Keeping data safe and protected isn’t easy in the best of circumstances. But let’s face it – the IT world was never simple, and hackers continue to develop more sophisticated ways to steal other people’s information. Even a brief disruption or short downtime is enough to significantly impact a small business’s ability to stay in business. Making sure SMBs are protected from cyber criminals is just one of the benefits of working with a managed services provider. (MSP)

Companies that use MSPs can enjoy a range of benefits for their security, scalability, skills gap, and IT budget. In short, outsourcing may assist in freeing up schedules, resources, and budget dollars while eliminating critical technical issues and unexpected disruptions.

managed services Sarasota

Managed Services Provide Great Benefits

How do you identify the right time to call in a managed services firm and move your business forward? Here are four signs that hiring an MSP is the best strategic move.

  1. You Have Staffing Challenges: One of the first indications that working with an MSP might benefit your company is a lack of in-house IT professionals. With too few internal IT staff, many organizations are forced to depend on other computer-savvy employees to help out. In fact, many small businesses have employees working in two departments – doing their normal job and filling in when IT needs a hand. When serious issues arise, those employees must put their own job responsibilities aside and turn their attention to a different task. Responding to issues as they happen is only putting out fires – it does very little to prevent future problems. When a business works with an MSP, it allows employees to focus on their jobs and provides professionals to both solve and avoid future issues.
  2. 2. Your IT Budget is Never Enough: Whether in-house spending or paying overtime if your company continually exceeds its IT budget, it’s a key indicator that an MSP may be a great solution. Many businesses can’t hire and retain enough qualified IT staff because of an insufficient budget. Others may need their employees to function in several roles because they’re not able to hire enough professional IT staff. When problems arise – as they always do – they may need to contract for expensive short-term emergency assistance. This situation is nearly impossible to budget for. When they hire an MSP, businesses pay for the services and support they require, but on a month-to-month basis that keeps them staffed adequately at all times.
  3. Your IT To-Do List is Long – And Getting Longer: When it comes to IT, maintenance-related tasks are ongoing and important to perform on time. When these tasks are left incomplete or begin to pile up, it could cause significant issues. One of the primary examples of this is performing software updates. Utilizing unlicensed software can cause fines and get you in legal trouble – but day-to-day tasks and responding to users can cause the IT team to put the job on the back burner. An MSP will ensure all licenses are up to date and all updates are applied, creating a record of licenses and a routine schedule to ensure any bugs or fixes are taken care of as they arise.
  4. You Experience Frequent Technical Issues: Another sign that considering an MSP is a good idea is if your business has to hire outside help to deal with technical concerns, IT problems, or emergency issues – and it is happening more frequently. The time and money spent on outside help during critical times could be invested in working with an MSP. Their professional team will monitor your system, identify any issues, and resolve them before any damage to the system or network takes place. An MSP maintains business processes, performs data backups, and secures information, allowing your internal team to focus on growing the company and increasing revenue.

Alliance IT is an MSP based in Sarasota, Florida. We specialize in helping small to medium-sized businesses grow and thrive, no matter what challenges they face.