Managing IT infrastructure can be challenging—particularly for small businesses. With limited resources and budgets, they may struggle to keep up with the latest technological advances. This can result in detrimental downtime or leave them at risk for security issues.
If you have a small business, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are the perfect solution. They help you overcome your IT obstacles, stay competitive, and keep your systems safe. And they’ll do it all within your budget.
Table of contents:
1. Why in-house IT isn’t enough for your business
2. Is it time to hire a managed service provider?
3. Why managed IT services are a smart choice for your business
Why in-house IT doesn’t make sense for small business
If you want to effectively manage your IT infrastructure, maintain security, stay up to date with the latest advancements, and monitor your systems around the clock, you need a serious team of experts. If you’re a small business, you likely don’t have the time, resources, or funds to maintain an in-house IT team.
While keeping an in-house IT team can make sense for larger corporations, for most businesses there are serious limitations associated with in-house IT:
An in-house team is expensive
When you build your own IT team, you’re paying for salaries, benefits, training, hardware, software licenses, and other ongoing expenses. And if you’re working with a small budget, it can be tough to keep up with the latest technology or make sure your security’s sufficient.
Lack of specialized expertise
An in-house IT team may develop a deep understanding of your business, but you’re limited to the expertise of the people on your team. If you don’t have a cloud computing expert or someone who’s well versed in cybersecurity, you’re putting your business at risk.
IT management is a 24/7 job
Infrastructure management never stops. Hardware and software require regular updates, patches, and troubleshooting so they’re performing at their best. Plus, systems require round-the-clock monitoring to avoid serious issues or security threats. Without sufficient resources, you may struggle to keep up with all these tasks, which can lead to inefficiencies and potentially damaging downtime.
Failure isn’t an option
IT management isn’t just setting up new users and troubleshooting when systems are down. Without the right expertise and adequate monitoring, your business is at significant risk for cybersecurity threats or data breaches. And the consequences can be serious: financial loss, damage to your reputation, or legal issues, to name a few.
In-house teams don’t scale well
Technology is continuously evolving, and it requires significant time, effort, and money to adapt to your changing needs. An in-house IT team may not be equipped to adjust your network bandwidth, the number or users and devices, or add new technology as you need it, leaving you at a disadvantage when it comes to innovation and growth.
Is it time to hire a managed service provider?
Does IT management currently fall to you, the owner/operator, or a tech-savvy employee? Are you starting to outgrow your current setup? Not getting what you need from hourly IT support? You may want to consider managed IT services.
What are managed IT services?
Managed IT services, also known as an MSP, is a company that offers a range of IT services and solutions from monitoring and maintenance, to regular updates and support. They actively manage your IT infrastructure, ensuring everything operates efficiently and securely. And because they work with you 24/7, an MSP can resolve IT or security issues before they become serious.
A good MSP saves you time and money, keeps your business on track, and helps you stay competitive. They typically offer a suite of services that easily scale to meet your unique needs.
Signs it’s time to hire an MSP
Working with the right MSP can completely transform your business. Here are some of the signs it’s time to look into managed IT services:
1. You don’t have a designated IT person
If you can’t afford a full-time IT person and you’re managing everything yourself, or relying on an employee, you need an MSP. Managing IT infrastructure is a full-time job, and can be a major distraction from an employee’s actual job and other core business tasks.
The general rule of thumb says if any employee is spending more than 10% of their time on IT, you need to get dedicated support.
2. You have an IT person, but they can’t manage
As businesses grow, IT needs can quickly outpace the bandwidth, capabilities, and expertise of their IT person. If you notice mistakes happening more frequently, software rollouts going wrong, security threats going unnoticed, or a lag in updates and other critical tasks, it’s time to re-think your IT management.
3. You have a limited budget
Scrimping on IT is only going to cost you money in the long run. Either you’re paying for constant hourly support, wasting employees’ time with troubleshooting, or paying huge fixed expenses for an in-house team. If your budget isn't big enough to hire an IT person or your needs keep growing, consider outsourcing to an MSP.
4. Your IT is reactive, not proactive
IT requires constant monitoring and maintenance. If your business is always putting out fires, it means you don’t have enough resources to plan effectively. This puts you at risk for security breaches, disruption of business operations, or costly downtime. Get help from a good MSP who will catch potential issues before they become a problem.
5. You don’t have a solid software and hardware inventory
It’s critical to know which employee has which equipment and who has access to which software—and it only gets more complicated as you grow. If you can’t accurately track this information, it’s time to get help.
6. You don’t have long-term IT plan or disaster recovery measures
Your technology should work for your business—and not the other way around. Having an IT plan that gets to the next level, and framework to backup and retrieve important data is a must. If your current IT support isn’t helping you plan for the future or doesn’t have the expertise to handle a disaster, look into working with an MSP.
7. You’re not sure if you’re compliant with industry regulations
In an industry with strict regulations, it’s critical to comply with the relevant data storage and protection rules. Failing to do so can result in severe fines and consequences. Unsure if you’re in compliance with your industry regulations, reach out to an MSP.
Why managed IT services are a smart choice for your small business
Whatever the size of your business or budget, an MSP can be your entire IT department. A good MSP offers 24/7 monitoring, on-demand technical support, security, backup and disaster recovery, cloud services, network architecture, software and hardware management, and more. They’ll also make sure your technology meets your industry-specific compliance requirements if you’re in a highly regulated sector.
The best part? Their services are completely scalable, so you can choose the right level of support for your specific needs, and easily adjust as your business changes or grows.
Working with an MSP is always more cost effective than maintaining an in-house IT person or team. You get access to broad, up-to-the-minute expertise without the high cost of hiring, training, hardware and software, and other ongoing IT expenses. With a trusted partner, you can focus entirely on building your business, not on day-to-day IT management.
As an added benefit, many MSPs offer strategic IT planning. This helps you align your business with your overall business goals, ensuring your technology is helping you grow.
A great MSP can be a game-changer for your small business, whether they’re improving efficiency, saving you time and money, protecting you from security threats, or helping you get proactive about your IT.
If you want a seamless, cost-effective IT solution for your small business, let’s talk. Contact VXIT today at 561-623-8642 or hello@vxit.com