expensive. If you have one bad security breach, you’re going to lose the trust of your customers and you can lose money from the breach itself.
Even if no information or money was lost, you’ll likely still experience an IT blackout. This will result in serious downtime (and you won’t be able to make money during that downtime).
Security should be one of your top priorities as a business owner. After all, 83% of small and medium-sized business owners aren’t financially prepared to recover from a cyber attack.
You’ll Have 24/7 Support
Cybercrime and other common IT problems don’t suddenly stop when you’re off the clock. data breaches, blackouts, glitches, hardware problems, and more can happen during any hour of the day or night.
Are you planning on having your valuable employees stay late (and pay them overtime) every time you have a late-night IT problem? Can you afford to pay an emergency IT contractor their nighttime rate?
Often, you can’t wait until morning or you’ll have a whole new host of problems on your hands. So now what?
When you use managed IT services, you don’t have to worry. You get around-the-clock support from trained IT professionals who are ready to handle your problems.
Even if there isn’t an emergency, those trained professionals will also be available if you have a late-night query or concern.
You’ll Have a Whole Team of Talented Workers
If you already have an in-house IT team, you know how valuable it is to have multiple brains working on the same problem. Everyone comes with their own unique experiences, and that makes problem-solving a breeze.
If you only have one IT worker on your team, it’s not as easy. Even the best IT professionals will have blind spots. No one knows everything.
When you invest in IT managed services, you get a whole team of workers for that low flat monthly rate we mentioned earlier. There are always several workers available to work on your problems or projects.
Where one person falls short, another can easily fill in and help out.
You’ll Get a One-Stop-Shop for All IT Needs and Questions
If you don’t have an in-house team, you’re always bouncing from contractor to contractor. Even if you do have an in-house team, you may still have to deal with multiple outside contractors when there’s a problem.
Every time you switch contractors, you have to rebuild a relationship with them so they can answer your questions accurately. You’ll find that many of them have different answers to the same questions.
This lack of consistency can be a pain to deal with.
While you will have multiple people working for you through the managed IT company, the company itself functions as one unit. Everyone works together, so you’ll never have to re-explain your issues or worry about conflicting information.
You’ll have a consistent place to turn when you’re not sure what’s going on with your tech. No more calling around.
Are There Downsides to Having Managed IT Services?
So why wouldn’t a business owner want to invest in managed IT services? While they have plenty of benefits, it’s normal to have a few concerns before committing. After all, you’re spending your hard-earned money.
Here are some common things that give people pause before they commit to managed IT services (and why they aren’t usually problems at all).
No In-House IT Help
This is a huge concern for people who are new to managed IT services. They like having the luxury of having people on their own teams so they have “in-person” help when they need it. Or, they already have an in-person IT team and they aren’t looking to displace them.
While a managed IT service can replace an IT team, it doesn’t have to. As a matter of fact, it’s not uncommon for businesses to have a few IT professionals on staff while still taking advantage of managed IT services.
You don’t have to displace anyone. You’re getting more help for a lower cost.
On that note, you don’t need an in-house IT person for in-person jobs. Your managed IT company can arrange for someone to help you if you’re having problems that they can’t fix remotely.
No Specialization
This is another concern for business owners in specific niches. They want to make sure that their IT professionals have experience within their industry. They can only ensure this if they hire and train a new IT worker on their own.
While most managed IT companies don’t specialize in one specific industry, some do. Even more will focus on a range of industries (for example, anything under the hospitality or food service umbrella) so they can expand their reach while still offering great service.
If you’re worried, find a managed IT company that has experience with your industry. Remember: they’re also working with plenty of other companies within your niche, so they have more experience than the majority of IT contractors or potential new hires.
Do You Need Managed IT Services?
If you’re a small or medium-sized business owner, it might be time to invest in managed IT services. You’ll be able to save money, get access to great software, protect your business from common cyber threats, and more.
Remember: managed IT services don’t have to replace your team. Think of them as an extra asset that you can use to improve your business overall.
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Kenneth is a proud native of sydney, born and raised there. However, he pursued his education abroad and studied in Australia. Kenneth has worked as a journalist for almost a decade, making valuable contributions to prominent publications such as Yahoo News and The Verge. Currently, he serves as a journalist for The Hear Up, where he focuses on covering climate and science news. You can reach Kenneth at [email protected].
