As a small business, you have to decide the best way to utilize the resources at your disposal. Having a strong, integrated IT services infrastructure is a requirement in 2018, but how you best achieve this may be in question. You can hire an IT professional in-house, or attempt to figure it all out on your own. Or perhaps, you may be considering outsourcing the entire IT operation to a managed services firm, but are concerned about the cost.
It is understandable that the cost of hiring an outside IT services firm may give you pause. However, upon further investigation, it is likely that you will find that having a professional team on your side is not only cost-effective but that not having such expertise in place could be costly to your business.
Here are a few compelling reasons to consider looking into managed IT services for your small business.
It’s Too Important
Your entire business relies on technology. From updating your website to processing payments, from protecting customer data to scheduling shipping, everything is automated. You simply cannot afford to work within an old, clunky system, to risk breaches or hacks, or to fall behind your competition. You don’t have the “buffer zone” that a large business has – every order is important, every hour lost is critical. Having the right IT plan in place is arguably the most important aspect of running a business in today’s world, and shouldn’t be considered a discretionary budget item.
You Don’t Have Time
Technology moves at high speed. Every day there are new capabilities, new threats, new opportunities and new scams. You need to focus on running your business. A managed services firm has a team of professionals who monitor and react to these changes for you, allowing you to concentrate on what you know best.
You Pay Only for Needed Services
Onsite IT services professionals may not have enough projects to keep them busy and to make it worth full-time salaries. Having a managed services firm allows you to pay for expertise when it is needed, but not pay when things are moving along on their own. A team of experts also allows you to access the knowledge you need for your current issues – as well as any issues that may arise in the future.
Our Knowledge is Your Power
You know you need a firewall, but how do you go about choosing the right one? You know you need anti-virus software, but is it robust enough to really protect your company? You know you need a strategic plan (and budget) to grow your company with the latest technology as you grow, but how do you even begin? All of these questions and more have been asked and answered by our team, giving you the benefit of thousands of hours of research, years of experience and volumes of knowledge.
You Gain Leverage
Not only will a managed services firm have the knowledge as to the best options for hardware and software upgrades, sufficient firewalls, anti-virus software and more – but they have strategic relationships with vendors they deal with every day. You benefit from established relationships, processes, economies of scale and pricing structures.
Your IT Projects Actually Get Finished
Imagine you’ve purchased new software for your small business. You are confident that the new platform will greatly enhance sales and productivity, and you are excited to get going. Now you need to roll it out to every device in the company, as well as educate your users – but the day-to-day of running a business has shelved the project for weeks or months. A managed services firm can take on the project for you, completing objectives in a timely manner and positioning your company for success – without you missing a beat in your daily responsibilities.
Any small business owner knows that time is money. By streamlining your business and allowing you to do what you do best, you keep your time – and your business makes money. Call Alliance IT today to learn how strategic IT services can help to propel your Sarasota business to the next level.
