Small business owners wear many hats. Most likely, you are your organization’s CEO, head or human resources, head of marketing, and more. But one thing you don’t have to be is your organization’s head of IT.
A surprising number of small business owners are choosing to delegate their IT managed services– the IT outsourcing market forecast to grow by 6% annually until 2022. Why? For someone who hasn’t dedicated their career to it, managing IT services can be pretty overwhelming. There are significant advantages to outsourcing your IT to a managed service provider (MSP) like iSAFE. In today’s post, we’ll explore just a few.
Lower Cost
On the surface, it may seem like the DIY approach is cheaper than hiring a professional. After all, saving the cost of someone else’s labor results in a cheaper fix, right? Well, not exactly. Hiring a managed service provider to meet your IT needs is often more cost effective than trying to manage it in-house or do it yourself.
First, let’s compare the cost associated with hiring an MSP to managing your systems yourself. MSPs offer a wide range of products and services to meet the tech needs of small businesses. Because managed services companies like iSAFE can take advantage of economies of scale– meaning that they can get more goods for a lower price because of their size– they can provide those services at a fraction of the cost of doing it yourself. The IT expertise of MSPs also allows them to manage your systems more efficiently. For a small business, time is money– how much of both do you lose (not to mention your sanity) trying to navigate complicated technical problems?
Hiring an in-house IT team negates the cost and frustration of the DIY approach. And, it may seem convenient to have your own staff. However, for a small organization, it may not be worth the price tag. Hiring an IT staff will cost your organization hundreds of thousands of dollars per year in the form of salaries and benefits packages. Not to mention, you’ll need to pay for regular staff training and purchase expensive equipment that an MSP would already own.
Skimping on an MSP may come with a lower price tag in the short run. But in the long run, it will cost your business way more in not only money, but time and productivity.
Access to Experts
If you’ve been trying to DIY your IT for awhile, you’re no stranger to technical difficulties. Those problems are inevitable, but they’re also bad for business– they waste you and your staff’s valuable time. How often have you wished for your own personal tech support? What about one who knows your name, understands your systems, and won’t leave you on hold for an hour?
Tech support is a main component of an MSP’s services. Your MSP will come to your aid with immediate assistance in the event of a crash, outage, data loss, security breach, and more. You can rest easy knowing your knowledgeable MSP is working tirelessly to solve your problem.
Peace of Mind
If cybersecurity is not a top concern for your business heading into the new decade, it probably should be. It’s not just large enterprises with tons of data that are at risk. In 2020, 28% of all data breaches involved small businesses. Increasingly sophisticated tools and crafty cybercriminals are often no match for the limited resources available to small businesses. Trying to protect your business data yourself can feel a lot like playing whack-a-mole; for each threat you put to rest, two more pop up in its place. And besides, just keeping up to date with the latest tools, techniques, and scams can feel like a full-time job.
Getting IT security off your plate entirely can put your mind at ease and expose your business to less risk. An MSP can dedicate their full attention to ensuring that your networks and data are secure– and as the IT experts, they know what they’re looking for. Sleep easier at night knowing your business is in good hands.
Focus on Your Business
For most entrepreneurs, their business is their passion. You started your business (or stepped into your current role) to pursue that passion– not to wrestle with your computer technology. It’s not just you who would prefer your attention on core business functions; your customers would too. That attention is critical to your organization’s success. Fighting with your IT can feel like a major distraction. Even small technical difficulties can keep you and your staff distracted long enough to lose out on new customers and critical opportunities.
Outsourcing your IT functions to an MSP allows you to get back to business– literally. Those frustrating problems that would’ve kept you tied up for hours can be resolved with one phone call. Put IT in the hands of the experts and get back to serving your customers, improving your offerings, and building your business.
Why iSAFE?
iSAFE is a complete managed services firm based in Winchester, Kentucky, but serving small businesses with 10-75 employees all over the country. We manage computer technology for our customers so they can focus on running their business and accomplishing their goals. As your MSP, we completely manage your IT infrastructure, secure your data and networks, and support your staff. In addition to managed services, we provide complete web presence, voiceover IP, and enhanced antivirus services. Book a meeting with us today to discuss your needs.
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Learn more at isafecomplete.com.